Turkey recap

On today's podcast, @hurcanasliaksoy.bsky.social outlined the implications of the Iran war for Ankara.

And the potential impacts on Turkey-Israel competition across regional spheres of influence.

Watch the full episode:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQXe...

YouTube video by Turkey recap Syria, centralization and the SDF ceasefire with Amy Austin Holmes

"Syria, centralization and the SDF ceasefire with @AmyAustinHolmes " hosted by @diegocupolo.bsky.social. [5/5]

The Madness and Magic of Folia Contemporary art staged in a historical mansion creates a surreal enchanted garden in the heart of Istanbul.

"The Madness and Magic of Folia" by @jenhattam.bsky.social. [4/5]

"Each of us has a song" by @kayagenc.bsky.social . [3/5]

"Gauging the Impact of Massive U.S.-Israeli Strikes on Iran" by Ray Takeyh, Elliott Abrams, @stevenacook.bsky.social, @lrobinson.bsky.social, @maxboot.bsky.social and Elisa Ewers. [2/5]

🗞️ Sunday extras:

"From Negotiations to Strikes: the US-Israel Operation in Iran" with @alexvatanka.bsky.social , Kevin Donegan, Colby Connelly and Ken Pollack. [1/5]

A HES-itant Moment Economy Issue #88

One newsletter. A week's worth of Turkey business and economy news with comments by @iriscibre.bsky.social:

1. Inflation expectations and global reports
2. Scandal scanner: Meat fixing and banking sector
3. International cash flow monitor
4. This week’s stat round-up

Peace And Merits Issue #294

Issue #294 with comments by @selvinkorkmaz.bsky.social and Mohammed A. Salih:

1. PKK peace process shifts gears
2. US Turkey and Syria envoy busy in Iraq
3. Ankara treads carefully amid US-Iran talks
4. Domestic & diplomatic wraps
5. Scientists develop tomatoes for moon farms

One month after the northeast Syria offensive, Amy Austin Holmes joined our podcast to outline the Jan. 30 ceasefire deal between Damascus and the SDF— and ways prevent new conflicts in the Syria transition process.

Watch the full episode:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRsA...

YouTube video by Turkey recap The state of Turkey-Greece relations with Ioannis Grigoriadis

"The state of Turkey-Greece relations with Ioannis Grigoriadis" (@ingrigoriadis.bsky.social) hosted by @diegocupolo.bsky.social. [5/5]

Murat Yıldız on the Ottoman world of sports, modernisation and minorities Turkey Book Talk #264 – Murat Yıldız, associate professor of history at Skidmore College, on “The Ottoman World of Sports: Refashioning Bodies, Men, and Communities in Late Imperial Istanbul”…

"Murat Yıldız on the Ottoman world of sports, modernisation and minorities" via @turkeybooktalk.bsky.social. [4/5]

Sex in the City: Istanbul 1923 | Los Angeles Review of Books A cheerful collection of Turkish erotica, translated by Burcu Karahan, offers insights into early 20th-century sexuality in Istanbul.

"Sex in the City: Istanbul 1923" by @kayagenc.bsky.social . [3/5]

The Seven Pillars of Populist Foreign Policy To understand Trump’s approach to the world, look at the leaders he resembles.

"The Seven Pillars of Populist Foreign Policy" by @liselhintz.bsky.social , @berkesen.bsky.social and Tudor Onea. [2/5]

YouTube video by Middle East Institute After Rojava: What’s Next for the Kurds?

🗞️ Sunday extras:

"After Rojava: What’s Next for the Kurds?" with David Romano and @gonultol.bsky.social . [1/5]

Have We Mehmet Before? Economy Issue #87

Our Turkey economy recap is out with comments by @rasitkirkagac.bsky.social on the TPAO-Shell agreement. Inside:

1. Şimşek under siege
2. Pre-Ramadan metrics
3. Scandal scanner: Getir, OnlyFans, wizards
4. Cash flow monitor
5. This week’s stat round-up

Lost in Democratization Issue #293

Issue #293: The week's Turkey news recapped with analysis by @hurcanasliaksoy.bsky.social and @ruhaavi.bsky.social. Inside:

1. Vague report advances PKK peace process
2. Öcalan calls for “Democratic Integration”
3. Domestic and diplomatic wraps
4. Turkey trades horses for horsepower

The cost of living crisis: Why middle-income earners are struggling in Turkey ISTANBUL—In the mid-2010s, when Turkey’s economy was still running strong, Deniz Akkar was a newly appointed public school teacher working in central Istanbul.

And current trends show little sign of slowing despite the recent cooling of Turkey’s official inflation rate.

For more details, see @woutermassink.bsky.social new report:

📈 The cost of living crisis: Why middle-income earners are struggling in Turkey

As a result, more professionals are relying on loans and credit cards in Turkey.

"We embrace credit cards to meet needs. Everyone’s debt grows like an avalanche," the young lawyer said.

"For almost three to four years now, Turkish households have been continuously losing purchasing power," economist @canselcuki.bsky.social said.

"Rather than decreasing the number of times they eat out, people are now decreasing the amount that they actually eat."

"Renting a place equals a salary," a young lawyer in Istanbul noted, underlining how rents have reached parity with average monthly salaries in Turkey.

"Life feels like walking on a tightrope nowadays," a senior manager said.

She is among Turkey's many middle-income earners who hold degrees and stable jobs, but whose purchasing power has eroded due to soaring living expenses and salaries that have failed to keep pace.

Analyst @ingrigoriadis.bsky.social on 'casus belli' — or Ankara's red line for war with Greece on territorial issues.

... and how both nations might work to deescalate tensions for greater regional and EU security after the Erdoğan-Mitsotakis meeting.

Full podcast:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFtl...

Rebuilt, but not recovered: Hatay’s quake survivors still face limited job prospects HATAY—Three years after twin earthquakes struck southern Turkey, many homes and urban centers have been rebuilt, but a return to normalcy continues to evade locals who struggle with limited job prospe...

"Rebuilt, but not recovered: Hatay’s quake survivors still face limited job prospects" by @nimetkirac.bsky.social and Can Erok. [5/5]

Is 2026 a Turning Point for Armenia and Azerbaijan? | Europe Inside Out Thomas de Waal, Zaur Shiriyev, and Areg Kochinyan examine recent shifts in Armenia–Azerbaijan relations and explore future trajectories in the South Caucasus.

"Is 2026 a Turning Point for Armenia and Azerbaijan?" with @tomdewaal.bsky.social, @zaurshiriyev.bsky.social and Areg Kochinyan. [4/5]

Mabel Matiz: The queer pop star taking on Turkey's anti-LGBTQ+ censorship Mabel Matiz, one of Turkey's biggest pop stars, talks taking on the country's anti-LGBTQ+ censorship laws and his huge London comeback show.

"'It made me defend my existence': The queer pop star taking on Turkey’s LGBTQ+ censorship" by @marcuswratten.bsky.social. [3/5]

Crowds flock to Istanbul's Museum of Innocence before TV adaptation On a cobbled street in Cukurcuma, a district on Istanbul's European side known for its antiques shops, the story penned by Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk in his bestselling novel "The Museum of Innocence"...

"Crowds flock to Istanbul's Museum of Innocence before TV adaptation" by @achaon.bsky.social. [2/5]

Nobel Novelist Orhan Pamuk Finally Gets the Netflix Series He Wanted

📰 Sunday extras! My name is read edition:

"Nobel Novelist Orhan Pamuk Finally Gets the Netflix Series He Wanted" by Ben Hubbard and Emin Ozmen. [1/5]

Revising Up The Situation Economy Issue #86

In today's economy recap, Faruk Bakaç details how US sanctions on Iran might impact Turkey plus:

1. CB revises inflation forecast
2. Customs Union negotiations
3. Scandal scanner: Can Holding
4. International cash flow monitor
5. This week’s stat round-up

📌 It's always a pleasure to contribute to the top newsletter on Turkish affairs @turkeyrecap.bsky.social!

Thanks to @diegocupolo.bsky.social for including my two cents on the recent developments between #Türkiye and the #EU! 🇹🇷 🇪🇺

EU Really Got Me Issue #292

Issue #292 is out with comments by @riccardogasco.bsky.social and more. Inside:

1. Regional security concerns revive EU-Turkey talks
2. New ministers signal more crackdowns ahead
3. Domestic and diplomatic wraps
4. Canned comms chief heading to Vatican?