JCU Welcomes Aydın Adnan Sezgin, Ambassador of Turkey to Rome

On Tuesday, September 13, the International Relations Society was pleased to host Aydin Adnan Sezgin, the Turkish ambassador to Italy, to discuss the unsuccessful coup d’etat in Turkey, the Syrian Civil War, and the question of Kurds.

Ambassador Sezgin graduated from the Economic Department of Social and Administrative Science Faculty of Ankara Hacettepe University and completed his master’s degree on the subject of ”Economy and Civilization” at the Department of Economy of Paris Law and Economy University. Prior to becoming Ambassador to Italy, he served from 2010 to 2014 as the Ambassador of Turkey to Moscow.

The IR Society began the event by presenting their former president, and recent graduate of John Cabot University, Ekaterina Soubeva, with a certificate of recognition.

After a warm welcome by JCU President Franco Pavoncello and IR Society president Mihail Yotov, Ambassador Sezgin began his talk by giving an overview of Turkish history. He also provided statistics regarding Turkey’s fast-growing economy and the country’s role as the European Union’s sixth largest trade partner.

Later, the room was open to questions and students had the opportunity to ask about Turkey’s recent failed coup d’etat and the country’s policy on Syrian refugees. Ambassador Sezgin stated that Turkey has “an open door policy when it comes to Syrians” and is currently hosting the largest number of Syrian refugees.

Ambassador Sezgin’s visit was part of the International Relations Society’s effort to provide a platform for students to enhance their knowledge of current affairs through dialogue and lectures with leading professionals from different countries and fields.

Learn more about the Department of Political Science and International Affairs at John Cabot University.