Nicola Melis is a specialist in minority issues with a special focus on Mediterranean Africa, the Near East and the Red Sea region. He is currently working at the University of Cagliari. Dr Melis’ current research deals with the position of minorities in the Red Sea in the modern age. He has shared his ongoing work at numerous international conferences and has authored several recent articles on these subjects, such as Osmanlı Aracılarının Doğudaki Hukuki Statüsü, 16. Yüzyıl (“The Legal Status of the Ottoman Middleman in the Levant, 16th century”).