Recap radio – Details, episodes & analysis

Long-time journalist Andrew Finkel joined Turkey recap editor Diego Cupolo to discuss media culture and media capture in Turkey under the Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Having contributed to both international and Turkish media outlets, Finkel has a unique perspective on news in Turkey. He witnessed the transformation of mainstream media from the 1990s till the present day, in which about 90 percent of the sector is pro-government or owned by government-friendly companies.

In this episode, we cover the AKP’s consolidation of mainstream media, what that means for people following news about Turkey, and we connect those trends with the current state of free speech and politics in Turkey … possibly, providing examples or warnings for countries experiencing similar threats to free speech, like the US.

Finkel is also co-founder of P24, a non-profit platform for independent journalism and free expression in Turkey, and author of the book: “The Adventure of the Second Wife: The Strange Case of Abdülahamid and Sherlock Holmes”.

Also referenced in this talk:

The Crack in Everything (P24)

Tales from the Turkish newsroom: Why Newspapers Sometimes Lie (Anglo-Turkish Society)

Turkey: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press)

Other ways to watch & listen:

Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Contact us: info@turkeyrecap.com.

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

Turkey recap is produced by our staff’s non-profit association, KMD. We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to create balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor

Günsu Durak, Turkey recap Türkçe editor

Ceren Bayar, Parliament correspondent

Mohammed A. Salih, a non-resident senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and analyst of Kurdish affairs, joined Turkey recap editor-in-chief Diego Cupolo to discuss developments in Syria and how they may factor into the Turkey-PKK peace process.

Salih covered recent clashes in southern Syria between Bedouin and Druze groups, which left more than 1,400 dead. He also discussed how recent instability in Syria is viewed by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has been engaging the central government in Damascus on integration efforts.

Implications for Ankara are included throughout with considerations on regional actors, such as the United States, Israel, Iran and Iraq.

Also referenced in this talk:

Blood in Suwayda: How Sharaa is further alienating Syria’s minorities (The New Region)

Unlikely Alliances and Confrontations: Türkiye, Israel, and Iran in post-Assad Syria (New Lines Institute)

GeoSpace Ep. 9 with Joshua Landis: Minorities and centralization in post-Suwayda Syria (The New Region)

Your Commission, Should You Choose To Accept It (Turkey recap)

Other ways to watch & listen:

Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Contact us: info@turkeyrecap.com.

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

Turkey recap is produced by our staff’s non-profit association, KMD. We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to create balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor

Günsu Durak, Turkey recap Türkçe editor

Ceren Bayar, Parliament correspondent

Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Rome Tuesday for a Turkey-Italy intergovernmental summit, highlighting fast-developing trade and defense ties between the two NATO allies.

In recent months, Turkish defense firm Baykar acquired Italy’s Piaggio Aerospace and announced a joint venture to produce drones with Italy’s defense giant, Leonardo.

To make sense of bilateral relations and what they mean for European security, we hosted a livestream with the authors of the recent analysis: “Europe’s defense awakening and its strategic partners: Any place for Turkey?”

The above is our recording with Riccardo Gasco, foreign policy program coordinator at the IstanPol Institute and doctoral researcher at the University of Bologna, and Samuele Abrami, a Mercator-IPC Fellow and researcher at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs.

They also host the Cose Turche News podcast with Eleonora Masi.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Contact us: info@turkeyrecap.com.

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for a student discount). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

Turkey recap is produced by our staff’s non-profit association, KMD. We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to create balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor

Günsu Durak, Turkey recap Türkçe editor

Ceren Bayar, Parliament correspondent

With long tractor convoys and high attendance, the CHP’s mass rally in the conservative Yozgat province on April 19 looked like a potential turning point for the opposition movement in Turkey. But was it?

To gauge where the CHP stood one month after the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu (and more), we hosted a live video chat with Michael Sercan Da…

Independent researcher Nareg Seferian joined Turkey recap editor-in-chief Diego Cupolo to discuss Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks and their implications for the region.

They covered the July 10 meeting between Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani Pres. Ilham Aliyev in Abu Dhabi and their efforts to finalize a peace agreement in the aftermath of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War.

The peace talks will not only impact Eurasian energy and trade – through projects like the Zangezur corridor – but could also revive stalled normalization efforts between Turkey and Armenia.

All of the above has repercussions for the balance of power in the South Caucasus, where Russia, Iran, the European Union and the United States compete for influence.

Also referenced in this talk:

Nareg Seferian’s websiteUS Management of the Zangezur Corridor In The Caucasus? Iran Won't Like It. (RFERL)

The Joint Declaration following the First European Union-Central Asia Summit

Turkish MFA statement regarding Turkey-Armenia normalization

Other ways to watch & listen:

Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Contact us: info@turkeyrecap.com.

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

Turkey recap is produced by our staff’s non-profit association, KMD. We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to create balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor

Günsu Durak, Turkey recap Türkçe editor

Ceren Bayar, Parliament correspondent

Turkey recap editor-in-chief Diego Cupolo spoke with Lisel Hintz, assistant professor of International Relations at Johns Hopkins University SAIS and author of the book: “Identity Politics Inside Out: National Identity Contestation and Foreign Policy in Turkey.”

They discussed how narratives in pro-government media aim to create cultural and political hegemony in Turkey under Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Topics covered include the PKK peace process, ongoing judicial pressure on the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the AKP’s grand strategy for the so-called ‘New Turkey’.

Also referenced in this talk:

Published article: "Cooking Shows as Conservative Gender Edutainment in Authoritarian Regimes: Recipe for (New) Turkey," in Politics & Gender.

Forthcoming article co-authored with Jonas Bergan Draege: "Film-Making the Nation Great Again: Audio-Visualizing History in the Authoritarian Toolkit" in Perspectives on Politics.

Other ways to watch & listen:

Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Contact us: info@turkeyrecap.com.

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

Turkey recap is produced by our staff’s non-profit association, KMD. We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to create balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor

Günsu Durak, Turkey recap Türkçe editor

Ceren Bayar, Parliament correspondent

Today, Turkey recap editor-in-chief Diego Cupolo spoke with Gallia Lindenstrauss, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, an independent think tank affiliated with Tel Aviv University in Israel.

They discussed Israel-Turkey relations through the lens of the Israel-Iran war, developments in Syria, the PKK peace process, the Gaza war, Hamas and more.

In addition, the talk covered the meaning of Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s oft-repeated phrase "The world is bigger than five" and how the Israeli government sees the nation’s future in a multipolar world.

Referenced in this talk:

“Iran was battered by Israel and US, but its regime is intact as Iranians rally around flag, says Vali Nasr” (Al-Monitor)

“A Fairer World is Possible” by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

“The World After Gaza” by Pankaj Mishra

Other ways to watch & listen: Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Contact us: info@turkeyrecap.com.

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

Turkey recap is produced by our staff’s non-profit association, KMD. We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to create balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor

Günsu Durak, Turkey recap Türkçe editor

Ceren Bayar, Parliament correspondent

Today, we spoke with Aaron Stein, president of the US-based Foreign Policy Research Institute and author of the book: “US War Against ISIS: How America and its Allies Defeated the Caliphate”.

Topics covered include Iran, Israel, the US and Turkey’s place in the conflict now unfolding on NATO’s eastern border. We also discussed the potential implications of the Syria transition and the Turkey-PKK peace process on Ankara-Washington relations.

And, of course, we addressed the many security architecture questions regarding Turkey’s weapons industry, European defense needs and the prospects for Ankara’s return to the F-35 fighter jet program.

Reports referenced in this talk include:

“The Time is Right to Sell F-35 to Turkey” by Aaron Stein

“Turkey’s New Foreign Policy: Ankara’s Ambitions, Regional Responses, and Implications for the United States” by Aaron Stein and Nicholas Danforth

Other ways to watch & listen: Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Contact us: info@turkeyrecap.com.

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

Turkey recap is produced by our staff’s non-profit association, KMD. We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to create balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor

Günsu Durak, Turkey recap Türkçe editor

Ceren Bayar, Parliament correspondent

Here’s our live webcast with Berk Esen, an associate professor of political science at Sabancı University in İstanbul and co-author of the book, Türkiye'nin Yeni Rejimi: Rekabetçi Otoriterlik.

We discussed the mounting trials faced by Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), including investigations against imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, who faces a political ban for corruption charges that he denies.

We also covered the CHP Congress case, which could lead to government intervention on the management structure of Turkey’s founding party, raising questions about the future of Özgür Özel’s leadership, the potential return of former chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and the health of Turkish democracy.

Other ways to watch & listen: Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Contact us: info@turkeyrecap.com.

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

Turkey recap is produced by our staff’s non-profit association, KMD. We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to create balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor

Günsu Durak, Turkey recap Türkçe editor

Ceren Bayar, Parliament correspondent

Watch our live webcast with Alexander McKeever, a researcher based in Amman, Jordan, and author of the newsletter This Week in Northern Syria.

We discussed developments in Syria six months after regime change and took questions from the audience.

Topics covered include SDF-Damascus negotiations, domestic security, repatriation and internal migration, impacts of the Turkey-PKK peace process and the influence of foreign actors, such as the United States, Israel, Russia, the Gulf states and more.

Other ways to watch & listen: Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Contact us: info@turkeyrecap.com.

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

Turkey recap is produced by our staff’s non-profit association, KMD. We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to create balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor

Günsu Durak, Turkey recap Türkçe editor

Ceren Bayar, Parliament correspondent