Since the 1960s, over 5,500 research centers have been established within Turkish universities. As of July 2025, only 573 have been closed, leaving nearly 5,000 active today. A significant number—more than 300—are thematically linked to international politics. These include 30 centers focusing specifically on the European Union (five of which were closed after 2014), around 100 dedicated to specific regions (Asia, Africa, Middle East etc.) or countries like Russia, Palestine, and Germany (11 closed), and 46 addressing migration and related issues (only four closed). More than 75 centers include the word “strategic” in their title, signaling a preference for broad, often security-oriented themes over narrower and more conventional topics such as diplomacy. Given Turkey’s role as one of the top host countries for migrants—especially after the Syrian civil war—alongside its large diaspora population in Europe, the prominence of migration-related centers is understandable. Yet, despite Turkey's active diplomatic presence (the number of embassies etc.) and the frequency with which its leaders travel abroad, Turkish universities have shown little interest in establishing centers devoted to classical diplomacy.

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Why, then, do Turkish universities continue to open centers with broad mandates like “strategic studies” instead of focusing on more precisely defined areas as in the case of migration? One explanation lies in what can be termed a “research center inflation,” particularly evident in the surge of new centers established between 2006 and 2013. This period coincides with the rapid expansion of Turkish higher education. Many IR scholars seemingly felt compelled to establish new centers—often without a clear or focused agenda. The post-2007 era can thus be characterized as one of unchecked institutional growth. The total number of research centers jumped from approximately 1,250 in 2007 to around 2,400 by 2013. However, since 2020, this trend has reversed: fewer centers are being established, while closures have become increasingly common (see figure). Notably, while 14 new centers with “strategic” in their title were established after 2020, 7 such centers were also shut down—highlighting both the persistence and volatility of this broad thematic category. The continued absence of diplomacy-focused centers amid this institutional boom and bust raises critical questions about the thematic and intellectual priorities of Turkish academia.

It is time to critically reassess the purpose, output, and thematic focus of university........

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