İLTER TURAN is a professor of political science at Istanbul’s Bilgi University, where he also served as president between 1998–2001. His previous employment included professorships at Koç University (1993–1998) and Istanbul University (1964–1993), where he also served as the chair of the International Relations Department (1987–1993), and the director of the Center for the Study of the Balkans and the Middle East (1985– 1993). Dr Turan is the past president of the Turkish Political Science Association and has been a member of the Executive Committee and a vice president of the International Political Science Association (2000–2006). He is a frequent commentator on Turkish politics on TV and newspapers.