Turkey
The Prison of Empire
In 1915, a 20-year-old named Vartuhi Kalantar was unjustly jailed in Istanbul for promoting Armenian independence. Her prison memoir, the first by a woman in the Middle East and a fascinating window into the dying days of the Ottoman Empire, has now been translated into English.
How Authoritarianism Came to One Istanbul Street
Journalist and author Suzy Hansen joins Faisal Al Yafai on the podcast to discuss what one Istanbul neighborhood reveals about Turkey under Erdoğan, and her new book, "From Life Itself."
A Turkish Journalist Breaks New Ground From Behind Bars
Fatih Altaylı, the mercurial Turkish journalist with a taste for provocation and Bellini mocktails, has turned imprisonment into performance. From letters laced with dry humor to silent videos of his empty chair, he keeps breaking stories from prison.
The Political Machine Feeding Turkey’s Wildfires
An in-depth New Lines investigation exposes how Turkey’s wildfire crisis is driven not just by climate change, but by government forestry policy, unchecked development and opaque legal frameworks.
Turkey’s AI-Powered Protest Crackdown
Turkey is increasingly using facial recognition and AI to surveil and prosecute protesters, eroding the rule of law and strengthening the grip of authoritarianism.
Turkey’s New Political Reality
Günöl Tol, founding director of the Middle East Institute’s Turkish studies program, and Diego Cupolo, editor in chief of Turkey Recap, join Kwangu Liwewe to discuss major developments in Turkish politics.
Turkey is in Turmoil as Millions Protest the Arrest of Istanbul’s Mayor
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.