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Nick Ashdown

@nickashdown.bsky.social
2.5K followers 475 following 1.4K posts

Canadian journalist/writer in Brussels writing about Turkey and Europe. New Lines Magazine, LA Review of Books, Times Literary Supplement, Foreign Policy, Globe & Mail, etc. Selected clippings: nickashdown.weebly.com/selected-pub…

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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Worth pointing out that the "associate member" label reportedly came not from the Canadian side, but the EU side. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 13/04/2025
A pleasant surprise at a recent visit to Atomium/Mini Europe
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Great investigation into how media outlets in Brussels hold sponsored events that are essentially lobbying platforms. "some newsroom staff expressed vocal discomfort at seeing oil companies sponsor sustainability-related debates."
euractiv.com
Pay-to-play in Brussels: How media events became the new lobbying frontier | Euractiv
Dinners, roundtables and conferences have long been a feature of lobbying culture. What is changing is who organises them
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
America should give reparations payments for all of Europe to get heat pumps.
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
About to be hit with the fourth heatwave so far. Tomorrow will be 34 degrees, which is gonna suck for the 96% of Bruxellois who don't have AC. Why do only 4% of people here have AC? Because before this summer, most years had 4-6 days/year above 30 degrees. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/26/w...
nytimes.com
Europe Is Heating Up Again This Week. Here’s What to Know.
A new heat wave is forecast to hit the continent, piling the pressure on countries that are already fighting deadly wildfires that have forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate.
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Luke LeBrun @lukelebrun.ca · 15/07/2026
These images of First Nations community members evacuating Collins, Ontario on motorboats are absolutely surreal www.facebook.com/reel/1548244...
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
EU's population trajectory with and without migrants.
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genna @genna.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
iPhone doesn’t do justice to the rust-coloured haze over Toronto, or the stench. I was fine in an N95. Birds were having a bona fide party in an utterly deserted Home Smith Park. Thinking about my impassioned speech in elementary school arguing for the swift implementation of the Kyoto accords.
N95 wearing genna with yellow haze over the river Dark yellow haze over Humber river Cormorants in the river with sickly yellow tinge reflected Haze over river park
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Someone on X wrote that you can't trust that Levent is innocent, you can't conclude he's guilty based on what the judiciary says, and you can't believe what journalists write about it, which about sums it up.
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Yes
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Dave Keating @davekeating.substack.com · 10/07/2026
I really think one day historians will study this Wall Street Journal article the way today's historians study texts from the last days of Rome.
wsj.com
European Soccer Fans Marvel at the Splendor of America’s Suburbs
Dutch fans in Missouri see a nation that is risky and expensive, but vast and bountiful.
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Aaron Stein @aaronstein1.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
It’s just a reminder: no Turkish pilot finished the F-35 B course so even if there is a breakthrough on the orphaned six jets, no one is around to fly them home. They’ll be staying put. When this began TuRAF had begun the B course at Luke and maintainers were at Eglin. They got sent home.
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Howard Eissenstat @heissenstat.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
It's strange.... I'm actually meeting more random people who personally know someone who has been prosecuted... not just dissidents and journalists I don't think it's just raw numbers. I think it is also an expanding set of *classes* of people the government is willing to prosecute
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Aaron Stein @aaronstein1.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
The language about Turkey and F-35 is often muddled. Precision is important: 1) a Turkey was a tier 3 partner in the JSF consortium, meaning it had $12 billion in contracts for part production and could sell weapons that were built for integration (SOM-J). It paid $125 million for this & then
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Howard Eissenstat @heissenstat.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
But my favorite part was when Cavusoglu claimed that the Russia-Ukraine talks in 2022 were close to a ceasefire, but that "some NATO allies" wanted to keep the war going and sabotaged them. He specifically blamed Biden for trying to bleed Russia.
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Howard Eissenstat @heissenstat.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Same event: Europeans, U.S. were talking up the danger of Russia. Cavusoglu never mentioned Russia as a security threat. That said a lot.
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
It was on at 2:00 am here so didn't watch (sure heard cheering through the open windows though), but what wonderful news to wake up to. Sorry American friends, but you can't imagine how much the world needed you to lose hard.
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Topics I don't touch with a ten foot pole while in Turkey...
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
This one shouldn't be too awful, but it'll be the *third* heatwave of the season, and it's barely July.
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06jank.bsky.social @06jank.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Another wave of arrests of Turkish journalists and civil society activists deemed critical ahead of NATO summit t24.com.tr/gundem/t24-d...
t24.com.tr
NATO Zirvesi öncesi yeni operasyon; T24 dış haberler editörü Buse Söğütlü, Oda TV editörü Ceren Erdoğdu, avukatlar, akademisyenler ve STK üyeleri gözaltında | T24
NATO Zirvesi öncesi yeni operasyon; T24 dış haberler editörü Buse Söğütlü, Oda TV editörü Ceren Erdoğdu, avukatlar, akademisyenler ve STK üyeleri gözaltında
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
telegraph.co.uk
Russia planning attack on Poland to test Nato resolve, US warns
Critical infrastructure could be targeted by missiles and drones, with soldiers potentially crossing the border from Kaliningrad or Belarus
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
He's now been formally arrested, charged with insulting the president and publicly inciting hatred and hostility.
bbc.com
Komedyen Deniz Göktaş tutuklandı: İfadesinde ne dedi? - BBC News Türkçe
Komedyen Deniz Göktaş "cumhurbaşkanına hakaret" ve "halkı kin ve düşmanlığa alenen tahrik" suçlamalarıyla 3 Temmuz'da tutuklandı. İstanbul Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı tarafından yürütülen soruşturma kapsa...
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
At some point, Europe is just going to have to acknowledge that it's already at war with Russia. They set the UK PM's house on fire. They tried to kill the head of the most important arms company. They tried to blow up civilian flights. They burned down a huge mall in Poland.
apnews.com
Russia likely used shadow ships to wage a drone campaign in Europe, report says
According to the International Institute of Strategic Studies think tank, Russia likely used shadow ships to launch drones over Europe, surveilling military sites and repeatedly disrupted civilian avi...
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Very creepy.
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06jank.bsky.social @06jank.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Turkey quietly makes a huge move towards integrating its Syrian population via @turkeyrecap.bsky.social
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
"A decade ago, Erdoğan invited Nato to hold its 2018 gathering in Istanbul, a proposal that it was widely assumed would be accepted. But those plans were blocked by a dozen European allies over concerns about Turkish democratic backsliding."
ft.com
Turkey’s defence industry is booming. Europe is in its sights
EU countries are uneasy about Erdoğan’s growing authoritarianism. But they want his country’s hard power
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
I had an interesting conversation with friends in Dersim a couple years ago where they explained in detail why they hate Kılıçdaroğlu.
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
In English
bianet.org
Comedian Deniz Göktaş detained at İstanbul Airport after new show goes viral
The politically charged performance features satirical jokes about topics ranging from Erdoğan and opposition leaders to religious issues.
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Popular Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş taken into custody after he poked fun at Erdoğan in his latest special, joking that Erdoğan discovered self development coaches online that gave him the confidence to transition from a "shy dictator" to one at peace with who he is (it's very funny).
t24.com.tr
Yurt dışından dönen komedyen Deniz Göktaş, havaalanında gözaltına alındı! | T24
Yurt dışından dönen komedyen Deniz Göktaş, havaalanında gözaltına alındı!
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Said ambassador is quite a character...Great interview here:
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
After journalists from @eurcorrespond.bsky.social tried to ask the US ambassador a question, the Americans told the Brussels police to remove the journalists because they were an "active threat" and the ambassador said "both of you are losers."
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
I wrote a follow-up post with some reflections here, talking about Turkey's egalitarian/communitarian 'kolay gelsin' culture, in stark contrast to the inequality and elitism I wrote about in the first essay. open.substack.com/pub/nickashd...
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
I wrote a follow-up post with some reflections here, talking about Turkey's egalitarian/communitarian 'kolay gelsin' culture, in stark contrast to the inequality and elitism I wrote about in the first essay. open.substack.com/pub/nickashd...
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bianet English @bianet-eng.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
An Ankara court formally arrested 103 people, including an academic, a journalist, lawyers, environmentalists and students ahead of the NATO summit next month. Prosecutors claimed they could "carry out attacks to portray Turkey as a country associated with terrorism." bianet.org/haber/ankara...
bianet.org
Ankara court remands over 100 including academic, journalist ahead of NATO summit
Prosecutors claimed the detained individuals could "carry out attacks in an effort to portray Turkey as a country associated with terrorism."
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
International media picked it up, not a great look for NATO.
reuters.com
Dozens of Turkish journalists denied accreditation for NATO summit in Ankara, media says
Dozens of Turkish journalists have been denied accreditation for a NATO summit in the Turkish capital Ankara ​next month, media outlets and journalist associations said on ‌Thursday, with NATO saying ...
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
This response...did not help. A lot of big name opposition or independent journos were denied accreditation and are understandably furious.
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Absolute shit storm right now about NATO denying press accreditations to non-regime supporting Turkish journalists, but you're not gonna see it on this platform...
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Changemaker! Insights! Driving impact! Social purpose?! Just a bunch of gobbledygook buzzwords strung together. These people don't just write like this, *they talk that way*. AI learned this style from us!!
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Just came across this typical sentence: "...an award-winning social purpose media organization that equips changemakers with the insights they need to drive impact." I doubt it was even written by AI; this is how NGO (but also corporate & gov) people have written for decades.
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
"The lack of a respite exacerbates so-called heat stress — heat that builds up in the body — leading to illnesses and even death, particularly among vulnerable populations such as the elderly. Some 200,000 people across the EU have died of heat-related causes in the past four years."
politico.eu
3 reasons why Europe can’t stop sweating this week
Climate change, poor infrastructure and distracted politicians all play a role.
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
"Because temperatures continue to rise in the months after an El Niño reaches peak strength, many scientists expect 2027 to become the hottest year humanity has ever experienced — at least until the next El Niño comes along."
nytimes.com
A Climate Chaos Maker
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
At 1:00 am the indoor temperature was still 30 degrees! When I woke up, it was the exact same. Today will be worse than yesterday, tomorrow worse than today (38 degrees). This is day 7 of the heatwave (the 2nd this year), and it won't end until Monday. Next year will be worse. It's an emergency.
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
It's time. "On a sunny summer day at noon, only about 10% of Spain’s electricity comes from fossil fuels; around half comes from solar. Portugal does just as well, and France better still."
economist.com
Europeans should learn to love the air-conditioner
Green electricity means never having to say sorry for lowering the thermostat
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Recent post from a Turkish leftist newspaper:
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
12:15 am!
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
9:00 pm. 35 degrees outside, 30 inside.
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Oh thanks.
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
I wrote a guest post for @selimkoru.bsky.social's great Kültürkampf Substack, inspired by the lively discussion around my viral thread on X from a few months ago. I'm most interested not in the anecdote in the thread, but the huge response to it. It's a slippery subject, but I hope I did it justice.
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
This was one of my key conclusions. Thanks to everyone who took part in the conversation.
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Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
I wrote a guest post for @selimkoru.bsky.social's great Kültürkampf Substack, inspired by the lively discussion around my viral thread on X from a few months ago. I'm most interested not in the anecdote in the thread, but the huge response to it. It's a slippery subject, but I hope I did it justice.
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