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I grew up in three different countries on three different continents, all of which have undergone massive transformations in the last twenty years. Turkey, where I was born, has been experiencing a fundamental questioning of its Republican form of government and a resurgence of religion in public life, and has sought to plant its feet firmly in Europe through its efforts to join the EU. I lived in Germany from 1989 to 1994 – soon after unification and the collapse of the communist bloc, and experienced the simmering resentment against immigrants, especially Turks. And I have lived in the US since 2005, experiencing firsthand changes in US foreign policy in the aftermath of 9/11. Such global changes over the last twenty years that not only affect domestic and international politics but also the lives of ordinary individuals form the background to my academic interests. Hence, my research and teaching interests focus on the relationship between religion and lIslamic movements and parties, Middle East and North Africa, cross-religious comparative politics, judicial politics, authoritarian persistence, and democratization.

RESEARCH

Kirdiş, Esen. 2026. “Case Study: Religion & Youth in Turkey.” In  (3rd edition), ed. by Akan Malici & Liz Smith.New York & London: Routledge. 

Kirdiş, Esen. 2025. “.” Journal of Church & State 67(4).

Kirdiş, Esen. 2025. “” Religion, State & Society 53 (5): 505-523.

Kirdiş, Esen. 2022. “.” The International Spectator.

Kirdiş, Esen. 2022. “” Political Science Quarterly 137 (1): 73-97.

Kirdiş, Esen. 2021. “Islamic Movements and Party Politics: Two Competing Visions in Morocco.” In , ed. by Shahram Akbarzadeh. New York & London: Routledge.

Kirdiş, Esen. 2021. “.” Journal of Church and State 63(1): 23–46.

Kirdiş, Esen. 2019. . Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh University Press.

Kirdiş, Esen. 2019. “.” In The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Political Parties, ed. by Jeffrey Haynes. New York & London: Routledge.

Kirdiş, Esen. 2019. ” Politics, Religion & Ideology. 20(4): 467-483.

Kirdiş, Esen. 2019. “.” Religion, State, and Society 47(3): 325 – 340.

Kirdiş, Esen. 2018. “.” Democratization 25 (5): 901-918.

Kirdiş, Esen. 2016. "."Politics, Religion & Ideology 17 (2-3): 121-142.

Kirdiş, Esen & Amina Drhimeur. 2016. Turkish Studies 17(4): 599-617.

Kirdiş, Esen. 2016. International Area Studies Review 19(3): 249-265.

Kirdiş, Esen. 2016. Democratization 23(3): 417-436.

Kirdiş, Esen. 2015. Politics, Religion & Ideology 16(1): 65-86.

Kirdiş, Esen. 2015. Turkish Studies 16(2): 178-194.

Shambayati, Hootan and Esen Kirdiş. 2009. Political Research Quarterly 62(4): 767-780.