His main research interests include economic liberalisation, democratisation, political Islam, politics of the Middle East and Turkish politics.Academic freedom is not something Turkey is known for, and recent legislation on higher education makes sure that it will stay that way for years to come. The government of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), in a push to exert greater control over higher education, has proposed legislation undermining the autonomy of private universities and academic freedom of professors, which is almost certain to pass in the parliament. The new legislation will affect board selection in private universities, tenure and promotion reviews, and granting of equivalency to degrees obtained abroad.