WHAT IS SOCIETY DESK?
Society Desk
Society Desk is the most vibrant gathering point of Capital House. Every week, we host engaging talks, open-mic evenings, debates, and culture-and-arts nights featuring a diverse network of speakers—from academics and artists to diplomats and entrepreneurs.
Our regular programming includes weekly Capital Talks, monthly Capital Connect networking gatherings, open-mic evenings ("The Floor is Yours"), and structured debates (Başkent Debate). Each format serves a distinct purpose: sometimes an expert takes the stage, sometimes the microphone is passed to the audience, sometimes two perspectives engage in debate, and at other times our terrace comes alive with a culinary or artistic evening.
You don't need an official title to be a speaker—a compelling question or a story worth sharing is all it takes. On this page, you can find our weekly schedule, apply for the open-mic sessions, and explore our archive of past events.
Thematic Lenses
Entrepreneurship and Economic Transformation
4
Art and Representation
7
Migration and Belonging
1
Identity and Discourse
5
Climate and Sustainability
8
International Relations and Diplomacy
3
Violence, Memory, and Healing
6
Society and Everyday Life
9
Gastronomy and Cultural Heritage
MAIN ACTIVITIES
CAPITAL PULSE INDEX
Research program: What Does Ankara Talk About at Midnight? · The Economic Language of the Market · Diplomacy on the Terrace: Where Formality Ends
CAPITAL TALKS
This format can accommodate the widest range of tags because one person delves deeply into a single topic:
Migration and Belonging · Identity and Discourse · Violence, Memory and Healing · Art and Representation
THE PLATFORM IS YOURS
Open forum — personal experience, 15 minutes. Tags best suited for personal narrative, requiring "lived moments" rather than a "grand thesis":
Society and Daily Life · Education and Development · Migration and Belonging
CULTURE AND ARTS
It prioritizes the sensory and cultural:
Gastronomy and Cultural Heritage · Art and Representation · Turkic World. Seasonal programs: gastronomy, exhibition, book signing.
CAPITAL CONNECT
Networking events based on agenda topics to foster partnerships and improve business culture.
SOCIAL CLUB
A series of free activities - Evenings full of connection and discovery.
Become a member
Membership in the Society Platform is unlike any conventional society.
1. A Live Program
We run a packed schedule with Capital Talks every week, as well as our regularly scheduled "The Platform is Yours" evenings and Capital Debate. Our speakers range from academics to artists, diplomats to entrepreneurs — from experts in their fields to the extraordinary.
2. A Community Committed to a Purpose
Our community comprises academics and researchers, culture and tourism professionals, diplomats and public administrators, artists and entrepreneurs, and civil society representatives. The moment you join, you become part of this network.
3. Capital Connect Network
With our monthly Capital Connect meetings, we offer a space where you can come not just to listen, but also to meet — connect directly with people who share your interests.
4. Social and Cultural Life
From the Social Club's daytime chats to the Culture and Arts section's gastronomy and book signing events, here you can not only listen but also live.
5. A Homey Warmth
Community Platform, located in the heart of Ankara, is the perfect place to spend time, relax, connect, and create, with its stage, terrace, and studio.
