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Reposted by William Armstrong

06jank.bsky.social @06jank.bsky.social · 16h

Soon it will be commonly understood that opposition politicians winning elections spend their next years in jail - it will be seen as a faintly absurd stunt to even try, like heroic investigative journalism

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Reposted by William Armstrong

Journal of Democracy @jodemocracy.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

For the first time in a century, every great power is autocratic or heading that way. In a post-unipolar world, strongmen shop for patrons and make deals while democrats increasingly are on the defensive. @senemaydndzgit.bsky.social, @berkesen.bsky.social, and Sebnem Gumuscu muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Enjoyed this rich conversation with Dimitar Bechev on his new book. It weighs up whether Turkey can be viewed alongside China and Russia as a direct competitor/threat to the EU. Listen below 🎧👇

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06jank.bsky.social @06jank.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Turkey has ordered X to block the account of the Freedom of Expression Foundation, which documents what sites have been censored

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Enjoyed this rich conversation with Dimitar Bechev on his new book. It weighs up whether Turkey can be viewed alongside China and Russia as a direct competitor/threat to the EU. Listen below 🎧👇

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Reposted by William Armstrong

Marc Sinan Winrow @marcsinanwinrow.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I really enjoyed speaking with William Armstrong from Turkey Book Talk about Turkey and the Liberal International Order. Many thanks for such a thoughtful and engaging conversation!

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Turkey Book Talk @turkeybooktalk.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Latest episode 📢📢 Marc Sinan Winrow (@marcsinanwinrow.bsky.social) on his book “Turkey and the Liberal International Order: Hegemony, Contestation and the Politics of Articulation Since 1919” (Edinburgh University Press) 👇🎧 turkeybooktalk.com/2026/09/15/m...

turkeybooktalk.com

Marc Sinan Winrow on Turkey and the ‘liberal international order’

Turkey Book Talk #278 – Marc Sinan Winrow, post-doctoral research assistant at the London School of Economics, on “Turkey and the Liberal International Order: Hegemony, Contestation and the P…

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Reposted by William Armstrong

Diego Cupolo @diegocupolo.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Turkish police detained dozens of pro-LGBT protesters tonight in central Ankara. At least 200 people were taken into custody in recent days across Turkey, where a new wave of state pressure is targeting LGBT civil society groups, activists and the media that cover them.

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

BBC Monitoring's Global Jigsaw episode from a couple of years ago on Turkey's anti-LGBTQ crackdown. Traces links between sentiment in Turkey and right-wing culture warriors in the West. Dozens of activists recently detained, groups shuttered as crackdown escalates. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjI1...

youtube.com

What's behind the Turkish president's anti-LGBT push? - The Global Jigsaw podcast, BBC World Service

YouTube video by BBC World Service

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Reposted by William Armstrong

Emily Wither @emilywither.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

In Turkey, opposition mayors, journalists, students and even comedians are increasingly finding themselves in court. My new doc investigates the crackdown, looks at how Turkey’s justice system evolved under Erdogan, & explores what space is left for free speech: www.bbc.com/audio/play/p...

bbc.com

BBC Audio | The Documentary Podcast | Turkey on trial: Can courts control a nation?

From jailed mayors to comedians, Emily Wither investigates Turkey's crackdown

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Reposted by William Armstrong

William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Splendid episode with Benjamin Fortna on his new book on Turkey and the Ottoman Empire. He talks about the challenge of trying to fit so much history into just over 200 pages, appealing to a popular readership, and recurring themes that emerge over centuries. 👇👇

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Turkey Book Talk @turkeybooktalk.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Latest episode 📚📚 Benjamin Fortna on change and continuity in Ottoman and Turkish history. The conversation is based on his new book "The Shortest History of Turkey: From the Ottoman Empire to the Turkish Republic” (Old Street Publishing) Listen below 👇🎧 turkeybooktalk.com/2026/09/01/b...

turkeybooktalk.com

Benjamin Fortna on change and continuity in Ottoman and Turkish history

Turkey Book Talk #277 – Benjamin Fortna, professor of history at the University of Arizona, on “The Shortest History of Turkey: From the Ottoman Empire to the Turkish Republic” (Old Street Pu…

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Mixed signals about when the election will actually be. But pretty much nailed on that he will not retire.

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Yes absolutely. It's a rhetorical approach that seeks to create its own reality. I think there's a lot of paranoia as they realise they haven't institutionalised. Does not bode well.

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

I'd argue that you can track this shift in Erdogan's public remarks. He still gives speeches constantly, but instead of directly addressing opponents he now tends to focus on articulating a broad worldview from a birds-eye perspective. This helps create a powerful impression of lofty omnipotence.

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Great article on how Erdogan has built several different narratives to reinforce his public appeal over the decades. This has now calcified into emphasis on being "the state". But that is itself a potent legitimising strategy, not a dead-end as many critics believe. www.ayrim.org/guncel/iktid...

ayrim.org

İktidardan Devlete, Siyasal Partiden İdari Merkeze: AKP’nin Bir Anlatısı Kaldı mı? - #ayrım

AKP’nin iktidardaki gücünün neye dayandığı ve ne zaman çözülmeye başlayacağı üzerine yaklaşık çeyrek asırdır yürütülen tartışmaların değişmeyen başlıklarından biri onun “anlatı kurma” becerisi oldu. A...

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Selvi column yesterday seems to indicate this, at least in the short term. Interesting to consider in tandem with the Al Monitor report on Israel's possible shift in Syria strategy. www.hurriyet.com.tr/yazarlar/abd...

hurriyet.com.tr

Türkiye ile İsrail arasında çatışma çıkar mı

CUMHURBAŞKANI Erdoğan’ın Ahlat’tan verdiği “Herkesin bir hesabı varsa bizim de bir hesabımız var” sözüne dikkat çekip, sizi 18 Ağustos gecesine götürmek...

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

We published a @turkeybooktalk.bsky.social episode about this phenomenon with journalist Adnan Khan in January. His work details how and why Turkey's plastic waste imports have ballooned in recent years, as well as the grim human consequences. turkeybooktalk.com/2026/01/20/a...

turkeybooktalk.com

Adnan Khan on the human toll of Turkey’s importing of Europe’s waste

Turkey Book Talk #262 – Journalist Adnan Khan on the spectacular growth of Turkey’s plastic waste imports and the role of migrant labour in the sector. Adnan is the author of two major …

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Turkey still importing hundreds of thousands of tonnes of plastic waste from European countries, including UK, every year. Dodgy practices and lax regulation have long raised alarm about the sector in Turkey, but volume of waste imports keeps rising alarmingly. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

theguardian.com

UK plastic ‘waste colonialism’ found to be polluting Turkey’s farming heartland

A Guardian investigation finds irrigation canals polluted with microplastics in Turkey, a major destination for UK waste

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Reposted by William Armstrong

Turkey Book Talk @turkeybooktalk.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

New episode ✨✨ Işılay Gürsu on the Turkish public's view of the country’s archaeological heritage, treasure hunts at historic sites, and efforts to repatriate ancient artefacts. Listen below 👇👇 turkeybooktalk.com/2026/08/18/i...

turkeybooktalk.com

Işılay Gürsu on archaeology and public perceptions in Turkey

Turkey Book Talk #276 – Işılay Gürsu, assistant director at the British Institute in Ankara, on “Public Dialogues in Archaeology: New Methodologies from Turkey” (Bloomsbury Academic). The bo…

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Broke: me preaching to UK people about the convenience of e-devlet Bespoke: whatever this is

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Reposted by William Armstrong

06jank.bsky.social @06jank.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Turkey's Justice Ministry has launched an AI project to automatically match suspects to the correct terrorist group.

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Speaking @turkeybooktalk.bsky.social last year, author David Tongue described the Suleymanci order as a "major money-collecting machine that developed a great ability to...impose discipline and privacy" turkeybooktalk.substack.com/p/david-tong...

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

The head of Turkey's large Suleymanci Islamic order was detained this morning on corruption accusations, along with dozens of others. Suleymancis are among the country's most influential religious orders, but they are rather secretive and have ambiguous politics. www.trthaber.com/haber/gundem...

trthaber.com

Alihan Kuriş suç örgütüne operasyon: 30 gözaltı

Ankara Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı tarafından Alihan Kuriş suç örgütüne yönelik yürütülen 17 ilde operasyon başlatıldı. Aralarında Alihan Kuriş'in de olduğu 30 şüpheli gözaltına alındı, 3 şüphelinin yurt ...

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Reposted by William Armstrong

Onur Inal @onurinal.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

🎙️ Below, you can listen to the episode featuring my book on the environmental history of Ottoman Izmir. Thanks to @turkeybooktalk.bsky.social for this conversation

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Reposted by William Armstrong

Turkey Book Talk @turkeybooktalk.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

New episode 📚📚 Onur İnal (@onurinal.bsky.social) on the rise of late Ottoman İzmir. The conversation discusses his book “Gateway to the Mediterranean: An Environmental History of Late Ottoman Izmir” (Cambridge University Press) 👇👇 turkeybooktalk.com/2026/08/04/o...

turkeybooktalk.com

Onur İnal on the rise of late Ottoman İzmir

Turkey Book Talk #275 – Onur İnal of the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Vienna on “Gateway to the Mediterranean: An Environmental History of Late Ottoman Izmir” (Camb…

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Reposted by William Armstrong

Jennifer Hattam @jenhattam.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

In addition to the obvious political implications, I wrote for @bloomberg.com last year about how these ongoing arrests and detentions are affecting issues critical to the city's future: bloomberg.com/news/feature...

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Reposted by William Armstrong

Jennifer Hattam @jenhattam.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

A plurality of Istanbul's district mayors are now in prison, along with the city's metropolitan mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who has been behind bars since last March. Image source: fatihaltayli.com.tr/yazarlar/fat...

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Similar findings from Turkey's Metropoll research company 👇

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Reposted by William Armstrong

Sinem Adar @sinemadar.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Enjoyed the @turkeybooktalk.bsky.social conversation on Turkish foreign policy and how it interacts with domestic politics. 👇

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Reposted by William Armstrong

William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Enjoyed this conversation with @sinemadar.bsky.social on how Turkey's foreign policy trajectory is helping to reinforce Erdogan's domestic political crackdown. 🎧👇

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Pew Research finds 13% of Turkish citizens have a positive view of the US, while 43% have a positive view of China. Just 6% say they have confidence in Trump to do the right thing in world affairs, while 32% say they have confidence in Xi Jinping. www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/...

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Sinem Adar @sinemadar.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Thanks for the kind invitation, @williamarmstrong.bsky.social.

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Turkey Book Talk @turkeybooktalk.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Fresh new episode 🎧🎧 Sinem Adar (@sinemadar.bsky.social) returns to the podcast. The conversation takes stock of Turkey’s geopolitical clout and its domestic political crackdown after the recent NATO summit in Ankara. 👇👇 turkeybooktalk.com/2026/07/21/s...

turkeybooktalk.com

Sinem Adar on Turkey’s role in a fracturing Western alliance

Turkey Book Talk #274 – Sinem Adar, head of the Centre for Applied Turkey Studies at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, returns to the podcast. The conversation take…

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Enjoyed this conversation with @sinemadar.bsky.social on how Turkey's foreign policy trajectory is helping to reinforce Erdogan's domestic political crackdown. 🎧👇

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Ayla Albayrak @aylushka.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

The ousted CHP leader Özgür Özel has now publicly announced his farewell to CHP and intention to form a new opposition party -- a long-awaited move by his supporters (BBC Türkçe) www.bbc.com/turkce/artic...

bbc.com

Özgür Özel CHP'de son grup toplantısını yaptı - BBC News Türkçe

Özgür Özel, kendisi dahil 83 milletvekilinin bulunduğu grup toplantısında Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi'ne veda konuşması yaptı ve "Yeni partimizi kuruyoruz" dedi.

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Diego Cupolo @diegocupolo.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Since 2016, Turkish public sector jobs grew from 3.56 to 5.37M. Using these stats, @liselhintz.bsky.social and @hakkitas.bsky.social write: "Power consolidation is achieved" by restructuring jobs so that "a larger share of the population holds a direct material stake in the survival" of the regime.

giga-hamburg.de

Epic Autocratisation: Turkey’s Decade of Coup-Fuelled Transformation

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Interesting poll from @istanpol.bsky.social finds broad general support for Turkey's Nato membership. Research conducted 22-29 June, ahead of the recent Nato summit in Ankara. istanpol.org/post-nato-ya...

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Emily Wither @emilywither.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

It is ten years since Turkey's coup attempt - when a faction of the military tried to topple Erdoğan's government. I visited the neighbourhood directly below Bosphorus Bridge, which saw some of the fiercest fighting, to hear from those that came on to the streets www.bbc.com/audio/play/w...

bbc.com

BBC Audio | Witness History | Turkey’s failed coup

On 15 July 2016, more than 300 people were killed in the coup attempt

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Reposted by William Armstrong

Jennifer Hattam @jenhattam.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Thanks to Will for another great conversation! After listening, check out my recent newsletter for more behind-the-scenes details on how a travel guidebook gets made: istanbuletcetera.substack.com/p/how-a-trav...

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Article also says other Nato members are increasingly OK with this, as Europe shifts from the optimistic post-Cold War era. “Turkey and the world no longer view their relationships through the lens of ideological affinity... but more explicitly through the lens of gain, cost and bargaining power”

yetkinreport.com

Ankara’nın Jeopolitikası Batıyla Normalleşme mi, Çok Yönlü Pazarlık mı? - Yetkin Report - Murat Yetkin

Hepsini bir ara düşündüğümüzde Ankara’nın derdi kesinlikle Batı ile eski usul bir normalleşme değil, çok yönlü pazarlık.

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Good article describes how Turkish govt sees upcoming NATO summit in Ankara as a platform for “interests-first” bargaining. Greater Turkish commitment to NATO doesn't mean shift to liberal/democratic values. Recent developments in fact indicate the opposite. yetkinreport.com/2026/06/26/a...

yetkinreport.com

Ankara’nın Jeopolitikası Batıyla Normalleşme mi, Çok Yönlü Pazarlık mı? - Yetkin Report - Murat Yetkin

Hepsini bir ara düşündüğümüzde Ankara’nın derdi kesinlikle Batı ile eski usul bir normalleşme değil, çok yönlü pazarlık.

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Enjoyed this splendid conversation about a timely new book Listen below 📢📢

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Turkey Book Talk @turkeybooktalk.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

New episode 📚📚 Hannah Lucinda Smith on Turkey, Russia and Europe's hinterlands The conversation is based on her new book “Hinterlands: Journeys through Europe’s Unfinished Frontiers” (@profilebooks.bsky.social) 🎧👇 turkeybooktalk.com/2026/06/23/h...

turkeybooktalk.com

Hannah Lucinda Smith on Turkey, Russia and Europe’s hinterlands

Turkey Book Talk #273 – Hannah Lucinda Smith on “Hinterlands: Journeys through Europe’s Unfinished Frontiers” (Profile Books). The book is based on vivid reporting from Eastern Europe, the Ea…

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William Armstrong @williamarmstrong.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Enjoyed this splendid conversation about a timely new book Listen below 📢📢

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