RESEARCH INTERESTS

My current research concentrates on the influence of political resolution efforts towards ending ethno-nationalist conflicts in Northern Ireland and Turkey. The aim of the research is to explore the influence of the conflict resolution processes in both conflicts in ending violence and reaching a political agreement between the governments, and sub-state armed groups, namely the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in Northern Ireland and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Turkey and their political wings in a non-violent, political way. In order to understand the impact of political resolution efforts, this research conducted dozens of semi-structured interviews, archival research and the analysis of official reports in the two conflicts. My research interests include ethnic conflicts, negotiation and mediation efforts, backchannel communications, violent conflicts, post-conflicts and conflict-affected environments, peacemaking and peacebuilding, diplomacy, conflict and peace studies, terrorism, conflict resolution and ethnicity.