CPJ’s 2025 record and the new wartime totals The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported in late February 2026 that 2025 was the deadliest year ever recorded for the press, with 129 journalists and media workers killed worldwide since CPJ began collecting data in 1992. According to the same report, Israel was responsible for … Read more
Today I was invited to a talk at CNBCE Turkey. The topic was, of course, war, AI, and disinformation. While I was preparing for the talk, I updated my previous report on disinformation in the current war. A few instances of interest: 1- Unconfirmed stories on X and in some regional outlets allege that Quds Force … Read more
I was quoted in this piece: Hey Grok bu doğru mu? Here is the full interview translated into English: 1 – As of February 2026, during escalating conflicts between the US, Israel, and Iran, we witnessed social media overflowing with countless pieces of content produced or manipulated by artificial intelligence. How do the ‘echo chambers’ of … Read more
Turkey blocks 41 social media accounts over ‘disinformation’ on Iran war Disinformation in the Iran-Israel-US War (2026): Major Cases and Patterns Overview Since the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, 2026, an unprecedented wave of disinformation has flooded social media platforms. Fact-checkers, media watchdogs, and verification teams at BBC Verify, AFP, Reuters, … Read more
I saw two platforms mentioned several times on X (World Monitor and USvsIran.com) and asked Perplexity to compile similar sources. Here you are: OSINT Sources for Following the US-Israel-Iran Conflict World Monitor (worldmonitor.app) and USvsIRAN.com — represent a growing ecosystem of open-source intelligence (OSINT) dashboards built for real-time conflict monitoring. World Monitor is an open-source … Read more
IFCN rejects the attempt to portray fact-checking as a security threat and warns of rising global repression The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at the Poynter Institute strongly opposes the Trump administration’s recent decision to deny U.S. visas to European public officials and civil society leaders. This action, which includes the blacklisting of individuals for their … Read more
I guess there is no doubt about the state of human rights in Iran. However, I am increasingly irritated with the fact that relatively reliable international media outlets, which we frequently cite as good examples of journalism, have explicitly become instruments of war-making. I hope Iranian citizens will have better days to witness. In the … Read more
Reflections from the “International Relations in the Age of AI” panel held at the Point Hotel Taksim in Istanbul, organized by EUROPolitika Journal on December 20, 2025. I have formatted my notes using Perplexity. AI Grooming: How Authoritarian Powers Weaponize Data to Control the Future of Knowledge In the age of artificial intelligence, we face … Read more
The Global Fact-Check Chatbot (GFC) has been officially constituted, launching with 38 founding members (the list is available below). This initiative, which originated during the convening in Bosnia in June 2024, was developed to address the urgent need for innovation in the field. Since then, the team has focused on engineering a multilingual, easy-to-use tool designed … Read more
The new Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS3) Report, “Journalism under duress”, is now available – https://www.worldsofjournalism.org/reports-wjs3/ Drawing on responses from over 32,000 journalists in 75 countries, this report examines how journalists across the globe navigate risk, uncertainty, and transformation in today’s rapidly changing media landscape. Supported by UNESCO, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the International … Read more
I believe this is really shameful. Tele1 TV seized by state, broadcast interrupted mid-air The authorities appointed a trustee to pro-opposition broadcaster Tele1 TV on the evening of Oct 24, taking the channel off air during its main news bulletin. But this was not the first time: Since 2016, Turkey has systematically seized, shut down, … Read more
Even the pro-Trump news outlets refused to sign… According to multiple reports, five Turkish journalists signed the U.S. Department of Defense’s new accreditation document allowing them continued press access to the Pentagon in October 2025. Turkish Journalists Accredited at the Pentagon As of mid-October 2025, the following journalists were among the fifteen remaining who accepted … Read more
Journalist and documentary filmmaker Hakan Tosun died following a violent assault in Istanbul’s Esenyurt district between the night of October 10 and 11, 2025. His death has provoked strong reactions from press freedom groups and raised many unanswered questions about possible motives and irregularities in the investigation.cpj+4 What Is Known So Far Circumstances of the … Read more
The article from the Committee to Protect Journalists reports on Israel’s targeted airstrikes in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on September 10, 2025, which killed 31 journalists and media workers. This incident is described as the deadliest single attack on the global press in 16 years and the second deadliest ever recorded after the 2009 Maguindanao massacre … Read more
If things go well, our doctoral program at Bilgi University will become a center of intellectual attention. I have recently shared with you a call about the data politics volume. This is another book concept that emerged from my doctoral course, “Theories of New Media.” Most of the book’s content is already ready, thanks to … Read more