Göktuğ Sönmez

Biography

  • Assoc. Prof, Necmettin Erbakan University, International Relations Department

 

Assoc. Prof. Göktuğ Sönmez got his bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Bilkent University, his Master’s degree in International Relations from London School of Economic (LSE), and his PhD in Politics and International Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. His research areas are Radicalization and Violent Extremism, Non-State Armed Actors, Turkish Foreign Policy and Energy Politics. He conducted research on these areas at several institutions and think-tanks including the Center for Strategic Research of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, BOTAŞ, and the Global Strategy Institute. Dr. Sönmez currently serves as ORSAM Security Studies Coordinator and Associate Professor at Necmettin Erbakan University, Department of International Relations. He has many national and international publications. He participated in meetings and conferences, especially in the context of radicalization and extremism leading to violence. He gave interviews and published columns on those topics of interest in the media.

Publications

National and International Events

The US and NATO Withdrawal from Afghanistan and Its Possible Effects

Although some powerful independent states were established on its territory, Afghanistan's history since the time of Alexander the Great has been...

Rising Boko Haram Activity in Nigeria and Potential Outcomes

Originating from Nigeria, Boko Haram maintains an active profile particularly in Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad. It  has put  itself...

The Current and Future State of Terrorism in the Light of the Global Terrorism Index

With a launch event in December, the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2020 was presented to a wide audience by the Institute of Economy and Peace. The...

Making Sense of the Assassination of Abu Muhammad al-Masri in Tehran and Iran’s Multidimensional Proxy Strategy

When it was revealed that Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, aka “Abu Muhammad al-Masri,” thought to be the second-highest ranking leader of...

Is It the Final Stage in Idlib?

Being the only de-escalation zone  which the regime could not still have the control of, Idlib stands out as a time bomb ready to explode. The...

“Detecting and Interdicting Terrorist Travel”, Global Efforts and Turkey

After ISIS lost Mosul and Raqqa, debates on the decline of the organization in terms of logistical, economic and military power have proliferated,...

Haqqani Network and Possible Reflections of the Death of Jalaluddin Haqqani

The Afghanistan intervention, which is called "the Soviet Union’s Vietnam" and resulted in the withdrawal of the USSR following the...

Violent Extremism Among Central Asians: The Istanbul, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, and New York City Attacks

Abstract: Ethnic Uzbeks carried out terrorist attacks in Istanbul, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, and New York City in 2017, making it clear...

An Evaluation of the OSCE Report on Violent Extremism and Radicalisation that Lead to Terrorism

Peter R. Neumann, the OSCE Chairperson in Office’s Special Representative on Countering Radicalisation and Violent Extremism since January 2017...

Rising Terror Threat in the Cyber Space and Cyber Security

Advancements in technology and especially in the online world, on the one hand, make everyday life easier and provide new socialization channels, on...

DAESH’s Surprise Attack on Kirkuk and Its Possible Expectations

DAESH started an attack on Kirkuk in the early morning of October 21, 2016 amidst all the controversy about the Mosul operation. While the forces in...

Political Turmoil in KRG Risks Hindering Kurdish Efforts Against Islamic State

Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraq have been some of the most effective in tackling Islamic State (IS) on the ground, but the Kurdistan Regional...

That Night and Beyond: Shame, Mourning, Pride, and Victory

Following the successfully thwarted heinous coup attempt, several points needs a closer look; how it started, and how Turkey as a country vocally...

Failed State Structure in Syria Poses Threats at Regional and Global Levels

Following the Arab Spring, which had significant impacts over a wide geographical area in North Africa and the Middle East, many states were...

Observations from the Field Research in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah

As ORSAM team, we recently paid a visit to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in order to conduct a field research. As it is already known,...