Recent Highlights
October 16, 2026 — Guest on Sky TG24's "Mondo" programme, discussing Turkey's domestic politics and foreign policy. Read more →
October 5, 2026 — Quoted in The New Arab on Yemen's divided anti-Houthi coalition, and why expectations of automatic Turkish military support under the Mecca defence pact are inflated. Read more →
September 22, 2026 — Guest on War on the Rocks' "The Insider" podcast, discussing with Samuele Abrami the narrowing window for Turkish-Kurdish reconciliation. Read more →
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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
Oct 23, 2026 — Sharing an FT report on how Turkey's speed in testing defence prototypes, with almost no regulatory gap, is its main industry advantage. View on X →
Oct 22, 2026 — On how the Turkish-Romanian-Bulgarian Black Sea mine clearance mission could be broadened to enforce freedom of navigation, with NATO air policing as a signal to Russia. View on X →
Oct 21, 2026 — Sharing my latest publication on Turkey's security policy and regional projection, for SEC360. View on X →
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