Cengiz Aktar is a political science scholar, writer and columnist renowned for his expertise in European integration, politics of memory and migration policies. He completed his secondary education at Lycée de Galatasaray in Istanbul and earned a doctorate in economic epistemology from the University of Paris-Sorbonne. Dr Aktar worked for the United Nations and with the European Union on migration and asylum policies. Between 1994 and 1999, he led the United Nations Mission in Slovenia. Transitioning to academia in 2000, he thought at various universities and maintained his popular columns on daily newspapers. Dr Aktar is an adjunct professor of political science at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. His research focuses on the Westernization of the Ottoman Empire, EU’s enlargement and regional policies, and the politics of memory. Aktar is a well known advocate for Turkey’s integration into the European Union and has authored numerous publications on the subject. Beyond his academic and professional endeavors, Aktar is recognized for his commitment to human rights and confronting historical injustices including past atrocities and promoting reconciliation. Aktar’s multifaceted career encompasses significant contributions to international organizations, academia, journalism, and civil society, positioning him as a leading voice in discussions on Turkey’s political landscape and its role in global affairs. Books he authored, co-authored, edited and co-edited include L’occidentalisation de la Turquie, L’Harmattan, 1986; Avrupa Birliği’nin Genişleme Süreci, İletişim, 2002; Avrupa Okumaları, Kanat Kitap, 2003; Lettres aux turcosceptiques: La Turquie et l’Union européenne, Actes Sud, 2004; L’Appel au pardon, CNRS Editions, 2010; Tarihi, Siyasi, Dini ve Hukuki Açıdan Ekümenik Patrikhane, İletişim, 2011; Les restes de l’épée - Les Arméniens cachés et islamisés de Turquie, Thaddée, 2012; Ademimerkeziyet Elkitabı, İletişim, 2014; Catışma Çözümleri ve Barış, İletişim, 2014; The Future of Religious Minorities in the Middle East, Lexington Books, 2017; The Turkish Malaise - A Critical Essay, Transnational Press, 2021.

“I am no historian, yet I know that there can be no tomorrow without knowing yesterday. In this way, it was a privilege to be part of this corpus, which draws attention to the importance of learning and understanding every aspect of the common past, joys, pains, pangs, resentments, in a word, every aspect of History, and which builds upon a vanguard posture affirming that the muhabbet berated by national narratives can be overcome through muhabbet again. In the final analysis, everything is political in its noble sense. History and the national narratives cannot be independent of politics; that’s why we talk about the lack of muhabbet and revisiting muhabbet.”

Cengiz Aktar