Research Interests
My current research focuses broadly on Turkey's domestic and foreign policies with a particular emphasis on the Middle East. In the realm of foreign policy, this includes Turkey's regional role, its geopolitical shifts as well as its international humanitarian outreach. In the domestic arena, my research has been related to the issues of democratisation, Kurdish-Turkish relations, gender, and political Islam. In addtion, I maintain my interest in civil-military relations in transitional democracies.
A related secondary theme using Turkey as a case is the role of rising powers in peacebuilding and humanitarianism.
Background
Languages spoken
English, Norwegian, Turkish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Spanish
Working experience
1998–Present: Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)
Sept 2018 - present: Senior Researcher, PRIO
Aug 2013 - Sept 2018: Senior Researcher, based in Brazil
2011–Aug 2013: Research Director, Dimensions of Security
2010–2011: Programme Leader, Conflict Resolution and Peace Building
2009–2010: Senior Researcher
1998–2009: Research, Security Programme
1995–1997: Reseacher, Center for European and Asian Studies, Norwegian School of Management, BI.
1993–1995: Various positions including Teaching, translation and personal assistance.
Academic visitorships
2003 - Fulbright research scholarship, Georgetown University, Washington.
2001 (October) - Visiting Research fellow at Centre for Eurasian Strategic Studies (ASAM) in Ankara, Turkey.
Education
2009 -
Dr. Philos. in Political Science, Uniaversity of Oslo/PRIO.
Dissertation title: Turkey's military élite at a crossroad: Paths to desecuritisation?"
1993 -
Master of Philosophy in International Relations - Security Studies, University of St. Andrews, Scotland.
M.Phil thesis: “Ecofeminism: Critique or critical theory?”
1990 -
Bachelor of Arts Honours in French and Politics (including one year spent at Literature Faculty of Université de Nantes, France as part of French language degree). University of Keele, England.
Blog Posts
The earthquake in Turkey and Syria on 6 February is tragic beyond what we are able to fathom. The World Health Organization’s Europe branch has labelled the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and a secondary 7.6 magnitude aftershock as the region’s “worst natural disaster” in 100 years. By 17 February, there have ... Read more »
Two seemingly unrelated global events in September – the devastating floods in Pakistan and the Russian closure of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline – intersect on the issue of funding for humanitarian relief. The surge in power prices, the fall in European currencies, and the fears of economic downturn ... Read more »
Russia’s war in Ukraine has been met with global condemnation drawing NATO and the EU closer together in coordinating collective responses. In contrast to this coordinated front among US, French and German responses, it is worth drawing attention to the mixed regional responses among states in the Middle East for ... Read more »
The predictable and yet shockingly brutal Russian invasion into Ukraine on 24 February 2022 has in the course of three weeks sent many tremors across the world system. Major stock markets experience strong corrections, oil prices register new highs, importers of wheat and sunflower oil are nervously checking their stocks, ... Read more »
Posted by Pinar Tank on Thursday, 3 March 2022
It’s not difficult to imagine Turkey’s President Erdogan watching Putin’s failures in Ukraine with a solid dose of schadenfreude. Putin has been the kingmaker in Syria since 2015 and Erdogan, not one for compromise, has had to negotiate with Putin to secure Turkey’s interests. The most critical of these has ... Read more »
Posted by Pinar Tank on Friday, 21 May 2021
In a series of brief blog posts, researchers of the PRIO Middle East Centre offer their reflections on the unfolding Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. The conflict in Gaza has once again highlighted the tense relationship between Turkey and the United States with President Erdoğan using incendiary language in his criticism of Israel ... Read more »
With a winner finally announced in the US election, researchers at the PRIO Middle East Centre present a few thoughts on what a Biden presidency could mean for the Middle East. What are likely to be the guiding foreign policy principles of a Biden administration and how will regional and ... Read more »
“We cannot allow the invisibility of women in the area of peace and security to continue,” stated Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide in her opening of the session on “Gender and Preventing Violent Extremism” in Amman, Jordan. Women are often “invisible” in analyses of violent extremism, whether ... Read more »
Note: On 18 March 2016, the EU and Turkey agreed on a deal to stop refugees from crossing the Mediterranean. At that time, Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert and Pinar Tank warned that the agreement was advantageous for Europe and Turkey but not for the refugees whose rights to protection were severely ... Read more »
Posted by Pinar Tank on Friday, 23 February 2018
Turkey’s military incursion into Kurdish-controlled northern Syria risks straining diplomatic ties and exposing Turkey to increased terror threats. The Turkish offensive on Afrin that began on January 20 had long been anticipated. But while the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) may hope this campaign can drum up anti-Kurdish nationalism ... Read more »
Posted by Pinar Tank on Monday, 29 May 2017
Despite tensions over Syria, Turkey is increasingly turning to Russia to secure its foreign and domestic policy needs. Though anticipated, the May 9 announcement by the Donald Trump administration that the United States would arm fighters of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in preparation for an advance on the ... Read more »
The agreement reflects the EU’s self-interest just as much as Turkey’s, but takes little account of the interests and rights of the refugees. On Friday 18 March, Turkey and the EU concluded a deal designed to put an end to refugees’ use of the sea route to travel from Turkey ... Read more »
Posted by Pinar Tank on Monday, 17 August 2015
Two months is a long time in politics – even more so in Turkish politics. At the beginning of June, the Turkish election brought a wave of hope across the country with results that broke the majoritarian (and authoritarian) rule of the reigning Justice and Development Party (AKP). The pro-Kurdish ... Read more »
Posted by Pinar Tank on Friday, 5 June 2015
With only days to go before legislative elections in Turkey on Sunday, 7 June, the political uncertainty of its possible outcomes are filling newspaper columns. This is a change from the past two elections where a victory for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was almost a foregone conclusion. ... Read more »
Posted by Pinar Tank on Friday, 20 March 2015
In Rio de Janeiro, when the going gets tough, the tough… often go to the beach. The expanse of blue shoreline lined with small botecos (bars) is a sanctuary from the troubles of everyday life and according to some Cariocas – natives of Rio – the explanation for their relaxed ... Read more »
Posted by Pinar Tank on Thursday, 5 June 2014
In August 2011 Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan took his family, his foreign minister, and an entourage of cabinet members to visit Somalia as part of a humanitarian mission to highlight the plight of 12 million Somali victims of drought. The visit was symbolically important, as Erdoğan travelled to Mogadishu, the ... Read more »
Posted by Pinar Tank on Friday, 23 May 2014
As the rescue operation into Turkey´s worst industrial accident came to end on Saturday, 17 May, the number of dead was confirmed at 301 (of 787) with scores still unaccounted for. PRIO researcher Pinar Tank has published a post the New Middle East Blog 23 May 2014. Read more »
Posted by Pinar Tank on Friday, 7 March 2014
One of the foundational concepts of good democratic governance is that of a separation of powers. French Enlightenment philosopher Baron de Montesquieu´s argument for the separation of political power between the three branches – executive, legislative and judiciary – hinges on the notion that power should not be centralized in ... Read more »