Michael Thumann

Fellowship

IPC Senior Fellowship

Granting institution

Partner institution

Period of the Fellowship

September 2019 - December 2019

Project title

Nationalism in Turkey and Europe’s Turkey policy

Project description

Michael Thumann analyses the fundamentals underlying Turkish nationalism, the deeper cooperation with Russia, a country with a nationalist government, and outlines the possible consequences for Turkey and its relationship with Europe and Germany. Furthermore, he describes how Europe and Germany should handle Turkey’s policy with a view to avoiding escalation. As part of his research work, he will give seminar lectures in which he will put his theories forward for discussion and also talk about other topics.

Short biography

Michael Thumann is foreign affairs correspondent for the ZEIT newspaper. He studied history, politics and Slavic studies in Berlin, New York and Leningrad. From 2007 to 2013 he was the ZEIT’s correspondent for the Middle East in Istanbul. Until the end of 2007, he headed and coordinated foreign affairs reporting for the ZEIT. From 1996 to 2001 he was the ZEIT’s correspondent in Moscow, reporting on Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. In 2012 he won the Helga and Edzard Reuter Prize for international relations and the German Prize for Journalism in recognition of his reporting. Among other things, he is a member of the Advisory Council of the German-Turkish Youth Bridge, and sits on the Board of the German Association for East European Studies.