Dear Delegates,

Welcome to NCSC XXXVI and to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey! To introduce myself, my name is Anupam Chakravarty, and I am a junior in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown, majoring in International Politics. Those of you who have been to the last NCSC may remember me as the long-haired Indian Undersecretary-General of Administration: Model UN has been a major part of my life at Georgetown, and I will be serving as the Secretary-General of Georgetown’s massive high school conference NAIMUN in the spring. Outside of the International Relations Club, I am a musician (on the bass, guitar, and piano), a singer, an actor and a graphic designer.

It’s already been two years since I visited Istanbul and other cities in Turkey, but the impact of the experience has stayed with me: the modern and the traditional are interwoven in Istanbul to create the vibrant social fabric that captures Turkey’s rich history and the promises of the future. This significant sense of dichotomy is in many ways an essential component to the Republic of Turkey and its people: the juxtaposition of its European identity and its West Asian one, its secular governance and its Islamic heritage, are perceived with renewed international attention as the connection between violence in the Middle East and the ideological battle waged by radical fundamentalism becomes a stronger thorn in the diplomat’s side.

Yet the duality of Turkey is a chord not easily struck and not always harmonious. What exists within Turkey is a struggle between two or more salient identities and the political forces that work to promote the hegemony of one at the expense of the others. The result is a political system that teeters on the verge of instability, prey to corruption and oppression that remain unchecked in fear of a collapse.

We’ll be handling these complex issues together in what I hope to be a really fun but productive committee. I’m joined by two talented Directors, Erim Sarinoglu and Alex Ivers, a sophomore and a junior in the School of Foreign Service, and other great staff members who will help make this an amazing experience, both in and out of committee.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m looking forward to meeting all of you in October!

Take care,

Anupam Chakravarty
Chair, Grand National Assembly of Turkey
NCSC XXXVI
ac432(at)georgetown.edu