The Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel gave a forceful speech at today’s Istanbul rally, significantly raising the stakes against Erdogan. There’s no sign of retreat and in fact, protests, political action, and calls for boycott are progressing steadily. Here are some notes🧵

Turkish politics analyst @yusufcan.bsky.social told me this extraordinary move was intended to demonstrate İmamoğlu's appeal across the country: "It makes them look quite democratic in this in this context, plus it gives them a very strong legitimacy in the eyes of the people."

Protests erupted in #Turkey over the arrest of #Istanbul mayor & presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu. @wilsoncentermep.bsky.social Program Coordinator @yusufcan.bsky.social provides insight into the political landscape in Turkey and the country's next presidential election. buff.ly/soZ0e12

I realized I stepped away from this platform for no good reason and ended up posting excessively on Twitter about the Turkish protests. It’s good to be back. From Twitter censorship to millions of Turkish people protesting, so much has happened.

I’ll be discussing the tension in northern Syria following Assad’s fall and Erdoğan’s advances, the implications for the U.S., and potential paths to peace at a webinar hosted by the Kurdish Peace Institute and moderated by Meghan Bodette.

I agree. New arrangements in Syria could dramatically alter the political economy inside Turkey. There will be appetite to return refugees, and possibly send troops to AANES. The first may be popular but undermines aspects of RTE’s clientele, the second could prove more of a slog than anticipated.

I find it unlikely that Erdoğan would opt for an early election when he has until 2028 to govern. And, they seem to be prioritizing constitutional changes before holding any elections. Also, the economy is dire, making this a very different moment compared to the early election after Afrin in 2018.

I am not yet sure of the narrative that TR is the "winner" of the developments in Syria. It is too early to tell. Much depends on the dynamics among local actors (particularly the HTS and SDF), the dynamics between HTS and Ankara, and their social&political implications for internal politics in TR.

Erdogan’s political victories or “wins” often come at Turkey’s expense rather than its benefit. While online propaganda suggests otherwise, I doubt developments in Syria will serve the broader interests of Turkish society, especially if Turkey becomes further entangled in Syria’s domestic affairs.

📰 Sunday extras! "What Syria’s Opposition Resurgence Means for Ankara" by @yusufcan.bsky.social.

I wrote about the opposition offensive in Syria and Ankara's approach to the evolving situation, exploring its potential implications for Turkish domestic politics, with comments from @gonultol.bsky.social, @stevenhyde.bsky.social and @omerozkizilcik.bsky.social www.wilsoncenter.org/article/what...

I wrote about the opposition offensive in Syria and Ankara's approach to the evolving situation, exploring its potential implications for Turkish domestic politics, with comments from @gonultol.bsky.social, @stevenhyde.bsky.social and @omerozkizilcik.bsky.social www.wilsoncenter.org/article/what...

A wave of “Schengen anxiety” is evident in the EU-Turkey relationship, with an increasing number of visa apps from Turkish citizens being denied. This calls for EU and Turkish authorities to provide clear explanations for the rejections and outline steps to address grievances.

Follow @wilsoncenter.org's Middle East Program on Bluesky!

A Thread: Turkey’s Possible Moves in Syria with Trump’s Return 1/ With Trump returning, Turkey may be preparing to sit at the table with stronger leverage. One strategy could be creating a weakened Syrian regime that lacks the legitimacy or the power to grant Kurdish autonomy.

Folks expect leftists to live as if they earn minimum wage, even when they make a decent or above-average income, because of one of the most absurd framings of moral consistency

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Turkish police violently suppressed women in İstanbul protesting femicides and gender-based violence, turning a day of awareness into a display of state hostility. Nothing new yet still gruesome.

Governor of Istanbul has banned all events in Beyoğlu on 25 November marking the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women. One might think they really don't like/appreciate women...

Discover the story of @metcihan.bsky.social the journalist who uncovered Turkey’s ongoing trade with Israel—including Erdoğan’s son. This documentary reveals his reporting, which forced him into exile after exposing an AKP official’s involvement in the murder of a child.

I think both hate speech and disinformation do exist on bluesky but the main difference is that they are not spread or exacerbated by the very owners of the platform in the name of so called free speech

Erdogan has once again undermined democracy by illegally replacing the elected mayors of Tunceli and Ovacık—representing the DEM Party and CHP, respectively—with government-appointed trustees. So far, Erdogan has illegally taken over 6 mayorships since losing the local elections last March

I’ll be participating as a panelist at the Second ALECSO Forum for Twinning Arab Universities this Thursday (Nov 21). I’ll be talking about US, EU, and MENA collaboration on workforce education for green entrepreneurship. The forum is hosted by University of Sharjah and ALESCO.

If you're keen to learn content verification for fact-checking and open source investigations, this is a step-by-step guide on how to verify images and videos that I posted a while ago. Once you familiarise yourself with reverse search, you'll become much better at spotting online misinformation.

For information and to apply, see www.wilsoncenter.org/opportunity/...

Please share with those who may be interested. Thank you!

Applications are now open for the Wilson Center’s Agents of Change Youth Fellowship! 👥 Applicants: Must be from the #MENA region 🗓️ Deadline: Dec 15, 2024 📍For more info and to apply: buff.ly/49FxH

Lets go

I made a feed for the upcoming federal elections in Germany. Feel free to like, pin and share.