Breaking the Ice: The Role of Civil Society and Media in Turkey-Armenia Relations

The failure of the 2009 Protocols to establish and develop diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey has largely overshadowed the success of civil society organizations in advancing the normalization process over the past decade. This report aims to help address this imbalance through a detailed account of the United States Department of State-funded “Dialogue-Building between Turkey and Armenia” project, implemented by the Global Political Trends Center (GPoT) of Istanbul Kültür University, Internews Network, Internews Armenia, the Yerevan Press Club and CAM Film between September 2010 and December 2011. Including an introduction that analyzes the current “frozen” state and historical background of Turkish-Armenian relations, Breaking the Ice: The Role of Civil Society and Media in Turkey-Armenia Relations presents the writings and reflections of the dozens of Turkish and Armenian journalists and students who participated in the project. The output of the Dialogue-Building Project demonstrates the continued, if not heightened, importance of civil society and media-based initiatives in the Turkey-Armenia normalization process, post-Protocols.

Download here