Dr. Tarek Cherkaoui is Manager at TRT World Research Centre. Dr. Cherkaoui has an extensive experience in strategic management, research, and consultancy across international media, tertiary education, and the creative industries throughout the U.K., Qatar, Malaysia, and New Zealand. He is an expert in international media and strategic communications, and holds a Ph.D. in Media and Communication Studies from the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, for which he was awarded the Dean's Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Studies. His research interests include international broadcasting, media discourse, international news framing, information warfare, public diplomacy, soft power, nation branding, image management, crisis communication, and political and military affairs – specifically within the MENA region. He has put forward several publications, including The News Media at War: The Clash of Western and Arab Networks in the Middle East (2017) (London: I.B. Tauris). As an academic, strategic communications researcher, and a senior manager within organizations, Dr. Cherkaoui displays excellent interpersonal and communication skills with fluency in four languages – English, French, Arabic, and German.

Ravale Mohydin is a researcher at TRT World Research Centre. With graduate degrees from Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania, her research interests include the political economy of media, strategic communications, public diplomacy, political effects of entertainment media, conflict media coverage as well as South Asian politics and society.

Ferhat Polat is a Chevening Scholar from the 2022 cohort and a researcher at the TRT World Research Centre. Holding an MA in Middle East Studies from the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter, he specializes in North African geopolitics and security, with a particular focus on Libya. Polat is often invited as a commentator on news channels and has contributed numerous essays and articles on geopolitical issues that have been published in various journals, newspapers, and digital outlets.

H. N. Keskin is a researcher at TRT World Research Centre. Prior to this, she worked at various NGOs and companies as a researcher and translator. She holds an MA degree in Translation Studies from Durham University (UK) and has been in the field of translation for the past 15 years. Her main research interests include gender studies, translation sociology and history, migration and diaspora.

Burak Elmali is a Researcher at TRT World Research Centre in Istanbul. He holds an MA degree in Political Science and International Relations from Boğaziçi University. His research areas include Turkish foreign policy and great power politics focusing on U.S-China relations and their manifestations in the Gulf. He has contributed many articles to various media outlets.

Şeymanur Yönt is a Deputy Researcher at TRT World Research Centre. She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Istanbul University and a Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She has practiced as a lawyer for two years and worked as a publications and research intern at the American Society of International Law. Her research interests include public international law, international economic law, and development.

Berfe Yasar is a deputy researcher at TRT World Research Centre. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Bogazici University and she is currently a Master of Arts student in Philosophy Department at Galatasaray University. Her main research interest is the philosophical background of the international political and social issues with particular emphasis on the MENA region.

Ihsan Faruk Kılavuz holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Ankara Haci Bayram Veli (Ankara Gazi) University (2015-19) and a Masters of Law degree from Queen Mary University of London (2022-23). With one year of experience as a trainee solicitor, he specializes in public international law, including human rights law, international humanitarian law, and the law of armed conflicts, alongside expertise in terrorism issues, migration studies, and international treaty law.

Çağdaş Yüksel is a researcher at TRT World Research Centre. After completing his undergraduate education in Marmara University, Department of Journalism, he earned his master's degree in Mass Communications at the University of South Florida. His research areas are Strategic Communication, Policy Analysis and International Relations.

Ömer Sevim is a Deputy Researcher at TRT World Research Centre. After graduating from Boğaziçi University Department of Sociology, he completed his master's degree in Critical Theory and Cultural Studies at the University of Nottingham. His areas of interest can be listed as media discourse analysis, neoliberalism, immigration and European studies.

Murat Selvi is a Researcher at TRT World Research Center. He holds two master's degrees in Communication Design and Management from Anadolu University and International Journalism from Swansea University. He completed his associate and undergraduate studies in Radio and Television Technologies and Journalism, respectively. He worked as a reporter and editor in different institutions and presented his own radio show. He conducts studies and publishes articles in the fields of technology, digitalization, network society, social media, political communication and participation. He is continuing his PhD in Communication Design and Management.

Hüseyin Özdemir is a researcher at TRT World Research Center. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Hacettepe University. He is a recent Master of Arts graduate from the National Research University Higher School of Economics (St. Petersburg) and focused on the Comparative Politics of Eurasia during his time studying in Russia. His research interests are Eurasian Politics (focused on Russia, Turkey, and Eastern Europe), Public Diplomacy, and the Media.

As a Deputy Researcher at the TRT World Research Centre, he holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Sakarya University. Subsequently, he earned his master’s degree in Comparative Politics of Eurasia at the esteemed National Research University Higher School of Economics in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Currently dedicated to doctoral studies in Middle East Studies at Sakarya University, his research endeavors are concentrated on Russia, Türkiye-Russia Relations, Russian Foreign Policy, Iran, and Iran Foreign Policy.

Ergun Bakar is a Digital Editor at TRT World Research Centre. After graduating from Boğaziçi University Department of History, he continues his master's degree in New Media and Communication Management at the Istanbul University. His areas of interest can be listed as history, culture, politics and new media studies.