Taha Özhan

A graduate of New School for Social Research in New York, Özhan has a Master’s degree in “Global Economy-Politics”. He received his PhD in “Political Science and International Affairs”. Özhan became president of Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), a Turkish think-tank organization headquartered in Ankara. He concentrated on academic studies in political economy and later on deepened his profundity also in foreign policy and Turkish politics. As the Director of SETA, Özhan conducted various field researches both in Turkey and in regional countries. During a period of remarkable regional transformations, he had the opportunity to closely follow the transformations and actors in the Middle East. Özhan focused on the political transformation of Turkey and her region. Actively involved in the strategy teams of the governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party). After Davutoğlu was appointed as the Prime Minister of Turkey, Özhan left SETA in August 2014 and took office as the Chief Adviser to the Prime Minister. Having numerous papers and books published in English and Turkish, Özhan also as a commentator and a columnist, contributes to national and international media groups, among which are Star Daily, Daily Sabah and the Middle East Eye.