About
Political Analyst | PhD Researcher | Foreign Policy Coordinator at IstanPol
Recent Highlights
August 27, 2026 — Quoted in AP News on Turkey's exposure to secondary US sanctions over its trade ties with Iran. Read more →
August 21, 2026 — Guest on Il Sole 24 Ore's "Macro" podcast with Daniele Bellasio, discussing Turkey's expanding regional role. Read more →
August 21, 2026 — Quoted on BBC Urdu, sharing thoughts with Roohan Ahmed on the Mecca agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. Read more →
Biography
Riccardo Gasco is a political analyst and PhD Researcher in International Relations at the University of Bologna. Based in Istanbul since 2019, he serves as Foreign Policy Program Coordinator at IstanPol, a leading Istanbul-based think tank, and advises governmental, institutional, and private-sector clients on Turkish foreign policy, regional security, and political risk in the Eastern Mediterranean. He has previously held research fellowships at the Istanbul Policy Center (IPC) and Sabanci University, working on Turkish foreign policy with a focus on Turkiye-Italy and EU relations.
Riccardo's research focuses on Turkiye's foreign policy, its strategic positioning between NATO and Russia, and the broader behavior of emerging middle powers in a shifting global order. He holds degrees in International Relations and Diplomatic Sciences from the University of Genoa and SOAS, University of London.
He frequently contributes analysis to Italian, Turkish, and international media, offering commentary on Turkiye's domestic politics, regional dynamics in the Middle East, and its complex relationships with Europe, the United States, China, and Russia. His publications cover topics such as Turkiye-China relations, the Kurdish issue, Turkish defense policy, EU-Turkiye relations, and broader questions of transatlantic diplomacy and strategic autonomy.
Latest on X
Aug 31, 2026 — Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan meet in Istanbul to begin translating the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement into practice. View on X →
Aug 27, 2026 — Glad to be quoted in AP's analysis of Iran's trade outlook under widening U.S. sanctions pressure. View on X →
Aug 26, 2026 — On the reported terms of the SDF's dissolution and integration into Syria's Autonomous Administration framework. View on X →