Bedirhan E. Mutlu (بدرهان)

PUBLICATION ALERT: Religion in Sociological Perspective, 8th edition, was just published by @sagepub.com. Pleased to have @jh1791.bsky.social join me as a co-author.

FREE COPIES: Retweet this post before 10/17 for a chance to win one of 5 copies!

Never been a fan of brutalism or this building. But it was an architectural icon for downtown Tunis...

Official Islam in the Arab States of the Gulf: Local Establishments in a Regional and Global Context The story of religious institutions and the state in the Gulf exemplifies four main points: the “institutional isomorphism” in the region, the place of religion in the nation- and state-building proce...

Our new research paper with Nathan Brown is out from @carnegieendowment.org !

#polisky #menasky @carnegiemec.bsky.social

carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

1) UGTT has historically been a power center in Tunisia and remains as the only mass political organization that is not fully beholden to the regime.
2) Draining it of financial resources can do a major damage.
3) If the union collapses, the consequences will last long after the current regime.

📢 TIMEP is recruiting for an in-person Bassem Sabry Fellow to spend six months working full-time in our Washington, DC office.

Check out this opportunity and apply by August 28: timep.org/2025/08/08/o...

I’ll be talking about the Tunisian experience from a comparative perspective as part of this webinar tomorrow by @arabreforminit.bsky.social
Register here: www.arab-reform.net/event/away-f...

Anyone in their right mind understands that Muslim-phobia and anti-semitism aren’t cures to one another. If anything, they are mutually reinforcing vices.

This trend goes beyond the developed / post-industrial countries! I’m trying to write something showing how widespread it is.

X olmazsa Y, Y olmazsa Z aday olur tarzı bir strateji yürütmek abesle iştigal geliyor bana. Rejim, A’dan Z’ye iktidar kaybı kaygısı yaratacak herkesi gerektiğinde saf dışı bırakma kararlılığında.

I seriously was thinking the same thing. First time I had old twitter style fun on here.

Ok Conclave had its moment, now the Young Pope should do some marketing. It’s literally the story of the first American pope in history.

@bemutlu.bsky.social

For anyone curious about what’s happening in Turkey, this is a great summary! Although Şebnem Hocam, you seem to be a little more optimistic than I am.

- new investigations under way against other opposition municipalities including Ankara
- serious fines and threats of shutdown against opposition tv channels
- court order to dismiss Istanbul bar association board
- investigation against education union workers that called for a strike

What’s happening in #Turkey is a crackdown. Within the last week:
- Detention and arrest of Imamoglu along with 100+ others including district mayors, bureaucrats, campaigners, journalists etc.
- Police brutality against protesters and detention of 1000+ people including photo journalists.

My impression is that the police in Turkey is more prone to violence and brutality even when compared to the 2013 Gezi Protests.

These are the names of the brands he mentioned. They belong to several big business groups typically.
• Espresslolab
• D&R
• Ülker
• Demirören AVM
• Kilim Mobilya
• Türk Petrol
• Milangaz
• Milli Piyango
• Misli
• İddaa
• Milangaz
• İdefix
• Etstur
• İhlas Ev Aletleri

Leader of the opposition party CHP called for a total boycott against Erdogan-allied big business in Turkey, particularly against those who control the pro-Erdogan media. The list includes some of the largest conglomerates in the country such as Demiroren Holding.

Teaching makes you understand that when your professor gives you almost a page-long feedback on a one-page paper proposal, she really cares...

The opposition claims ~15 million people voted for Imamoglu in their almost ad hoc primary today. That’s massive…

Turkey is on the verge of a shift from the so-called “hybrid” regime toward true authoritarianism.
Hundreds of thousands are in the streets trying to stop the downfall. Despite all odds, I hope they can.

Important to note, they detained the whole team around Imamoglu, 100+ people including his campaign director, press advisors, bureaucrats, and couple of district mayors, etc.

I do like my political science folks as well but the Middle East Studies academic community is just special.

“Alim ve şair.” Tevfik Fikret’in Galatasaray’dan ayrılışının ardından kurumun müdürlüğüne Salih Zeki’nin getirilmesi öğrenciler tarafından protesto ediliyor. Öğrenciler elinde arp ile boy gösteren Fikret’in peşine takılıyorlar (Kalem, 21 Nisan 1910).

Graduate assistants in my university will have a union after a resounding election victory!

Weak party system institutionalization and autocratization: evidence from Tunisia Why do party systems remain weak in transitioning countries in ways that can hamper the democratization process? We answer this question through a case study of Tunisia, which was the only success ...

Exciting to see another publication from a Zoom writing solidarity group member. Congrats @bemutlu.bsky.social and Salih Yasun!

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.....

With help from US-based members, we're hosting 21 two-hour writing sessions this week. Contact me if you/students are interested!

Tekrar teşekkür ederim :)

Hi,
Unfortunately neither my mother nor myself speak the dialect. And sadly both my grandparents, who did speak it, passed away a while ago.

City I dislike: LA
City I begrudgingly respect: DC
City I think is overrated: Amsterdam
City I think is underrated: Tunis
City I like: Toronto
City I love: Paris
City I dream of living in : Florence

Finally it is out!
One part of my PhD thesis is now published in Government and Opposition! « Religious institutions’ stances towards Autocratization in the Post-Third wave period »
Link: doi.org/10.1017/gov....
Dictatorsky polisky