Dr. Cengiz Gunes has extensive research experience and is the author of several key publications on the rise of the Kurdish national movement in Turkey, the transformation of Kurdish politics in Turkey, Iraq and Syria, the impact of the rise of Kurdish political actors and entities on the politics and international relations of the Middle East, the evolving new security landscape in the Middle East, and dynamics of and challenges to the political representation of Kurds in Turkey since the 1960s. He completed his PhD in 2010 at the Government Department, the University of Essex, UK. He is currently an Associate Lecturer and an Honorary Research Associate in Politics at the Open University, UK.