ANKASAMAnkara Kriz ve Siyaset Araştırmaları Merkezi

Born in 1969, Dörtyol-Hatay, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Seyfettin Erol graduated from Boğaziçi University (BU), Department of Political Science and International Relations in 1993. After completing his master's degree at BU in 1995, Erol was accepted to the PhD program at BU in the same year. After completing his PhD at Ankara University in 2005, Erol became an associate professor in the field of “International Relations” in 2009 and a professor in 2014. Erol worked at the Eurasian Center for Strategic Studies (ASAM) between 2000 and 2006 and and served as the General Coordinator of ASAM for a period. In 2009, he served as also Founding Chairman and Board Member of the Institute for Strategic Thinking (SDE). He is also the Founding President of the Center for International Strategy and Security Studies (USGAM) and the President of the International Relations Institute of the New Türkiye Strategic Research Center (YTSAM). Prof. Erol has also served as the Director of Gazi University Strategic Research Center (GAZISAM). In 2007, Prof. Erol received the “Turkish World Service Award” from the Writers and Artists Foundation of the Turkic World (TÜRKSAV), and has received numerous awards for his academic work and his activities in the media. Some of them can be listed as follows: 2013 “Print Media of the Year Award” by the Association of Contemporary Democrats, 2015 “APM 10th Year Service Award”, “2015 Press-Intellectual of the Year Award” by the Writers' Union of Türkiye (YTB), “2016 Volunteer Ambassadors Media Honor Award” by the Anatolian Village Guards and Martyrs' Families, “2016 Türkiye Honor Award” by the Yoruk Turkmen Federations. Prof. Erol has 15 book studies. The names of some of them are as follows: “The United States of Turks from Dream to Reality”, “Türkiye-EU Relations: Foreign Policy and Internal Structure Problems”, “The New Great Game in Eurasia”, “The Search for Strategy in Turkish Foreign Policy”, “The Search for Security in Turkish Foreign Policy”, “The Republic of Türkiye-Russian Federation Relations”, “The Cold Organization of Hot Peace: The New NATO”, “Theoretical Approaches in Foreign Policy Analysis: The Case of Turkish Foreign Policy”, “Crises and Crisis Management: Actors and Case Studies”, “Kazakhstan” and “Current Issues in International Relations”. Since 2002, Prof. Erol, who has carried out radio programs such as “Eurasia Agenda”, “Strategic Perspective”, “Global Perspective”, “Analysis”, “File”, “News Desk”, “The Other Side of the Agenda” on TRT Türkiye's voice and TRT Radio 1 (Ankara Radio), made the programs “Arayış” on TRT INT television between 2004-2007, “Beyond the Border” on Kanal A television between 2007-2010 and “Foreign Policy Agenda” on BBN TÜRK television in 2020-2021. Prof. Erol, whose foreign policy column “Arayış” was published in Milli Gazete between 2012-2018, is consulted for his expertise in numerous national and international media outlets such as television, radio, newspapers, news websites and magazines. Prof. Erol, who also taught at Gazi University Department of International Relations and Ankara University Latin American Studies Center (LAMER) between 2006-2018, has been continuing his academic career as a faculty member at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University Department of International Relations since 2018. Since 2006, Prof. Erol has also taught in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Ufuk University. The main areas of interest and expertise of Prof. Erol and the titles of his courses at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels in this area are as follows: “Geopolitics”, “Security”, “Intelligence”, “Crisis Management”, “Current Issues in International Relations”, “Turkish Foreign Policy”, “Russian Foreign Policy”, “US Foreign Policy” and “Central Asia and South Asia”. Prof. Erol, whose articles-evaluations have been published in many journals and newspapers, has been editor of academic journals such as “Eurasia File”, “Strategic Analysis”, “Strategic Thinking”, “Gazi Regional Studies”, “The Journal of SSPS”, “Black Sea Studies”. He is currently in the editorial boards of “Regional Studies,” “International Crisis and Political Research,” “Gazi Academic View”, “Ege University Turkish World Surveys”, “Ankara International Social Sciences”, “Democracy Platform”. Prof. Erol, who has been working as the Founding President of the Ankara Center for Crisis and Political Studies (ANKASAM) since 2016, is married and has three children.

Born in 1949 in Turkey, Ambassador Nurhan graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Law. Before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Nurhan worked as a lawyer and served as the Consul General of the Republic of Turkey in Nakhchivan, Bregenz and Melbourne. He was later appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Togo and Benin and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Turkey to Afghanistan at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. In addition to his diplomatic career, Nurhan is a columnist, radio programmer and speaker, and university lecturer with an honorary doctorate. His main area of interest is globalization. Contributing to ANKASAM's work as Chief Advisor to the President, the Retired Ambassador is married and has two children.

ANKASAM International Relations Advisor Dr. Kadir Ertaç ÇELİK completed his bachelor's degree at Uludağ University, Department of International Relations, and his master's and PhD degrees at Gazi University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of International Relations. Currently a faculty member at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, Department of International Relations, Çelik's main research interests are theories of international relations, American foreign policy, the Turkic world, security and strategy.

Cem Karadeli holds a BA in International Relations from Middle East Technical University and an MA in International Relations from METU with a thesis on political change in Ukraine. He completed his PhD on post-Socialist regime change in Hungary at the Department of East European and Slavic Studies at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and taught at Paisley University in Scotland. After returning to Turkey, he worked as a lecturer in the Department of History at Middle East Technical University, then in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Çankaya University and as the general secretary of the same university for a long time, and then joined the staff of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Ufuk University in January 2017. Since 2019, he has been a consultant and member of the scientific board at Ankasam, EIRD since 2019, and in 2022, he became the head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Ufuk University. He focuses on International Relations Theories, Foreign Policy Analysis, Globalization, Regime Change and European History. He has published three books, book chapters and articles in many national and international publications.

In 1982, Prof. Dr. Selma YEL graduated from Ankara University, Faculty of Language and History-Geography, Department of General Turkish History. In 1984, she presented her master's thesis on "Montreux Straits Convention" at the Institute of Turkish Revolution History, Department of Atatürk's Principles and History of Turkish Revolution. In 1991, YEL received her doctorate degree with her thesis on "Yakup Şevki Pasha and his Military Activities (Galicia, Eastern Anatolia, Caucasus and Western Front in the War of Independence)" at the same university. Since 1993, YEL has been working at Gazi University in Kırşehir Faculty of Education and Gazi Faculty of Education respectively, and he is still working at Gazi Faculty of Education. Within the scope of academic studies, YEL visited Aston University in 2004 and conducted research in the Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin with the DAAD Scholarship of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2006. YEL, who served as a Member and Vice President of the Social Research Ethics Committee at Gazi University and as a Member of the "Education Research Commission" and "Republican History Commission" Scientific Board at the Atatürk Research Center (ATAM) of Atatürk Culture, Language and History High Institution (AKDTYK), also served as the Director of Gazi University Institute of Educational Sciences and Gazi University Atatürk Principles and Revolution History Research and Application Center. Since 2004, YEL has been a member of the Turkish Military History Commission, a member of the Turkish States and Communities Friendship and Brotherhood and Cooperation Foundation (TÜDEV) and Vice President of the Foreign Relations Commission of the Union of Turkish World Engineers and Architects. In his work within ATAM, YEL has undertaken the execution of important projects such as "Turkish States and Turkish Statesmen". YEL, who took part in the organizing and advisory boards of many national and international scientific congresses, received the Best Researcher of the Year award at the 3rd International Congress of Social Sciences (INCSOS) held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on October 20, 2018. On December 1, 2019, YEL was awarded the title of Honorary Doctor by the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan for his contribution to the development of academic studies between Azerbaijan and Turkey. YEL was also awarded the "Bilge Tonyukuk Turkish Education Service Award" by Türk Eğitim-Sen International Union of Eurasian Education Unions (UAESEB) in 2021. YEL, who has many articles and papers, has published books on "Black Sea and Straits Issue in Changing World Conditions" and "Yakup Şevki Pasha and Military Activities". YEL, whose main fields of study are Caucasus and Azerbaijan, speaks English. YEL is married and has two children.

He graduated in 1981 from the Turkish Military Academy and in 1990 from the Turkish Military Academy. He served as a commander and project officer in various units and headquarters of the Turkish Armed Forces, and served abroad in UN, NATO and international headquarters and multinational peacekeeping missions. In 2011, he retired at the rank of Brigadier General. He received his doctorate and associate professorship degrees in International Relations. His research interests include Turkish foreign policy, Asia-Pacific, Middle East regional studies, international security, conflict and peace studies, strategy and geopolitics. In this context, he has various academic publications in Turkish and English. He is the author and editor of Failed States: Concepts, Causes and Consequences (2016), The New Middle East: Dynamics, Actors and Processes (2017), The Turkish Army after July 15: Crisis and Exit (2017), Change in Diplomacy: Theories, Concepts and Practices (2020), Security Studies (Volume-I): Theoretical Approaches (2020), Security Studies (Volume-II): Security Sectors and Issues (2022), "The Taliban Era in Afghanistan: A Regional-Global Perspective and Analysis from Turkey's Perspective". "Security Studies-III: International Security Regimes and Organizations" and "Conflict and Peace: Concepts, Approaches and Applications" are under publication. He is a faculty member at Istanbul Arel University, Department of International Relations (English). He is the Director of the International Strategic Studies Application and Research Center (Arel USAM) of the same university.

Dr. Cenk Pala, with his vast industry experience in the Eurasian gas pipeline business, is a leading figure in all aspects of both Turkey's energy security and the Southern Energy Corridor debate. Mr. Pala started his career as an academic in the fields of History of Economics and petroleum & energy economics at Gazi University between 1990-1997. He joined BOTAŞ Petrol A.Ş. in 1997 and was appointed as the Head of Strategy and Business Development in 2001. He has carried out pre-feasibility, feasibility, marketing, finance, legal studies and lobbying activities for various pipeline projects including BTC Crude Oil P/L Project, Turkey-Greece (ITG) Natural Gas Pipeline Project, Turkey-Greece. Dr. Cenk Pala also represented BOTAŞ in the "Industry Advisory Panel" of the Energy Charter in Brussels. From March 2008 to June 2013, Dr. Pala served as General Manager of the German gas company E.ON Ruhrgas AG and as a Board Member of the company's Turkish subsidiary based in Ankara. In 2011, he was appointed by the shareholders as Turkey Representative of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and served until June 2016. Dr. Pala joined Gazprom subsidiary South Stream Transport BV in January 2017 as State Affairs Coordinator for TurkStream Project and remained with Gazprom until September 2018. As of October 1, 2018, Dr. Pala joined EQUINOR Turkey BV as Deputy Country Manager. His main responsibility is stakeholder management and coordination of external relations within EQUINOR's Thrace upstream activity and potential renewable energy investments in Turkey. He is currently coordinating the negotiations of ERSAN Oil Refinery (the only onshore private refinery investment in TR) with potential partners, investors and financial institutions. He is a prolific speaker at international conferences on the energy sector and has published numerous works on academic energy economics, oil history, oil crises and the seven sisters, regional and global pipeline politics, and the global oil and gas sector. Dr. Pala holds a BA and MA in Economics from Gazi University and a PhD from Hacettepe University. He is married with two children and speaks English.

In 2019, Şafak OĞUZ received his Associate Professor title and retired in 2021 after 23 years of service in the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF). Having worked for the United Nations (UN) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) during his service, OĞUZ works on Weapons of Mass Destruction, Terrorism, International Security, International Organizations and Peace and Conflict Studies. OĞUZ is currently a faculty member at Cappadocia University, Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, Department of International Relations. He is fluent in English and German.

Anadolu Üniversitesi Öğretim Üyesi

Prof. Dr. Ali Oğuz Diriöz, Associate Professor of International Relations, is a full-time faculty member in the Department of International Entrepreneurship at TOBB University of Economics and Technology. His research interests include International Political Economy, Globalization, Energy and Water Security. He was previously part of the Euromesco network working group on Water Security in the Middle East (funded by the EU) and is the author of the chapter in the 15th EuroMesco Joint Policy Study on Water Security (2020). Some of his publications include; "Prospects for Natural Gas Organization in Light of Qatar's OPEC Exit" The Extractive Industries and Society (2021); and "The Strategic Context of the UAE's Nuclear Project: A Model for the Region?" Middle East Policy. Dr. Diriöz previously worked as a consultant for the World Bank on the State of Water Sector Regulation in the Middle East and North Africa (June 2017). In 2017, he authored the chapter on 'The State of Water Sector Regulation in Morocco' and co-authored the chapter on 'The State of Water Sector Regulation in Jordan' in the World Bank publication. He was a chapter author in the book project "Climate Change Law and Policy in the MENA region" edited by Prof. Olawuyi from HBKU, Qatar (Dr. Olawuyi, D., published by Routledge and published in June 2021). He has numerous national and international publications.

ANKASAM Uluslararası Hukuk Danışmanı

He completed his undergraduate education at Istanbul University, Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of International Relations in 2008. He received his master's degree from Istanbul University, Department of International Relations in 2010 and his PhD degree from Gazi University, Department of International Relations in 2015. He worked as a research assistant at Gazi University between 2011-2015. Since October 2015, he has been working as a lecturer at Kırklareli University, Department of International Relations. His research interests include security studies, Turkish foreign policy, Turkey's national security policies and international relations theories. Assoc. Prof. Emre OZAN is fluent in English.

Assoc. Prof. Fatma Anıl Öztop is a faculty member at Kocaeli University, Department of International Relations. She received her PhD degree from Sakarya University, Department of International Relations with a study titled "The Effects of Decision-Making Units on the Functioning of the Foreign Policy Making Process: The Case of Turkish Foreign Policy" from Sakarya University, Department of International Relations, her master's degree on the History of the Republic of Turkey "Turkish-British Relations (1939-1945)" from Fırat University, and her bachelor's degree on international relations from Sakarya University, Department of International Relations. Focusing her studies on terrorism, intra-state conflicts and foreign policy, Dr. Öztop has published articles in various journals such as Terrorism and Political Violence, Middle Eastern Studies, book chapters and "Terrorism and Women: Perpetrator or Victim? (2022)", "The Effects of Decision Making Units on Turkish Foreign Policy Making Process (2016)" and "Readings on Foreign Policy Analysis (with E. Efegil and R. Kalaycı, 2020)". In 2011, Öztop started to work as a Specialist in the Department of International Relations at Fırat University and continued in this position until 2016. Since 2016, Dr. Öztop has been working as a faculty member at Kocaeli University and is married with two children.

Doç. Dr. Halit HAMZAOĞLU, lisans eğitimini 2006 yılında Bakü Devlet Üniversitesi Bölgesel Çalışmalar Bölümü’nde almıştır. Yüksek lisans ve doktora eğitimini ise 2007-2013 yılları arasında, Ankara Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Uluslararası İlişkiler Bilim Dalı’nda tamamlamıştır. Hamzaoğlu, Post-Sovyet Ülkelerin dış politikası ve jeopolitik temel uzmanlık alanlarıdır. Genel anlamda Avrasya coğrafyasının siyasi düşünce tarihine ilgi duymaktadır. Çok iyi derecede Rusça ve iyi derecede İngilizce bilen Hamzaoğlu, 2017 senesinden itibaren, Kars Kafkas Üniversitesi Siyaset Bilimi ve Uluslararası İlişkiler Bölümü’nde öğretim üyesi olarak çalışmaktadır.

Dr. Ersin Sünbül, 1975 yılında Kırıkkale'de doğdu. 1989 senesinde Balıkesir Teknik Astsubay Hazırlık Okulu'nda başlayan profesyonel askerlik kariyeri, 20 Nisan 2020 tarihinde emekli olmasıyla son buldu. Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri'nde ordu lojistiği alanında yurtiçinde ve yurtdışında 27 yıl görev yaptı. Sünbül, işletme lisans eğitiminin ardından Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt Üniversitesi'nde "Yöneticilerin Kişilik Özelliklerinin Liderlik Davranışları Üzerindeki Etkileri Üzerine Ampirik Bir Araştırma" başlıklı teziyle yüksek lisans ve Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli Üniversitesi'nde hazırladığı "Geleneksel Zaman Serilerinin Döviz Kuru Tayini ve Yapay Sinir Ağlarına Dayalı Hibrit Yöntemle Bir Analiz" başlıklı teziyle uluslararası ticaret alanında doktora derecesini elde etti. Sünbül, halihazırda ikinci doktora eğitimine Kırıkkale Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü İşletme Anabilim Dalı'nda devam etmektedir. İngilizce ve Türkçe olarak birçok akademik makale, kitap bölümü ve konferans bildirisi yayınlanan Sünbül'ün gazete, dergi ve internette de güncel eko-politiğe ilişkin çalışmaları yayınlanmıştır. Doktor Sünbül, geleneksel zaman serisi ekonometrisi, yapay sinir ağları ve hibrit tahmin modelleri üzerinde çalışmakta ve bu çalışmalar kapsamında R programlama dilini profesyonel düzeyde kullanabilmektedir. Uluslararası Ticaret, Uluslararası İşletmecilik, Tedarik Zinciri Yönetimi, Lojistik Yönetimi, Uluslararası Ekonomi ve Stratejik Yönetim gibi konular akademik ilgi alanlarıdır. Evli ve bir kız babası olan Sünbül, İngilizce bilmektedir.

He was born in 1972 in Denizli. He graduated from the Naval War College in 1994. During his 24-year career, he served in various submarines and headquarters. Among his headquarters assignments, he served as the Directorate of Civil-Military Cooperation of the EU Force in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Directorate of Plans and Policy of the Turkish General Staff, the Operations-Intelligence Directorate of the Supreme Headquarters of Allied Powers in Europe (SHAPE), and the Multinational Maritime Security Center of Excellence. He holds a master's degree in Sociology and a PhD in Maritime Safety, Security, and Environmental Management. He has articles published in national peer-reviewed journals. His research and study areas include maritime security, NATO, and EU Defence Policy issues. He speaks English and basic French.

Dr. Cenk Tamer graduated from Sakarya University, Department of International Relations in 2014. In the same year, he started his master's degree at Gazi University, Department of Middle Eastern and African Studies. In 2016, Tamer completed his master's degree with his thesis titled "Iran's Iraq Policy after 1990", started working as a Research Assistant at ANKASAM in 2017 and was accepted to Gazi University International Relations PhD Program in the same year. Tamer, whose areas of specialization are Iran, Sects, Sufism, Mahdism, Identity Politics and Asia-Pacific and who speaks English fluently, completed his PhD education at Gazi University in 2022 with his thesis titled "Identity Construction Process and Mahdism in the Islamic Republic of Iran within the Framework of Social Constructionism Theory and Securitization Approach". He is currently working as an Asia-Pacific Specialist at ANKASAM.

Ahmad Khan Dawlatyar graduated from Kunduz University, Department of Law and Political Science in 2013. He received his master's degree from Ankara University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Political Science in 2019 with his thesis titled "A Comparative Analysis on the Principle of Separation of Powers in the Constitutions of the Republic of Turkey and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan". Participating in various scientific events, Dawlatyar has presented papers and articles on the Afghanistan problem. In this context, his presentation titled "Religious and Ideological Causes of the Afghanistan Problem" was published. He is currently continuing his doctoral studies at Ankara University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of International Relations. Ahmad Khan Dawlatyar, who contributes to the studies carried out within ANKASAM, mainly works in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Dawlatyar is fluent in Farsi, Uzbek, Turkish and Pashto. He also has an intermediate level of English.

Ergün Mamedov completed his education in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Kütahya Dumlupınar University, from 2016 to 2020. In the same year, he was admitted to the thesis-based Master’s program in International Relations at the Institute of Postgraduate Education of Kütahya Dumlupınar University and successfully defended his thesis, graduating in 2022. He is currently continuing his education as a doctoral student in the Department of International Relations at the Institute of Postgraduate Education of Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, where he began his studies in 2022. A citizen of Georgia, Ergün Mamedov is proficient in Georgian, intermediate in English, and has a basic knowledge of Russian. His main areas of interest include contemporary diplomacy and political history, focusing on the South Caucasus and the Turkic world.

Göktuğ ÇALIŞKAN, who received his bachelor's degree in Political Science and Public Administration at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, also studied in the Department of International Relations at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the university as part of the double major program. In 2017, after completing his undergraduate degree, Çalışkan started his master's degree program in International Relations at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University and successfully completed this program in 2020. In 2018, she graduated from the Department of International Relations, where she studied within the scope of the double major program. Göktuğ Çalışkan, who won the 2017 YLSY program within the scope of the Ministry of National Education (MEB) scholarship and is currently studying language in France, is also a senior student at Erciyes University Faculty of Law. Within the scope of the YLSY program, Çalışkan is currently pursuing his second master's degree in the field of Governance and International Intelligence at the International University of Rabat in Morocco and has started his PhD in the Department of International Relations at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University. She is fluent in English and French.

Zeynep Çağla Erin graduated from Yalova University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of International Relations in 2020 with her graduation thesis titled “Feminist Perspective of Turkish Modernization” and from Istanbul University AUZEF, Department of Sociology in 2020. In 2023, she graduated from Yalova University Institute of Social Sciences, Department of International Relations with a thesis titled “South Korea’s Foreign Policy Identity: Critical Approaches on Globalization, Nationalism and Cultural Public Diplomacy” at Yalova University Graduate School of International Relations. She is currently pursuing her PhD at Kocaeli University, Department of International Relations. Erin, who serves as an Asia & Pacific Specialist at ANKASAM, has primary interests in the Asia-Pacific region, Critical Theories in International Relations, and Public Diplomacy. Erin speaks fluent English and beginner level of Korean.

Ali Caner İncesu graduated from Anadolu University Faculty of Business Administration in 2012. He continued his education with Cappadocia University Tourist Guidance associate degree program and graduated in 2017. In 2022, he successfully completed his master's degrees in International Relations at Hoca Ahmet Yesevi University and in Travel Management and Tourism Guidance at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University. In 2024, he graduated from the United States University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) Political Science undergraduate program. As of 2023, he continues his doctoral studies at Cappadocia University, Department of Political Science and International Relations. In 2022, Mr. İncesu worked as a special advisor at the Embassy of the Republic of Paraguay in Ankara. He is fluent in Spanish and English and is a sworn translator in English and Spanish. His research interests include Latin America, International Law and Tourism.

Ayşe Azra Gılavcı is studying International Relations at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University. Fluent in English, her primary areas of interest include Latin American and U.S. foreign policy.

Ezgi Köklen graduated from Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Department of Political Science and International Relations in 2023 as a high honours student with her graduation project “Role of the Belt and Road Initiative in China's Middle East Policy”. Before graduating, she studied at Myongji University in South Korea for a semester as an exchange student in the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy. After graduation, she travelled to China for his master's degree. She is currently pursuing her master's degree in Chinese Politics, Foreign Policy and International Relations at Tsinghua University. Her research interests include East Asian security, Chinese foreign policy, and regional cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Ezgi speaks advanced English, intermediate Korean and beginner Chinese.

Kapadokya Üniversitesi İngilizce Mütercim ve Tercümanlık / Siyaset Bilimi ve Uluslararası İlişkiler (Çift Anadal)

Jafar Jafarlı, 1998 yılında Azerbaycan’da doğmuştur. 2019 yılında Sakarya Üniversitesi Siyaset Bilimi ve Kamu Yönetimi Bölümü'nden mezun olmuştur. 2021 senesinde ise Kocaeli Üniversitesi Siyaset ve Sosyal Bilimler Anabilim Dalı'nda Yüksek Lisans eğitimini tamamlamıştır. Halihazırda Konya Necmettin Erbakan Üniversitesi Siyaset Bilimi ve Kamu Yönetimi alanında doktora eğitimini sürdürmektedir. Jafarlı, ileri düzeyde Rusça bilmesinin yanı sıra orta düzeyde İngilizce ve temel seviyede ise Arapça bilmektedir. Jafarlı'nın başlıca çalışma alanları; Rusya ve Güney Kafkasya araştırmalarıdır.

Dilara Cansın KECİALAN is currently pursuing her master's degree in Political Science and Public Administration at Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University. She completed her master's degree in International Relations at Khoja Akhmet Yassawi University. She graduated from Anadolu University, Department of International Relations. She is also studying in the Department of New Media and Journalism at Atatürk University. Working as a Eurasia Research Assistant at ANKASAM, Kecialan's main areas of interest are Eurasia and Turkestan regions. She speaks English, Russian and a little Ukrainian and learning Kazakh.

Leman MEMMEDOVA, 2011 yılında Azerbaycan Kamu-Siyasi Universitesi Bölgesel Bilim (Yakın ve Orta Doğu) Bölümü'nden mezun olmuştur. Özel sektörde çalışmaktadır. İleri seviyede Türkçe, Rusça ve İngilizce bilmektedir.

Gazi Üniversitesi-Enerji Sistemleri Mühendisliği

Sena Birinci graduated from the International Relations Department at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University in 2024. She also completed a double major in Political Science and Public Administration. Currently, Sena is pursuing a master's degree in Political and Social Sciences at the same university. Her areas of interest include European politics, the European Union, and electoral politics. Sena is proficient in advanced English and has beginner-level skills in Russian.

A seasoned researcher known for international publications, contributing significantly to academic and cultural fields with proficiency in six languages.