Turkey
Turkey in Turmoil
Turkey is embroiled in a countrywide anti-government protest movement, sparked by news that police arrested Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19, days before his party held primaries for the 2028 presidential campaign. Imamoglu was widely predicted to win the primary, making him Erdogan’s chief challenger for the presidency.
The Gharfather
For centuries, Aleppo soap has been crafted using a unique process. Now, Syrian soap-makers, displaced from their homeland by conflict, face the challenge of preserving their heritage in exile.
Deciphering the Deep State — with Josef Burton
“I think we are in this moment, though, where things are kind of breaking loose; they're becoming unmoored. There's this sort of terror that everyone's living inside their own universe, in their own reality, and their own kind of construction. There's not a lot of analytical frameworks out there that are shared or even systematic.”
Ukraine’s Security Model Should be Turkey
Turkey has maintained economic and diplomatic ties with Russia throughout the war, declining to join Western-imposed sanctions and hosting negotiating teams from both Kyiv and Moscow. It has also hosted admittedly failed peace talks between both sides. Yet Ankara has quietly and not-so-quietly supported Ukraine throughout the war militarily, diplomatically and rhetorically.
Even After Decades, Europe’s Turkish Diaspora Struggles for Recognition
Today, Turkish diaspora communities encompassing roughly 5.5 million people are spread across Europe, forming one of the continent’s largest migrant groups and the largest Muslim-majority community. But 60 years and at least four generations later, many people from the Turkish diaspora still feel like second-class citizens in Europe.
A Love Song Still Divides a Region
A romantic song has captivated audiences across the Balkans, the Middle East and as far away as Japan. But despite its themes of love and longing, it has been hijacked by nationalists determined to make political mischief out of a search for its origins.
Despite Turkey’s Tough Stance, Afghan Refugees Flood In
People smuggling is big business. According to government officials in Van province, 1,262 smugglers have been arrested in the area this year, the majority of them from Turkey. Now there are fears that the situation for Afghan migrants is nearing a tipping point that will make it harder and more dangerous for new arrivals hoping to get to Europe.