Dr. Hürcan Aslı Aksoy
Turkey/CATS Senior Fellow
Areas of Expertise
- Turkey
- Crisis management
- EU foreign policy
- European Union
- Human rights
- Political systems
Political and Social Transformation in Turkey, Turkish Foreign and Security Policy in the Middle East and Africa, Turkey-EU Relations, Turkish Strategies for Connectivity, German and European Policy Toward Turkey, Gender Policy
Working GroupsShort Curriculum Vitae
Since January 2026 Senior Fellow at the Centre for Applied Turkey Studies (CATS) at SWP, Berlin
Since 2024 researcher in thematic working group Autocratization as a challenge for German and European politics
06/2023 - 12/2025 Head of the Centre for Applied Turkey Studies (CATS) at SWP, Berlin
09/2019 - 06/2023 Deputy Head of the Centre for Applied Turkey Studies (CATS) at SWP, Berlin
2016 - 2019 Research Associate at the Chair of Middle East Politics and Society at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg
SWP Publications
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Turkey’s “Year of the Family” 2025
Authoritarian Trends and Political Economy of Anti-Gender Politics
SWP Comment 2026/C 14, 30.03.2026, 8 Pagesdoi:10.18449/2026C14
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Türkei–Israel: Riskante Eskalation in einer fragmentierten Regionalordnung
SWP-Aktuell 2026/A 07, 11.02.2026, 7 Pagesdoi:10.18449/2026A07
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Alignment of Necessity
Turkey’s Role in the Future European Security Architecture
SWP Comment 2025/C 36, 07.08.2025, 8 Pagesdoi:10.18449/2025C36
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Partner oder Rivale: Die Türkei als verlässlicher neuer Verbündeter für Europas Sicherheit?
Die EU-Beitrittsverhandlungen mit der Türkei liegen auf Eis, aber wirtschafts- und vor allem sicherheitspolitisch wird Ankara immer wichtiger für Europa. Hürcan Aslı Aksoy, Sinem Adar und Günter Seufert erklären, wie die Türkei künftig in das europäische Sicherheitskonzept eingebettet werden sollte.
SWP-Podcast 2025/P 20, 31.07.2025 -
Turkey’s Authoritarian Turn: İmamoğlu’s Arrest and Europe’s Strategic Dilemma
Erdoğan expects that Turkey’s rising importance in the security realm will force Europe to ignore his crackdown on the opposition. But without basic democratic foundations, Turkey cannot be a credible security partner, say Hürcan Aslı Aksoy and Salim Çevik.
Point of View, 25.03.2025 -
Turkey’s Authoritarian Drift Accelerates: Istanbul Mayor Faces Imprisonment
Erdoğan’s government is tightening its grip on power, using the judiciary to sideline key opposition figures like Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. This represents another step toward full authoritarian rule, say Hürcan Aslı Aksoy and Salim Çevik.
Point of View, 26.02.2025
External publications
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Unpacking the Epstein Case and the Crisis of the Liberal International Order
in: Women in Foreign Policy (WFP) Perspectives 2025: Women, World Politics, and Turkey, pp. 4-7 -
Erdogan-Rivale: Hat Imamoglu die Chance auf einen fairen Prozess?
in:Deutschlandradio, Studio 9 (Podcast), 09.03.2026 -
Iran, war and the Turkey-Israel rivalry with Hürcan Aslı Aksoy
Interview by Diego Cupolo, in: Turkey Recap, Recap Radio #27, 02.03.2026 -
‘Türkiye de İsrail de sınırlarını biliyor, sınırı belirleyen ise ABD’
Dr. Hürcan Aslı Aksoy Türkiye-İsrail arasında artan rekabetin bir tarafta çatışma potansiyeli diğer tarafta Ortadoğu’da yeni ittifaklara yol açtığına dikkat çekti.
Interview by Yücel Özdemir, in: evrensel.net, 26.02.2026 -
Das sind die Gründe für die gefallene Geburtenrate
Interview von Andre Zantow, in: Deutschlandfunk Kultur, 02.12.2025 (Audio) -
Autoritäre Dämmerung
in: Journal für Internationale Politik und Gesellschaft (IPG), Europa, 16.09.2025