Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Worth pointing out that the "associate member" label reportedly came not from the Canadian side, but the EU side. www.cbc.ca/news/politic... 020
Reposted by Nick AshdownNick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 13/04/2025A pleasant surprise at a recent visit to Atomium/Mini Europe 142
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 30/07/2026Great 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.comPay-to-play in Brussels: How media events became the new lobbying frontier | EuractivDinners, roundtables and conferences have long been a feature of lobbying culture. What is changing is who organises them 041
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 28/07/2026America should give reparations payments for all of Europe to get heat pumps. 001
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 28/07/2026About 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.comEurope 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. 132
Reposted by Nick AshdownLuke LeBrun @lukelebrun.ca · 15/07/2026These images of First Nations community members evacuating Collins, Ontario on motorboats are absolutely surreal www.facebook.com/reel/1548244... 16573653930
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 16/07/2026EU's population trajectory with and without migrants. 011
Reposted by Nick Ashdowngenna @genna.bsky.social · 15/07/2026iPhone 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. 251099206
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 14/07/2026Someone 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. 042
Reposted by Nick AshdownDave Keating @davekeating.substack.com · 10/07/2026I 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.comEuropean Soccer Fans Marvel at the Splendor of America’s SuburbsDutch fans in Missouri see a nation that is risky and expensive, but vast and bountiful. 1266
Reposted by Nick AshdownAaron Stein @aaronstein1.bsky.social · 08/07/2026It’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. 2155
Reposted by Nick AshdownHoward Eissenstat @heissenstat.bsky.social · 08/07/2026It'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 0165
Reposted by Nick AshdownAaron Stein @aaronstein1.bsky.social · 07/07/2026The 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 1206
Reposted by Nick AshdownHoward Eissenstat @heissenstat.bsky.social · 07/07/2026But 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. 173
Reposted by Nick AshdownHoward Eissenstat @heissenstat.bsky.social · 07/07/2026Same event: Europeans, U.S. were talking up the danger of Russia. Cavusoglu never mentioned Russia as a security threat. That said a lot. 172
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 07/07/2026It 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. 051
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 07/07/2026Topics I don't touch with a ten foot pole while in Turkey... 020
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 06/07/2026This one shouldn't be too awful, but it'll be the *third* heatwave of the season, and it's barely July. 022
Reposted by Nick Ashdown06jank.bsky.social @06jank.bsky.social · 06/07/2026Another wave of arrests of Turkish journalists and civil society activists deemed critical ahead of NATO summit t24.com.tr/gundem/t24-d...t24.com.trNATO Zirvesi öncesi yeni operasyon; T24 dış haberler editörü Buse Söğütlü, Oda TV editörü Ceren Erdoğdu, avukatlar, akademisyenler ve STK üyeleri gözaltında | T24NATO Zirvesi öncesi yeni operasyon; T24 dış haberler editörü Buse Söğütlü, Oda TV editörü Ceren Erdoğdu, avukatlar, akademisyenler ve STK üyeleri gözaltında 044
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 03/07/2026telegraph.co.ukRussia planning attack on Poland to test Nato resolve, US warnsCritical infrastructure could be targeted by missiles and drones, with soldiers potentially crossing the border from Kaliningrad or Belarus 010
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 03/07/2026He's now been formally arrested, charged with insulting the president and publicly inciting hatred and hostility.bbc.comKomedyen Deniz Göktaş tutuklandı: İfadesinde ne dedi? - BBC News TürkçeKomedyen Deniz Göktaş "cumhurbaşkanına hakaret" ve "halkı kin ve düşmanlığa alenen tahrik" suçlamalarıyla 3 Temmuz'da tutuklandı. İstanbul Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı tarafından yürütülen soruşturma kapsa... 031
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 02/07/2026At 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.comRussia likely used shadow ships to wage a drone campaign in Europe, report saysAccording 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... 251
Reposted by Nick Ashdown06jank.bsky.social @06jank.bsky.social · 02/07/2026Turkey quietly makes a huge move towards integrating its Syrian population via @turkeyrecap.bsky.social 01612
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.comTurkey’s defence industry is booming. Europe is in its sightsEU countries are uneasy about Erdoğan’s growing authoritarianism. But they want his country’s hard power 020
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 02/07/2026I had an interesting conversation with friends in Dersim a couple years ago where they explained in detail why they hate Kılıçdaroğlu. 010
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 02/07/2026In Englishbianet.orgComedian Deniz Göktaş detained at İstanbul Airport after new show goes viralThe politically charged performance features satirical jokes about topics ranging from Erdoğan and opposition leaders to religious issues. 1105
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 02/07/2026Popular 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.trYurt dışından dönen komedyen Deniz Göktaş, havaalanında gözaltına alındı! | T24Yurt dışından dönen komedyen Deniz Göktaş, havaalanında gözaltına alındı! 15220
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 01/07/2026Said ambassador is quite a character...Great interview here: 130
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 30/06/2026After 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." 111
Reposted by Nick AshdownNick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 28/06/2026I 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... 042
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 28/06/2026I 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... 042
Reposted by Nick Ashdownbianet English @bianet-eng.bsky.social · 26/06/2026An 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.orgAnkara court remands over 100 including academic, journalist ahead of NATO summitProsecutors claimed the detained individuals could "carry out attacks in an effort to portray Turkey as a country associated with terrorism." 021
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026International media picked it up, not a great look for NATO.reuters.comDozens of Turkish journalists denied accreditation for NATO summit in Ankara, media saysDozens 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 ... 001
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026This response...did not help. A lot of big name opposition or independent journos were denied accreditation and are understandably furious. 110
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026Absolute 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... 110
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026Changemaker! 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!! 020
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026Just 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. 110
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.eu3 reasons why Europe can’t stop sweating this weekClimate change, poor infrastructure and distracted politicians all play a role. 010
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.comA Climate Chaos Maker 110
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026At 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. 110
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 25/06/2026It'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.comEuropeans should learn to love the air-conditionerGreen electricity means never having to say sorry for lowering the thermostat 174
Reposted by Nick AshdownNick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 18/06/2026I 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. 152
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 18/06/2026This was one of my key conclusions. Thanks to everyone who took part in the conversation. 010
Nick Ashdown @nickashdown.bsky.social · 18/06/2026I 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. 152