Sezen Kaya Sönmez
Turkey's proposed new waterway, 'Canal Istanbul', would connect the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. Sezen Kaya Sönmez describes how the project is about more than just transport, but has geopolitical, ecological, and climate aspects. Digging a new maritime corridor, she argues, threatens environmental resilience, regional stability, and long-term security Read more
İmren Borsuk
Homeland elections – particularly contentious ones – can trigger uprisings among expatriate populations. But as migrants organise protests from afar, home-country governments are increasingly developing ways to push back against them. İmren Borsuk explores how dissent travels among Turkey’s emigrants, and how the Turkish regime is responding across borders Read more
Gülşen Doğan
Gülşen Doğan describes how charismatic leadership, propaganda, and a commitment to stable governance are behind the rise of autocratic populists. Read more
Giorgos Venizelos
'Populism' and 'power' have an uneasy relationship. Key texts reveal three assumptions about populism's 'fate' in power: first, it becomes mainstream; second, it turns authoritarian; third, it fails/succeeds to implement policies. Giorgos Venizelos argues we must look beyond the myths about populism's content or outcomes, and turn instead to populism's function of constructing collective identities through discursive / affective performativity Read more
Pelin Ayan Musil
In the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections, Turkish opposition parties suffered catastrophic defeat. Several factors contributed to their surprise victory in the recent local elections. Pelin Ayan Musil and Sultan Tepe argue that shifting from alliance to party-centred competition gave opposition parties a striking advantage – and laid bare the vulnerabilities of President Erdoğan’s political strategies Read more
Hakkı Taş
Recent data indicates that countries led by more populist leaders are less likely to have a military with veto power. Hakkı Taş explores the populist centralisation of power that fosters control over the military, and the impact on civilian oversight Read more
Bengisu Savran
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's authoritarian AKP has governed Turkey for more than twenty years. The regime has consistently rolled back gender rights. Despite this, many women continue to vote for it. Why? Bengisu Savran suggests clientelism and welfare benefits may provide the answer Read more
Hazal Atay
Turkey is a textbook example of gender backlash. Hazal Atay explains the structure and strategies employed by the anti-gender movement in Turkey Read more
