Cognitive and relational outcomes of track- two initiatives and transfer strategies used: The cases of the greek- turkish forum and the Greek-Turkish journalists’ conference

Abstract

The Greek- Turkish Forum and the Greek- Turkish Journalists’ Conference are both track- two initiatives which work on the Greek- Turkish relations. The former was established in 1998 and the latter in 2000. These two initiatives have been working with the goal of influencing and improving the relations between the two states, each one focusing on different aspects of the problem. The Greek- Turkish Forum includes quasiofficial participants and mainly has an advisory role to the politicians and the policy makers. On the other hand, the Greek- Turkish Journalists’ Conference is a process which includes Turkish and Greek journalists and its efforts are primarily focused on creating a positive attitude in the media and thus have an impact on public opinion. Primarily, the thesis examines the cognitive and relational outcomes of the two initiatives separately, while it also discusses the transfer strategies that were used by the two initiatives are discussed. Finally, a short comparison of the two initiatives illustrates the main differences and the commonalities between the two. Data was compiled from a series of interviews held with most of the participants and a participant’s observation was made in the case of the Greek- Turkish Forum. The results of the research suggest that for both of the initiatives there were positive cognitive and relational outcomes. With regard to transfer strategies, the data indicate that the Greek- Turkish Forum targets mainly on upward transfer while the Journalists’ Conference focuses more on downward transfer, meaning mainly the journalists who participate in the Conference’ s processes, but public opinion as well.