Turkey is now experiencing a second Midnight Express moment. During the first one in the 1980s, the gov't banned the film due to the depictions of torture in jails. Now under Erdoğan's regime, the "Exodus" exposing the persecution of thousands of people is censored on YouTube.

I've long noted how Erdoğan mirrors Maduro and Chávez in moving Turkey toward autocracy. His latest move to bar İmamoğlu from the presidential race is yet another Maduro-style tactic to sideline opponents and tighten control to stay in power forever.

The best of 2025🙂

Maduro has entered his third term in office despite suffering a landslide defeat in the elections. Yet, who seems to care? Erdoğan's Turkey continues to endorse the illegitimate leader, even sending a Minister to his low-profile inauguration ceremony. Long live the authoritarian brotherhood!

"The cocaine kingpin had traded one life of luxury for another, after arriving in #Turkey on a Colombian passport under the alias Omar Perez Garcia and settling into a white villa in a seaside suburb of Istanbul. He remains behind bars in Turkey — for now." www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/1...

One of the leading public diplomacy institutions established by the Turkish government became embroiled in a major corruption scandal. Following the revelation of the scandal, the head of the institution fled to Germany and sought asylum there. Welcome to the Erdogan's Turkey!

"The cocaine kingpin had traded one life of luxury for another, after arriving in #Turkey on a Colombian passport under the alias Omar Perez Garcia and settling into a white villa in a seaside suburb of Istanbul. He remains behind bars in Turkey — for now." www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/1...

Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) are threatening sanctions against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan unless Ankara forces Syrian opposition fighters into a ceasefire with U.S-backed Kurdish partners in the northeast of the country thehill.com/policy/inter...

This argument seems implausible in a regime where everything is orchestrated by Erdoğan. The visit and the so-called show by Kalın were not his decisions but directives from Erdoğan himself. If Fidan were still at MIT, he would have acted in the same manner, following the same instructions.

In a context as complex and nuanced as Syria, I am surprised by those who attribute too much significance to Trump's unprepared remarks. IMHO, drawing conclusions such as "They are plotting against Turkey" or "Trump has recognized Turkey's importance" from this is entirely misleading.

Glad to see this WaPo report out, having first written myself about Turkey’s global war on terror almost seven years ago: www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/tur...

The number of "Syria experts" on Turkish TV is rising almost as quickly as inflation in Turkey. And no, apparently you don’t need to know Arabic or any foreign language to inform the audience🤦‍♂️

Ankara’s policy on the Kurdish movement is that only it can choose when to speak with the movement or to repress it. All other actors face reprisals if they make a choice out of step with Ankara

Turkish journalist @nevsinmengu.bsky.social was detained this morning following her interview with YPG leader Salih Muslim. Yesterday, she removed the interview from her YouTube channel, citing legal concerns raised by her lawyers. As part of her probation, she is barred from traveling abroad.

Ankara has named a new chief-of-mission to its long-closed embassy in Damascus. They're also expected to name a new ambassador soon.

Turkish foreign policy is at its peak this month: -Assad's gone and Turkey-backed groups are politically strong, -Blinken, who previously ignored Turkey at the Israel-Gaza war, is now in Ankara to discuss Syria, -Ethiopia and Somalia have reached a landmark agreement through Turkish mediation.

Hamas “told mediators for the first time it would agree to a deal that would allow Israeli forces to remain in Gaza temporarily [and] handed over a list of hostages…whom it would release under a ceasefire, something it hasn’t done since the first truce” www.wsj.com/world/middle...

Turkey’s intelligence chief, İbrahim Kalın, visited the Umayyad Mosque to pray. This symbolically means a lot for the AKP to show their "diplomatic victory" in Syria. While challenges remain in Syria, it will be used a lot by Erdoğan to divert attention from the country’s economic problems.

Well. Trump tapped West Palm Beach ER physician Dr. Peter Lamelas, as Ambassador to Argentina. I’m sure his experience treating sprained ankles will translate perfectly to improve bilateral relations between Buenos Aires and Washington!

This remains a super prescient book on AKP-led Turkey’s continued efforts to position itself as mediator. Despite lots of failures (Iran, Syria, Palestine), Erdoğan continues, pushing Turkey’s geopolitics and multifaceted identity. Why? Because a mediator role means you get to leverage both sides.

Interestingly, Turkey continues to manage its role as a mediator in international conflicts. Mediation and conflict resolution were once key focus areas for the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but its institutional capacity has significantly declined over time. www.dw.com/en/ethiopia-...

TRT World deliberately shapes its coverage to shield the Erdoğan government from any criticism while focusing on negative stories about 'the West.' Its editorial approach increasingly mirrors that of Russia's RT and Sputnik.

Trump picks Kari Lake as next Director of the Voice of America. VOA might end up becoming more like China’s CGTN or Russia’s Sputnik/RT soon.

Trump says he is tapping Tom Barrack, the founder of Colony Capital, to serve as ambassador to Turkey, elevating a longtime friend to a crucial diplomatic post! www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

The first statement from Erdogan regarding the war in Syria: We hope Syrian rebels’ march to Homs and Damascus will continue without any accidents and troubles. This signals a maximalist position from Ankara ahead of the Astana Process in Doha to talk about the future of Syria.

The EU and Mercosur are close to sealing a major free trade deal after two years of talks. If it goes through, it’ll be one of the biggest ever and comes just as Trump pushes tariffs and moves the U.S. away from free trade. It's worth watching the process!

Leaders cast the other as ill-prepared after Trump threatens to apply 25% taxes on goods from both countries. Divide and conquer!

After the sudden collapse of Assad's defenses in Aleppo, Turkey seeks to expand its influence in Syria while carefully balancing relations with Russia and Iran. by instituDE Policy Analyst Enes Esen 👇 www.institude.org/opinion/anka... #Syria #Turkiye #Aleppo

In Turkey, you can only be pro-Palestine as much as the government allows. Today, protesters calling out Erdoğan for continuing trade with Israel were arrested.

Daniella Cabello, who was sanctioned by the US today, is seeking to expand trade with Turkey. Cabello is the daughter of Diosdado Cabello, one of Maduro's closest allies and currently the Interior Minister of Venezuela. Turkey's growing engagement with Venezuela is to face significant challenges!

Daniella Cabello, who was sanctioned by the US today, is seeking to expand trade with Turkey. Cabello is the daughter of Diosdado Cabello, one of Maduro's closest allies and currently the Interior Minister of Venezuela. Turkey's growing engagement with Venezuela is to face significant challenges!

Bolsonaro allies nearly launched military coup in 2022. Federal police said the only thing that prevented the coup attempt taking place was “the unequivocal stance” of Freire Gomes, Baptista Junior and the majority of the army high command.

This should be a case study in Foreign Policy classes to show IR students how poorly executed foreign policy can unfold! Turkey Resubmits Offer to Purchase F-35 Jets theaviationist.com/2024/11/26/t...

A nice snapshot of Turkey-US relations:Ankara’s reaction to Trump’s victory reveals selective memory.Yet, Trump’s Cabinet picks have shown little interest in aligning with Ankara.On the contrary, many are outspoken critics of Turkey. Plus, the Israel-Palestine crisis will likely remain a sore point.

Every other day, new reports reveal that #Erdogan's inner circle continues to trade with Israel, despite his harsh rhetoric against #Netanyahu. This time, Houthis targeted a ship twice, claiming it carried goods to Israel. The ship belongs to Binali Yıldırım's son. medyascope.tv/2024/11/19/o...

The Turkish government continues to appoint trustees to elected Kurdish municipalities, with five appointments in just one month. Can we still call this "competitive authoritarianism"?

"Yet, the long history of engagement and mutual interests suggests that Turkey-Israel relationship will likely withstand the current challenges." responsiblestatecraft.org/turkey-israe...

#Cocaine seizures destined for Turkey have become increasingly common across South America. This trend has now spread to Central America. Costa Rican authorities intercepted a shipment of cocaine bound for #Turkey, which rapidly becomes a hub for drug trafficking. www.diarioextra.com/noticia/deco...

#Cocaine seizures destined for Turkey have become increasingly common across South America. This trend has now spread to Central America. Costa Rican authorities intercepted a shipment of cocaine bound for #Turkey, which rapidly becomes a hub for drug trafficking. www.diarioextra.com/noticia/deco...

A front page a lot of Brazilians have been waiting a long time to see…

JUST IN: After former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration, President-elect Donald Trump named Pam Bondi, a former attorney general of Florida, as his next pick for U.S. attorney general.

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro and several others have been charged with attempting to overthrow incoming government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022.

The accused include Bolsonaro, a disgraced army captain turned populist politician, who was president from 2018 until the end of 2022, as well as some of the most important members of his far-right administration. www.theguardian.com/world/2024/n...

Susan Wiles, the incoming White House chief of staff, previously lobbied for Raul Gorrín, a fugitive Venezuelan TV magnate wanted in the US on money laundering charges. In 2017, Gorrín was leading a charm offensive on behalf of Maduro to engage with Trump administration. apnews.com/article/susi...

Many expect that Syria, Ukraine, or Gaza will be the main focus of early talks between #Erdoğan and #Trump, but I still think the human trafficking networks in Turkey leading to Mexico will be the first engagement the Trump administration takes up with Ankara.

"Pro-Erdogan pundits in Turkey are keenly aware that if Rubio and other key actors confirmed into national security roles as desired by Trump, Turkey is in trouble." nationalsecurityjournal.org/donald-trump...

Turkish airstrikes in northeastern Syria have cut off electricity and water for over a million people, raising concerns about potential violations of international law. Yet, Turkey has been sharply critical of Israel's actions in Gaza. Full of hypocrisy! www.bbc.com/news/article...

Joe Biden loses to Xi Jinping in battle for Latin America. US leader’s farewell trip to Brazil and Peru epitomises Washington’s waning influence. www.ft.com/content/b9cf...