Ayse Cicek Unal

Ayse Cicek Unal is a Ph.D. candidate in the history department at Yale. Her research examines diplomatic and trade networks, alliances, and conflicts involving Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, France, Spain, and Britain at the end of the 17th century. The overarching goal is to emphasize the pivotal role of North Africa in extensive diplomatic and trade networks, inter-imperial rivalries, and the evolving dynamics of global power structures. This analysis will enhance our comprehension of the historical foundations of contemporary international relations, shedding light on the intricate complexities of present day tensions between North Africa and Europe. She holds an MA degree from Istanbul Şehir University with a thesis examining the Ottoman-Spanish diplomatic relations in the eighteenth century. Her research was funded by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, the Cervantes Institute, and the European Union Program. Prior to Yale, she worked as a manuscript archivist and curator in Süleymaniye Manuscript Library in Istanbul. Currently, she is working on the cataloging manuscript project initiated at Beinecke Manuscirpt Library in 2021.