DOGU ERGIL, born in Istanbul in 1948, has chaired the political behaviour department at Ankara University. He graduated from Ankara University in sociology and psychology, receiving an M.A. at Oklahoma State University on sociology of modernization and a PhD on development studies at the State University of New York in the interdisciplinary program of sociology, political science and political economy, focused on the Middle East. He has written 21 books, many chapters and scholarly articles in many U.S. and European books and journals. He contributes regularly to The Turkish Daily News, an English daily in Ankara. Respectively a Fulbright, Reagan-Fascell democracyscholar and recipient of the prestigious ’University in Exile’ award in democracy and human rights in 2000. Prof. Ergil often appears on international media organs ranging from BBC to Al Jazeera. He has been guest lecturer at overseas universities and special advisor to the president of the Turkish Chambers of Commerce. He is the founder and president of an internationally acknowledge NGO called ’Center for the Research of Societal Problems’ that deals with conflict resolution, promotion of democracy and empowerment of the civil society.