Can Kasapoğlu

Senior Fellow (Nonresident)

At A Glance:

Can Kasapoğlu is a nonresident senior fellow at Hudson Institute. His work at Hudson focuses on political-military affairs in the Middle East, North Africa, and former Soviet regions.

Contact:

ckasapoglu@hudson.org

Biography

Can Kasapoğlu is a nonresident senior fellow at Hudson Institute. His work at Hudson focuses on political-military affairs in the Middle East, North Africa, and former Soviet regions. He specializes in open-source defense intelligence, geopolitical assessments, international weapons market trends, as well as emerging defense technologies and related concepts of operations.

Dr. Kasapoğlu was previously an Eisenhower fellow at the NATO Defense College in Italy and a visiting scholar at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence in Estonia. He has held research posts at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, the Jamestown Foundation, the Foundation for Strategic Research, and the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

Dr. Kasapoğlu received his PhD from the Turkish War College and his MSci from the Turkish Military Academy.

August 2026

Virtual Event | Online Only

Taiwan’s Ever-Changing Security Environment

Featured Speakers:

Riley Walters

Dr. Michael Hunzeker

Dr. Liang-chih Evans Chen

Can Kasapoğlu

August 2026

Virtual Event | Online Only

Taiwan’s Ever-Changing Security Environment

Join Hudson Institute for a discussion on Taiwan’s rapidly changing security and defense industry.

Featured Speakers:

Riley Walters

Dr. Michael Hunzeker

Dr. Liang-chih Evans Chen

Can Kasapoğlu

Learn More

June 2026

Past Event

Helping Ukraine Defend Europe’s Skies: The Urgent Need for PAC-3 Interceptors

Featured Speakers:

George Barros

Rebeccah L. Heinrichs

Can Kasapoğlu

Moderator:

Luke Coffey

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi stands in front of the first General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon received by Ukraine as he congratulates Ukrainian military on the Day of Ukrainian Air Force on August 4, 2024 in Unspecified, Ukraine. At the event for the Day of Ukrainian Air Force with the participation of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, the first General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons received by Ukraine were demonstrated. (Photo by Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

June 2026

Past Event

Helping Ukraine Defend Europe’s Skies: The Urgent Need for PAC-3 Interceptors

What can the United States and its European partners do to help Ukraine mitigate the threat of Russian ballistic and hypersonic missiles, especially before winter begins?

Featured Speakers:

George Barros

Rebeccah L. Heinrichs

Can Kasapoğlu

Moderator:

Luke Coffey

Learn More

March 2026

Past Event

Operation Epic Fury: Strategy, State of Play, and Theories of Victory

Featured Speakers:

Michael Doran

David Albright

Can Kasapoğlu

Rebeccah L. Heinrichs

Ray Takeyh

Nadav Samin

Ilan Berman

Zineb Riboua

H.E. Yechiel Leiter

Joel Scanlon

Mariam Memarsadeghi

March 2026

Past Event

Operation Epic Fury: Strategy, State of Play, and Theories of Victory

This conference convenes leading experts and policymakers to examine why the conflict began, assess the current state of play, and explore competing theories of victory.

Featured Speakers:

Michael Doran

David Albright

Can Kasapoğlu

Rebeccah L. Heinrichs

Ray Takeyh

Nadav Samin

Ilan Berman

Zineb Riboua

H.E. Yechiel Leiter

Joel Scanlon

Mariam Memarsadeghi

Learn More

March 2026

Past Event

The Military Balance with Iran: A Strategic Assessment

Featured Speakers:

Can Kasapoğlu

Michael Doran

March 2026

Past Event

The Military Balance with Iran: A Strategic Assessment

Join us for a timely military briefing on one of the most consequential crises shaping the future of the Middle East.

Featured Speakers:

Can Kasapoğlu

Michael Doran

Learn More

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Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia (L) and U.S. President Donald Trump watch a military flyover as bin Salman arrives at the White House on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump is hosting the crown prince for meetings aimed at strengthening economic and defense ties, including the U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia and President Donald Trump at the White House on November 18, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)

The Saudi F-35 Gambit: A High-End Arms Sale Meets Middle Eastern Geopolitics

Can Kasapoğlu

Senior Fellow (Nonresident)

Can Kasapoğlu

Reports

Nov 21, 2025

Reports

8 Min Read

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on November 17, 2025, in Paris, France. (Getty Images)

Ukraine Military Situation Report | November 19

Can Kasapoğlu

Senior Fellow (Nonresident)

Can Kasapoğlu

Commentary

Nov 19, 2025

Commentary

5 Min Read

The 52nd Security Forces Squadron, counter small unmanned aircraft system (C-sUAS) program is monitoring the skies for adversary drones during Astral Knight 24 at Powidz Air Base, Poland, May 13, 2024. The Rapidly Deployable Small Uncrewed Aircraft Defense System (RD-SUADS) is part of the integrated air and missile defense incorporating defensive measures to prevent the adversary from effectively employing any type of drone for espionage or offensive. (U.S. Photo by Staff Sgt. Gaspar Cortez)

A counter small unmanned aircraft system program monitors the skies for adversary drones during Astral Knight 24 at Powidz Air Base in Poland on May 13, 2024. (US Air Force)

How NATO Can Build Europe’s Drone Wall

Can Kasapoğlu

Senior Fellow (Nonresident)

Peter Rough

Senior Fellow and Director, Center on Europe and Eurasia

Can Kasapoğlu & Peter Rough

Commentary

Nov 17, 2025

Commentary

6 Min Read

A Ukrainian soldier aims with a machine gun during a military training on October 21, 2025, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Getty Images)

Ukraine Military Situation Report | November 12

Can Kasapoğlu

Senior Fellow (Nonresident)

Can Kasapoğlu

Commentary

Nov 12, 2025

Commentary

4 Min Read

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks with British armed forces personnel in front of a UK Typhoon fighter jet in Ankara, Turkey, on October 27, 2025. (Getty Images)

Turkey’s Eurofighter Stopgap: The Best Available, Not the Best Possible

Can Kasapoğlu

Senior Fellow (Nonresident)

Can Kasapoğlu

Commentary

Nov 10, 2025

Commentary

5 Min Read

Ukrainian servicemen drive a tank near Pokrovsk, Ukraine, on December 23, 2024. (Getty Images)

Ukraine Military Situation Report | November 5

Can Kasapoğlu

Senior Fellow (Nonresident)

Can Kasapoğlu

Commentary

Nov 5, 2025

Commentary

4 Min Read

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with President Donald Trump and members of his cabinet at the White House on October 17, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)

Ten Steps to Pressure Russia to Come to the Negotiating Table

Luke Coffey

Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia

Thomas J. Duesterberg

Senior Fellow

Can Kasapoğlu

Senior Fellow (Nonresident)

Luke Coffey, Thomas J. Duesterberg & Can Kasapoğlu

Reports

Oct 30, 2025

Reports

10 Min Read

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (R) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sign documents during a joint press conference in front of a Gripen fighter jet in Linkoping, Sweden, on October 22, 2025, after talks on Russia's ongoing of aggression against Ukraine and the countries' deepening defense cooperation. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on October 22 that Sweden and Ukraine had signed a letter of intent to develop air capabilities, which could see Ukraine buy up to 150 Gripen fight

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sign documents confirming the sale of Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine in Linkoping, Sweden, on October 22, 2025.

Ukraine Military Situation Report | October 29

Can Kasapoğlu

Senior Fellow (Nonresident)

Can Kasapoğlu

Commentary

Oct 29, 2025

Commentary

4 Min Read

Caption An aerial view shows the destroyed areas of Pokrovsk, Ukraine, following months of intense fighting near the front line, on October 7, 2025. (Getty Images) Share to Twitter

An aerial view shows the destroyed areas of Pokrovsk, Ukraine, following months of intense fighting near the front line, on October 7, 2025. (Getty Images)

Ukraine Military Situation Report | October 22