A. Sencer Gözübenli

A rare piece of good news to come out of Cyprus

Kosovo Drone Deal Part of Turkish ‘Political Project’ in the Balkans Kosovo’s purchase of ‘kamikaze’ drones from Turkey is about more than just beefing up security in dangerous times. Turkey is pursuing a ‘deliberate political project’ in the Balkans to secure greater ...

"Kosovo’s needs are real, but Ankara fills them in ways that increase dependency and reduce accountability, turning soft-power networks into hard-power leverage"

With my comments👇

Chart from NetBlocks showing platform feature restrictions by ISP in Turkey on September 7, 2025. The data indicates widespread internet restrictions affecting platforms including X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram and TikTok. Access issues are observed across major ISPs such as Türk Telekom, TT Mobil, and Turkcell, with services showing varying levels of reachability, in some cases down to 0%. The disruptions coincide with main opposition party CHP calls for rallies after police blockade its Istanbul headquarters.

⚠️ Confirmed: Live metrics show online platforms including X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp have been restricted in #Turkey on multiple networks; the incident comes as main opposition party CHP calls for rallies after police blockade its Istanbul headquarters

Very tense in Istanbul tonight: police tried to prevent CHP lawmakers and citizens from entering the CHP (via Halk TV). Incredibly worrying that police and ordinary citizens brought against each other like this.

Turkey restricts social media amid police blockade on opposition party bianet.org/haber/turkey...

EU: We are deeply concerned by Vučić calling MEPs worse than scumbags and have accordingly approved a €737593761 billion package to Serbia to further promote democracy and respectful discourse.

This is the March plenary speech at the Council of Europe that led to the arrest of Enes Hocaoğulları, Turkey’s Youth Delegate to the Council.

He spoke out against the torture of peaceful protesters and is now being punished for it.

Authoritarianism fears the brave.

Free Enes!

Polis, CHP'nin Saraçhane'de gerçekleştirdiği miting sonrası protestoculara sert müdahalede bulundu

Çok sayıda gözaltı var

Ulviyya Ali’s interview with Bahruz Samadov Originally published by AbzasMedia in Azerbaijani. The translation to English is part of my efforts to highlight the unjust arrest of my…

"At the State Security Service, I was told the issue was Armenians citing my articles.” -> Sentenced to 15 years for treason.

Read this great interview of unjustly imprisoned @smdov.bsky.social by the unjustly imprisoned journalist @ulviyyaali.bsky.social
medium.com/@cavidaga/ul...

Türkiye’s EU accession process must remain frozen | News | European Parliament Türkiye’s geopolitical and strategic importance cannot make up for the government’s democratic backsliding, and EU membership criteria are not up for negotiation, MEPs say.

"Democracy cannot be selective—neither à la carte nor à la turca. It must be full, genuine, and unwavering"

– Ekrem İmamoğlu, Silivri Prison, 02.04.2025

Following India vs Pakistan news is 10% geopolitics, 90% figuring out if the acronym is a missile, a ministry, or a meme.

İmamoğlu’s X account is now blocked in Turkey by court order. After failing to silence him in a prison cell, Erdoğan desperately turns to digital gag orders and Musk’s X willingly complies as 1000+ opposition voices vanish since İmamoğlu’s arrest.

Digital repression runs on global complicity.

Tonight, Turkish opposition filled Beyazıt Square, outside Istanbul University where the regime revoked the degree of Ekrem İmamoğlu, three-time elected mayor & opposition president candidate. Erdoğan banned lighting. In defiance, 200,000 lit their phones, flooding the dark with unity & resistance.

Bluesky censorship update:

• 63 accounts were ordered to be blocked from access by various judgeships.
• 19 out of the 63 accounts were geo-blocked in Turkey by Bluesky PBC.
• 5 posts were geo-blocked in Turkey by Bluesky PBC.

ifade.org.tr/engelliweb/b...

A disgrace. The mother and father of Berkin Elvan, a 15-year-old boy killed by police, are sentenced to prison for insulting the president.

A crime that shouldn't exist

Korku duvarları yarıldı, suyun sesini duyuyor musunuz?

Rende Building presents

Ev hapsini, yurt dışı yasağını, adli kontrolü normalleştirmeyeceğiz!

Cesaret, kararlılık, asla vazgeçmemek şiarımız olsun!

25 yıl boyunca 'ecdad', 'yadigâr', 'fetih ruhu' diyerek yağmaladıkları İstanbul'un kültürel mirasını onlardan olmayan biri ihya edince, adamı gözümüzün önünde katlediyorlar.

Turkey: Detained Swedish journalist Joakim Medin must be released immediately The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners strongly condemn the arrest of Swedish journalist Joakim Medin on terrorism charges in Turkey and call for his immediate release. This is the latest in...

📰 Journalists are being arrested, beaten, and silenced in Turkey. Now, Swedish journalist Joakim Medin has been imprisoned on false charges. He must be released immediately! #FreeJoakimMedin

#JournalismIsNotACrime!

www.mfrr.eu/turkey-detai...

The arrest of Erdoğan’s most serious opposition challenger has spooked markets and triggered Turkey’s largest protests in more than a decade amid dark forebodings about the country’s political future. www.ft.com/content/6572...

Global Government Affairs on X: "We object to multiple court orders from the Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority to block over 700 accounts of news organizations, journalists, political figures, students, and others within Türkiye. Providing a platform committed to defending everyone’s" / X We object to multiple court orders from the Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority to block over 700 accounts of news organizations, journalists, political figures, students, and others within Türkiye. Providing a platform committed to defending everyone’s

1. Following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, X started censoring hundreds of accounts in Türkiye. Yesterday, X finally issued a statement defending its actions. Let’s take a closer look at why Musk and X are wrong 👇 x.com/GlobalAffair...

✊Ενώνουμε κι εμείς τη φωνή μας για μια δημοκρατική Τουρκία, για την απελευθέρωση των πολιτικών κρατουμένων, για να τελειώσει κάποτε η μονοκρατορία του Ερντογάν!

🟣Δείτε το Δελτίο Τύπου μας στα σχόλια: 👇

Two iconic photos, with 12 years apart.

#Turkey #police #violence

People are tired of Western democracies’ double standards in responding to uprisings in Georgia, Serbia, and Turkey. But the truth is, Erdoğan is the most useful of regional autocrats.

While Norwegian and UK PMs, EUCO President Costa, and EC President von der Leyen praised Erdoğan as a “like-minded non-EU leader,” his regime was arresting opposition candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu (of both PMs’ sister parties) & 100 others, while police beat and detained 1000+ students and journalists.

Turkey: a favourable international climate is spurring Erdoğan’s crackdown on democracy One of Turkey’s main opposition figures has been arrested on charges widely seen as politically motivated.

Turkey: a favourable international climate is spurring Erdoğan’s crackdown on democracy
theconversation.com/turkey-a-fav...

At least 10 journalists covering the protests in Istanbul have been detained in early morning police raids, some of whom I know from Istanbul -- among them great AFP photojournalist Yasin Akgül and Bülent Kılıç. Here's the list of our colleagues (by Diken):

More horrifying videos of police violence on protestors are emerging. This is from #Istanbul. Police using rubber bullets on protestors and attacking them with batons.