When I saw a few Twitter messages about the home visits, I asked Perplexity to compile what is noted about President Erdoğan’s and also a few other governmnent officials’ home visits during the Ramadhan. I have also added a gallery of visit images. I understand that some staging needed in any case, but it could … Read more
I am losing my respect for Wim Wenders fast, but I continue to admire Emin Alper. I remember Emin from our college days as a nice, calm person. Here’s what happened at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale 2026): The Context: Wim Wenders’ Controversy German filmmaker Wim Wenders, serving as jury president of the … Read more
Recently, Sixteen detained over ‘laundering OnlyFans income’. I have asked Perplexity to round up the OnlyFans ordeal in Türkiye: OnlyFans has been formally blocked in Turkey since June 2023 and, since late 2023, authorities have escalated criminal investigations and financial-crime probes targeting creators who earned income from the platform. Access ban and legal basis Access … Read more
As of February 2, 2026, the publicly released Epstein Files include several references to Turkey, focusing on allegations of international trafficking, diplomatic contacts, and broader geopolitical implications. However, as far as I could see, no major scandals so far! Most Turkey-related references in the newly released Epstein Files are incidental or contextual, with only one … Read more
I want to resume my active Beşiktaş fandom, but it is so hard to focus on the game itself amid these scandals. Türkiye is currently facing a major football betting scandal, with over 1,000 professional players under investigation and suspended by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) for alleged involvement in illegal sports betting activities. The … 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
I haven’t visited this site yet, though I have been to Göbeklitepe. I should go there soon! The discovery of a human face depiction on the surface of one of the T-shaped pillars at the Karahantepe excavation site in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa reinforces the theory that these stones symbolize human figures. Saying … Read more
Turkey ranks first in Europe for income inequality Turkey now holds the unwelcome title of Europe’s most unequal country in terms of income distribution. According to recent data, the richest 20 percent of the population receive nearly half of the nation’s total income, while the poorest 20 percent survive on less than 6 percent. The … Read more
Serdar Öktem, a lawyer and defendant in the Sinan Ateş murder trial, was assassinated in Istanbul on October 5, 2025, outside his office on Büyükdere Avenue in the Şişli district. Assailants in two vehicles, reportedly masked, opened fire with long-barreled weapons (including a Kalashnikov) at Öktem as he waited in traffic near the 15 Temmuz … Read more
Yesterday I saw the news online. Taylan Kulaçoğlu has passed away. We followed each other on X. I saw him once or twice in my life. He had a bar in Taksim for a while, and I visited the bar and met him there. He was a sincere man. That’s what I can say about … Read more
Turkey has lost a great person, historian, and intellectual. I did not have the chance to meet him much, except for greetings on campus. Rest in peace, Prof. Tunçay. Prof. Dr. Mete Tunçay: An Intellectual Biography A Pioneer of Political Thought History in Turkey (1936-2025) Professor Mete Tunçay, who passed away on August 18, 2025, … Read more
Recent Friday sermons by the Diyanet (Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs) have faced significant criticism from various segments of Turkish society for several reasons that will be listed below. Besides, I quote an X user who analysed the last 30 Friday sermons at the end of this post. Main Criticisms Gender and Inheritance Rights Opposition … Read more
As far as I know, the core idea against Mr. Ulukaya is that he appeared right in the middle of the government’s Kurdish peace process to give support to the process in some way. Whatever the real political motivations, businessmen from Turkey who got rich in the US tend to show off back in Turkey- … Read more
Citizens in the opposition strongly emphasize the (ir)responsibility of the government’s response on social media. Here is a roundup based on the available data: Locations of Major Fires Bursa Province: The most devastating blazes occurred near Bursa, Turkey’s fourth-largest city, in the northwest. Fires rapidly spread in the forested mountains, surrounding the city’s eastern suburbs. … Read more
As I reached episode 79 in the original series, here is the final installment of ChatGPT’s in-depth research results on fan communities. Fan literature has never been as prevalent as in the US, and its nature may differ, but there is still something to discover. In the 70ish episodes of the series, “Illuminati” was introduced … Read more