As of the 12–13 September 2026 operation, it now reaches beyond the routine suppression of Pride marches to include criminal investigations, raids on civil-society organizations and venues, detentions, online censorship, and policies framed around “family” and “morality.” The latest September 2026 operation alone placed 162 people, nine associations, and 13 businesses under investigation across 15 … Read more
I have to admit, although I knew about his videos from a very early time, I found them a bit cringe, not on my agenda. But he is persistent and successful in his approach to creating content. The key amplifier was streamer Asmongold: his live reaction brought Çenet’s documentary to a much larger American online … Read more
One of my former graduate students has become an underwater photographer and has shared their work presented on this website. We always emphasize that divers who take photographs and film underwater serve as the eyes and ears of our seas and inland waters. As individuals who have taken on this responsibility, we are fully aware … Read more
After the Süleymancılar, “Furkancılar” is also under investigation. This is a relatively small group based in Adana. Their type of activism differs greatly from that of the Süleymancılar, who have been exposed to a judicial process. The August 2026 Crackdown on the Furkan Movement in Turkey: Law, Politics, and Religious Civil Society Executive summary Turkey’s … Read more
Süleymancılar and Turkey’s August 2026 Crackdown: Movement, State Relations, Legal Architecture, and Political Stakes Executive summary As of 18:25 TRT on Thursday, 13 August 2026, Turkey is conducting a large, multi-province criminal investigation centered on Alihan Kuriş, the current leader associated with the religious community conventionally known as the Süleymancılar. The most important qualification is … Read more
I could not write about these stories when they happened, but I still want to keep them in the EFD record. They are not necessarily connected, yet together they say something about contemporary Turkey: ritual, spectacle, medical entrepreneurship, migration, music, and earthquake anxiety all appearing in the same news cycle. On the first day of … Read more
Comedian Deniz Göktaş detained after new show goes viral today. It was an expected result. Mr. Göktaş seemed well prepared for the aftermath. If he ever performs the third act, it will center around his prison days. This time, I asked Grok to round up positive and negative critiques on X about Deniz Göktaş’s … Read more
Another well-known actor since my childhood days has passed away. Kadir İnanır had a strong personality and political standing, and was a conscious artist, which we do not see much of nowadays. Here is an obituary and at the end you will find a detailed report on his filmography and an infographic. The Final … Read more
Koç Holding just marked its 100th anniversary with highly visible, Republican‑symbolic events in Ankara, including a mass Anıtkabir visit with about 6,000 employees and dealers, where Ömer Koç signed the Anıtkabir special book in the name of the group: The group also organized large‑scale public celebrations in Ankara (e.g., Tarkan concert in Millet Bahçesi) that … Read more
Türkiye, following Australia, recently banned social media for children under 15. Just a few years ago, it would have been hard to imagine such a ban, but things change fast. I have curated some information on these bans and related restrictions in other countries using Perplexity. Here it is: Turkey and Australia have both adopted … Read more
Two school shootings in Türkiye within 24 hours have disrupted a long-standing perception: that such violence is exceptionally rare. Some unionized teachers protested today over the first incident and the lack of adequate security for teachers, and did not attend classes. In the meantime, we have witnessed the worst today. You can find a list … Read more
My TV Turkish Serials Subreddit receives more than 95 thousand visits weekly, and my colleague Alper Kırklar and I decided to curate an edited volume on Turkish Television Series. The series’ global attraction is definitely unintended, but all over the world, I come across people asking me about a particular Turkish series. So here we … Read more
Just finished an article by dear Joakim Parslow, who knows this blog well. I have done some research on the history of the internet in Türkiye, but Joakim goes far past the pre-internet decades, where Cybernetics had some resonance. The article link is here. Parslow, J. (2021). The Mechanical Atatürk: Cybernetics and State Violence in … Read more
I was once a trainer in an EU-funded project, and I spent a few hours with Prof. Ortaylı in 2015 in one of its workshops. I was really anxious about whether he would make fun of me, but he did not (!). According to the project page of RUMVADER (Cemaat Vakıfları Temsilciliği), it was the … Read more
There’s a massive, viral trend on Turkish X right now (early March 2026) where Turkish users are celebrating Spain as the new “kardeş ülke” (brother country). The reason? Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez’s firm “No to war” stance — specifically refusing to let the US use Spanish bases for any attacks/escalation involving Iran, plus Spain’s long-standing … Read more