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ABOUT
I am a legal scholar with a Ph.D. in International Criminal Law from Koç University, Turkey (2021), and a Master’s degree in International Humanitarian & Human Rights Law from the Washington College of Law, USA (2009), complemented by advanced training at international institutions. I have fifteen years of experience in teaching, research, and applied work in Public International Law, Human Rights, International Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, and Foundations of Law at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
My research expertise spans a broad range of topics, with a primary focus on genocide studies, crimes against humanity, human trafficking, terrorism and violent extremism, crimes against children, the impact of the foreign-fighter phenomenon on children, and children’s due process rights. I am also dedicated to advancing scholarship on religious persecution and freedom of religion or belief (FoRB rights). I have served as an Independent Research Fellow and Policy Analyst at the International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF), where I monitored and analyzed FoRB rights across more than fifty countries in the Middle East and North Africa. I am the author of Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Did the Islamic State Commit Genocide against Christians in Iraq? (2023), an examination of ISIL/DAESH’s criminal acts against civilians, particularly Christians, in Iraq.
My professional background includes collaboration with multilateral organizations, humanitarian projects, and volunteer initiatives. Living and working in different countries has fostered strong cross-cultural competencies and a nuanced understanding of diverse legal traditions. I am also passionate about humanitarian photography, and I am committed to informing audiences, fostering dialogue, and inspiring action to address human rights violations globally.
SKILLS
Areas of Expertise: International Criminal Law | International Human Rights Law | Public International Law
Fields of work: Human trafficking | Refugee Law| UN System | Terrorism & Terrorist Groups | Human Rights violations against children | Children’s due process rights | Children and Armed Conflict | Children affected by the Foreign Terrorist Fighter Phenomenon | Religious Persecution | FoRB rights | Humanitarian Photography
With my experience, I am able to contribute to relevant organizations through the following capacities:
▪ Conducting comprehensive research; monitoring outcomes and evaluating the impact of research initiatives and programs; preparing scholarly papers, legal reports, memoranda, and formal submissions.
▪ Providing expert legal consultation within my areas of specialization.
▪ Delivering training to legal practitioners; organizing and facilitating meetings, workshops, conferences, and public events.
▪ Teaching law at both graduate and postgraduate levels.
▪ Engaging with criminal justice authorities to enhance the adjudication of cases involving crimes against women and children; assisting organizations in identifying critical underlying issues related to crimes against women and children within designated regions; influencing municipal government policies; and promoting transparency and accountability among state actors regarding crimes committed against children.
▪ Collaborating with frontline organizations, key stakeholders, the private sector, civil society, media, and grassroots groups within assigned regions; managing and implementing programs locally.
▪ In the context of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) rights, supporting organizations in identifying fundamental issues related to religious discrimination and persecution globally; enhancing transparency and accountability of state actors concerning violations of religion, belief, and conscience; and monitoring the status of FoRB rights in designated countries.