Zeynep Sahin Mencutek
Zeynep Sahin Mencutek’s research examines the governance of migration, return migration, diaspora politics and Middle Eastern politics. Her work is mainly based on long-term, qualitative and comparative analysis. Along with her monograph Refugee Governance, State and Politics in the Middle East (Routledge, 2018), she has published dozens of articles in internationally refereed journals, chapters in international collected volumes, encyclopedia entries, book reviews and policy reports.
Zeynep is currently Senior Researcher, Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies, where she leads a comparative project on return and reintegration. She is also Research Affiliate with CERC Migration, conducting joint research on transnational governance of migration. She held the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers (June 2020–May 2021) and an international fellowship at the Centre for Global Cooperation Research in Duisburg (2019–2020). She also served as Senior Researcher for the Horizon 2020 project RESPOND: Multilevel Governance of Mass Migration in Europe and Beyond. Previously, she served as an Assistant Professor in Turkey, and in 2018 achieved the rank of Docent in the field of international relations.
Zeynep received her PhD in politics and international relations from the University of Southern California in 2011.
Recent Publications
With Gökalp-Aras, N. E., Kaya, A., & Rottmann, S. B. (2023). Syrian Refugees in Turkey: Between Reception and Integration. (external link) Springer Nature.
With Fakhoury, T., (2023). The Geopolitics of Return Migration in the International System. (external link) Geopolitics, 1-20.
(2022). The Geopolitics of Returns: Geopolitical Reasoni (external link) ng and Space-Making in Turkey’s Repatriation Regime. (external link) Geopolitics, 1-27.
With Barthoma, S., Gökalp-Aras, N.E., & Triandafyllidou, A. (2022). A Crisis Mode in Migration Governance: Comparative and Analytical Insights., (external link) CMS 10, 12.
With Koinova, M., Deloffre, M. Z., Gadinger, F., Scholte, J. A., & Steffek, J. (2021). It's Ordered Chaos: What Really Makes Polycentrism Work. (external link) International Studies Review.
With Karal, D., & Altıntop, I. (2021) Governance of Refugee Children Protection in Turkey: Between Vulnerability and Paternalism., external link (external link) Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, pp.1-15.
With Kayaoglu, A., & Erdoğan, M. M. (2021) Return Aspirations of Syrian Refugees in Turkey. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies,, external link (external link) 1-23.
With Gökalp Aras, N.E., & Coskun, B.B. (2021) Turkey’s Response to Syrian Mass Migration: A Neoclassical Realist Analysis (external link) .
With Nashwan, A.J. (2020) Perceptions About the Labor Market Integration of Refugees: Evidences from Syrian Refugees in Jordan (external link) , Journal of International Migration & Integration.
With Gökalp Aras, N.E., Papatzani, E., Leivaditi, N., & Petracou, E. (2020) Refugee Protection in Europe and Beyond – Comparative Report. (external link) (external link)
With Barthoma, S., Gökalp-Aras, N.E., & Triandafyllidou, A. (2022). A crisis mode in migration governance: comparative and analytical insights. (external link, opens in new window) CMS 10, 12.
With Barthoma, S., Cetrez, Ö., Gökalp Aras, N.E., Atto, N. (2020) Trends, Problems and Challenges: An integrated Report of 9 Country Cases (external link) , Respond Migration, Working Paper Series 5.
(2022) (PDF file) Voluntary and Forced Return Migration Under a Pandemic Crisis (external link, opens in new window) in Migration and Pandemics: Spaces of Solidarity and Spaces of Exception (A. Triandafyllidou, Ed.). IMISCOE Research Series. Springer. (pp. 8185-206).
(2021/2) (PDF file) Narratives on Returning Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Irregular Migrants
(2021) Governing practices and strategic narratives for the Syrian refugee returns (external link) , Journal of Refugee Studies.
(2020) Refugee community organisations: capabilities, interactions and limitations (external link) , Third World Quarterly, 42:1, 181-199.
(2020/17) (PDF file) Migration Narratives in Policy and Politics
(2020/18) (PDF file) Migration Narratives from Origin and Destination Country Perspectives
(2020) (PDF file) Faith-Based Actors in Şanlıurfa, Turkey: Reducing Tensions Between Host Populations and Syrian Refugee Communities, (external link) Civil Society Review, 4:1, 76-198.
(2020) Emerging Transnational Practices and Capabilities of Syrian Refugees in Turkey, (external link) Migration Letters , 17:1 125-138.
(2020) Conducting Comparative Migration Research in MENA: Are the Regional Countries too Unique or too Similar for Comparisons of Refugee Policies? (external link) Perceptions: Journal of International Affairs, 25:1, 12-34.
(2019) Turkey’s Approach to Encourage Returns of Syrians (external link) , Forced Migration Review, 62. 28-31.
(2018) Refugee Governance, State and Politics in the Middle East, Routledge Global Cooperation Series.