Aykan Erdemir

Aykan Erdemir (born July 28, 1974, in Bursa) is an anthropologist, policy analyst, and former Turkish politician. He served in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey between 2011 and 2015 as a representative from the pro-secular Republican People's Party. As an outspoken advocate of freedom of religion or belief, separation of mosque and state, and minority rights in the Middle East and beyond, Erdemir has been a leading voice against radical Islam and violent extremism, and a vocal critic of the persecution of religious minorities in the Middle East.

Erdemir is one of the founders and former steering committee members of the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB), the first multi-faith and bipartisan global network of parliamentarians committed to combating religious persecution and advancing freedom of religion or belief, as defined by Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. At the initiative's New York summit held along the sidelines of the 70th General Assembly of the United Nations, Erdemir stated that IPPFoRB is an "idea for which the time is right,” adding that people advocating rights should be as “outspoken, organised and transnational” as the violent extremists.

Erdemir currently works as the Director of International Affairs Research at Anti-Defamation League. He earlier served as the Senior Director of the Turkey Program at Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Washington, DC and on the Anti-Defamation League's Task Force on Middle East Minorities. Provided by Wikipedia