On our ride towards Dağlıca, Hakkari, I suddenly saw this flock. Stopped the car and watched them. We were looking for a flower native to the region, but couldn’t see that. We were still satisfied with what we had seen. This is from the city center. On our ride towards Yüksekova, we stopped by Hoşap … Read more
Here is a video that discusses the corruptness. Mostly related to expensive ticketing… Here, the video highlights (by Merlin AI): 1) Overview – Topic: The high cost of World Cup tickets, the dynamics of the ticket market, and FIFA’s revenue distribution and associated practices. – Scope: Comparison across tournaments (notably vs. Qatar), the role of … Read more
Koç Holding just marked its 100th anniversary with highly visible, Republican‑symbolic events in Ankara, including a mass Anıtkabir visit with about 6,000 employees and dealers, where Ömer Koç signed the Anıtkabir special book in the name of the group: The group also organized large‑scale public celebrations in Ankara (e.g., Tarkan concert in Millet Bahçesi) that … Read more
That’s what some of us see it. Some American elites are looking for a new safe haven for their dirty work. Mass protests in Albania are being driven by public anger over a massive luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner in protected coastal areas, combined with broader discontent over corruption and the long‑running rule … Read more
If you are visiting İstanbul, you may not be able to visit the Basilica Cistern, as a legal dispute continues. The court’s stay of the ministry’s takeover of İstanbul’s Basilica Cistern was the latest move in the ongoing drama. Here is a round-up: Core facts of the case The General Directorate of Foundations (Vakıflar Genel Müdürlüğü), … Read more
I am writing to you from Yüksekova, Hakkari. As a news junkie, I was always curious about Yüksekova because it was one of the most tense places during the PKK’s heyday. I am here for a training by the Journalists’ Union for the local journalists. Before Hakkari, I was in Ankara for a session … Read more
Key Insights by Merlin AI The Shift from Adobe to DaVinci Resolve Market Dominance and Subscription Model Adobe had long dominated video editing with products like Premiere Pro, relying on a subscription-only model costing $69/month. Users faced hefty cancellation fees, leading to dissatisfaction and prompting many to seek alternatives. DaVinci Resolve offers a one-time purchase … Read more
After Ljubljana, I returned to İstanbul to celebrate my parents’ Eid, then flew to Bucharest for another COST project: RELINK². I am actively involved in this project, like the other one, GRADE. Its outputs will include an edited volume, an online glossary, and a research methods toolkit. This was my third visit to the city. … Read more
Celebrating Thirty Years of Internet Archive Founded in 1996, the Internet Archive is celebrating its 30th anniversary! This milestone comes alongside many pivotal websites & organizations founded in 1996. To commemorate this occasion, we’ve spent the month opening the internet’s yearbook to celebrate the sites, services & scrappy experiments that helped shape the web as we … Read more
I have been in Ljubljana to attend the COST GRADE project meeting. This project is one of the most focused and well-managed COST projects I have participated in. You can find the program at the link above. One of the project’s outputs is an exhibition at the Museum of Computer History here in Ljubljana, Slovenia. … Read more
While my colleagues and I were in distress whether we have our university or not, Türkiye’s main opposition party had its own ordeal, which is lasting, unlike ours. Here is a review: The past two weeks have seen the most dramatic legal blow ever delivered to Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), … Read more
Key Insights Merlin AI The Rise and Fall of Torrenting Origins of Torrenting Developed by Bram Cohen in 2001, BitTorrent allowed users to share files without relying on a single server, making downloads faster as more users participated. The Pirate Bay, launched in 2003, capitalized on this decentralized model, becoming a major hub for peer-to-peer … Read more
With another decree, we are back to business: –– Decision on the Repeal of Presidential Decree No. 11384 of May 21, 2026, Regarding the Revocation of the Operating License of Istanbul Bilgi University, to Which a Trustee Was Appointed for Its Founding Foundation (Decision No. 11387) 72-hour university shutdown exposes systemic vulnerability
All of us received the news through an official gazette announcement. Istanbul Bilgi University’s operating license was revoked by a midnight presidential decree published in the Official Gazette. Just like that, more than 900 academics, 600 personnel, and around 20,000 students are left upset. After 22 years at Bilgi, I do not know what the … Read more
Last week, I was invited to a conversation by Ziya Taşkent, who organizes monthly talks on “culture.” The talk is in Turkish, but I present a summary of this talk in English: Digital Culture and Everyday Life Digital culture is deeply intertwined with popular culture; both are undergoing transformation in the realms of communication and … Read more