Turkey’s Role in Global Mediation and Peacebuilding, A Spotlight on Mediator Deniz Kite Güner
By Benjamin Lutz
In the midst of many domestic, regional, and international conflicts, Turkey is rife with worry on how peaceful its future can be. Regardless of the dismal news sources or outlook, Turkey is a haven for training mediators and churning out peacemakers. Most of its universities has a Peace and Conflict Studies department, and focus on the academic sides of peacemaking, treaties, negotiation, dialogue, diplomacy, and collaboration. Furthermore, several global mediation and peacemaking organizations have regional offices throughout Turkey, allowing its community of mediators to reach most areas in the country.
One such institute, Global Mediators and Negotiators (GMN), is a shining example of the collaborative training efforts that trains mediators and negotiators. Deniz Kite Güner is the founder of GMN, and she leads the organization’s focus on mentoring, and certifying mediators in Turkey, Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and most of Central Asia. Furthermore, mediators from Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay have been trained at GMN as well, showcasing its international reach.
GMN is revolutionary in its specialty on certifying both Turkish and Kurdish speaking mediators worldwide. It is well documented that mediation done through translators or in a setting not familiar to the community directly involved can lead to the failure of negotiations. Putting a strong emphasis on solidifying mediators’ language skills has allowed GMN to reach a wider sector of Turkish-speaking and Kurdish-speaking communities through the diverse recipients of this training.
Furthermore, GMN is an IMI Qualifying Assessment Program (QAP). This means that the certification process that GMN undertakes with its network of mediators is internationally accredited under the auspices of the IMI. A small number of international organizations can be considered a QAP and it is a testament of Deniz’s career in mediation that her organization is one of the select few. Deniz career spans decades, as she was also the founder of the Negotiators Society, which promotes good negotiation practice and negotiation culture in Turkey and develops a code of conduct for negotiators.
Another such international organization with a voice in Turkey is Mediators Beyond Borders International (MBBI) which has a regional chapter in Turkey. Deniz is also the chair of this regional chapter, allowing her to combine her two mediation communities into one system of peacebuilding in Turkey. MBBI’s emphasis is also on training, but with a strong focus on Trauma-Informed Peacebuilding, which is being cognizant of the trauma in the community and spending time to attend to the post-traumatic effects of that area.
In addition, Deniz hold the honor of being the first Turkish-speaking International Mediation Institute (IMI) Certified Mediator, the first Turkish Musteshar of Egypt, listed expert negotiator at Negotiation at Public Service, NL, and a mentor at Workinton Incubation Center. She strongly believes that mediation teaches mediators different paths of wisdom through each case. Her leadership at GMN, Negotiators Society, and MBBI has promoted a knowledge-sharing platform amongst Turkish-speaking and Kurdish-speaking mediators in Turkey the Caucuses, the Mediterranean, and Central Asia. Her priority has been to develop a culture where people can communicate effectively with each other to negotiate differences and perceive them for the values they bring.
Deniz is unique in her efforts striving to appreciate traditional mediation recognizing cultural customs to solve disputes. Being respectful of cultural norms allows international organizations, either non-governmental or financial or else, to succeed. One of Deniz’s biggest pieces of advice is to “Start accepting yourself as you are, love and respect yourself. The more you became comfortable with yourself, the more neutral you will become. To sum it up: Know thy self.”