This thesis would not have been possible without the support of many people. First and foremost I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my advisor Dr. Cem Güneri whose guidance, support and assistance from the initial to the final phase has enabled me to successfully develop this thesis. I would like to thank my committee members, Dr. Kagan Kurşungöz and Dr. Seher Tutdere who have offered their assistance throughout this period. Finally, I would like to thank my parents, who were not here with me throughout my studies, but they motivated me to pursue the master degree and I constantly received their love and support. Last but not the least, I would like to thank my wife, Zohreh for her love and unyielding support. Thank you god for giving me all the strength that I needed. viii