Palantir occupies a more extreme place in Silicon Valley but represents a new, growing ethos Big Tech is developing. We have seen the company’s official X message today. A few early comments: This is the nationalist turn. Big Tech now explicitly acts as an agent of a nation-state, which in turn justifies its regulations worldwide. … Read more
Multiple reports confirm that María Corina Machado physically gave her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump during a White House meeting in January 2026.[bbc] However, the Nobel institutions have stressed that only the medal was handed over: the title and status of Nobel Peace Prize laureate legally and symbolically remain with Machado and cannot … 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
Episode 3: The Q1 Journal Fetish Episode 1- The Performance of Transparency Episode 2 – The Theater of Scholarly Collegiality A colleague proudly announced his latest publication, adding Q1 even before the title. I see self-promotional Instagram posts that mention the Q number, mostly Q1. This moment crystallized something I’ve observed throughout my career in Turkish … Read more
Dear readers, As I continue curating my unboxing series—those explorations of personal archives and forgotten memories—I find myself drawn to excavate a different kind of collection: the accumulated observations from over two decades in academic life. Like the personal artifacts I’ve been discovering, these professional experiences have layered into complex narratives that deserve careful examination. … Read more
I guess for some, it is not surprising, but I am surprised. TikTok is not a marginal platform. More than a hundred million American users are using it, and the American government is unashamedly banning it for national security reasons. That’s the declaration of defeat. US-based social media platforms have focused on profit so intensely … Read more
I want to tell you about a situation that frustrated me. Recently, at a jury meeting, I came across a well-known, well-connected, and rich communicator in the telecommunications industry. When 5G was mentioned, he said something like this. “I was at a huge 5G summit abroad at the beginning of the pandemic. I hung out … Read more
If I were living in the US, I would probably be upset. But back in Türkiye, many people around me are happy with the election outcome. They [Democratic Party leadership] insisted on a weak leader, then moved to Harris, who was not as dynamic as we thought. They ignored younger more militant voter base to … Read more
After a long self-exile in the US, pro-Gülenists sources stated that Fethullah Gülen was dead. His massive global movement has already been crushed in the post-2016 coup attempt. Still, there are many followers all around the world. If his movement did not get in a fight with Erdoğan, his funeral would be greeted by millions. … Read more
A quick look at the Turkish Twittersphere confirmed my expectations. Some Jihadists and Islamists are actually happy. Since the civil war in Syria, many Turkish jihadists lost their uneasy sympathy with Hezbollah, who supported the Asad regime. But the actual celebrations come from “the Syrian opposition:” Celebrations in Opposition-Controlled Areas While the Syrian government officially … Read more
While driving through California, I listened to a commentary by İsmail Saymaz. He claims that Ali Koç is a MHP voter. That surprised me as Mr. Koç does not look like a stereotypical MHP fan. Koç family is mainly portrayed as part of the Westernist secular establishment. Ali Koç is a Rice University graduate, by … Read more
At the moment, we have to pay 150 TRY when we travel abroad. Rumor has it that it will be increased to 3000 TRY (nearly 90 USD)! After unimaginable levels of extravagance and corruption that still last in government, Mehmet Şimşek is after our already squeezed travel budgets.
19:15 The higher Election Council does not allow to announce results yet, but the vibe in opposition is that AKP may be losing. 18:20 Istanbul mayoral contest takes centre stage as Turkey votes in local elections Turkey local elections marred by irregularities in Kurdish provinces As polls close: YSK bans journalists from taking footage of … Read more
China has a cyber sovereignty policy that emphasizes the concept of cyber sovereignty as a guiding principle in cyberspace governance. This policy is aimed at asserting control over information, cybersecurity, technological independence, and international influence. China’s cyber sovereignty efforts encompass both domestic and international components, leading to a less open and free internet environment. The … Read more
I believe that the moment they changed their name from “Savage Minds” to “anthro{dendum}”, the decline started. Over-reliance on (political) correctness is a kind of (political) purism that never ends well. (I do not claim all contributors are like that; I actually like some of them very much). Life is rich, and anthropology is the … Read more