BY ALP RODOPLU (HIST/MA)
France’s ambassador to Turkey, Laurent Bili, was on campus March 25 to speak on the history of Turco-French relations. Invited by the Department of History, Ambassador Bili’s insights into this subject were based not only on his professional position, but also the training he had received in history at the Sorbonne.
Following a brief presentation, the ambassador responded to a variety of questions, ranging from how the French perception of Turkey has evolved in the last decades, to inter-governmental policies for the improvement of cooperation in education and academic research, to what the French think of Turkish wine. Bilkent historians, seizing the opportunity, also probed the ambassador concerning matters of a slightly more controversial nature.