TURKEY IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT:
Law and Legal Information


Istanbul
11th - 15th October, 2009
Istanbul Bilgi University, Santral Campus
Istanbul, Turkey



 Programme     - with links to available presentations [pdf]

The annual course in international law librarianship is the Association's main meeting and educational event of the year. This year we are fortunate to be hosted by the Istanbul Bilgi University and the Rector of the University will participate at the opening reception of the conference. The programme has received the strong support of Faculty of Law and the Dean of the Faculty will chair the first substantive session of the conference.

There are three main themes this year:

  • The Turkish legal system and its legal literature
  • Digital developments and the legal system
  • Turkey and the European Union

    The opening talk on the history of Istanbul will be by a famous writer and historian. There will be a session on the Turkish legal system and legal education which will cover a variety of topics including human rights; a session on e-government, digital systems and justice including the new judiciary information system in Turkey; a session on international art law with the assistance of two US colleagues (Kathy Price and Carol Roehrenbeck); a session on Turkish legal publishing and legal databases, sources of Turkish law, and librarianship in Turkey including the new Turkish ‘Platform of Law Libraries'; a session on Intellectual property, especially digital rights management for music reproduction; and a major session on Turkey and the European Union.

    Group visits will be available to several important and historical libraries and archives:

    • The Süleymaniye Manuscript Library which contains the largest collection of Islamic manuscripts in the world.
    • The IRCICA Library is a reference library specialized in Islamic culture and civilization. The Library was established at the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) in 1980.
    • The Ottoman Archives containing over 150 million documents from 600 years of the Ottoman Empire.


     Location - Istanbul                                  

    The Association's annual meeting is being held in Istanbul. Located in the centre of the Old World, Istanbul is one of the world's great cities famous for its historical monuments and magnificent scenic beauties. It is the only city in the world which spreads over two continents: it lies at a point where Asia and Europe are separated by a narrow strait - the Bosphorus. Istanbul has a history of over 2,500 years, and ever since its establishment on this strategic junction of lands and seas, the city has been a crucial trade centre.

    The city offers a huge array of important historic buildings including the Topkapi Palace, the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. It has a wealth of archaeological monuments as well as a vibrant and colourful local culture of tea gardens, taverns, and markets such as the spice bazaar and Grand Bazaar, 'the world's oldest shopping centre'.

    There is a sense of energy and innovation in the city which is again very fashionable as a world destination. There is a wealth of exciting new art galleries and museums as well as restaurants, bars and nightlife.


     Registration                                     

    The full registration fee includes all lunches and refreshment breaks Monday to Wednesday, Sunday evening buffet Reception, the City Tour on Monday, Dinner and Floorshow on Monday at the Galata Tower, and the Reception and Annual Dinner on board a cruise through the Bosphorus on Wednesday. Please also indicate if you would like to participate in the optional extra day tour to Bursa ion Thursday.


     Transport                          

    Istanbul is served by flights from all over the world and has two international airports, Istanbul Atatürk International Airport and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. Information about transfers from the airports including times and costs is on the Transport Information Sheet which also gives details of bus services between.


      Venue                                   

    The conference host is the Istanbul Bilgi University, one of Turkey's leading universities with wonderful modern facilities in the heart of Istanbul. Istanbul Bilgi University was founded in 1996 as a private, non-profit, and unique institution with a wide variety of cultural and social activities, dynamic environment, access to state of the art technology and exceptional academic staff who are the foundation of BILGI's quality education. A considerable amount of teaching takes place in the English language and the Faculty of Laws has particular programmes in globalisation and European Integration.

    The conference venue is santralistanbul, a project led by Istanbul Bilgi University, involving the conversion of the first power station built in Istanbul during the Ottoman period - Silahtaraga Power Plant - into a Museum of Contemporary Arts, a Museum of Energy, and a cultural and educational centre. santralistanbul is situated in the heart of the city at the upper end of the Golden Horn. It is 10 km from Taksim, the centre of modern Istanbul, and 20 km from Atatürk Airport. There are free shuttles every 20 minutes from Taksim AKM (Atatürk Cultural Centre) to santralistanbul.


     Accommodation                                

    Delegates should book and arrange for the payment of their own accommodation. There is no official conference hotel but rooms have been block booked at discounted prices in a range of preferred hotels close to each other in the area of Taksim/Tepebasi in the centre of Istanbul. The Taksim/Tepebasi area is about 15 minutes drive from the conference venue on the University campus and there will be conference buses from the hotels in Taksim/Tepebasi. There is also a free shuttle bus service from Taksim Square to the University campus. Some other hotels including major international hotels are suggested; these will not be served by the conference buses but they are mostly very near to or on Taksim Square.

    For all information on the hotels, please consult the Hotel Information Sheet.


    poster

  •    
      Social Events                         

    The social events will give us a chance to get to know our colleagues from all over the world and also to sample a wide range of the culture and history of Istanbul.

    The conference will open with an evening reception at the Santral campus of the Istanbul Bilgi University, with drinks and a light buffet in the Museum of Energy (plenty of interactive exhibits among the machinery of the old power station) and modern art gallery. Do look at the great website of SantralIstanbul.

    On Monday afternoon there is a city tour including a visit to the world-famous Topkapi Palace with a special introduction by the Director of the museum, the beautiful Blue Mosque, and the Basilica Cistern, a huge and perfectly preserved underground reservoir built 1,500 years ago. That evening we will have dinner with a Turkish cultural floorshow of dancing and music at the top of the ancient Galata tower built in 1348. Tuesday evening will be free to explore Istanbul and its huge range of restaurants and nightlife.

    Bosphorus by Night. The Annual Association Reception and Dinner on Wednesday evening will be on board a cruise through the Bosphorus waterway separating the two continents of Europe and Asia, viewing the architectural masterpieces from the various eras of the city's history, palaces, fortresses, ruins, historic wooden houses and gardens.

    The optional additional day on Thursday will be an excursion by fast ferry across the Bosphorus to Bursa, the ancient Ottoman capital, a spa city famous for its natural beauty with lakes and mountain and a long coastline on the Marmara Sea. We will visit Uludag University for an academic session, lunch and then take a tour of the city including several mosques, the silk market, the first Ottoman village, and the bazaar.

    There is of course, far more to see than we could ever manage during the conference so do consider staying for a little longer - if only for the Grand Bazaar for which no organised trip would be possible!


     Contacts                                                        

    Local Organising Committee

    Serdar Katipoglu, MSc.
    Co-chair, Local Organising Committee
    Director, Library and e-Resources
    Istanbul Bilgi University
    Inonu Cad. No:28 Kustepe
    Sisli 34387 Istanbul
    TURKEY
    Tel : 90(0212) 3116396
    Fax: 90(0212) 2162327
    Email: serdar@bilgi.edu.tr

    Main Contacts:

    Sami Cukadar
    Local Organising Committee
    Assistant Director, Library and e-Resources
    Istanbul Bilgi University
    Kurtulus Deresi Cad. No: 47
    34440 Beyoglu, Istanbul
    TURKEY
    Tel : 90(212) 3115157
    Fax: 90(212) 2976315
    Email: samic@bilgi.edu.tr

    Kerem Kahvecioglu
    Local Organising Committee
    Law Librarian
    Istanbul Bilgi University
    Kurtulus Deresi Cad. No: 47
    34440 Beyoglu, Istanbul
    TURKEY
    Tel : 90(212) 3115159
    Fax: 90(212) 2976315
    Email: mkkahvecioglu@bilgi.edu.tr

    Zeynep Hakguder
    Local Organising Committee
    Reference Law Librarian
    Istanbul Bilgi University
    Kurtulus Deresi Cad. No: 47
    34440 Beyoglu, Istanbul
    TURKEY
    Tel : 90(212) 3115158
    Fax: 90(212) 2976315
    Email: zhakguder@bilgi.edu.tr

    Havva Alkis
    Local Organising Committee
    Law Librarian
    Bilkent University
    06800 Bilkent, Ankara
    TURKEY
    Tel : 90 (312) 2902966
    Fax : 90 (312) 2664391
    Email : havva@bilkent.edu.tr

    Board Liaison

    Holger Knudsen
    Director of the Library
    Max-Planck-Institut fuer auslaendisches
    und internationales Privatrecht
    Mittelweg 187
    D-20148 Hamburg
    GERMANY
    Tel: +40 41900226
    Fax: +40 41900288
    Email: knudsen@mpipriv.de


      Links                                                

      Istanbul Maps:
                A Map of Taksim, Beyoglu and Old Town

                Istanbul Map by turkishmedia.com
                Istanbul Map by istanbul.com.tr 

     

       Transportation in Istanbul:
                Bus lines
                Boat Lines

    Rail System and Subway

     

      Weather

    Weather in Istanbul

     

      News and Magazines

    Hurriyet Daily News

    Skylife (Magazine of Turkish Airlines)

    Timeoutistanbul

     

      Recommended books about Istanbul

    Istanbul: Memories and the City by Orhan Pamuk

    Istanbul: The Imperial City by John Freely

    Strolling Through Istanbul by Sumner-Boyd

     

      Turkish Cuisine:
                Turkish cuisine & meaning of words
                Turkishcook.com
                Turkish Cuisine recipes

    Recommended Restaurants

     

      General

    Museums

    Istanbul.com

    Istanbul Guide

    Virtual Istanbul

    Bookinturkey.com

    Online Dictionary

    Travel Guide in Turkey

    Tourism in Turkey

    Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts

    Turkish Ministry of Tourism Istanbul Page