The death of Ms. Çığ created an instant controversy among social media users. After the praiseful comments about her life, some began to criticize her role in experiments on political prisoners! Check out Baransel Ağca and Özlem Akarsu on X. Here is the translation of Ağca’s X message: … why we have never liked her: … Read more
Just saw the news: Turkish exporters see surge in demand amid Dubai chocolate trend I have already seen viral videos on TikTok, and here is more information about this popular and probably anti-diabetic dessert. Dubai chocolate is a popular confectionery that has gained viral attention on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Here are … Read more
Since fixing social decline is harder, they chose the easiest option. They could not stop leaking the data they collected from citizens. Censorship! Now i will have to find a new venue for my classes’ communications and use VPN to reach many AI companies’ servers there. Yes, Turkey has banned access to Discord[1][2][3]. The ban … Read more
I saw a news piece in a pro-government newspaper: Orhan Pamuk’s quick eviction sparks outrage in Istanbul Residents of an apartment building in Istanbul, where Nobel Prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk owns seven flats, are facing eviction as Pamuk initiated proceedings without waiting for a court decision. He obtained an eviction order from the local municipality despite … Read more
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
The Miss Turkey 2024 competition has sparked significant controversy and debate on social media and in local media, primarily centered around the winner, İdil Bilgen. Here are the key points of the controversy: Criticism of Appearance Many social media users have criticized İdil Bilgen’s appearance, claiming she doesn’t fit the traditional beauty standards expected of … Read more
Throughout the US trip, we watched an old Turkish show, Ezel, from the 2010s at night. I had already mentioned it in 2010, but retrospectively, I see how sophisticated the script was. It is a precursor to the growing success of Turkish TV shows. It is not streamed on any networks, but all episodes can be found … Read more
00:05 Turkish TV dramas gain worldwide popularity 00:51 Rise in popularity of Turkish TV dramas globally 01:30 Turkish TV dramas gaining global popularity 02:13 Turkish TV dramas increasing Turkish soft power worldwide. 02:56 Interest in Turkish dramas boosting tourism 03:40 Turkish TV dramas gaining worldwide popularity 04:20 Turkish TV dramas showcase cultural and historical elements … Read more
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
Yusuf Dikeç, a 51-year-old Turkish shooter, has recently gone viral due to his unique and relaxed demeanor during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Competing in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event, Dikeç drew widespread attention and social media acclaim for his casual appearance, which included wearing prescription glasses and having one hand in his pocket … Read more
A culture war is brewing on Twitter (X), but a Perplexity search does not show many negative comments: The reactions to Turkey’s Olympic uniforms for the Paris 2024 Games have been varied. Many have expressed appreciation for the design, while others have made lighthearted critiques. ### Positive Reactions 1. **Elegance and Simplicity**: Many commentators have … Read more
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
I am not into Turkish serials that much, and some of Netflix’s Turkish products are terrible. However, I could not stop watching Kübra. A strong script- despite many loopholes and some bad acting- that merges AI anxieties with religious communitarian beliefs and social protest. I loved the second season more!
We have been keeping a tab on Turkiye’s elections for years. The whole project is here. It needs a design overhaul, but the content is still valuable. It depends on students’ willingness to contribute, so the data we can collect differs in every election. Still I try to supervise and hopefully it will be more … Read more
I could never like either Şafak or Kırıkkanat. Şafak is beloved by Western audiences. Kırıkkanat is as Western as Şafak, but she has this strong secular nationalism that is very hostile to Islam and some other local values or practices. Kırıkkanat is the symbol of Turkey’s old secular and Kemalist elites who lost power in … Read more