“Unique Offerings: Ideological Competition and Rebel Governance,” a recent article co-authored by Bilkent IR faculty member Dr. Efe Tokdemir, Dr. Seden Akcinaroglu (Binghamton University), Dr. Jeremy Berkowitz (Prairie View A&M University), Dr. Carlos E. Moreno Leon (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana), Dr. Sema Hande Ogutcu-Fu (Lincoln University), and Dr. Evgeny Sedashov (HSE University), has received the best article award of the Conflict Processes Section of the American Political Science Association (APSA) in September 2025.
Recently, it became online first by Conflict Management and Peace Science. The article takes rebel group ideology as an effective branding tool vis à vis other rebel groups and governments and examines the impact of embracing a distinct ideological position on rebel governance strategies.
Dr. Tokdemir received the award at the American Political Science Association 2025 Annual Meeting held in Vancouver, Canada. The award is given annually for the best paper written by one or more untenured scholars on conflict processes at the previous annual meeting.