T. Deniz Erkmen

An aerial view of what the Gaza City area looked like this week. Taken from a Jordanian military aircraft, by our colleague Heidi Levine.

Slovenya, İsrail ile silah ticaretini yasaklayan ilk AB ülkesi oldu
www.birgun.net/haber/sloven...

protesters surround federal detention center in Los Angeles

Welcome to America, where protesting illegal kidnappings without due process is an insurrection, but attacking the nation’s Capitol is not.

Uruguay's ex-President José Mujica, nicknamed 'world's poorest president,' dies at 89 José Mujica, the charismatic former guerrilla fighter who later went on to lead Uruguay and became known as "the world's poorest president" for his austere lifestyle, has died at 89.

José Mujica, the charismatic former guerrilla fighter who later went on to lead Uruguay and became known as "the world's poorest president" for his austere lifestyle, has died at 89.

Musk’s X blocks account of jailed Erdoğan rival Musk’s platform is challenging the government order to block Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s account.

Social media platform X has blocked the account of Ekrem İmamoğlu, a leader of Turkey's opposition movement and political nemesis of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

This event has been postponed to Monday, April 28th, as classes/events have been cancelled in Istanbul after the earthquake on Wednesday.

This week @OZU IR, we are hosting Dr. Vasja Badalič and Dr. Kristina Čufar from the Institute of Criminology at the Faculty of Law in Ljubljana. Looking forward to these interesting talks! more info here: www.ozyegin.edu.tr/en/events/35...
SOS4Democracy @horizoneu.bsky.social

National Science Foundation cancels research grants related to misinformation and disinformation Hundreds of grants, fellowships, and awards were terminated because they are no longer "aligned with NSF priorities."

Truth killing is in. National Science Foundation cancels research grants related to misinformation and disinformation

www.niemanlab.org/2025/04/nati...

Can confirm that my NSF grant "How False Beliefs Form & How to Correct Them" was cancelled today because it is "not in alignment with current NSF priorities" Shocking that understanding how people are misled by false information is now a forbidden topic. Our work will continue but at a smaller scale

Today a pro-Palestinian demo, lead by opposition CHP was prevented in TR which seems as a huge contradiction for the country's official discourse.
Slogan “Free Palestine” was labeled as “illegal” by the police and banned. At times, protesters met with excessive use of force by police and tear gas.

In Yozgat, one of Turkey’s most conservative cities and considered a stronghold of the ruling party, the opposition is holding a very large rally. Not only MPs but also farmers took the stage. Today feels like a sign of a major change.

Digital censorship wave that's darkened Turkish domain via X has now hit the shores of Bluesky.

59 accounts were blocked from access by various courts on grounds of protecting national security and public order.

13 accounts and 1 post were made “invisible" from Turkey by
@moderation-tr.bsky.app

Looking forward to see you Ayşegül :))

The student paper at the college at which I teach reports a "tsunami of takedown requests" from international students terrified of being targeted for innocuous, legitimate op-eds & opinions.. Many ask in person--leave no trace in writing. Reminds me of my father's account of studying in the USSR.

www.birgun.net/haber/degist... @tdenizerkmen.bsky.social

Yet what I wrote at the end of the chapter is strangely prescient of the current moment: "While maybe under pressure, Turkish society contains forces that have the potential to surprise even itself, as was clearly revealed during the Gezi protests and very recently during the 2024 local elections."

As we are going through yet another crucial turning point, this time with the opposition CHP openly acknowledging and supporting protests as legitimate means of dissent (at last), there will be more to add to this chapter. +

Traitors, Terrorists, & Çapulcus: Protests and the Limits of Democratic Politics in Turkey’s First Century and Beyond Despite their crucial role in the country’s political history, protests have not been normalised as a form of participation in Turkey. Neither state authorities nor much of the public consider o...

It is strange that this chapter I wrote on protest and the non-normalization of protests in Turkey came out right as we are going through such momentous times in Turkey. It is part of the book "The Republic of Turkey and its Unresolved Issues: 100 Years and Beyond"+
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...

Really sorry to hear this and what a loss. Such bad times we all live in... Good luck figuring out the next move.

So many people have been detained and arrested in Istanbul in the last few days that apparently prisons are full and they are being sent to other provinces. These are mostly students, activists and journalists…

1. Cumhurbaşkanlığı talebi ve BTK eliyle yapılan bant daraltma uygulaması keyfidir, hukuka ve Anayasaya aykırıdır. Bunlar hükümetin umurunda bile olmasa, bizler buna itiraz etmeye ve açıklamaya devam edeceğiz 👇 bsky.app/profile/enge...

İBB’nin yanında Şişli ve Beylikdüzü de operasyona dahil edildi. Başkanlar gözaltında

Unfortunately, I think at this point, this means game over for Turkey. I am very sad and worried.

EI will definitely contest this but a lot will depend on how other oppositional actors will act. It is, however, a sad remainder how far the Turkish autocratization process has come.

In an audacious, yet maybe not so surprising move, Istanbul University annuls Istanbul mayor and possible presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu's university diploma - blocking him from running for presidential elections. Yet another unfortunate and crucial turning point in Turkish political history.

Trump Cuts Imperil Cancer, Diabetes and Pediatric Research at Columbia (Gift Article) Dozens of medical and scientific studies are ending or at risk of ending, leaving researchers scrambling to find alternative funding.

This morning, Joe Goldstein has an exclusive look at what research was cut when the Trump administration canceled $400M in federal funding to Columbia. It's not an exhaustive list because the folks at Columbia are still trying to figure out what was cut and what survived. But it's a start. 🧵

A valuable and rich special issue on the limits of autocratization that explores the actors and institutions of democratic resistance and opposition! I have an article in it, too, co-authored with Mert Arslanalp that examines the transformation of protests during Turkey's autocratization.

Third World Quarterly Limits of autocratisation: actors and institutions of democratic resistance and opposition. Volume 46, Issue 2 of Third World Quarterly

🚨 Autocratisation is not inevitable! ✋

Our Special Issue with @bilgeyabanci.bsky.social & @keremoxford.bsky.social explores its limits through the actors & institutions of democratic resistance & opposition from an interregional, interdisciplinary perspective: 🧵 www.tandfonline.com/toc/ctwq20/4...