Contemporary Turkish Studies

22/10/2026

⏳ Only 2 days left to register!⏳

📢 Event Reminder: Rethinking Türkiye’s Place in Europe

Join us for a special in-person event in Istanbul hosted by the LSE European Institute and Contemporary Turkish Studies (CTS) in partnership with Koç University, bringing together alumni, friends, and students for an afternoon of discussion and networking!

Attendees are warmly invited to the reception following the event.

Please note: This event is open to all LSE alumni in Türkiye.

📅 Date: Saturday, 24 October 2026

⏰ Time: 4.30 pm – 6.30 pm

📍 Location: Koç University Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations (ANAMED), Istanbul, Türkiye

About the Event:

Our expert panel brings together leading academics from the LSE European Institute and Koç University to examine Türkiye’s evolving place within European identity, economy, and foreign affairs since the nineteenth century. Drawing on philosophy, history, and politics, the discussion explores how changing ideas of Europe and broader political dynamics have shaped debates about Türkiye’s role on the continent, past and present.

Welcome Address:

Prof. Şuhnaz Yılmaz Özbağcı (Dean of the College of Administrative Sciences and Economics, Koç University)

Panellists:

Simon Glendinning (Head of the European Institute and Professor in European Philosophy, LSE)

Prof. Ziya Öniş (Professor of International Political Economy, Koç University)

Prof. Şevket Pamuk (Retired Professor of Economics and Economic History, Boğaziçi University & Former Chair of CTS, LSE)

Prof. Bahar Rumelili (Professor and Jean Monnet Chair, Department of International Relations, Koç University)

Chair:

Prof. Yaprak Gürsoy (Professor of European Politics and Chair in Contemporary Turkish Studies, LSE)

🔗 Don’t miss out! RSVP & register here: https://lnkd.in/eA9G93Fi

We look forward to welcoming you!

17/10/2026

📢 Event Announcement: Rethinking Türkiye's Place in Europe

Join us for a special in-person event in Istanbul hosted by the LSE European Institute and Contemporary Turkish Studies (CTS) in partnership with Koç University, bringing together alumni, friends, and students for an afternoon of discussion and networking!

Attendees are warmly invited to the reception following the event.

*Please note: This event is open to all LSE alumni in Türkiye.*

🗓 Date: Saturday, 24 October 2026
⏰ Time: 4.30pm – 6.30pm (Welcome & Registration from 4.30pm; Reception to follow)
📍 Location: Koç University Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations (ANAMED), Istanbul

• Welcome Address: Şuhnaz Yılmaz Özbağcı (Koç University)
• Panellists: Simon Glendinning (LSE), Ziya Öniş (Koç University), Şevket Pamuk (Boğaziçi/LSE), Bahar Rumelili (Koç University)
• Chair: Yaprak Gürsoy (LSE)

👉 Register here: [https://events.blackthorn.io/en/J9RvXv6/g/2pCPrCeh36/rethinking-turkiyes-place-in-europe-5a3iR57BFhG/overview](https://events.blackthorn.io/en/J9RvXv6/g/2pCPrCeh36/rethinking-turkiyes-place-in-europe-5a3iR57BFhG/overview)

We look forward to welcoming you!

15/09/2026

What Happened to Liberal Democracy?

Professor Yaprak Gürsoy, Professor of European Politics and Chair in Contemporary Turkish Studies, chaired a discussion with Nobel Prize-winning economist and LSE alumnus Professor Daron Acemoglu at the LSE European Institute.

The discussion explored the challenges facing liberal democracy today, including inequality, technological change, and shifting political institutions, as well as the future of democratic governance.

Professor Acemoglu also discussed his new book, What Happened to Liberal Democracy? Remaking a Politics of Shared Prosperity.

An important discussion bringing together perspectives on the changing dynamics of liberal democracy and the institutions that shape it.

🎙️ Event podcast: https://www.lse.ac.uk/lse-player/what-happened-to-liberal-democracy

12/07/2026

Day 2- 6th LSE-Cambridge Workshop on Political Economy of Türkiye (10th July)

The second and final day of the workshop jointly organised by The European Institute (LSE) and Contemporary Turkish Studies at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) as well as the Department of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge commenced on the 10th of July.

The event featured the remaining presenters presenting their papers, followed by a dedicated discussant for each paper, as well as open floor discussion of the remaining session:

Session 3: Coercion chaired by Melani Cammett

🔹The discussions examined:
-Contract farming, informal rural labour markets, and export-oriented agriculture (contract farming, to***co cultivation)
-State capacity, core-periphery dynamics, and compliance with central authority

Presenters: Umut Kuruüzüm, PhD (ITU) and Berfin Baydar (Duke)
Discussants: Yaprak Gürsoy (LSE) and Arda Gitmez (Bilkent)

In addition, Melani Cammett (Harvard) delivered a keynote lecture, "Identity politics and intergroup relations in post-conflict societies."

🔹The lecture featured themes covering:
-Elite behaviour, legacy of violence, and the durability of intergroup reconciliation in post-conflict societies covering Bosnia, Lebanon, Northern Ireland
-Dimensions of intergroup relations, economic, social, and political, and their differing pace of post-conflict recovery
-Incentive structures shaping elite rhetoric, electoral competition, material/patronage leverage, and external conditionality
-Political economy constraints on reconciliation patronage networks, institutional path-dependence, and sectarian party entrenchment limiting change to incremental domains rather than rapid structural transformation

The event ended with the presentation of the "Atakan Yalçın Best Paper Award" by Melani Cammett to Gamze Zeki for her paper "Demand for gender equality in conservative contexts." The Atakan Yalçın Award commemorated Atakan Yalçın, who was a Professor of Finance and Dean of the Faculty of Business at Özyeğin University who had served as Dean since June 2019, having joined Özyeğin's business faculty in 2012. He passed away, along with his daughter Elif Derin, in the fire at the Kartalkaya ski resort in Bolu in 21 January 2025.

More Information: https://lnkd.in/e4_kityh

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10/07/2026

Day 1- 6th LSE-Cambridge Workshop on Political Economy of Türkiye (9th July) ✨

Following a warm welcome from organisers Davide Luca and Orkun Saka, the first day of the workshop jointly organised by The European Institute and Contemporary Turkish Studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science as well as the Department of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge took place at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge.

The event featured presenters presenting their papers, followed by a dedicated discussant for each paper, as well as open floor discussion. The event provided a platform for researchers and policymakers to discuss new research and to identify areas where further academic and policy-oriented work is needed. The discussion was held in two sessions:

Session 1: State capacity, banks, and accountability was chaired by Yaprak Gürsoy (LSE).
Session 2: Gender was chaired by Davide Luca (Cambridge).

🔹The discussions examined:
-Elections, political crises, democracy, and nationalism
-Inflation, exchange rates, bank credit, systemic risks
-Political connections, trade, firm performance, urban economics, regional inequality
-Economics of immigration and demographic transition
-Educational reforms, family and health policies, and topics in public economics

Presenters: Konstantin Bogatyrev (LSE), Murat Tinic (VU Amsterdam), Zeynep Doga Bulamaç (CREST), Güneş Aşık (METU), Gamze Zeki (Stockholm)

Discussants: Clement Minaudier (City St George’s), Orkun Saka (City St George’s), Davide Luca (Cambridge), Almudena Sevilla (LSE), Karmini Sharma (Imperial)

More Information: https://lnkd.in/e4_kityh

21/06/2026

The 6th LSE–Cambridge Workshop on the Political Economy of Türkiye will take place at the University of Cambridge on 9–10 July 2026. Organised jointly by The European Institute, Contemporary Turkish Studies at LSE and the Department of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge, the workshop brings together researchers working on the political economy of Türkiye.

The programme includes presentations across a range of topics, a keynote lecture by Melani Cammett, and the presentation of the Atakan Yalçın Best Paper Award.

📅 9–10 July 2026
📍 University of Cambridge

More information: https://www.lse.ac.uk/contemporary-turkish-studies/upcoming-events/6th-lse-cambridge-workshop-on-political-economy-of-turkiye

22/05/2026

🎤 “Coalitions of the willing in action: the role of non-EU NATO members in Europe’s security and defence”

Last week at LSE, experts and students came together to discuss how Europe is rethinking security, defence cooperation, and strategic partnerships in a rapidly changing world.

An insightful and timely conversation with İlke Toygür, Pernille Rieker, and Aaron McKeil, chaired by Professor Yaprak Gürsoy.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in person at the Marshall Building.

📺 Full recording available online.
🎧 Podcast available on Spotify.

24/04/2026

Post-doctoral Fellowship in European Politics
LSE is committed to building a diverse, equitable and truly inclusive university

European Institute

Post-doctoral Research Officer in European Politics

Salary from £43,277 to £51,714 pa (pro rata) inclusive with potential to progress to £55,497 pa (pro rata) inclusive of London allowance

This is a fixed term appointment for 12 months (1 September 2026 – 31 August 2027)
and is part time at 0.5FTE. Extension is subject to funding.

The European Institute at LSE is an internationally-recognised centre of excellence for research and teaching on contemporary Europe in a global context. This post is based jointly within the European Institute and the Contemporary Turkish Studies research group, contributing to the project “Emotions, Polarization, and Civilizational Narratives in European Politics and Foreign Policy: A Comparative Approach.”

You will support the lead researcher in carrying out independent and collaborative research, contributing to the preparation of academic articles and working papers. You will also play an active role in the organisation of public events and research workshops.

Candidates should have a completed or nearly completed PhD in International Relations, Foreign Policy, Comparative Politics, Political History, or a related discipline; an expertise and experience of research in the fields of collective emotions, the politics of the past, affective polarization, or cultural approaches to international relations; and demonstrable methodological competence, whether in quantitative or qualitative approaches. Candidates should provide one writing sample with their application, either a relevant published article/book chapter, or a dissertation chapter/working paper.

We offer an occupational pension scheme, generous annual leave, hybrid working, and excellent training and development opportunities.

For further information about the post, please see the how to apply document, job description and the person specification.

To apply for this post, please go to www.jobs.lse.ac.uk. If you have any technical queries with applying on the online system, please use the “contact us” links at the bottom of the LSE Jobs page. Should you have any queries about the role, please email Institute Manager Carl-Ludwig Campbell at [email protected].

The closing date for receipt of applications is Sunday 24 May 2026 (23.59 UK time). Regrettably, we are unable to accept any late applications.

https://jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/2198/0/467559/15539/post-doctoral-fellowship-in-european-politics

Salary from £43,277 to £51,714 pa (pro rata) inclusive with potential to progress to £55,497 pa (pro rata) inclusive of London allowance