My name is Nesibe Hicret Battaloglu. I received my B.A. (with Hons.) in Political Science and International Relations from Bogazici University and completed my M.A. in Gulf Studies at Qatar University in 2016 with a thesis focused on Turkey and Iran’s soft power in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Currently I am a PhD Candidate in Area Studies at Middle East Technical University.

I am a research assistant at Gulf Studies Center and my research interests include international relations of the Gulf states, Turkish-Gulf relations and identity-foreign policy nexus in the Gulf. I authored peer-reviewed publications on topics such as Iran’s soft power, GCC responses to regional challenges like the Covid-19 pandemic and the Arab Spring, and Turkey’s alignment with Qatar. I am also a contributor to platforms such as Gulf International Forum, Amwaj Media, and Politics Today.