Dr. Sümeyye Kaya Uyar, faculty member at Ibn Haldun University’s Department of Political Science and International Relations, published her article titled 'Exploring Covert Diplomacy in Peace Negotiations' in the international journal Politics and Governance, which is SSCI-indexed and ranked in the Q1 category, on August 7, 2025.
In her study, Dr. Uyar explores how the selection of government representatives in secret negotiations with armed groups shapes credibility, trust, and the prospects for cooperation. Drawing on costly signaling theory, the article shows that involving high-level representatives signals serious government commitment and significantly reduces rebel violence, while negotiations led by low-level representatives fail to build trust. The article, based on large-N quantitative analysis, emphasizes the importance of credibility, representation, and secrecy in conflict resolution, with broader implications for backchannel diplomacy and long-term cooperation in democratic settings.
We congratulate Dr. Sümeyye Kaya Uyar, whose academic achievement has also enhanced the international visibility of our department in the scholarly literature, and wish her continued success.
