[1] Based in Istanbul, TESEV was founded in 1994 to serve as a bridge between academic research and policy-making process in Turkey.
In order to do so, TESEV organizes regular seminars and conferences, bringing together specialists and policymakers from Turkey and abroad to discuss issues of current concern.
It releases project reports, books, pamphlets, policy watch briefings and seminar proceedings aimed at general readership.
Program areas are grouped under three headings: Democratization,[2] Foreign Policy[3] and Good Governance[4] Some of the most remarkable of TESEV's work have been on the issues of Islam and democracy, combating corruption, state reform, and transparency and accountability.
Among the ongoing project areas are security sector reform, minorities and citizenship rights, transparency and strengthening civil society as well as Cyprus, Middle East and North Africa, and Turkey and European Union relations.