Dr. Yunus Çolak
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- School of Law, The Universtity of Edinburgh
- Faculty Member, İstanbul Medeniyet University
Contact details
- Email: yunus.colak@medeniyet.edu.tr
Background
Yunus Çolak is currently a faculty member in the Department of International Relations at Istanbul Medeniyet University. He joined the University of Edinburgh as a The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)-funded Visiting Post-Doctoral Researcher from March 2026 to March 2027.
Çolak conducts interdisciplinary research on territorial politics, foreign policy crises, and the intersection of law and security in international relations. He has developed an academic profile at the intersection of three interconnected areas: territorial disputes in foreign policy, treaty law and crisis diplomacy, and the transformation of secessionist movements in contested spaces.
Çolak’s research focuses on how territorial claims and spatial contestations shape the foreign policy behavior of states, particularly under crisis conditions. His work on Türkiye’s handling of the Cyprus and Nakhchivan crises demonstrates how legal agreements, status quo principles, and geopolitical pressures converge in foreign policy decision-making. He investigates how states invoke territorial sovereignty in response to treaty-based territorial demands and how these dynamics reveal patterns of resistance, deterrence, and escalation. He is currently expanding this line of inquiry through archival research on Türkiye’s Cold War experiences with the Soviet Union, particularly the 1945 demands on Turkish territory.
In a complementary line of research, Çolak investigates how non-state actors frame and negotiate territorial claims within shifting domestic and international environments. His work on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) addresses how secessionist movements evolve from armed struggle to political engagement. Based on fieldwork in the Philippines and first-hand interviews with secessionist movement leaders, he examines how autonomy arrangements, disarmament, and international mediation reshape territorial disputes from within. Building on this research agenda, he aims to further explore the conditions under which secessionist movements choose to abandon armed struggle and integrate into the political system.
During his post-doctoral research, Çolak will be conducting a project titled “Transforming Secessionist Movements through Peace Agreements” in collaboration with Dr. Sanja Badanjak of the Edinburgh Law School. He will focus on the peace processes involving the Philippine government, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), with a specific focus on transitional justice mechanisms.
Çolak’s research contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
- SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals
CV
159258.pdf
Current research interests
Security studies, secessionist movements, Philippines, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Turkish Foreign Policy, Foreign Policy Crises.Current project grants
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye (TUBITAK) 2219 International Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2026).
Past project grants
Doctoral Fellowship by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye (TUBITAK) (2019 – 2023)
Doctoral Fellowship on international security and terrorism studies by Turkish Council of Higher Education, (2018 – 2023)