Beyer Gift Creates Fellowship in Turkish Research at The Washington Institute
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) -- Palm Beach businessman and philanthropist Anthony Beyer has made a major, long-term gift to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy to support the research organization's cutting-edge work in the study of contemporary Turkish politics and Turkey-U.S. relations. The contribution establishes the Beyer Family Fellowship, supporting the work of Turkish Research Program Director Dr. Soner Cagaptay.
"Turkey's importance as a regional power and NATO member has only increased in light of the changes sweeping across the Middle East," Beyer said. "It is our hope that this gift will enable Dr. Cagaptay to expand the well-respected analysis that has made him a trusted resource for governments, academia, and the media."
Cagaptay joined the Institute as a Soref fellow in 2002, the year the Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) won the majority in Turkey's government. In the last decade, he has offered recommendations for U.S. policy as Turkey has altered its domestic and foreign affairs, often clashing with Israel and the United States. A prolific contributor to major newspapers and media outlets in English and Turkish, he also appears regularly on Fox News, BBC, CNN, and CNN-Turk.
Tony Beyer and his wife, Vanessa, have been trustees of The Washington Institute since 2003 and are frequent participants in Institute forums. Mr. Beyer joined the Institute's board of directors in 2010 after having served as cochair of the Next Generation Leadership Council. He was cochair of the 2011 Scholar-Statesman Award Dinner, the Institute's premier national gala.
"We are delighted that the Beyer family name will now be linked to the finest scholarship on the Middle East through the creation of this fellowship," said Chairman Howard P. Berkowitz and President Martin J. Gross.
Beyer is a principal of Poinciana Capital Partners, a private equity firm in South Florida. The Beyers are involved in numerous civic and charitable causes, including the Norton Museum of Art, the Israel Museum, United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and March of Dimes.
"I salute Tony Beyer's intellectual curiosity and commitment to advancing America's interests in the Middle East," Executive Director Robert Satloff added. "This new fellowship recognizes that now, more than ever, such qualities are essential to the pursuit of sound and sensible Middle East policy."
Beyer credits his grandfather, renowned philanthropist Joseph Mandel, with instilling the importance of philanthropy in him. "My grandfather has been a strong supporter of the Institute and an inspiration to me and so many others because of his generosity. As Vanessa and I establish this fellowship, we hope our sons, Alexander and Nikolaus, will embrace this tradition in the years ahead."
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