Assistant Professor of Intelligence Studies
Contact Information
Dr. Behsat Ekici is an Assistant Professor of Intelligence Studies at the School of Intelligence, Computing, and Global Politics. Dr. Ekici is also an advanced data analytics professional certified by the Stanford University, Deeplearning.ai, IBM, Google, and Microsoft. Behsat has more than eight years of international consultancy and project management experience.
Before joining the Vlogƽ University, Dr. Ekici gave lectures on behalf of the NATO, PfP, UNODC, EMCDDA, TADOC, University of Pittsburgh, and Institute of Security Studies. He also taught various courses in 15 developing countries within the scope of UN and NATO projects.
Dr. Ekici worked 16 years as an Analyst, Head of Analytics, and Superintendent at the Counter Organized Crime Department (KOM) of Turkey. He carried out rigorous intelligence analyses on Turkish, Kurdish, Iranian, African, Arab, and Balkan criminal/terrorist networks. He represented the Turkish Government in numerous international projects/initiatives on illicit financial flows, informal money transfer systems, transaction monitoring, money laundering, terrorism financing, and transnational organized crime.
Behsat managed various projects focusing on development of analytics and investigative units in Turkey. He also contributed to many UN, Interpol, SELEC, NATO, GI-TOC, and EU development programs designed for African, Afghan, Caucasian, Central Asian, and Eastern European institutions. He chaired large scale international meetings on illicit financial flows, drug trafficking, organized crime, money laundering, and financing of terrorism.
- Ph.D. International Security and Economic Development, University of Pittsburgh
- M.S. Criminal Justice, Roger Williams University
- B.A. Security Studies, TNP Academy (Turkey)
- TensorFlow Developer Professional Certificate - Deeplearning.ai
- Machine Learning Specialization Certificate - Stanford University
- Google Advanced Analytics Professional Certificate - Google
- Google Advanced Business Intelligence Professional Certificate - Google
- Google Cyber Security Professional Certificate - Google
- IBM Data Science Professional Certificate - IBM
- Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate (Cont.) - Microsoft
- i2 Analyst Certificate (Analyst Notebook, iBase, iBridge) - i2(IBM)
- Project Management - TADOC-UNODC
- Money Laundering Investigations TADOC - UNODC
- Financial Crime Investigation and Money Laundering - NCIS (UK)
- Counter Organized Crime Professional Certificate - (KOM)
- INTL 605: Data Analytics in Private Sector
- INTL 626: Financial Intelligence: AML/CFT
- INTL 676: Research-Based Project
- INTL 680: Thesis in Applied Intel
- RIAP 370: Counterterrorism Financing
- Financial Intelligence: AML, CFT, Sanctions, Proliferation
- Transaction Monitoring and Fraud Detection with AI
- Advanced Analytics (Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Scikit Learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch)
- Business Intelligence (Power BI)
- Ekici, B., & Tuzuner, M. (Forthcoming) Terrorism Financing Typologies: Comparison of PKK and ISIL in Turkey. Central European Journal of International and Security Studies.
- Ekici, B. HANDBOOK of Counter-Terrorism Financing in Turkey (in Turkish). US Department of State. 2021. (650 pages).
- Ekici, B. Why International Drug Control Failed in Afghanistan? Journal of Central Asian and Caucasian Studies. V.11, N22. July 2016.
- Ekici, B. 2016. Uluslararası Uyuşturucuyla Mücadele Sistemi ve Türkiye, (Ed) Hakan Cem ÇETİN, Ahmet ÇELİK, Erkan SEZGİN) Uyuşturucuyla Mücadele Politikaları ve Yeni Trendler, Adalet Yayınevi, Ankara, 2016.
- Ekici, B. Why Does the International Drug Control System Fail? All-Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace. V.5, N.2. July 2016.
- Ekici, B. Türkiye’de Terörizmin Uyuşturucudan Finansmanı: 2000 yılı öncesi ve sonrasının Karşılaştırılması. Mülkiye İkstisadi ve Sosyal Araştırmalar Merkezi, Araştırma Raporu 11, 13 Nisan. 2015.
- Ekici, B. International Drug Trafficking and National Security of Turkey. Journal of Politics and Law. Vol. 7. 2014.
- Ekici, B., & Çoban, A. Afghan Heroin and Turkey: Ramifications of an International Security Threat. Turkish Studies. Turkish Studies, "15/2." June 2014.
- Ekici, B. The Supply Dimension of Drugs (Drug Markets). (Ed) TUBIM, Turkish Drug Report 2013. KOM Publications. 2013.
- Gokcegoz, F., & Ekici B. Drug Concealment Methods. KOM Publications. 2013. (Official Report).
- Ekici, B., & Usta, E. Uluslararasi Uyusturucu Raporlari ve Turkiye. KOM Publications. 2013. (Book).
- Ekici, B., & Unlu A. Ankara’s challenges: Increased Drug Trafficking From Iran. Middle East Forum Quarterly. Volume 20, Number 4. Fall 2013.
- Ekici, B., & Ozbay S. Iranian Methamphetamine and Turkey: An Emerging Transnational Threat. Trends in Organized Crime. V.16, N.2. June 2013.
- Ekici, B. Illicit Trans-border Trade between Iraq and Turkey in the post-Saddam Era. Journal of International Relations. V. 9, N. I & II. 2011.
- Ekici, B. The African Transnational Threat to Turkey. African Security Review. Number 22/3. September 2013.
- Ekici, B. & Unlu, A. The extend to which demographic characteristics determine international drug courier’ profile: a cross-sectional study in Istanbul. Trends in Organized Crime. DOI 10.1007. s12117-012-9152. 2012.
- Ekici, B. Is Turkey Realigning? A three Dimensional Investigation of Turkish-Iranian Rapprochement” Lap & Lambert Academic Publishing, 2012. (Book).
- Ekici, B., Williams P., & Akbulut A. The PKK and KDNs: cooperation, convergence or Conflict. (Ed) Strozier C. & Frank J. C. & Frank J. The PKK: Financial Sources, social and political dimensions. Saarbrücken VDM Verlag. 2011.
- Ekici, B., & Demirci B. Drug Markets.Turkish Drug Report 2011. TUBIM, Ankara, KOM Publications. 2011.
- Ekici, B. Disintegration of the CFSP During the War in Iraq. TIPS Connections. Fall 2007, Issue 4. 2007.
- Ekici, B., & Pek A. Narcoterrorism in Turkey: Financing of the PKK/KONGRA-GEL from Illicit Drug Business. (Ed) in NATO Science for Peace and Security Series 2007. 2007.
- U.S. Department of State Research Grant on Counter-Terrorism Financing
- Teaching Award, NATO Center of Excellence, Defense against Terrorism
- Chairman, UNODC, Interagency Networking the Networks Meeting
- Chairman, UNODC, 47th Sub-commission on Illicit Drug Traffic and Related Matters in the Near and Middle East
- Vice Chairman, UNODC, 46th Sub-commission on Illicit Drug Traffic and Related Matters in the Near and Middle East
- President’s Honors List, University of Pittsburgh
- High Merit Fellowship Award, University of Pittsburgh
- Teaching Award, TADOC-UNODC
- Distinguished Achievement Awards, KOM and TNP
- Teaching Award, NATO Partnership for Peace Training Center