( Cihan ) - Representatives from some 80 countries are meeting in Istanbul to attend an international conference on democracy and security.
Officials including ministers, undersecretaries, national chiefs of police and academics will be discussing global crime, terrorism and security at the "Istanbul Democracy and Global Security Conference" over the next few days, June 14-16. "This conference will boost Turkey's image as a country that looks for solutions to global security problems and that plays a role in such efforts," National Police Chief Oрux Kagan Koksal told reporters at a press conference. "It is very important to us in many respects."
The conference seeks to discuss concepts such as terrorism, security and freedom in a dialogue-friendly environment and devise a strategic plan to tackle the world's security issues. The national police department is hosting the conference, organized under the auspices of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In addition to discussing how the world could more effectively fight terrorism, other topics include democracy, policing and crime and current issues facing security organizations.
Participants from the police department as well as international experts on terrorism and security, including: Rutgers University's Global Affairs Department Co-Chairman Professor Richard Langhorne; New York University's Director of the Center of Terrorism at John Jay College, Professor Charles B. Strozie; and Dr. Leslie W. Kennedy, dean of the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers.