Diego Cupolo
@diegocupolo.bsky.social
Co-founder, editor-in-chief, pun-runner @turkeyrecap.bsky.social. Pitch me.
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.
Rebooted our podcast with two big updates: 1. We're launching a new series examining Turkish press narratives on major news topics hosted by Daniel Thorpe. 2. Podcasts now come with transcripts and extra resources for paid subscribers only. Sign up now & save 25%: www.turkeyrecap.com/back_to_work
Turkey recap@turkeyrecap.bsky.social · last mo.📻 Recap radio is back! Today, we review the recent arrests of the Süleymancı religious community—aka cemaat. Salim Çevik joins @diegocupolo.bsky.social to break down what happened and what it says about Erdoğan's strategy towards non-aligned groups. Full episode: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri-A...
Ahead of the COP31 summit in Antalya, we teamed up with @heinrichboelltr.bsky.social to cover the top climate issues facing Turkey's policymakers. Below is my contribution to our article series, which we're producing in parallel to a Turkish video and podcast series by @studyorecap.bsky.social:
İklim krizi: Tarımda susuzluk alarmı ve COP31
YouTube video by Stüdyo Recap
youtube.com
Turkey recap@turkeyrecap.bsky.social · 2mo agoTrump wants secure rare earth supply chains. Turkey wants to develop rare earth mines in Beylikova, home to large untapped reserves. Yet, locals remain unconvinced that the economic promises will outweigh the ecological risks. @diegocupolo.bsky.social reports:
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.
Epic Autocratisation: Turkey’s Decade of Coup-Fuelled Transformation
giga-hamburg.de
Our Ankara NATO summit recap with comments by Lindsey Graham, Haluk Görgün and more: 1. Uncertainty lingers for US-Turkey jet deals 2. Turkish defense industry courts global partners 3. Domestic & diplomatic wraps 4. Everything else that trended during the summit www.turkeyrecap.com/p/the-ankara...
The Ankara Corral
Issue #312
turkeyrecap.com
Turkish respondents' view of NATO in 2026: 59% Unfavorable │ 27% Favorable View on Russia: 49% Unfavorable │ 47% Favorable Confidence in Putin: 55% No │ 39% Yes Confidence in Zelenskyy: 70% No │ 21% Yes New @pewresearch.org survey: www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/...
“To at least half of Europe there is no single international problem of greater importance than the control of ... those narrow Straits which separate Europe from Asia,” wrote the scholars James T. Shotwell and Francis Deák in 1940. Our pre-NATO summit recs:
Turkey recap@turkeyrecap.bsky.social · 3mo ago🧭Sunday extras! NATO summit edition: "Managing Montreux: Turkey and the Russia-Ukraine War in the Black Sea" by @tomdewaal.bsky.social. [1/15]
Serving as a preview for Ankara's NATO summit, our latest podcast digs into Turkey's role in the alliance and EU security. Contradictions and opportunities included:
Turkey recap@turkeyrecap.bsky.social · 3mo agoNext week's NATO summit will spotlight Turkey-EU ties and defense cooperation. @dimitarbechev.bsky.social joined our podcast to discuss the stakes and one of the love-hate relationships outlined in his upcoming book, "The Scramble for Europe." Full episode: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O8i...
"About 40 percent of French and German respondents to a June Politico poll said Turkey should never be part of the EU." www.politico.eu/newsletter/b...
For this week's podcast, I spoke to former CHP Deputy Chair Ilhan Uzgel about what's next for Turkey's main opposition party. We cover Özgür Özel's push for a new congress, the prospects of a breakaway party, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's mandate to lead the party and much more.
Turkey recap@turkeyrecap.bsky.social · 4mo agoThe "appointed CHP" is "stuck in a building, and political parties, they're not about buildings," Ilhan Uzgel said. Kılıçdaroğlu's group is "hated by most of the electorate. So, they don't have a future in this country. It's kind of a political suicide." Full pod: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkX0...
“Turkey’s been split in two ideologically. One side is continuously being encouraged, while the other one is always being pressured," said Kerem Altiparmak, a law professor. Bloomberg: In Erdoğan’s Turkey, It’s Not Only Politicians Seen as a Threat www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
🎙️Emergency podcast: @berkesen.bsky.social outlines what to expect after a Turkish court ousted the nation's main opposition leader, Özgür Özel. He comments on Turkey’s ongoing slide towards autocracy, how CHP voters might respond and prospects for early elections. www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaAv...
Two “live” broadcasts. Only one shows Turkey’s ousted opposition leader addressing supporters on top of a bus in Ankara.
Not so much secular vs Islam, but more urban vs rural. Author Suzy Hansen talks about the many migration trends that shaped modern Turkey. Watch our podcast about her new book: 'From Life Itself: Turkey, Istanbul, and a Neighborhood in the Age of Erdoğan' www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjm8...
After Magyar's victory in Hungary, László Szerencsés (@szerlasz.bsky.social ) outlines the main takeaways for Turkey's opposition and implications for Budapest-Ankara ties. Deep dive on Hungarian politics with lessons for flawed democracies included. Full episode: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhH-...
"An X post today receives less than 3% of the views a single tweet delivered seven years ago."
EFF is Leaving X
After almost twenty years on the platform, EFF is logging off of X. This isn’t a decision we made lightly, but it might be overdue.
eff.org
My chat with @diegocupolo.bsky.social at @turkeyrecap.bsky.social on Turkish - Israeli relations. The dynamics of the Middle East are changing radically, I argue. And it is Israel, rather than Turkey, that is the main disrupting force www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyzX...
The Turkey-Israel rivalry in a changing Middle East with Howard Eissenstat
YouTube video by Turkey recap
youtube.com
Google is failing the Turkish public by: 1. Rewarding plagiarism over original reporting 2. Disproportionate impact on independent vs state-aligned media "Letter to Google urging action on algorithmic impact on independent media" by @globalfreemedia.bsky.social: turkiye.ipi.media/letter-to-go...
The Iran war as viewed from Turkey. Our latest podcast:
Turkey recap@turkeyrecap.bsky.social · 6mo agoOne month into the Iran war, @sinanulgen.bsky.social outlines how the conflict could impact the next election cycle in Turkey. Also covered are Ankara's diplomatic efforts to deescalate the war and regional security concerns. Watch the full episode: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wQl...
A deep dive on how the Iran war is reshaping Turkey-Iraq ties—and what to look out for next:
Turkey recap@turkeyrecap.bsky.social · 7mo agoOn today's podcast, Crisis Group's @lahibhigel.bsky.social outlined talks to reopen the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline to circumvent the Strait of Hormuz and export oil via Turkey. Also covered: Turkey-Iraq rapprochement, Turkey-Iran rivalry in Iraq and the PKK peace talks. www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKwn...
Mission accomplished? Top US allies are turning toward China instead. Blame Trump. www.politico.com/news/2026/03...
"By leaking ... that Kurds would fight alongside Israel and the US against Tehran, you place those groups in an impossible position before they have agreed to do anything." @ezgibasaran.bsky.social on the Iran war and its implications for the Turkey-PKK peace talks: www.youtube.com/watch?v=moK1...
On today's podcast, @hurcanasliaksoy.bsky.social outlined the implications of the Iran war for Ankara. And the potential impacts on Turkey-Israel competition across regional spheres of influence. Watch the full episode: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQXe...
One month after the northeast Syria offensive, Amy Austin Holmes joined our podcast to outline the Jan. 30 ceasefire deal between Damascus and the SDF— and ways prevent new conflicts in the Syria transition process. Watch the full episode: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRsA...
"Life feels like walking on a tightrope nowadays," a senior manager said. She is among Turkey's many middle-income earners who hold degrees and stable jobs, but whose purchasing power has eroded due to soaring living expenses and salaries that have failed to keep pace.
Analyst @ingrigoriadis.bsky.social on 'casus belli' — or Ankara's red line for war with Greece on territorial issues. ... and how both nations might work to deescalate tensions for greater regional and EU security after the Erdoğan-Mitsotakis meeting. Full podcast: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFtl...
A big thank you to Columbia's Sakıp Sabancı Center for Turkish Studies for inviting me to speak on journalism and ways to counter government attempts to dictate the news agenda without scrutiny. A bigger thanks to everyone who came out. Here's the full event for those who couldn't make it:
Journalism under authoritarian pressure:Reporting from Türkiye, Russia, and beyond
YouTube video by Sakıp Sabancı Center for Turkish Studies
youtube.com
Journalism has never been easy, but I think there are always opportunities for people who want to work in news media. Here are five tips that came from my conversations with journalism students in recent weeks. Feedback welcome.
Letter from the editor: Five opportunities for young journalists
AI slop is about to trigger a reconvergence of news media
turkeyrecap.com
EP Rapporteur on Turkey @nachosamor.bsky.social joined Recap radio to discuss Syria, migration and EU-Turkey relations amid ongoing security and defense partnerships. Full episode: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VccQ...