Exchange to the Turkish National Police
Academy
2023 autumn
Jacob Skrogstad
During the autumn semester 2023, a delegation from the Turkish National Police Academy visited NMBU and the Norwegian Police Academy. Their visit was in part to establish collaboration with the Center for Community Orientated Policing (ICT4COP) led by Ingrid Nyborg at NMBU. I was working as an intern at the Center of the time and had the pleasure of guiding the delegation from Oslo to Oskarsborg. Fast forward, Ingrid made an agreement with the academy which resulted in the Erasmus+ opportunity.
With my background from ICT4COP and
interest for the courses offered at TNPA ,it was a natural choice to experience
the Police Academy in Turkey. My interest in Turkey’s role in the Middle-East
and a growing power was also nurtured which is why I decided to write my thesis
on Turkish Foreign policy with the example of the war between Russia and
Ukraine. The staff at TNPA, in addition to the organic data I could collect
form my stay in Ankara resulted in conducting interviews there.
The process of obtaining permits for
interviews was a bit of a roller-coaster, however, I was a pioneer as the first
exchange student to undergo the process. The staff at TNPA were helpful and
allowed the process to take place. Due to some administrational issues the
application was first not reviewed, but after the second try with help from one
of the professors, everything was approved. If you are interested in writing
your thesis or conducting any research in Turkey, they may provide you with an
opportunity to do this. Not to mention their network of experts in a variety of
fields which they can put you in contact with. If you are interested in working
on your thesis in Turkey, make sure that you establish contact prior to ensure
a smooth process and that you can obtain the right permits. In this way, you
will have more time to conduct the research related activities as well.
Experience from courses, exam forms,
reading and tests:
During my stay I took the following
courses:
Introduction to Intelligence Studies
Energy, Security and Diplomacy
Psychological Operations and Propaganda
Human Rights and Intelligence
The courses differentiated a lot when it came down to workload. The course’s introduction to intelligence studies and psychological operations and propaganda were the most demanding in terms of exams, homework, and evaluations. Overall, all the elected courses were very interesting and complimented each other. I believe the courses are unique and gives first-hand experience from experts in the intelligence field which is not offered at NMBU. The professors were professionals and had a lot of knowledge. For instance, the course convenor in Psyops and propaganda is one of the top chiefs of Police in Turkey and brought in a NATO general as guest lecturer.
The exam format varied from course to course. However, in Turkey they often operate with mid-term exams. We only had a mid-term in introduction to intelligence studies. The other courses had a final exam and a presentation. Hearing from the other Erasmus students at different universities in Ankara most of them had mid-terms in their electives, so this may possible change depending on the course plans.
The syllabus is also very different from the one in Norway, where intro to intelligence had the one most familiar to the Norwegian type. Some courses as human rights, and intelligence and energy, security, and diplomacy we were given the readings or material for every class, but not a schedule for the whole semester. Overall, everything worked out fine and was just a bit different experience which is always nice.
The workload depends on what you make of
it. Personally, I was eager to travel and learn as much as possible about the
culture. The courses were interesting, so they came naturally and we of course
had to work for our results. They have a bit different scoring system which I
believe (I’m not fully sure) goes from 0-100 and where you need 60 points to
pass a course. In the time of writing, I have not received any results, but the
exams and evaluations are manageable if you put in the effort and will yield good
results.
Personal development, why I choose an
exchange semester and my goals.
I have previously been to the Netherlands
for an Erasmus exchange which was a pleasant experience. I wanted to spend time
abroad during my master’s as well because I believe in the field of
International Relations, international experience is necessary. Due to my
interest in Turkish foreign policy and my experience from ICT4COP TNPA became
the natural choice. I did not have any particular excpecations for my exchange
stay as what my perception about Turkey was rather negative due to the picture presented
by media. This is another reason you should go to Turkey because you will
experience a very hospitable and welcoming culture and may change any prejudices
you have heard.
TNPA is a police academy and therefore
different a lot from a typical university. The contacts at TNPA are very kind
and helpful and we were given personal numbers and were welcomed to contact
them any time if we ran into problems. With my decision to conudcuct interviews
in Turkey I was helped a lot by the professors and they have a wide network
both from private and public sectors from their past experiences. It was
therefore very interesting to come in touch them and gave me great help for my
thesis interviews. As mentioned previously, we had a guest lecture by a NATO
general and were given insights into a world which few ever will. It also gave
great insight into how both private and miliary organizations operate.
From the intelligence perspective I
learned more than excpected and understood through the courses it can be
applied to multiple organizations, in addition to your personal life. For
instance many cooperations nowadays are in need of corporate intelligence. The
intelligence courses at TNPA will give you a very thorough introduction of the
field and you will it applicable not only in the “deep state”, but to
corporations and every day decisions.
Overall, the I believe the unique courses offered at TNPA in addition to the networks and contacts you will gain are super helpful for your CV and of course knowledge.
Living Conditions and prices
You will live on TNPA premises central in
Ankara, Anittepe. The place is close to Kilizay which is the Centrum of Ankara.
It’s situated around a 15-minute walk the city centrum. In other words, you
will have everything close to you.
I lived in a dormitory with Tim where we
shared a room. This was a new experience and something I didn’t think would
happened after military. However, the rooms were very modern and nice and I had
no problem sharing a room with Tim. It was rather very nice as your always in
good company. The room had two beds, a large working desk, TV, refrigerator and
a bathroom with a big shower cabinet, sink and toilet. Soap and toilet paper
was complimentary from the academy.
There is a cleaner lady there. She is very
kind and helpful, we gained a good relationship, and it was very sad when we
had to depart. She takes responsibility for cleaning the dorm, trash and
kitchen. This was of course a luxury we never expected but we were very
grateful and of course gave flowers and chocolate before our departure.
The dorms are free, yes your heard
rights it’s free. You pay no expenses for the dorm which is like night and day
compared to living in Oslo. Because of this you can save some money in addition
to spending on what really matters such as food and travelling.
About the university; facts, students and facilities
Rumors have it Muammar Gaddafi slept in
the same dormitory as us…. TNPA has two
campuses: one “civil” which is where you will stay located centrally in Anakra
and one in Golbaze where the “operative” police are working. All your courses
will be at the one in Anittepe, literally 30 meters away from your dormitory.
At the Golbze campus operative police are trained from all over the world.
Turkey’s has a renowned police training and thus you will find many
nationalities there, even people from Taliban.
There is a gym next to the academy with
the equipment you need. It’s under renovation but we were able to use it after
some negotiating. We could use it from 17.00 to 21.00 on weekdays. Beware that
you may need to ask the Erasmus team at the university for permission.
In addition to me and Tim, we lived with
two Hungarian lads. They are friends for life and we had a great stay with
them. We went out together, to the gym and travelled. We even celebrated
Christmas together and It was a pleasurable experience as you will live closely
with them. They were coming from the police so they were in a different
department, but nonetheless, we spent a lot of time together in the free time
and the gym.
We were invited, and participated on an
excursion to the Golbaze campus were they showed us laboratories and how the
police operated. In addition, we had a roundtable discussion with one of the
head chiefs of Turkey’s narcotics department. It was a fruitful conversation
where we shared different thoughts on drug problems.
The language
I recommend you take a language course on
the side. I was using Duolingo and learnt surprisingly a lot from my stay
there. Well over my 3 years of Spanish in high school. Many do not speak
English and therefore you will have to pick up some words here and there. But
fear not, the people are very eager to speak to you as a foreigner and you will
come far with body language, at least that was my experience.
They use a lot of phrases in daily life
which you will quickly adapt to.
I couldn’t hold a conversation in Turkish
but through simple words and phrases I managed ice-breakers, greetings and
simple conversations.
Student Visa:
Obtaining a student visa was quite
straight forward. You have to apply for a student visa at the Turkish embassy
in Oslo. Make sure you do this as quickly as you are accepted into the academy.
The visa will last you for 90 days, so if you plan on spending more time than
90 (I recommend) you have to apply for a residence permit.
The residence permit was nothing but a
headache, but since you are with the police the process for actually doing the
application was quick. Unfortunately, due to the current situation in Turkey
the immigration offices are overloaded with applications which resulted in us
never receiving the residence permit. Tim had some difficulties heading back
home, however I was lucky and had no problems other than receiving a stamp from
immigration.
So, make sure before you go there that you
send a e-mail to the Erasmus office at TNPA and ask them for the procedure and
things you need to add to your residence permit application so you will have
more time to receive it. If you receive it early on you will have many rights
such as a very cheap museum-card.
Me and Tim went 1st of
September to travel, something we don’t regret. The history and scenic views
you find in Turkey is never-ending. The semester starts in the beginning of
October so you can travel a lot prior.
Am I happy with the exchange, and will I
recommend?
I am very happy with my stay In Turkey.
It’s a memorable experience and went far more quickly than expected. If you are
interested in a “different” exchange and learning about security and
intelligence I definitely recommend going. Immerse yourself with simit and
chai. And of course all the other cuisines they offer.
Was it difficult to obtain preferred
courses?
It was not a problem to enroll into the
English program courses.
Was my courses approved?
I have not recieved any approval, however
they were approved beforehand with the student coordinator.
Am I happy with the educational quality at
the university?
The educational quality is very good and
as you can interpret from my writings, they were helpful all throughout the
process.
Did the Erasmus stipend hold?
Yes. The economic situation in Turkey
coupled with Norway’s relatively strong currency gives you a lot of economic
freedom. Keep in mind however, that this is not the same for Turkish students
so make sure you are not flexing your money but rather give some extra for tips
or treat your fellow Erasmus people with a round of beers.
Did I achieve what I wanted?
In the time of writing, I can with
pleasure say my months at TNPA was an unforgettable experience which I cannot
express in any other way than say I highly recommend you to go.
Stikkord: Turkey, Tyrkia, Ankara, Turkish
National Police Academy, security and intelligence studies, master,
International Relations
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