@diegocupolo.bsky.social writes for @turkeyrecap.bsky.social on what we might expect from Erdogan's meeting with Trump today. With my comments www.turkeyrecap.com/p/reis-iproc...

Here is me talking with @diegocupolo.bsky.social about authoritarianism and Turkish politics in the context of Erdogan regime's latest crackdown on the main opposition party (CHP) whose presidential candidate and dozens of mayors are in prison. Maybe a couple of points to highlight:

In today's podcast, we'll be looking at the CHP Congress and upcoming trials against opposition lawmakers. Livestream starts soon:

Since the March arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, a building frenzy has gripped the city's northern green belt and water reserves. @woutermassink.bsky.social reports with comments by Emre Kovakayan, @pinozden.bsky.social Berkan Özyer, Dursun Yıldız, Cihan Erdönmez and Şafak Arslan.

Q: With the crackdown on the opposition and recent tax hikes, how sustainable is the AKP's economic model? @wolfpiccoli.bsky.social responds on our podcast, where we covered market reactions to domestic turmoil, global implications and the sting of high inflation. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipG7...

Are markets the last check on Turkey’s democratic credentials? I will ask just that in our live webcast today. Tune in below:

A lot is happening in Turkey right now. @gonultol.bsky.social breaks down the three major developments on the @turkeyrecap.bsky.social podcast:

Going live soon:

Issue #271 is out with comments by @selvinkorkmaz.bsky.social and @cagdasungor.bsky.social. Inside: - CHP under ‘360-degree attack’ - Erdoğan spotlights Gaza in China - Syria rhetoric weighs on peace process - Domestic and diplomatic wraps - Turkey caught with its browsers down

Nine months into the "Year of the Family", we're due for a check up on what Turkey's pro-family programs have borne. Join us for a live webcast on falling birth rates today:

In our latest podcast, journalists @andrewfinkel.bsky.social and @diegocupolo.bsky.social discuss the AKP’s consolidation of mainstream media and what that means for news consumers inside and outside the country. Watch the full broadcast here:

I’m looking forward to hosting a live video talk with @andrewfinkel.bsky.social on the media’s transformation under AKP rule. Join us today at 1600 TRT. Link below.

"Racism became very common [in Turkey]. The kids were getting bullied at school. You know what happened in Kayseri [on June 30, 2024]. My uncle was there. His car got trashed. After that, he moved back to Syria immediately after Assad went," said Ahmad, who returned to Syria in late June.

"The move came a day after the Kurdish admin ... held a conference involving several Syrian minority communities." "The conference's final statement called for 'a democratic constitution that... establishes a decentralised state', guaranteeing the participation of all components of Syrian society."

Last night, Syrian gov-affiliated forces clashed with Kurdish militants in the north and Druze groups in the south. Today, I'm hosting a livestream with Mohammed A. Salih to better understand if and how events in Syria might impact Turkey-PKK negotiations. Audience questions welcome. Link below.

@osmansrt.bsky.social on slow-changing public perceptions of the peace process: "People still have some question marks regarding the PKK. Maybe they were not so happy to see PKK members as legitimate actors, speaking in front of cameras. There is still a very strong social memory regarding terror."

“After dealing with frost, now the issue is drought,” said Ali Bülent Erdem, of the farmers’ union Çiftçi-Sen. “It’s very clear, this agricultural system is not sustainable.”

So, Turkey’s migration authority texted me info on how to voluntarily return to Syria today.

Includes a serious discussion about Nikol Pashinyan's decision to shave off his beard.

We'll be looking at the South Caucasus today and the potential impacts of Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks for the broader region.

“Continuing this process is the most profitable investment for everyone today. Disrupting it will not bring more benefits,” @ruhaavi.bsky.social said, referring to the PKK disarmament process.

Author and scholar @liselhintz.bsky.social joined @diegocupolo.bsky.social on Recap radio to discuss the Turkish media landscape. They also covered the PKK peace process, judicial pressure on the CHP and the AKP’s grand strategy for the ‘New Turkey’. www.turkeyrecap.com/p/media-and-...

I'm going live soon with @liselhintz.bsky.social to discuss Turkish media narratives and the AKP's grand strategy. Join us here:

“The AKP has opened multiple fronts against the CHP ... to overwhelm and shock the party and its leadership, ... confuse the party in terms of where to defend and which kind of strategy to use, and lastly, to pressure the CHP leadership to an accommodationist position,” @sinemadar.bsky.social said.

One clear trend line: Turkey's electricity demand is the fastest growing in Europe. Great infographics in here: www.reuters.com/markets/comm...

CHP mayors of Adana, Antalya, and Adıyaman detained by police. I guess they're saving the Bs for tomorrow.

Spot the difference:

Big thanks to the Cose Turche News Podcast for having me on their season finale. Hosted by Eleonora Masi, Samuele Abrami and @riccardogasco.bsky.social, it's the best (and only?) source on Turkey news in Italian:

With comments by @liselhintz.bsky.social on Turkey's latest culture war and @selvinkorkmaz.bsky.social on the most likely outcomes of the CHP Congress trial:

Pride marches in Turkey resulted in about 60 detentions last week, but that's just the surface. Beneath the symbolic protest images are lives marked by social exclusion, economic difficulties, unemployment and, at times, death. Sibel Hürtaş reports:

New podcast: Unpacking Israel-Turkey relations with Gallia Lindenstrauss @diegocupolo.bsky.social and @glindenstrauss.bsky.social discussed Israel-Turkey ties through the lens of the Israel-Iran war, developments in Syria, the PKK peace process, the Gaza war, Hamas and more.

I'm hosting a livestream on Turkey-Israel relations today with @glindenstrauss.bsky.social. We'll discuss bilateral ties through developments in Syria, the PKK peace process, the Israel-Iran conflict and more. Links below:

Sigh of the times: “I may emigrate,” says Gülsüme Oğuz, a clinical psychologist. “My usual white-collar clients can’t afford regular sessions anymore, and I can’t afford the rent.” www.ft.com/content/5999...

The latest figures show Turkey seized 14m captagon tablets in 2023, down from 24m in 2022. Interested to see how regime change in Syria impacts that market. Below, police seizures of amphetamine (left) and methamphetamine (right), acc to the 2025 EU Drug Report. www.euda.europa.eu/publications...

Today, @diegocupolo.bsky.social spoke with FPRI Pres. @aaronstein1.bsky.social about Iran, Israel, the US and Turkey’s place in the conflict unfolding on NATO’s eastern border. Side topics include Syria, the PKK peace process, F-35s and Turkey’s defense sector: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGJ4...

I'll be hosting a live talk shortly on Iran, Israel, the US and Turkey's place in between. Join me and FPRI Pres. @aaronstein1.bsky.social through the link below:

Heated debates about threats to national security in Turkey should also look here: Children face growing hunger, poverty risks amid cost-of-living crisis in Turkey www.turkeyrecap.com/p/children-f...

The CHP, Turkey’s main opposition party, is facing mounting investigations that have jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu and many others. @berkesen.bsky.social joined @diegocupolo.bsky.social to discuss the CHP's reaction to ongoing pressure and what comes next. www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5mo...

In a short bit, I'll host a live webcast with @berkesen.bsky.social. We'll discuss Turkey's opposition and the growing challenges it faces through various trials and investigations. Audience questions welcome. Join us through the links below:

Trying to keep up with news from Syria? Check my talk with @akmckeever.bsky.social on the transition process and its many implications for the region (Turkey included.) Recap radio is available here, on your podcast players and also on YouTube:

I'm doing a live webcast on recent developments in Syria at 1300 UTC today. We'll discuss implications for Turkey, the PKK peace process and more while answering questions from the audience. Follow the links below to join us:

Sunday extras: "Turkey’s New Political Reality" with @gonultol.bsky.social , @diegocupolo.bsky.social and Kwangu Liwewe. [1/5]

"We feel like we’re going through a huge political shift, and no one knows where it’s headed." My thoughts on the current moment in Turkey, along with analysis by @gonultol.bsky.social, on the @newlinesmag.bsky.social podcast: newlinesmag.com/podcast/turk...

A judicial package is coming. Once introduced, legal experts and lawmakers told Turkey recap they expect the proposed reforms to include an expansion of conditional release measures and possible changes to Turkey’s anti-terror laws. @diegocupolo.bsky.social reports:

“I think this is Bahçeli’s way of tying the whole thing to his party and increasing his leverage,” @gonultol.bsky.social said. My latest recap on the Turkey-PKK peace process with additional input from @selvinkorkmaz.bsky.social and CHP members.

DEM has long called for improved prison conditions for not just Öcalan, but also for critically ill prisoners. With the peace process underway, one of Ankara’s first moves might have been the release of a sick inmate on May 12, after the PKK announcement. @meltemakyol.bsky.social has the details:

I spoke with @turkeyrecap.bsky.social @diegocupolo.bsky.social about how to read the recent Kurdish process, why managing expectations is crucial, and what the PKK’s disbandment really signals. What to watch for and what to watch out for. All here. open.substack.com/pub/ezgibasa...

I'm hosting a webcast today on the Turkey-PKK peace process with @ezgibasaran.bsky.social. We'll be taking questions from the audience. Follow the links to join:

“Sometimes there are groups of children on every floor of the 5-story factory. During our breaks, we take care of our kids while keeping an eye on the machines. Can you imagine the anxiety? If we refuse overtime to care for our children, we are threatened with losing our jobs." Hilal Tok reports:

Largest importers of fossil fuels from Russia via @semafor.com.