Birol Bäkan is Professor of Political Science/International Affairs at the School of Advanced Studies, University of Tyumen, Russia. His research explores the roles of religion and religious actors in state-building, regime formation and interstate relations in the Middle East.

Burak Bilgehan Özpek is Professor of International Politics in the Department of Political Science and International Relations, TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Turkey. His research explores Turkish foreign policy, the Kurdish question, democratization and the contemporary politics of the Middle East.