After graduating from the Faculty of Political Science in the Department of International Relations at Ankara University in 1992, Prof. Ataman received his MA degree at Central Oklahoma University in 1996, and PhD degree at University of Kentucky in 1999. Ataman previously worked as a faculty member at Abant İzzet Baysal University and Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University. Currently, he works at SETA as the Director of Foreign Policy Studies.

Prof. Ataman has been also writing on foreign policy issues for the Daily Sabah newspaper since 2017.

Ataman is the editor of Dünya Çatışma Bölgeleri I-II, Küresel Güç ve Refah, July 15 Coup Attempt in Turkey. He currently serves as the editor-in-Chief of Insight Turkey and Middle East Yearbook. His academic studies on Turkish foreign policy, the Middle East politics and the Gulf politics has been published in different Turkish, English and Arabic journals and books.