The Integration of UNESCO Frameworks into Local Contexts: The Case of Turkey (20 min)

Presenters

Evrim Ulusan, Middle East Technical University

Abstract

As one of the conventions with the most signatories in the world, the 1972 UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (WH Convention) seeks cooperation for the protection of the world’s cultural and natural heritage in accordance with universally accepted principles and standards. It has also been contributing to the development of conservation discipline through conceptualization and dissemination of the knowledge resulting from vast academic and practical debates. Turkey became a party to the convention in 1983, and over the years it has increased its efforts for its improved implementation within and beyond its borders. The new conservation paradigm, as also addressed by the WH convention, requires (1) the share of heritage management responsibility among partner institutions for policy making, implementation, and monitoring, (2) the strengthening of the state capability for effective and efficient resource management in policy implementation, (3) the establishment of governance mechanisms to exceed vertical and horizontal hierarchies, (4) the production of lively and operational documents open to revisions in cases of emerging new information, data, needs, threats, risks, and opportunities, (5) deploying holistic and integrated approaches taking diverse dimensions and scales into account, (6) the incorporation of heritage places into community life by attaining appropriate functions, (7) right-based approaches for sustainable and just policies, (8) interdisciplinary approaches for robust exchanges and negotiations between relevant disciplines, and (9) being equipped with communication, conflict resolution, and moderating abilities for managing the heritage politics. Relying upon the underlying necessities, this paper will provide a summary of the years-long experience of Turkey with the implementation of WH Convention as a result of which it recorded both achievements and failures due to either structural or practical circumstances. The debate will address specific examples in relation to pertinent dimensions and seek to draw lessons for the future from a context-specific experience.