Gökhan Demir is a political theorist whose research focuses on political theory, contemporary social thought, and Turkish politics. His work critically examines the transformation of the state, the restructuring of democracy, and the rise of new authoritarian forms of rule. His research engages with debates on the crisis of democracy, the resurgence of populisms(s), and the reconfiguration of state power under neoliberal and post-neoliberal conditions. Drawing on Marxist state theory, Gramscian analysis, and Foucauldian critiques of power, he explores Turkey’s recent political evolution, which he analyses as the emergence of an “exceptional state form.” He held consecutive postdoctoral researcher positions at the University of Florence (2021-2022), the University of Padova (2022-2023), and the University of Kassel (2024-2025), working across departments of political science and social theory. He currently serves as editor-in-chief of the social sciences journal Praksis and is a Middle East Studies Association Global Academy Fellow.
