İlker Güler

Ilker Güler is a distinguished academic and professional with an extensive career in NATO, the Turkish General Staff, and the Turkish Naval Forces Command. Throughout his service, he has held various strategic and operational positions, earning multiple decorations, including the Meritorious Service Award and several commendations for excellence. Mr. Güler has contributed significantly to NATO’s high-level strategic initiatives, including the NATO Defense Planning Process (NDPP), Strategic Concept and Political Guidance, NATO Strategic Foresight Analysis (SFA), and the Future Framework of Allied Operations (FFAO). His work in these areas has helped shape the alliance’s long-term strategic outlook and operational readiness. His academic journey is equally distinguished. He earned his degree in Industrial Engineering from the Turkish Naval Academy, and subsequently pursued postgraduate studies in Operations Analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School and International Security at the Turkish Naval War College. He later undertook doctoral studies in Political Science and Public Administration at Bilkent University. In addition, he completed specialized training in NATO Defense Planning at NATO School Oberammergau and advanced coursework in Deep Learning, Statistical Modeling, and Power Politics at the University of Basel. Currently, Mr. Güler serves as a Research Scientist at Morgan State University, focusing on Quantum Computing and Cryptology with applications in the aerospace and defense sectors. His research spans outer space, maritime, and cybersecurity domains, with a particular emphasis on countering cyberterrorism, artificial intelligence and machine learning, quantum applications, and data science/data mining for defense planning. In addition to his professional and academic expertise, Mr. Güler is fluent in English and German, and is currently continuing his studies in French. Beyond his career, Ilker Güler is a devoted husband to Melek and a proud father of two daughters, to whom he is deeply committed.