Bedirhan E. Mutlu is a Ph.D. student in the Political Science Department majoring in comparative politics. His research interest revolve around religion and politics interactions, conservatism, democracy/authoritarianism dynamics, and political parties with a regional focus on Southwest Asia and North Africa. His first peer-reviewed article (forthcoming by Middle East Law and Governance) is based on his master's thesis and it looks at how government by an Islamist party in Tunisia affected the functioning of religious institutions in a context of democratization. Bedirhan holds a master's degree in political science with comparative politics specialization and a bachelor's degree in political science with an area concentration in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries, both from Sciences Po Paris. Prior to coming to GWU, he wrote freelance research and policy papers for several think tanks including the Arab Reform Initiative and Fundacion Alternativas (Spain). Bedirhan is a native Turkish speaker and has research level fluency in French and Arabic.