I am an early career academic at the University of Derby, specialising in transitional justice, conflict resolution, and human rights. My research focuses on the role of organised victims in transitional justice processes, with particular emphasis on Turkey and Northern Ireland. I hold a PhD in Transitional Justice from Ulster University, where my thesis explored victim-centred approaches within the ongoing Kurdish conflict.
Previously, I worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast and as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Cambridge, contributing to cutting-edge research on peace, conflict, and transitional justice. I have also taught at Trinity College Dublin and Ulster University, covering topics in peace and conflict studies, transitional justice, and international law.
With extensive fieldwork experience in conflict and post-conflict settings, I have conducted research in Colombia, Serbia, Kosovo, Turkey, and Northern Ireland. My work has involved in-person fieldwork in Istanbul, exploring the legacy of the Turkish-Kurdish peace process and its implications for recognition and reparations related to the Armenian genocide. I have also examined gender dynamics in the Colombian peace process and worked with asylum seekers in the UK to evaluate legal support systems.
In addition to my academic roles, I bring expertise in policy work through my experience as a political advisor in the Turkish Parliament, where I contributed to legislative initiatives on human rights, minority rights, and peacebuilding. I am the co-founder and chair of DEMOS Research Association for Peace, Democracy, and Alternative Politics, where I hosted the podcast #DEMOStanSesler and initiated the Transitional Justice Updates from Turkey series. I am currently part of DEMOS Research Collective.
My work has been showcased through invited lectures at prestigious universities such as the University of Cambridge, Oxford University, and Trinity College Dublin, as well as international NGOs. I have published in leading journals and edited volumes, with my interdisciplinary approach integrating feminist and queer perspectives. Committed to bridging academic research with grassroots activism, I aim to contribute to peacebuilding in divided societies worldwide.
Research interests
Transitional Justice
Peace activism
Civil society's and other grassroots actors' involvement in post-conflict processes
Gender
Victim- and survivor-centred approaches to transitional justice
Membership of professional bodies
Associate Fellow, Higher Education Academy
Qualifications
2018 – 2022Ulster University, PhD in Transitional Justice
Supervisors: Prof Brandon Hamber (School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences)
Prof Siobhan Wills (School of Law)
Project title: Imagining Transitional Justice in the Ongoing Kurdish Conflict: A Victim-centred Analysis
Examiners: Dr Lauren Dempster and Dr Máire Braniff
2015-2016 University of Kent, MA International Conflict and Security
Dissertation Title: The Missing Link Between Attempt and Outcome: The EU’s Involvement in Transitional Justice in Kosovo
2007-2013 Bogazici University, BA Political Science and International Relations
Recent conferences
INVITED LECTURES
“Feminist Activism” Toronto Metropolitan University Women in Politics module, 4 June 2024 (forthcoming)
“State Crime in Turkey” Queen’s University Belfast, Crimes of The Powerful Criminology module, School of Law, 7 March 2024
“The Case of the Kurdish Conflict” Trinity College Dublin, Contemporary Conflict and Peacebuilding M.Phil., 12 February 2024
“Using Transitional Justice in an Ongoing Conflict: What can we learn from Civil Society Actors in Turkey” Turkey Beyond Borders Vodcast Series, 11 November 2023
“Peace Has Haunted My Dreams: Examining the Impact of the 2013-2015 Turkish-Kurdish Peace Process on Armenians in Turkey” University of Cambridge, 28 March 2023
“Transitional Justice Trajectories in Turkey’s Kurdish Conflict” Trinity College Dublin, Reconciliation: Ireland, Korea and Beyond Conference, 4 November 2022
“Saturday Mothers” Contribution to Transitional Justice” International Centre of Nonviolent Conflict, Civil Resistance Course, 24 October 2022
“Feminist and Queer Approaches to Transitional Justice” Boğaziçi University, Sociology Department, 2 April 2022
“The Role of the Parliament in Peacebuilding” Truth Justice and Memory Center, 30 March 2022
“The struggle for peace by LGBTI+ and women’s organisations in Turkey” Oxford University, 26 May 2022
“International Cases on Gender and Peace” Young Peacebuilders of Turkey, 16 January 2021
“Analysis of Kurdish Conflict” Ulster University Foundations of Peace and Conflict Studies MSc, 22 January 2019 & 08 February 2020
“Working through the Past in the Shadow of the Present: The Cases of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey” Imagine Centre for Conflict Transformation, Brussels-Berlin-Tbilisi, December 2018
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
“Understanding the Implications of Victimhood Identity in Turkey’s Kurdish Conflict” Justice Visions Conference, University of Ghent, 14 March 2024
“From Converging Roads to Narrowing Grounds: The Struggle for Peace By LGBTI+ and Women’s Organizations in Turkey” Feminism in the Face of Failure Workshop, National Autonomous University of Mexico, 2-4 August 2023
“Organised Victims in a Non-transitional Setting: The Saturday Mothers Movement’s Contributions” IPRA Conference, Trinidad and Tobago, 20 May 2023
“Learning from the Civil Society Actors in Turkey: Using Transitional Justice in an Ongoing Conflict” SLSA Conference, Derry, 6 April 2023
‘’Transitional Justice Trajectories in Turkey’s Kurdish Conflict”, Peace Research Institute Oslo, 16 June 2022
“Organised victims in a non-transitional setting: The Saturday Mothers movement’s contributions to transitional justice in Turkey”, Association for Historical Dialogue and Accountability Conference, 10 June 2022
“Peace activism by LGBTI+ Organisations in Turkey” Queer Encounters in Kurdish Studies, University of Cambridge, 29 September 2021
“PhD, interrupted: navigating social science fieldwork during Covid-19” Social Science Lunchtime Talks, Ulster University, 20 May 2021
“Advocating for Women’s Rights, Peace and Security in MENA/Asia: Challenges of Shrinking Civic Space” NGO CSW65 Forum, 23 March 2021
“Transitional Justice in Ongoing Conflicts: Prospects for the Kurdish Conflict” Transformative Justice Workshop, 21 May 2020
“Imagining Transitional Justice in Turkey’s ongoing Kurdish Conflict” Emerging perspectives on the Middle East and North Africa from Ireland Conference, 15-16 November 2020
“Transitional Justice in Ongoing Conflicts: Prospects for the Kurdish Conflict” Inequalities, Peace, Conflict, and Justice in Turkey Workshop, Lund University Center for Middle Eastern Studies, 6-7 March 2020
“A Victim-centred Approach to Prospects for Transitional Justice in the Kurdish Conflict” Building Sustainable Peace, Kroc Institute, University of Notre Dame, 8-10 November 2019
“Transitional Justice in an Ongoing Conflict: A victim-centred analysis of Transitional Justice mechanisms in the context of the Kurdish Conflict” Critical Interdisciplinary Conference on Studying Peace from Below, The Arctic University of Norway, 5-6 September 2019
“Transitional Justice in an Ongoing Conflict: A victim-survivor centred analysis of Transitional Justice mechanisms in the context of the Kurdish Conflict” Serbest Kurdish Studies Conference, Northwestern University, Evanston, 6-7 May 2019
“Women’s Struggle for Peace: Experiences from the World” Women and Peace Conference, Sabanci University, 5-6 May 2017, Istanbul
Experience in industry
2024Consultant with Truth Justice and Memory Centre (Hakikat Hafıza Adalet Merkezi)
“Restorative Ideas for Restorative Justice”
Acting as a selection committee member for projects on restorative justice for children and youth
2023Consultant with Saferworld
“Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) of Colombia”
Contributing to a literature review on gender in Colombia, particularly looking at the conflict dynamics and tailored to the interests of the UK Embassy in Colombia.
2012-2015 Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Ankara, Political Advisor for People’s Democratic Party
Contributing to the Turkish-Kurdish peace process, preparing parliamentary investigation proposals and legislative proposals on human rights, women’s and LGBTI+ rights, prisoner rights, and minority issues.
2020-2022 DEMOS Research Association, Podcast host of #DEMOStanSesler
Recording and editing episodes on gender, peace, memory, conflict, civil society, and justice.
International experience
I have lived, studied, and worked in Belgium, Spain, Turkey, and the UK. I have conducted fieldwork in Colombia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Serbia, Turkey. Additionally, I have been involved in projects and workshop activities in numerous countries, including Cyprus, Germany, Georgia, Iraq, Mexico, Norway, Sweden, and the USA.
Alici, N. (2024) ‘Learning from the Civil Society Actors in Turkey: Using Transitional Justice in an Ongoing Conflict’ International Journal of Transitional Justice, https://doi.org/10.1093/ijtj/ijae015
Alici, N. & Falschebner, P. ‘Navigating Non-Transition: Grassroots Victim Mobilization and the Pursuit of Transitional Justice in Turkey and Morocco, Journal of Human Rights Practice (under review)
Alıcı, N., Bor, G. & Daşlı, G. ‘Tracing the Evolvement of Feminist Peace Activism in Turkey: The Failed Peace Process, Authoritarianism and Beyond’ Global Studies Quarterly (under review)
Book chapters
Alici, N. ‘Confronting the Shadows: Transitional Justice and the Armenian Genocide in Turkey, In Dinc, P. & Hunler, O. (eds.) Beyond 100 Years: Republic of Turkey and its Unresolved Issues. Palgrave (forthcoming)
Curran, L. & Alici, N. (2023) Addressing the Torment of Powerlessness: Bagaraybang bagaraybang mayinygalang (BBM): Empowering & Alleviating: A Health Justice Partnership (HJP) of the Hume Riverina Community Legal Service (HRCLS) & Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service (AWAHS) offering legal support for social & emotional well-being with Aboriginal Peoples in Northeast NSW and Victoria, Nottingham Trent University