I am a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the University of California, San Diego. My research focuses on international security, international law, and legal claims in territorial disputes. In my dissertation project, I explore the effect of the legal claims over disputed territory on the strategic interactions between disputant states and third-party actors. This work contributes to understanding when international law stabilizes disputes — and when it may fuel further conflict. I am also a 2025–26 USC US-Asia Grand Strategy Fellow.

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I hold an LL.B. degree in law from Istanbul University and an LL.M. degree in American Law from the University of Minnesota Law School.