New York City Mayor Eric Adams seems to have made real ties with some Turks

…not in a good way, I guess. According to the 57-page indictment against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, there are significant alleged ties to the Turkish government. Here are the key points: Connections to Turkish Officials The indictment outlines an alleged scheme involving Turkish government officials and business leaders connected to Turkish President Recep … Read more

A FP piece claimed that Sinem Dedetas Is the Future of the Women-Led Opposition

Sinem Dedetas Is the Future of the Women-Led Opposition – Foreign Policy the piece reminded me of a few other moments: Let’s remember Time’s cover: I frequently cite a Guardian piece about Gaye Su Akyol: Make war against fascists!’ Gaye Su Akyol, Turkey’s psychpop powerhouse She is a musician, all right, but never really made … Read more

A popular Twitch streamer, Jahrein, responsible for much extreme speech among the youth arrested

Jahrein will probably be released soon. But he deserves to be in prison more than many imprisoned. A Twitter user listed some fragments of his vile rhetoric against political opponents, minorities, and women, among others. I have translated the stuff. You can download it here: sins of Jahrein [update- the file seems to be hard to read, you … Read more

Civilizational choices: Turkey/Türkiye applied to join the BRICS group

Although I attempted to catch your eyes by stating “civilizational,” it might be more pragmatic. Changing regional relations, the EU’s hesitancy, Turkish domestic politics, etc., can all be listed in the choice.  Turkey has indeed applied to join the BRICS group of emerging economies. Here’s a summary of the key information: Application Confirmation Multiple sources … Read more

A major u-turn: Sisi warmly welcomed

It looks like Turkey is changing its attitude towards Egypt. This must really hurt Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers.  The visit of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to Turkey was marked by a warm reception, indicating a significant shift towards normalizing relations between the two countries. Erdoğan personally welcomed Sisi at the Esenboğa Airport and the two … Read more

Turkish politics can still manage to surprise me. Ali Koç as a MHP voter?

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

Alpay Özalan, the bully of the Turkish Parliament

Alpay Özalan is a former football player, current deputy, and frequent troublemaker in the parliament. Here is what he did yesterday, compiled by Perplexity: Alpay Özalan, a deputy from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Turkey, did attack other deputies in the Turkish parliament. During a parliamentary session discussing the case of jailed … Read more

Turkey/Türkiye on a censorship spree. Roblox just banned.

This time, the Turkish government angers children. Roblox is one of the most used platforms in children’s digital gaming, and today, we have ominous news. By the way, the good news is that Instagram is unbanned a few hours ago. These are the supposed reasons for the Roblox ban: Reasons for the Ban Sexual Exploitation … Read more

Instagram is banned in Türkiye/ Turkey:(

While enjoying my first days in Detroit, I heard that Instagram is banned. Meta should be in a dilemma. It happened before; it will happen again. Some countries label some organizations as terrorists, some not. The platform has to make decisions… Here is the story: Turkey has blocked access to Instagram following a controversy over … Read more

Another u-turn: Rapprochement between Turkey and Syria?

Jihadists may not like this. There are clear signs of a rapprochement between Turkey and Syria after over a decade of severed diplomatic ties. Here are the key points:   Recent statements: Both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have recently expressed willingness to restore diplomatic relations[3][8]. Erdogan stated there is … Read more

Whattpad now banned in Türkiye

Whattpad is one of the platforms I never used. But I know it is especially popular with some segments of society. Lack of clear reasoning adds salt to the insult—another shameful act. Wattpad has been banned in Turkey. Here are the key details about this ban: Timing and Authority: The ban was implemented on July … Read more

Turkish Special Forces in the service of a political party

Süleyman Karadeniz, the head of Special Operations, kissed Bahçeli‘s hand, which drew reactions from the public. CHP’s Murat Bakan: “If police and soldiers start kissing hands, this country will experience more July 15ths.” DEVA Party’s Mustafa Yeneroğlu: “Thinking that you are the police of a party is the biggest damage to the state.” Salih Uzun … Read more

In case you are interested: Prisons map of Turkey/ Türkiye

The Civil Society in the Penal System Association (CİSST) has released its “Prisons Map” to facilitate public access to data about prisons in Türkiye. The map is available in Turkish and English. Ill prisoners As of April 2022, there were 1,517 sick prisoners, including 651 critically ill, in Turkey’s prisons, according to the findings of … Read more

It was not the first time Merih Demiral was controversial

In his defense, he equates MHP’s ideology with Turkish pride. He has not just reacted to fans as he claimed, but he definitely knows what the gray wolf sign means. Unfortunately, some well-known journalists, in the heat of national pride, defend this sign usage. Here is a curation:  Merih Demiral has indeed been involved in … Read more

The Sinan Ateş Assassination Trial so far

Gray wolves killed their own. An assassination; all know who the culprit is. But power plays will determine the outcome. Developments of the Last Three Days in the Sinan Ateş Trial Day 1 (July 1, 2024) Start of the Trial: The trial on the murder of Sinan Ateş, former President of the Grey Wolves Ocakları, … Read more