About

I am an Associate Professor in the School of Politics and Governance at HSE University. I hold a Ph.D. (2012) and M.A. (2008) in Political Science from the University of Connecticut and a B.A. in International Relations from Galatasaray University. My research expertise lies in comparative politics, specifically focusing on political instability, regime transitions, and authoritarian politics. My publications in this area spans various topics such as coups, protests, incumbent takeovers, and the political economy of natural resources. I teach courses on the politics of authoritarianism, democratization, non-Western politics, natural resource policy, and research methods.

My most recent work explores the causes of political polarization and its effects on democratic backsliding. Over the past ten years, I conducted extensive fieldwork in Turkey and Russia. My next planned destination is Hungary.

Currently, I'm completing a book manuscript titled "The Perfect Storm: Aspiring Autocrats and Democratic Breakdown in Turkey, Hungary and Venezuela", which investigates contemporary autocratization processes through an actor-centric framework.