Elif Zaim is a Deputy Researcher at TRT World Research Centre. Previously, she worked as an expert in the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), conducting various projects in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. She received her BA in International Relations from the International University of Sarajevo and her MSc in Middle East Politics at SOAS, University of London. Her research focuses on political and social issues in the Middle East and North Africa.