Soner Cagaptay

Who Is Soner Cagaptay?

Soner Cagaptay is the Beyer Family Senior Fellow and director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where he has distinguished himself with deep analysis on Turkish politics and U.S.-Turkey relations. A prolific academic, he has published in major outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Foreign Affairs. He is the author of several acclaimed books on Turkish nationalism and politics, including his latest book, *A Sultan in Autumn: Erdogan Faces Turkey’s Uncontainable Forces*. Known as one of the leading experts on Turkey and the Middle East, Cagaptay has influenced policy and strategic analysis across the region.

What is his Background?

Soner Cagaptay trained as a historian, earning his doctorate at Yale University with a focus on Turkish nationalism. He has taught Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Eastern European studies at prestigious institutions, including Yale, Princeton, Georgetown, and Smith College. His academic career includes numerous honors and positions, such as the Ertegun chair at Princeton and fellowships from Smith-Richardson and Mellon. In addition to his role at the Washington Institute, he has advised the U.S. State Department as chair of the Turkey Advanced Area Studies Program. Cagaptay has authored several books exploring Turkish domestic and foreign policy under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, including *The New Sultan* and *The Rise of Turkey*.