In this blogpost, Ozan Ozavci reconsiders the Westphalia Peace of 1648 through a postcolonial perspective, as well as revisiting the evolution of its meanings in his world from his undergraduate years to this date.

A quasi-biographical blog on a forgotten figure in Eurasian history in the nineteenth century, in times of inter-imperial crises.

Ozan Ozavci reconstructs the story behind the first ‘humanitarian’ intervention in the Middle East.

A conference report by Dr Ozan Ozavci on our ERC Group’s recent colloquium, ‘Securing the World: Global Perspectives on Security History in the Nineteenth Century’.

How can we historicise the story of present miseries in Syria? Wherein this sad story will we be?

What is the dispute around the Armenian Genocide about? Why does it repeatedly come to a dead-end? How can the spell of nationalism be replaced by constructive apologies?

On Friday 27 May 2016, the fourth annual NISIS Islamic Studies Network day will be held at Leiden University. This year’s theme is: ‘War in Syria: dynamics, and the consequences for Europe’. The Islamic Studies Network Day is part of the NISIS Training programme. Ozan Ozavci gives his keynote speech from 09.45 – 10.15 hours. During…

Between security and civic liberties there tends to be an antagonistic relationship. It is not uncommon that in times of emergencies liberties are undervalued in pursuit of security, as became apparent in the recent curfew in Brussels after the Paris attacks. And it is not rare these days to see people, especially of Middle Eastern/North…

Turkey has become an authoritarian country in the past few years. Since 2011, Recep T. Erdoğan has enjoyed almost completely unchecked political power. There has been immense pressure on the media. The judicial system has been excessively controlled by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), and at times by Erdoğan himself. Corruption scandals linked…

By dr. Ozan Ozavci – From Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of Egypt in 1798 to the interventions in the on-going civil war in Syria today, global empires, or the so-called Great Powers, have long assumed the responsibility to bring security in the Middle East. The past two centuries have witnessed their numerous military occupations to ‘liberate’,…