Hakan Özoğlu's research focuses on Kurdish Nationalism in the Ottoman Empire. His first book was titled Kurdish Notables and the Ottoman State. His second book, titled From Caliphate to Secular State deals wit the power struggle in early Turkish Republic. He is currently the Director of Middle Eastern Studies and Professor of History at University of Central Florida and is working on a book manuscript on "Admiral Mark Lambert Bristol's Tenure in Turkey." His interviews and essays have appeared in many international media outlets including, New York Times, Orlando Sentinel, Chicago Tribune, WTTW PBS Chicago . He is the recipient of 2017-18 Fulbright Core Fellowship.
Hille Hanso is an Estonian independent researcher, freelance journalist and a frequent commentator on Middle Eastern affairs. She is based in Istanbul and is the author of the book Minu Istanbul. Her interviews, essays and commentaries have appeared in media outlets in many countries including Estonia, Turkey and China. Her research interests include Kurdish nationalism, Assyrian identity within the KRI in Iraq, Turkish foreign policy, Syrian conflict and Middle- East migration. Hille Hanso is currenly working on her second gradute degree in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies at Istanbul Bilgi University.
