Suna Kili

Political scientist, proffesor (b. 1927, Istanbul - d. 29 July 2015, Istanbul). She graduated from the Amerikan Kız College. She completed her license, master’s degree and doctorate study in the field of political science and international relations. She attended her postgraduate degree in the University of California (Berkeley), and her postdoctoral researches in the London School of Economics, Colombia and Princeton Universities. She completed her doctoral and associate professorship theses and became a professor. She continued her studies by giving lessons of political science and revolution history as an academic member of the Boğaziçi University.

She gave lessons in various universities and science institutes of many countries as an invited or guest academic member, especially in the United States of America (USA), and she made presentations in scientific meetings. She worked for a while in the Faculty of Political Sciences of California University in Los Angeles as a guest academic member in the academic year 1977-78. She gave lessons and made presentations in many universities in many countries from Peru to Sweden, from Pennsylvania to Nigeria, from London to Germany and to the People’s Republic of China as an invited or guest academic member.

Prof. Kili participated in many seminars, congresses, symposiums and similar scientific meetings at home and abroad. Prof. Kili, the member of several science institutions such as “International Political Science Association” (IPSA) and “the Association of Social Sciences in the Arab Region, Turkey and Iran” (ASSARTI), worked as the second president of the Political Education Committee of IPSA. In the year of 1998, she was invited to the Erasmus University by the Rotterdam Rectorship in order to give conferences in this university. Again in 1998, she was invited to a symposium organized by the War Academy, in which the policies of Turkey towards Middle East, Caucasians and Eurasia were investigated. In 1997, she participated to the meeting of “Human Rights and Turkey” organized by the United Nations Association of Turkey in Çanakkale and she presented a paper there. Upon the invitation of the War Academy, she gave the opening lesson of the Academic Year 1996-97 on the topic of Atatürk and Laicism. For the last fifteen years, she has been participating to the conference of Security and Cooperation organized by the Turkish-Atlantic Council in Antalya. Prof. Kili, an academic member of the Boğaziçi University, gives the lecture of political sciences and revolution history at this university.

Suna Kili was selected to the membership of Argentina Historical Society in 1986. Among many rewards given to Suna Kili by scientific institutions are: the Bilim Dili Award given by the Türk Dil Kurumu (T.N. Turkish Language Institution) in 1981, the Bellagio Award given by the Rockfeller Foundation in 1992, and the “Lifelong Service to Ataturk’s Ideology” Award given by theAtatürkçü Düşünce Topluluğu  (T.N. Ataturk Way of Thought  Community) of the Middle East Technical University in 2006. Besides, she owns the ‘Akılcı Eğitim Ödülü’ (T.N. Rational Education Award) given by the Atatürkçü Düşünce Toplulukları in USA, Europe and Turkey in 2003, the ‘Atatürk İletişim Ödülü’(T.N. Ataturk Communication Award) given by the Atatürkçü Düşünce Topluluğu  in Germany in 2002, the “Atatürk İlkeleri ve Devrimleri Ödülü’ (T.N. Ataturk’s Principles and Revolutions Award) given by the Chancellorship of the Istanbul University in 2001 and the award given by the Çağdaş Eğitim Foundation in 2001…Dr. Suna Kili, who is the author of many English and Turkish written works, paid direct attention especially in the Turkish enlightenment revolution. She received the Grand Prize of the Türkiye İş Bank with her written work “Atatürk Devrimi: Bir Çağdaşlaşma Modeli”.

 WORKS:

Türk Anayasa Metinleri: Tanzimattan Bugüne Kadar (1967), Kemalism (1969), Turkey: A. Case Study of Political Development (An Investigation on the Modernization of Turkey, 1968), Kemalizm (1969), Turkish Constitutions of 1924 and 1961 (Developments of the Turkish Constitution, An Investigation on the Constitutions of 1924 and 1961- 1971), 1960-75 Döneminde Cumhuriyet Halk Partisinde Gelişmeler: Siyaset Bilimi Açısından Bir İnceleme (1976), Atatürk ve Devrimleri (1977), Çayırhan: Bir Orta Anadolu Köyünde Toplumsal Değişme, Siyasal Davranış (1978), Bugünkü Türkiye ve Kemalizm (1980), Osmanlı ve Türk Anayasaları (1980), Atatürk Devrimi ve Bir Çağdaşlaşma Modeli (1981), Türk Anayasaları (1982), Türk Devrim Tarihi (1982), 27 Mayıs 1960 Devrimi - Kurucu Meclis ve 1961 Anayasası (Istanbul 1998), CHP’de Gelişmeler (2001).  

REFERENCE: İş’te Kitap (Bahar 2002), İhsan Işık / Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (2006, gen. 2. bas. 2007) - Ünlü Kadınlar (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 4, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013), Prof. Dr. Suna Kili’yi kaybettik (haberler.boun.edu.tr, 30 Temmuz 2015).