Preparatory Training Programs

The purpose of the “Preparatory Training Program” is to enhance the qualifications of the newly-recruited political officials enabling them to duly perform their future duties and responsibilities both at Headquarters and abroad.

Newly-recruited “Career Officials” and “Consular and Expertise Officials”, attending this program prior to their appointments to various departments in the Ministry, refresh their knowledge of foreign policy, international law, conflict resolution, mediation and crisis management  besides improving their skills on more technical areas like diplomatic correspondence and negotiation techniques.

Core Courses

Academic Courses

• Turkish Foreign Policy
• International Law, Organizations and Regimes
• Conflict Resolution and Mediation
• Political History
• Turkish History
• Law and Public Administration

Professional Courses

• Organization of the Ministry
• Diplomatic Correspondence
• Diplomatic Protocol
• Negotiation Techniques
• Case Studies
• Consular Issues
• Administrative and Financial Affairs
• Information Technology Infrastructure and Principles of Use
• Communication, Diplomatic Courier, Documentation and Filing
• Presentation and Communication Skills
• Foreign Language

Personal Development Courses

• Literature, Music, Art, Cinema
• Public Speaking

Course Contents

International Relations

Main objective of this course is to provide the fundamental theories employed to comprehend, describe and make sense of fundamental dynamics of international relations. The course is structured to equip the trainees with sophisticated skills necessary to analyze international relations. Throughout this course, evaluation of the modern state organizations and particularly the development of “International Relations” as a distinctive discipline are thoroughly examined. In parallel with the above, main approaches to theories and paradigms of international relations are analyzed. These paradigms are realism, neorealism, liberal approaches, neoliberal academic theories and sociology-based international relations. Elaborating on rational and sociology-based approaches, the course discusses the current debates about theories of international relations.

Foreign Policy Analysis

Within the scope of this course, theories in the field of Foreign Policy are analyzed. Comprehension of the way different decisions are made by examining nuances of international policies and decision-making processes from the perspective of all three classical levels of analysis is the main purpose of this course. Additionally, chronological literature of foreign policy analysis is taken up in detail and theoretical questions raised during this chronology are discussed. Applications of these theories are also discussed over case analyses.

Türkiye’s Foreign Policy

Objective of this course is to provide trainees with the conceptual framework to improve their analytical approach to current agenda of the international arena and to familiarize them with the current debates around Türkiye’s evolving foreign policy. The course starts with an introduction of historical and conceptual framework of Turkish Foreign Policy and proceeds with the discussion about the procedure and the components of policy-making process. Next phase closely examines Türkiye’s interactions with global and regional powers, which Turkish Foreign Policy is traditionally in relation with. In the light of above, changing tendencies of Turkish Foreign Policy are studied.

Diplomacy 

The Course aims at deepening attendees’ knowledge of international relations, international law and Ottoman Diplomacy while providing them with the required skills to comprehend the changes of diplomatic practices throughout history and effectively use the tools of public diplomacy. In this regard, the course comprises a basis for further studies on various fields of study such as diplomacy and international relations.

International Law, Organizations and Regimes

Sources of international law, state organization, international organizations, real persons, local and overseas authority of the state, consular diplomacy, international conflicts and their resolutions make up the general contents of the course. Within this framework, the course also includes lectures focusing on individuals in the international law, human rights, territorial waters, continental shelf, and structure of regional and global organizations.

International Economics, Globalization and Türkiye’s Economy

The purpose of this course is to ensure the participation of the attendees in the basic discussions on globalization, international economy and Turkish economy.

It offers the conceptual framework needed to comprehend the current affairs in economics and aims to endow its participants with the knowledge to actively take part in basic debates on “International Economics” and “Türkiye’s Economy”. Starting with a conceptual introduction on “International Economics” and “Economic Growth” the course proceeds with a series of analyses and discussions about; international institutions which regulate global economy, factors influencing Türkiye’s Economy and global integration. Subsequently, Türkiye’s Foreign Debt, Türkiye’s development, globalization and foreign investment issues are discussed. Ultimately, the participants engage in elaborative discussions on “Global Economic Crisis” and the current state of “The World Economy” and their effects on Türkiye in the light of penultimate attainments.

Conflict Resolution and Mediation

This workshop, with a purpose of introducing the participants the concepts of conflict and conflict resolution, consists of two main sections: “Conflict Analysis” and “Conflict Resolution”. The former discusses the practical on-field analyses built for decision makers.

The latter focuses on conflict resolution methods dealing mainly with negotiation techniques, mediation and previous group-based problem solving workshop reports. While elaborating on international issues, modeling and simulation tasks are also completed.

Political History

With an effort to comprehend 19^th and 20^th Centuries; the course mainly focuses on the causes and results of historic transformations such as wars, political systems and historic milestones in addition to giving chronological information from “Peace of Westphalia” (1648) up until present day.

Turkish History

The main purpose of this course is to present the history of Ottoman Empire and Türkiye as part of the global system with the aim of developing analytical approaches to world history. Based on the above concept, the course, first of all, deals with the differences in the world system before and after 16^th Century, and then proceeds with the birth of Ottoman Empire and its organizational and political philosophy during the rise and enrichment of Europe. The course elaborates on the Ottoman heritage in the Middle East, North Africa, Caucasia and the Balkans    -the primary geography of today’s Turkish geopolitics- and perception of this heritage. Then  analyzes the social, intellectual and political reactions of Ottoman Empire (modernization efforts) to the Modern World (Nizam-ı Cedit – Tanzimat / The New Order - Reforms), and examines the continuities and breaks between the  Empire and the Republic.

A great portion of the course does naturally focus on Republic’s self-consolidation process in political and organizational terms.  Within this context, the course includes Republican Philosophy, transition to multi-party system, democratization process, Turkish Diplomacy, political and ideological movements in Türkiye, military-civilian relations and religion-state relations.

Law and Public Administration

In order to provide attendees with a fundamental background in law, this course makes a general introduction to Law -concept, definition, meaning, characteristics, types and origins-and Public Administration. In addition to the fundamentals of law the course deals with various applications of law such as; constitutional and persons law, family law, law of obligations, administrative and criminal law. In the light of latest developments, the course discuses Public Administration in general terms with an emphasis on the concept of “governance” and its existing applications.