(As of 6 October 2026 morning) An in-depth report on Türkiye’s Investment-Fund Scandal

Türkiye’s Investment-Fund Scandal: TERA, Pusula and the September–October 2026 Fund Crisis Status as of 6 October 2026. Türkiye is dealing with a large, still-unresolved capital-markets crisis centered on investment funds managed by Tera Portföy and Pusula Portföy, but extending to Atlas Portföy, Hedef Portföy, A1 Capital Portföy, Bulls Portföy and Pardus Portföy. On 17 September, … Read more

A video: “The Real Reason Tech Companies Removed the Headphone Jack”

The video explores the real reasons the smartphone industry removed the 3.5mm headphone jack. While tech giants initially cited internal space constraints, water resistance, and “courage” as their main motivations, the video argues the shift was driven primarily by profit and ecosystem control. By eliminating an open-standard, universal port, companies successfully created a multi-billion-dollar market … Read more

T24 is the latest victim in Internet Restrictions in 2026

T24 is just so mainstream. It is a pity that it was banned yesterday. Turkish authorities were very generous in censoring web sources in 2026. T24 news site shut down over ‘LGBT propaganda Below is a source-checked list of identified targets, not a claim that these are every 2026 restriction.[ifade.org][bianet][ifade.org] Websites and platforms Target 2026 … Read more

So corrupt! Turkish Football’s Refereeing Crisis: Beşiktaş, MHK and the VAR Controversies

My dear Beşiktaş suffered badly from the referees’ decisions. Now we see why. Türkiye’s Central Referees Committee, the MHK, is at the centre of a criminal investigation into how referees were classified, evaluated and assigned. Its chair, Ferhat Gündoğdu, and six others were detained on 29 September 2026. The crucial distinction is that these are … Read more

The decline of the national team, thanks to Montella and Turkish football authorities

After the massive World Cup fkup, Mr. Montella seems to keep wasting a generation of skilled Turkish players. The main criticisms Selection and loyalty. Lille goalkeeper Berke Özer was left out of the September squad despite being voted the club’s August player of the month. The contrast drew attention because Altay Bayındır was selected despite … Read more

The legend of Köfteci Yusuf: Affordable Mass Dining in an Expensive Turkey

There is a growing chain restaurant in Türkiye: Köfteci Yusuf. Literally, it means “meatball shop.” As far as I remember, I never ate meatballs there! But since one branch is within walking distance of where I live, I go there sometimes for breakfast or dinner. As food prices increase rapidly, this chain restaurant offers many … Read more

A video: The Strange Collapse Of Evernote

The video explores how Evernote grew from a revolutionary tech darling into a billion-dollar “unicorn,” only to fade into obscurity. While it initially solved a massive problem by digitizing and organizing physical notes, receipts, and ideas, Evernote eventually collapsed under the weight of its own grand ambition. The company’s vision to become a “100-year startup” … Read more

As of 27 September 2026 morning, what we know about The TERA Fund Scandal in Türkiye?

We may be witnessing one of Türkiye’s biggest financial scandals. Here is a roundup by Perplexity: The TERA Fund Scandal in Türkiye Status: 27 September 2026 Executive assessment The “TERA scandal” is best understood as a fund-liquidity crisis combined with a widening criminal investigation into alleged market manipulation, self-dealing, fraud and suspicious money flows. It … Read more

My new UNESCO-related roles

Two related appointments occurred in the last couple of weeks. I was first recommended to join the UNESCO Türkiye National Commission Communication Experts Panel (UTMK). Then my esteemed colleague Serhan Ada decided to retire, though he will still teach a few classes in our doctoral program. Serhan Ada is a prominent Turkish poet, writer, and … Read more

A video: “The rise and fall of Yahoo”

The Rise and Fall of Yahoo chronicles the history of the early internet pioneer, from its origins as a Stanford student project to its staggering $125 billion peak valuation. The video explores how Yahoo lost its dominance through a series of massive missed opportunities—including failing to buy Google and Facebook—and how a fundamental lack of … Read more

Estimated Schengen acceptance rates for Turkish citizens in the last decade

I have asked Perplexity to collect information about Schengen visa application rates. Here is what we found: For the ten most recent fully published years (2015–2024), the acceptance rate for Schengen short-stay visa applications lodged in Türkiye fell markedly overall—from roughly 96% in 2015 to 85.5% in 2024—with the sharpest deterioration occurring after 2017 and … Read more

Unboxing VI: Cataloging the Newspaper Collection

The summer of 2026 went well, in terms of productivity, settlements, and short but beautiful vacations. I am redesigning my office on campus, including a few Billy bookshelves from IKEA. This gave me space to unload more boxes from my father’s storage. One of my personal activities in recent weeks is cataloging the newspapers I … Read more

A video: “When Being Better Isn’t Enough…The Fall Of Slack”

Slack began as an accidental innovation—an internal communication tool developed at a game studio—that quickly revolutionized how businesses communicate. Before Slack, collaborative work relied almost entirely on cumbersome email chains. With its sleek user experience and channel-based messaging, Slack saw unprecedented organic growth, hitting a $1.1 billion valuation in just eight months. However, its success … Read more

Why do we need the university? Episode 12: The Campus as Social Infrastructure

Here are more thoughts on academic life! Episode 12 is at your service: What the university has that cannot be delivered Two episodes ago I argued that the university’s peculiar gift is slow time — the licence to sit with a question for fifteen years. In the last one I argued that its other gift … Read more

NAZA: Gaza, AI Warfare and a Historic Venice Ovation

  The 83rd Venice International Film Festival has just witnessed a profoundly historic moment. The premiere of NAZA, a chilling new documentary directed by Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, received a staggering 25-minute standing ovation. This reaction not only sets a new record for the prestigious Italian festival but also highlights the … Read more