The third term of the Minority Rights Academy, organized by the Hrant Dink Foundation since 2024, took place between October 23 and 26, 2026, at the Anarad Hığutyun Building in Istanbul.
The Minority Rights Academy brings together civil society representatives, legal professionals, academics, and members of minority foundations. Its curriculum covers topics such as the definition and transformation of the concept of minorities, national and international legal frameworks on minority rights, the political history of minorities in Türkiye, challenges encountered in the implementation of minority rights, comparative studies from different countries, and advocacy. Each year, twenty participants from various cities and professional backgrounds across Türkiye are selected to take part in the programme.
During the four-day in-person programme, experts from different fields delivered seminars and workshops. The programme was conducted in Turkish, with simultaneous interpretation provided for sessions held in English.
The first day of the Academy began with a presentation by Turgut Tarhanlı on the impact of human rights law on minority rights in Türkiye. Samim Akgönül followed with an exploration of current debates on the concept of minorities. In the final session of the day, Olgun Akbulut addressed minority rights within the framework of international law. The first day concluded with a guided tour of the 23.5 Hrant Dink Site of Memory.
The second day began with a workshop on constructing a chronology of minority rights in Turkey. Derya Bayır and Özgür Kaymak then held two separate sessions examining examples of minority rights implementation in Türkiye and the challenges encountered in practice. At the end of the day, participants joined the KarDes Tatavla Tour, guided by Mayıs Oğuz, to explore the neighbourhood's multicultural history and collective memory.
On the third day, Irmak Ertör and Begüm Özkaynak held a session on minorities and the environment. This was followed by a seminar by Samim Akgönül on diaspora and diasporic communities. Işılay Taban McQuade then explored the relationship between intersectionality, gender, and minorities. The day concluded with a presentation by the Hrant Dink Foundation Minority Rights Academy Team, providing participants with information about the grant programme carried out as part of the Academy.
The final day of the Academy was dedicated to advocacy. Neil Clarke introduced the UN and European mechanisms for advocacy and minority rights. Hakan Ataman then addressed civil society and advocacy in Türkiye. The programme concluded with a session in which Minority Rights Academy alumni Aren Dadıroğlu, Ceki Hazan, Evlin Hüseyinoğlu, Alara Sert, and Göktan Yıldırım shared their experiences in the field of advocacy.
The Academy programme will continue with online seminars.
