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Thousands of young people across Turkey are protesting against the jailing of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main rival. Many say they no longer fear prison, claiming they have nothing left to lose. University students were among the first to take to the streets after Imamoglu was detained last month. They believe his arrest was politically motivated, though the government denies this.“We are all sick and tired of the oppression that has been going on for such a while, and we are all fed up with it,” said an Istanbul university student who did not want to be named for fear of retribution.“All these things that happened to Ekrem Imamoglu and all the other political people that are sent to jail, we are just fed up. We can't take it anymore, so we are here to protest against the government.”For another student, the protests go beyond Imamoglu's case.“Everyone realises that it is not just a problem about Ekrem Imamoglu. We have a lot of problems in our country because of the economy, the inflation, because of the justice, because of the femicide, we have a lot of problems with our country,” she said.Turkey's rivalry with Iran shifts as US threats create unlikely common groundYouth defy fear of arrestThe protests are the largest seen against Erdogan's government in more than 10 years.Until now, political apathy, a weak opposition and a harsh crackdown on dissent have left few willing to challenge Erdogan's AK Party. But the country's youth are emerging as a key force for change.“They were really the ones that carried the first protests, they were the vanguards,” said Sezin Oney, a political commentator with Halk TV.Oney said many young people are losing hope due to widespread nepotism and corruption.“If you are not connected to somebody, even if you get the best education, then it does not matter; you have to have connections; this is how they are feeling," she said."They are striving for certain values; they are describing it as something that has to do with justice, with democracy, everything this government doesn't represent."Turkey's opposition calls for boycott as anti-Erdogan protests continueEconomy in free fallTurkey's youth have grown up in a country where 90 percent of the media is controlled by the state or its allies, and schools are designed to produce what Erdogan once called a loyal, pious generation.But that goal seems out of reach. “An overwhelming majority of the young people right now in Turkey prefer a pluralistic democratic system to a one-man strong system,” said Can Selcuki, head of Istanbul Economics Research, a polling firm.Selcuki said the sharp divides between secular and religious youth, once used by Erdogan to hold onto power, are fading as shared economic problems take centre stage. Turkey faces double-digit inflation and high youth unemployment.“As the economy is spiralling down, these young people find more common denominators in this worsening economy, making identity leverages disappear,” said Selcuki.“So the bad situation of the economy is bringing these young people together in a more socio-economic level, from a more class perspective.”Erdoğan tightens his grip with crackdown on protests while Europe stays silentCrackdown on dissent widensThe unrest has now spread to high schools, after the government decided to redeploy tens of thousands of teachers. Pupils in schools across the country have staged rare protests.Erdogan has reportedly asked his party to investigate the causes of the growing discontent.For now, the government is vowing to crack down. Court cases have begun against hundreds of protestors, most of them students, with prosecutors seeking up to three-year prison terms.Many detainees say they were beaten in custody, which authorities deny.New laws are also being discussed to curb further unrest. “There is a new crime they (the government) are trying to formulate, ‘disturbing the public order.' When you create this crime, then you can arrest basically anyone,” said Oney.“But I don't think it will succeed. The thing is especially the youth is thinking they have nothing to lose, they have reached their tipping point. There will be more arrests and more protests, it will be a vicious cycle, unfortunately.”Turkey is already seeing record numbers of highly educated people leave the country, but many young protestors say leaving is not an option. For them, staying and resisting is the only choice they have left.

The Turkish opposition has vowed to fight "until the end" against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with the leader of the CHP party accusing the head of state of staging a "coup" in arresting Istanbul's opposition mayor.  Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel has demanded a snap election that he said would serve as the "biggest no confidence vote in history" against President Erdogan, following the arrest last month of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, seen as the president's chief challenger."Erdogan carried out a coup against his own rival. He carried out a coup against the next president of Turkey, our presidential candidate. That is why our resistance and struggle against this will continue until the end," Ozel told French news agency AFP.Imamoglu's arrest sparked the biggest opposition protests to grip Turkey since 2013, although the demonstrations have dipped in intensity over the past 10 days amid holidays marking the end of Ramadan.To maintain momentum, the CHP is now calling for rallies in an Istanbul district every Wednesday and a rally on Sunday in the key port city of Samsun, on the Black Sea.Polls indicate that Imamoglu could end Erdogan's almost quarter-century grip on power if he was allowed to stand in Turkey's 2028 presidential electionThe Istanbul mayor was arrested on 19 March on charges related to corruption and organised crime. He appeared in court on Friday on charges of insulting a public official, with prosecutors calling for a seven-year jail sentence.Imamoglu denies all charges and claims the accusations are politically motivated.EU urges Turkey to 'uphold democratic values' after mass arrests at protestsCalls for boycottThe CHP is now also aiming to broaden the protest campaign by boycotting businesses linked to Erdogan and his supporters."Ozel realised that just inviting people to the streets is not going to help much," political consultant Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners told RFI."There is a large segment of Turkish society that, either because they fear the police or [for cultural reasons], are not used to protesting on the streets. Now, this boycott campaign allows everyone, whether they are CHP voters or not, to show their support by simply not buying anything."Social media videos urging the boycott identify the companies linked to Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AK), from supermarkets to coffee shop chains.The British rock group Muse cancelled their upcoming concerts in Turkey following calls by the opposition, as the promoter was linked to Erdogan's AK Party. "The boycott is the right decision, it is a long overdue decision that needs to be made," said one tradesman, who didn't want to be identified. "If the government continues in this way, the country will get worse. The boycott initiated by Ozgur Ozel is very relevant. We are participating as tradesmen. The shopkeepers in the area all participate."Erdoğan tightens his grip with crackdown on protests while Europe stays silentStudents releasedHowever, others have questioned the tactics. "I am totally against the boycott call," one local said. "It is our national income, and there is no point in boycotting some to cover up the theft of others. Let them [the opposition] get elected, let them take over the country, that's what I am saying."Erdogan is threatening to punish those behind the boycott campaign. "Every kind of sabotage aimed at Turkey's economy and the nation's prosperity and peace will be held accountable in court," he told parliament.Police have begun arresting people in dawn raids for social media posts supporting the boycott.Almost 2,000 people, including many students, have been arrested in the crackdown on the protests in support of Imamoglu. However, an Istanbul court on Friday ordered the release of 59 young demonstrators, on top of 107 who were detained earlier.The court explained its decision by pointing to the "risk of interruption of their studies" for the students accused.

The lawyer of Istanbul's jailed mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has now been arrested, alongside several more journalists, following the country's biggest demonstrations against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan since 2013. Ten days after the arrest and subsequent jailing of Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, thousands of demonstrators have continued to protest on the streets of Istanbul, despite a ban.A popular opposition politician, Imamoglu is seen as the only person capable of defeating Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the polls in 2028.Imamoglu was arrested last Wednesday on corruption and terror charges and remains in jail.Turkey braces for more protests over Istanbul mayor's arrestDespite this, his party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), declared him its presidential candidate in absentia, after holding a symbolic nationwide vote last weekend that saw almost 15 million people cast a ballot.On Thursday night, police raided more homes, with Imamoglu saying his lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan had been "detained on fictitious grounds," in a post published via the mayor's legal team on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).It was not immediately clear why Pehlivan had been detained, but opposition broadcaster Halk TV said his arrest was linked to allegations of "laundering assets originating from a crime".Young protestersThe Istanbul Bar Association meanwhile said 20 minors had been arrested between 22 and 25 March on charges of violating a ban on protests.Of these 20, 13 had been released but seven were still in custody, it said in a statement posted on X, adding that it was "closely following" the matter.Many of those demonstrating have only ever known Erdogan as Turkey's leader."We have the right to vote, we have the right to choose whoever we want to rule us. But he [Erdogan] is taking that right from us," one protestor, who wished to remain anonymous, told RFI.Turkey's Erdogan wins election, extending rule to third decadeAnother demonstrator who also did not want to give his name added: "We want democracy, we want the people to choose who is elected. We want the free will to choose who we want without them being imprisoned."The unrest is at a level unseen since the Gezi protests of 2013, which almost saw Erdogan ousted. Demonstrations have spread across the country since last week, even reaching the president's traditional strongholds.Students have launched a nationwide boycott of universities, and opposition leaders are warning of a new escalation in their protests.Strategy could backfireTurkey expert Gonul Tol of the Washington-based Middle East Institute think tank told RFI that Erdogan's strategy may backfire this time."In 2019, when Ekrem Imamoglu won the municipal elections in Istanbul, Erdogan didn't accept the result and called for a rerun," she explained."While in the first round, Imamoglu won by a razor-thin majority, in the second round people got so angry and frustrated that they handed Imamoglu a bigger win. So this could easily backfire, and now that there are hundreds of thousands of people on the streets, this could turn into something much bigger than Erdogan had expected."However, Erdogan has doubled down, warning that protestors will pay a heavy price."Those who are involved in treason and who set up an ambush for the brotherhood of the nation will sooner or later be held accountable to justice," he told his AK Party parliamentary deputies on Wednesday.Turkish radio ban is latest attack on press freedom, warn activistsThe president has also taken aim at the media. Turkish authorities on Wednesday detained BBC journalist Mark Lowen, then deported him on the grounds he posed "a threat to public order," the UK broadcaster said.Also on Thursday, Turkey's government-controlled regulatory authority slapped the independent Sozcu TV station with a 10-day broadcast ban and a fine, pointing to alleged violations linked to incitement to "hatred and hostility".Police also detained two Turkish journalists in dawn raids on their homes, the Turkish Journalists' Union (TGS) said on X.Deputy chairman of the CHP party Ilhan Uzgel says early elections are the only way to put an end to the crisis.He warned: "It's damaging the image of the country, it's damaging the economy, it's damaging the social structure of the society in Turkey. The judiciary is the least trusted institution in Turkey; it can't continue like this."

A new law that threatens to cull millions of street dogs in Turkey has sparked nationwide anger. While President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists the strays are a public health risk, critics say the move is an attempt to distract from bigger problems. Under controversial legislation currently passing through parliament, local authorities would be responsible for rounding up stray dogs, which would be killed after 30 days if an owner can not be found for them.Opponents claim as many as eight million street dogs could be at risk."They are planning to round them up into shelters, which we call death camps," said Zulal Kalkandelen, one of the animals rights activists taking part in a recent protest against the plan in Istanbul."For some time, there has been a campaign to fuel stray animal hatred," she declared."Our people, who have been living with street dogs for many years, in fact for centuries, are now being brought to the point where all these animals will be erased."Street dogs have been a part of Istanbul life for centuries. The proposed legislation evokes memories of a dark chapter in the city's past when, in 1910, street dogs were rounded up and left on a nearby island to starve.It has provoked emotive arguments in parliament, with MPs jostling one another and exchanging insults – opening another deep divide in an already fractured political landscape.But President Erdogan insists something must be done to control stray animals that, he argues, have become a menace to society, causing traffic accidents and spreading disease.Humane alternativesAddressing parliament, Erdogan claimed he was answering the call of the "silent majority"."The truth is that a very large part of society wants this issue to be resolved as soon as possible and our streets to become safe for everyone, especially our children," he declared."It is unthinkable for us to remain indifferent to this demand, this call, even this cry. Our proposals are no different from those of other countries in Europe."Mixed reactions as France prepares to simplify wolf culling rulesLawyer Elcin Cemre Sencan, who has helped organise protests against the proposed legislation, argues there are more humane ways to address people's concerns."There is a group of people who are disturbed by these stray animals or who are afraid even to touch them," she acknowledges. "But even if there are these concerns, the solution is not to put the dogs to sleep."Scientific studies have shown that sterilising animals, especially dogs, reduces not only their numbers but also attacks on people."Veterinary organisations have also pointed out that the cost of euthanising a dog is many times higher than sterilisation and vaccination.Diversion tactic?Some critics suggest politics could be behind the move.With Erdogan's conservative AK Party suffering heavy defeats in local elections this spring and Turkey grappling with near 100 percent inflation, opponents claim the Turkish president could be calculating that objections to his street dog legislation comes mainly from the secular opposition and hoping the issue will consolidate his religious base."We know our problems in this country; the world knows our problems. There is an economic crisis, and we have human rights problems everywhere. But they want to change the main topics to these animals," said Eyup Cicerali, a professor at Istanbul's Nisantasi University, at a recent protest against the legislation.  "They want to kill them all," he claimed. "We are here to protect our values, values of respect and dignity for human and animal rights. Life is an issue for all groups."According to one recent opinion poll, less than 3 percent of the Turkish public support the culling of street dogs.Some of Erdogan's MPs have even started speaking out against the law in the media, albeit anonymously. "This law makes us dog killers," one unnamed deputy was quoted as saying.Despite such misgivings, the legislation is expected to pass parliament later this month.But with the protests drawing together secular and religious animal lovers, and opposition-controlled local authorities declaring they won't impose the law, the stray dog legislation could prove a risky move for Erdogan.Where will Gaza stray dogs find shelter?

Protests in Turkey are intensifying over Azerbaijani oil deliveries to Israel. Despite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan imposing a trade embargo on Israel over its war against Hamas, the trade, which passes through a Turkish port, continues. Campaigners in Turkey advocating for a boycott of Israeli trade are focusing on Azerbaijan's oil supply to Israel via the Turkish port of Ceyhan.Oil protestsDemonstrators from the group Thousand Youth for Palestine recently targeted the Istanbul headquarters of SOCAR, Azerbaijan's state energy company, splashing red paint over its walls.Students at Istanbul's prestigious Galatasaray University  also protested against a speech by a senior SOCAR executive, accusing the company of having blood on its hands.Experts say Azerbaijan, a close ally of Israel, meets around 40% of Israeli oil needs, a trade that has not been affected by Israel's war on Hamas."Until now, Azerbaijan has not stopped its oil exports to Israel. On the contrary, they are going as normal, and this again a manifestation of the reliability of Azerbaijan and that it is a true partner of Israel," explained Gallia Lindenstrauss, an analyst with the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv."I would even say that since Azerbaijan opened an embassy in Israel just a year ago, trade relations have actually expanded," added Lindenstrauss.  Trade with IsraelProtests against Turkish-Israeli trade have hurt President Recep Tayyip Erdogan politically. Analysts say opposition to Israeli trade, along with an economic crisis, was a factor in March's local elections defeat of Erdogan's AK Party. Turkey cuts trade with Israel but seeks role in resolving Gaza conflict"Had there not been the economic crisis, probably they (Turkish voters) wouldn't also be so concerned about the trade with Israel," Sezin Oney, a commentator on Turkey's Politikyol news portal, said."But the economic crisis somehow removed the rosy glasses, rose-colored glasses of so many people in Turkey, including the AK party supporters," Oney added. "So they started to see things as they are and criticize the government and even Erdogan directly."Following his local election defeat, Erdogan imposed an Israeli trade embargo,  boasting that Turkey was taking the lead in standing up to Israel.However, with the Turkish president having close ties with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev and Azerbaijan's SOCAR energy company, Turkey's biggest international investor, analysts say Baku retains leverage over Ankara. Erdogan's local election defeat reshapes Turkey's political landscape Turkey talks tough on Israel but resists calls to cut off oil"Over the past few years, the Azeri-Israeli relationship has been consolidated; it is a bulwark against Iran as well in some regards," Mehmet Ogutcu of the London Energy Club, a grouping of government and energy sector leaders, said."Therefore, the Azeris, although I'm sure they are also unhappy with what's happening in Gaza as a result of the Israeli land forces attack, and they would probably impress on Erdogan not to go that far to stop this oil flow," added Ogutcu.Protests in Turkey against Azerbaijani oil exports to Israel are ongoing, prompting police to arrest organizers and thereby triggering further demonstrations.A mother of one of the detainees, addressing supporters outside an Istanbul courthouse, demanded to know why her son was detained for defending Palestine. The video of the speech went viral across Turkish social media.Analysts suggest that such expressions of anger can only serve to further undermine Erdogan's claims of leading international protests against Israeli actions in Gaza."The Turkish government said that they stopped trade with Israel, but somehow, it's continuing in other ways,"  Sezin Oney of the Politikyol news portal, said"So I think the real culprit, more so than Azerbaijan companies or Azerbaijan's Aliyev, or other circles in Azerbaijan itself, [is] the Turkish government, which is going to be held responsible by those protesting and by the conservative base specifically.With many protesters drawn from Erdogan's traditionally religious conservative base, analysts warn the political cost for the Turkish leader over the ongoing oil trade with Israel is likely to grow.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's worst electoral defeat in nationwide municipal elections has changed Turkey's political landscape. However, the Opposition's victory came at an awkward time. Turkey's Western allies were looking to strengthen ties with the Turkish President.  Turkey's main opposition CHP (Republican People's Party) gains in nationwide local elections are a significant reversal of the party's fortunes after Erdogan's resounding reelection last May."After the opposition's loss in the May elections, everybody thought the opposition was in a state of despair," explains Can Selcuki, head of Istanbul polling firm Economics Research."But that doesn't seem to be the case, and it's a turning point for the Turkish political landscape."It's the first time since 1977 that CHP has managed to come out number one in the popular vote."Threat of authoritarianismWith much of the media under his control and the judiciary targeting dissent, critics claim Erdogan's grip on power is tightening.Addressing supporters on election night Ekrem Imamoglu, the re-elected CHP mayor for Istanbul who Erdogan personally tried to unseat, claimed his victory was a stand against the global threat of authoritarianism."Today is a pivotal moment not only for Istanbul, but for democracy itself. As we celebrate our victory, we send a message that will reverberate worldwide,” Imamoglu told thousands of jubilant supporters."Democracy's decline is now ending," continued the mayor, "Istanbul stands as a beacon of hope, a testament to the resilience of democratic values in the face of growing authoritarianism." Deepfake videos used in local elections in Turkey as Erdogan battles for Istanbul Turkey's embattled civil society fears worst as foreign funding dries u Prosecutor seeks prison terms for alleged PKK members on trial in ParisMuted reactionsDespite this,Turkey's Western allies' response to the CHP's resounding victory was muted."There were no congratulations extended, even to Turkey's democracy, let alone to the opposition itself," Sezin Oney, a commentator for Turkey's Politikyol news portal, said.“[This] is a big contrast compared to the May elections because right after the May elections, the Western leaders, one after the other, extended their congratulations to Erdogan."So there is a recognition that Erdogan is here to stay, and they don't want to make him cross. And given that there is the Ukraine war on one side and the Gaza war on the other, they want a stable Turkey.”Turkey's location, bordering the Middle East and Russia, makes Ankara a critical ally for Europe and the United States in international efforts to control migration and contain Russia.Ahead of the March polls, Erdogan had been engaged in rapprochement with his Western allies, with Washington even inviting the Turkish President for a summit in May.However, Erdogan could still pose a headache to his Western allies as he ramps up his nationalist rhetoric in the aftermath of his defeat."We are determined to show that terrorism has no place in the future of Türkiye and the region," Erdogan said Thursday. "With the recent elections, this determination has been further strengthened."Massive military offensiveMeanwhile, Erdogan has warned that his army is poised to launch a massive military offensive into Northern Iraq and Syria against the Kurdish group PKK, including affiliates that work with American forces in fighting the Islamic State.A crackdown on the PKK, analysts say, will play well with conservative nationalist voters. Those voters were the ones with which the opposition scored its biggest successes in Central Turkey – a region known as Anatolia - for the first time in a generation."CHP has never been successful in those places before. These are places that are considered to be religiously conservative, or at least conservative," Istar Gozaydin, a Turkish religion and state relations expert at Istanbul's Istinye University, said."And that's also valid for Central Anatolia. Central Anatolia is usually much more nationalist and much more religiously sensitive, but for the first time, they've been successful.”It is not the first time Erdogan has sought to play the nationalist card. After the 2015 general election in which the president's AK Party lost its parliamentary majority, Erdogan launched military operations against the PKK across Turkey's predominantly Kurdish region, leveling many city centres.Erdogan's action resulted in his AK Party taking power in a second election later that year.Fix the economy"I'm sure there's a temptation," said analyst Can Selcuki, "but the facts on the ground do not allow it. Erdogan needs to fix the economy."Turkey's near 70% inflation and 50% interest rates, were widely seen as key factors in AK Party's defeat. But analyst Sezin Oney of Turkey's Politikyol news portal says a new conflict could change the political rules of the game."The economy is a concern, but there is a war psyche, then he [Erdogan] might be propagating," Oney added..Some Turkish analysts say the opposition victory will be viewed privately as inconvenient by some of Turkey's Western allies coming at a time of growing cooperation with Erdogan, with the fear now that Erdogan's resounding defeat could make the Turkish leader unpredictable at a critical time in both the Middle East and Russia's war with Ukraine.

On March 31st, Turkey held local elections across 81 provinces. These elections took place less than a year after national elections cemented President Erdogan and his AK Party's hold on power, which he had been consolidating for nearly 20 years through democratic backsliding. But these elections were different -- very different. Erdogan's AKP suffered huge defeats across the country, perhaps none more impactful and symbolic than the AKP's crushing loss in the Istanbul Mayoral race. As my guest today, Lisel Hintz, explains, these may have been local elections, but the results show a growing nationwide opposition to Erdogan and his authoritarian leadership style. Lisel Hintz is an Assistant Professor of International Relations at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. We kick off by discussing the implications of the election results before delving into a lengthy conversation about Istanbul's mayor, who is emerging as a prominent national leader challenging Erdogan.  

The World Central Kitchen has suspended operations in Gaza after an Israeli airstrike killed 7 aid workers. Another Israeli airstrike in Damascus is igniting fears of retaliatory strikes from Iran. Meanwhile, Turkey's nationwide local elections dealt Turkish President Erdogan's ruling AK Party a major electoral defeat, signaling a change in Turkey's political landscape, as the main opposition group claimed victory in major cities. Plus, the United States and United Kingdom signed an agreement on AI safety testing. Deborah Amos, Jamil Anderlini, and Ryan Heath join the Council's Ivo Daalder to discuss these issues.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is leading a battle to regain control of Istanbul in hotly contested local elections this month. However, opposition media is warning about deepfake videos in campaign ads, while international rights groups are voicing alarm over social media companies' willingness to comply with Turkish censorship ahead of the critical polls. Polls show the elections are going to be a tight contest. But as Erdogan's AK Party steps up efforts to regain control of Istanbul, an artificial intelligence-generated video of incumbent mayor Ekrem Imamoglu praising Erdogan for his achievements in Istanbul has been circulating on social media. Independent media warn of the threat of fake news, as mainstream media, which is mostly under government control, are not verifying the authenticity of the videos.Deepfake videos"Deepfake videos are usually not posted on news sites, but they reach millions of people as advertisements. These stick to the candidate." explains Hikmet Adal , social media editor at Bianet, an independent news portal."The voting segment in Turkey is 40 million. When you ask people if Ekrem Imamoglu actually said this, they will say 'he did' because they only follow the mainstream media," added Adal.During last year's presidential elections, Erdogan used a video falsely showing his opponent Kemal Kilicdaroglu with leaders of the Kurdish separatist group the PKK, which is fighting the Turkish government.Yaman Akdeniz of Turkey's Freedom of Expression Association fears more fake news videos will appear as election day draws closer."We will witness more of these leading into the local elections, which is of course a major concern," warns Akdeniz,"And there were some examples of that prior to the May 2023 general elections. A photo of the opposition leader came out with PKK leaders. Even the president of Turkey commented , saying that he knows that it is fake, but they still used it."Turkey's small independent media sector, which is crucial to the exposing of fake news is facing increasing pressure from Turkish authorities. Much of their news is blocked on social media."What we've seen is that very, very often material, mainly news on social media, is removed and blocked online," explains Emma Sinclair-Webb senior Turkey researcher of Human Rights Watch. Call for actionHuman Rights Watch was among 22 international rights groups calling on social media companies to stand up to Turkish authorities' demands for removal of postings."It's very concerning to see that authorities are willing to clamp down on free speech, but social media companies themselves are not robust enough to stand up to this pressure," added Sinclair-Webb,"We want them to be more transparent and to work together in raising concerns about requests by Turkey to block content that is clearly within the boundaries of freedom of expression and also to contest others in court in Turkey. " Turkey's presidential challenger faces uphill battle to unite opposition Volunteer army of election monitors prepare to protect Turkey's voteA growing number of prosecutions of independent media under a new disinformation law adds to the pressures they face. Many Turks are now turning to international news platforms.But Turkish authorities are blocking internet access to foreign news sources which broadcast in Turkish like Deutsche Welle and Voice of America.These portals are only accessible by a virtual private network, or VPN, which circumvents the ban. But now, some of the most widely used VPNs also face restrictions.  Attack on football referee exposes anti-elite resentment in divided Turkey "Restricting access to the internet has become a sort of playbook for regimes and authoritarian governments. And so we see across the world an increase in VPN usage, especially in countries like this, like Turkey," said Antonio Cesarano of Proton, a VPN provider. "It's a cat-and-mouse game. We will try our best to keep fighting and to keep investing in technology that can bring people back online."Turkish based independent news providers  warn they are facing a losing battle in verifying fake news."As  alternative media, it is not possible for us to fight against this," said Bianet, social media editor Adal."Our teams are very limited to 20 people, maybe 15 people, at maximum. But there is an army behind this.With opinion polls indicating the Istanbul election too close to call, analysts warn the danger of fake news is likely to grow along with pressure on independent news.

The assault of a referee at a Turkish professional football match has drawn international condemnation and the unprecedented suspension of all league games. But it's also brought into focus the wider spectre of violence against public officials in Turkish society, which some blame on the polarising politics of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. After a week-long suspension, Turkish football supporters returned to the stadiums a few days ago.Play had been suspended for a week after a referee was punched and then kicked on the ground by senior club officials of a major league team.Halil Umut Meler, who often referees international games, was hospitalised in the incident, which drew worldwide condemnation.But the assault also brought into focus the growing violence faced by many public professionals in Turkey. Turkish football plunges into crisis after referee attackIn a video circulating on social media, doctors ask why they are the target of assaults, a problem medical professionals say is increasingly urgent.The Turkish Physicians' Association claims there has been a 600 percent rise in violent attacks over the past decade.Healthcare staff have been protesting for more than a year over rising casualties within their profession and what they claim is government indifference."Lots of doctors are dying. Also, lots of nurses are dying in our country," said Berkay Unlu, a doctor at a state hospital in Izmir."No one cares about that," he said, exasperated. "It's so important; we are doctors, we are just working for our public."Political gulfAccording to unions, schools are also witnessing a similar surge in violence against staff.Some analysts say it's symptomatic of a growing gulf in Turkish society, fuelled by years of populist politics driven by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AK Party, whose voting base is poor and religiously conservative.Erdogan often accuses the elite of undermining his rule – most recently, academics drew his fire."What Erdogan and the AK Party are propagating is that they're representing the real people. So they're coming from the grassroots, and they're representing the true native culture of Turkey," explains Sezin Oney , a commentator for the PolitikYol news portal."Then you have the opposition, who are the traitors, the elite, the people who are to be castigated – and this polarisation always works because that gives the idea that they are the majority," she says."And you have a minority which can be just bashed, stepped upon." Turkey's Pride struggling to survive amid LGBTQ+ crackdownScapegoatsErdogan's government rejects such claims, insisting it has introduced increased legal protection for doctors and other professionals.But critics say such measures aren't being enforced.With the country facing growing economic woes that are impacting services, professionals claim they are becoming the scapegoats for growing public anger."They don't see the real reasons for their problems and target the health professionals instead of the system, so violence escalated," warns Doctor Sebnem Korur Fincanci, chair of the Turkish Medical Association and a renowned human rights activist, who has herself faced legal woes under Erdogan."The frustration, unfortunately, was just reflected towards health professionals instead of the government."Brain drainThe growing violence is leading to an exodus of professionals from Turkey."I think it's a big problem because it's first leading to brain drain – these are highly educated individuals who have a certain expertise and a certain profession that they can practice elsewhere," says analyst Oney. 'Lost hope': Inflation, abuse force doctors to quit Turkey"When you have a deficit of health workers, doctors and teachers, there is deterioration in the health system. There is deterioration in the education system," she says, warning that Turkey is facing a vicious circle."This is, of course, causing social crisis after social crisis. It's going to be a much unhappier, much more discontented society. And this leads to more violence."The beating of Meler, one of Turkey's highest-profile referees, has become a symbol of the dangers faced by many professionals who serve the public – and the wider risks of the deepening polarisation in Turkish society.

Campaigning is still underway in Turkey ahead of Sunday's election, with President Erdogan facing what's been called the toughest challenge in his career. Also, Thais go to the polls and many are looking for a complete change. Plus the cyclone threatening coastal Bangladesh. And we hear from the Swiss village evacuated because of the climate crisis. (Image: Turkish President and Leader of the Justice and Development (AK) Party, Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) attends the election rally organized by AK Party in Umraniye district of Istanbul, Turkiye on May 13, 2023. Credit: TUR Presidency/Murat Cetinmuhurdar / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

It took a jury just a few hours to reach a unanimous verdict, but the effects could last decades. E. Jean Carroll has been awarded $5 million – but even more importantly for her, and for all other victims, a jury believed her case that former President Trump sexually abused and defamed her more than 25 years ago.  Rebecca Traister is writer-at-large for New York Magazine, the outlet that first broke the E. Jean Carroll story. She joins Christianne to discuss the implications of the verdict.  Also on today's show: Harun Armagan, Former spokesman for Turkey's ruling AK Party, and Bilge Yılmaz, Deputy Chairman, IYI Party; Ashlee Vance, Author, “When the Heavens Went on Sale” To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

*) Myanmar confirms deadly air strike that is feared to have killed 100 Myanmar's ruling junta has confirmed that it carried out an air strike on a village in which some 100 people were reported to have been killed. UN rights chief Volker Turk said he was "horrified" by the strike that hit the remote Kanbalu township in the central Sagaing region. Initial reports put the death toll at around 50, but later tallies reported by independent media raised it to about 100. Turk said it included schoolchildren. The junta claimed that some of the dead were anti-coup fighters. *) US seeks to reassure allies after Ukraine-related documents leak Top US diplomat Antony Blinken and defence chief Lloyd Austin have spoken with their Ukrainian counterparts to reassure them after secret documents leaked online. The breach includes classified information about Ukraine's battle against Russian forces, as well as secret assessments of US allies. One document reviewed by the AFP news agency highlighted US concerns about Ukraine's capacity to keep defending against Russian strikes. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that another document expressed doubts about the success of an upcoming offensive by Kiev's forces. *) Pakistan slams India's decision to hold G20 meet in disputed Kashmir Pakistan has condemned India's decision to hold Group of 20 meetings in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir next month. Its Foreign Ministry accused India of acting in "disregard of the UN Security Council resolutions and in violation of the principles of the UN Charter and international law." India's Foreign Ministry did not immediately comment on the statement from Pakistan. *) Türkiye's Erdogan unveils AK Party's election manifesto Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced his governing Justice and Development Party's manifesto ahead of the May 14 elections. Speaking in the capital Ankara, Erdogan unveiled a 23-point election manifesto, which firstly focuses on support for earthquake victims in southern Türkiye. He said 81 provinces will be transformed into disaster-resilient cities using what he called a "national risk shield model." *) NASA unveils 'Mars' habitat for year-long experiments on Earth Four small rooms, a gym and a lot of red sand – NASA has unveiled its new Mars-simulation habitat at the space agency's research base in Texas. During three planned experiments, volunteers will live in the habitat for a year at a time to test what life will be like on future missions to Mars. Four volunteers will begin the first trial this summer, during which NASA plans to monitor their physical and mental health to better understand astronauts' "resource use" on Mars.

*) Anwar Ibrahim is Malaysia's new prime minister After days of political impasse, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been appointed as Malaysia's new prime minister. King Al Sultan Abdullah confirmed his appointment on Thursday, five days after parliamentary election left no party with a clear majority to form a government. Anwar is set to be sworn in at 9∂ GMT. *) Ceasefire in eastern DRC to begin Friday African leaders gathered in Angola's capital Luanda have called for an “immediate ceasefire” in the Democratic Republic of Congo to start on Friday evening. The agreement aims to end the conflict between the Congolese army and M23 rebels in the east of the country. The conflict has raised tensions between the DRC and neighbouring Rwanda. The DRC accuses Rwanda of backing the armed group, which Rwanda denies. More than 5.5 million people have been displaced in the DRC, one of the world's most neglected humanitarian crises. *) President Erdogan on operation against Syria-based terrorists President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Türkiye could soon launch a land operation against terror groups in neighbouring Syria to protect its citizens and territory. Speaking to AK Party members, the Turkish president said that the fight against terrorism will go to wherever there's a threat against Turkiye. His comments come three days after the start of Operation Claw-Sword, which so far has seen multiple air strikes against the PKK/YPG terror group in northern Syria and Iraq. *) Kosovo and Serbia finally settle car licence plate dispute Kosovo and Serbia have now reached a deal to end a two-year dispute over car licence plates. The dispute could have triggered one of the worst regional crises in years. The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who helped with the negotiations, says both countries have agreed to avoid further escalation and concentrate on normalising relations. Thousands of ethnic Serbs living in northern Kosovo had refused to switch from Serbian license plates to Kosovar ones - even though Serbia required the same for Kosovars living there. And finally… *) China's daily Covid infections highest since pandemic began China has recorded more than 31,000 Covid-19 cases, its highest number since the pandemic began. This comes despite the government's zero-tolerance approach, including strict lockdowns and travel restrictions which have sparked sporadic protests. On Wednesday, workers at the world's largest iPhone factory in central China, Foxconn, were seen protesting against the restrictions. Clashes with police continued into the night.

A serious mistake. That's how Ankara described recent remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron. The French leader, who was speaking with African youth on the sidelines of the COP27 summit in Egypt, accused three countries, including Türkiye, of engaging in imperialism in Africa. Macron specifically blamed China, Russia and Türkiye, for engaging in actions that were far worse than those of France. Omer Celik, a spokesperson for the Türkyie's ruling AK Party, said Macron's remarks reduced France's foreign policy to animosity towards Türkiye. He also highlighted France's own colonial past on the continent and its current military footprint that critics argue is fuelling anti-French sentiment. On Wednesday, Macron confirmed the end of the Barkhane military operation in the Sahel region, which began over a decade ago. He acknowledged the move came due to the negative consequences of its military actions in the region. So is France conceding that its policy in the Sahel was a failure, and does it have a new approach to tackle security challenges in the region? Guests: Jacques Reland Senior Fellow at Global Policy Institute Collins Nweke African Affairs Analyst

While the modern Turkish Republic was founded in the 1920s as a secular republic, the last two decades have seen this nation move from a democratic regime toward an authoritarian one. In this episode of Big World, SIS professor Doga Eralp joins us to discuss the political career and the politics of a man who's been Turkey's leader for most of that time period, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Professor Eralp breaks down Erdogan's rise to power, including how his controversial—and criminal—recitation of a poem played a role in that rise (2:48), and describes the beginnings of the leader's dominant AK Party (5:42). He then showcases how Erdogan has steered Turkey toward religious nationalism (8:21) and what motivated him to do so (15:33). To explain Turkey's current stance on the war in Ukraine, Professor Eralp describes Erdogan's unique relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin (18:27). He then describes why and how Turkey came to be the world's largest host of refugees and the role Erdogan has played in that situation (24:33). The episode concludes with Professor Eralp weighing in on whether Erdogan's power is waning and how much longer he may stay in power (28:19). During our “Take Five” segment, Professor Eralp shares five policies he would enact to improve Turkey's standing in the world (12:58).

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K197: Fifteen centuries, two faiths and a contested fate for Hagia Sophia   A Turkish court on July 10 annulled a 1934 government decree that had turned Istanbul's Hagia Sophia into a museum, opening the way for the sixth-century building to be converted back into a mosque. 一九三四年所頒布的一項政令，將伊斯坦堡的聖索菲亞大教堂改為博物館。土耳其法院七月十日廢除了此政令，為這座建於六世紀的建築改為清真寺闢出道路。 President Tayyip Erdogan, whose ruling AK Party sprung from political Islam, has said the cavernous domed building should revert to being a place of Muslim worship. 土耳其總統塔伊普‧艾爾多安所屬的執政黨「正義與發展黨」源於「政治伊斯蘭」〔屬宗教基本教義派，主張政教合一〕，他表示，這座有巨大深廣圓頂的建築應回復為穆斯林的禮拜場所。 Hagia Sophia is nearly 1,500 years old and served as one of the most exalted seats of Christian and then Muslim worship in the world, meaning that any change to its status will have a profound impact on followers of both faiths. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 聖索菲亞大教堂有近一千五百年之歷史，曾為世界上最崇高的基督宗教〔包含東正教、天主教、基督新教等〕與穆斯林敬拜場所之一，這意味其狀態的任何改變都會對基督宗教與伊斯蘭教之信徒造成深遠的影響。聖索菲亞大教堂也被聯合國教科文組織指定為世界遺產。 Hagia Sophia, or “Divine Wisdom” in Greek, was completed in 537 by Byzantine emperor Justinian. The vast structure overlooked the Golden Horn harbor and entrance to the Bosphorus from the heart of Constantinople. It was the center of Orthodox Christianity and remained the world's largest church for centuries. 希臘文「聖索菲亞」意為「神聖智慧」，由拜占庭帝國〔即東羅馬帝國〕查士丁尼大帝所建，於西元五三七年落成。其宏偉的建築俯瞰金角灣港口，以及由君士坦丁堡中心通往博斯普魯斯海峽的入口。它是東正教的中心，曾為世界上最大教堂，稱霸時間有數世紀之久。 Hagia Sophia stayed under Byzantine control — except for a brief seizure by Crusaders in the 13th century — until the city was captured in 1453 by Muslim forces of the Ottoman Sultan, Mehmet the Conqueror, who converted it into a mosque. 聖索菲亞大教堂一直由拜占庭帝國所控制──除了在十三世紀短暫被十字軍佔領──直到西元一四五三年，鄂圖曼帝國蘇丹「征服者穆罕默德」率穆斯林軍隊佔領該城，並將聖索菲亞大教堂改為清真寺。 The Ottomans built four minarets, covered Hagia Sophia's Christian icons and luminous gold mosaics, and installed huge black panels embellished with the names of God, the prophet Mohammad and Muslim caliphs in Arabic calligraphy. 鄂圖曼帝國建了四座宣禮塔，將聖索菲亞大教堂的基督宗教聖像及閃閃發光的金色馬賽克鑲嵌畫遮蓋住，並裝上數個巨大黑色牌子，以阿拉伯文書法寫著上帝、先知穆罕默德與穆斯林哈里發之名。 In 1934 Turkey's first president, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, forging a secular republic out of the defeated Ottoman Empire, converted Hagia Sophia into a museum, now visited by millions of tourists every year. 一九三四年，土耳其第一任總統穆斯塔法‧凱末爾‧阿塔圖克由戰敗的鄂圖曼帝國中建立起一世俗〔非宗教〕共和國，並將聖索菲亞大教堂改為博物館，如今每年有數百萬遊客參訪。 Erdogan, who has championed Islam and religious observance during his 17-year rule, supported the Hagia Sophia campaign, saying Muslims should be able to pray there again and raised the issue — which is popular with many pious AK Party-voting Turks — during local elections last year. 艾爾多安執政十七年以來，他一直倡導伊斯蘭教與宗教儀規，他支持聖索菲亞清真寺化運動，稱穆斯林應當可以再去那裡祈禱，並在去年的地方選舉期間提出此議題──在許多投票給正義與發展黨、信仰虔誠的土耳其人心中，此議題很受到歡迎。 Turkish pollster Metropoll found that 44 percent of respondents believe Hagia Sophia was put on the agenda to divert voters' attention from Turkey's economic woes. 土耳其民調機構Metropoll發現，有百分之四十四的受訪者認為，聖索菲亞大教堂清真寺化此時被提出，是為了轉移選民的注意力，減少關注土耳其困頓的經濟。 The pro-government Hurriyet newspaper reported last month that Erdogan had already ordered the status be changed, but that tourists should still be able to visit Hagia Sophia as a mosque and the issue would be handled sensitively. 土耳其親政府的《自由報》上月報導，艾爾多安已下令將聖索菲亞改為清真寺，但遊客仍可進入參觀，且相關問題將會有細緻的處理。 Outside Turkey, the prospect of change has raised alarm. 此山雨欲來的改變，在土耳其國境外引發了驚慌與擔憂。 Neighboring Greece, an overwhelmingly Orthodox country, said Turkey risked opening up a “huge emotional chasm” with Christian countries if it converts a building which was central to the Greek-speaking Byzantine empire and Orthodox church. 絕大多數民眾信仰東正教的鄰國希臘表示，如果土耳其將一座對講希臘語的拜占庭帝國與東正教教會極重要的建築進行改造，就可能會造成與基督宗教國家之間的「巨大的情感鴻溝」。 Pope Francis on July 12 joined an international chorus of condemnation of Turkey's decision to convert Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia landmark back into a mosque. “I think of Hagia Sophia, and I am very saddened,” Pope Francis said towards the end of his midday sermon in Saint Peter's Square. Turkey has criticized what it says is foreign interference. “This is a matter of national sovereignty,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. “What is important is what the Turkish people want.” 教宗方濟各七月十二日也加入國際言論，譴責土耳其決定將伊斯坦堡代表性的地標聖索菲亞大教堂改建為清真寺。「我念及聖索菲亞大教堂，我感到非常悲傷」，教宗方濟各在聖彼得廣場午間佈道結束時說道。土耳其認為這些言論是外國的干涉而加以批評。土耳其外交部長梅夫呂特‧恰武什奧盧說：「這是國家主權問題」。「土耳其人民想要的，才是重要的事」。 Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/07/21/2003740253   每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing 每週Vocab精選詞彙Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab 每週In-TENSE文法練習Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense   用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

Since the foundation of the AK Party on August 14, 2001, Turkish-American relations have gone through major regional and global challenges. The relationship has ebbed and flowed over the past two decades of AK Party governments under the leadership of President Erdoğan and different administrations in Washington. The Middle East has undergone major geopolitical transformations that the US and Turkey have sought to manage in the last twenty years in addition to numerous bilateral issues. The US invasion of Iraq in 2003, Iran nuclear issue, ongoing Syrian civil war are just a few of the regional challenges that both strained the relationship and created opportunities for cooperation. In what ways has the AK Party put its stamp on Turkish foreign policy in general and the US-Turkey relationship in particular? What are the current challenges and opportunities before a more robust partnership can contribute to peace and stability in the region? How can the US and Turkey overcome their bilateral difficulties and work together as NATO allies to tackle regional and global challenges? The SETA Foundation at Washington DC is pleased to host a distinguished panel of experts to discuss Turkish-American relations under the tenure of the AK Party. Speakers Çağrı Erhan, Professor of International Relations Altınbaş Üniversitesi, Member of Security and Foreign Policies Council of Turkish Presidency Akif Kireçci, Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences at Ankara Social Sciences University, Member of Security and Foreign Policies Council of Turkish Presidency Moderator Kadir Ustun, Executive Director at The SETA Foundation at Washington DC --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/seta-dc/support

When Sevilay, a 38-year-old, stay-at-home mom in Istanbul, learned she was pregnant with a third child, she agonized over what to do.“I became very upset when I learned about my pregnancy. I wondered whether I could do it or not. I was already having a hard time with two kids. There was nobody that could help me.”Sevilay, a mother of two in Turkey who had an abortion“I became very upset when I learned about my pregnancy. I wondered whether I could do it or not. I was already having a hard time with two kids. There was nobody that could help me,” said Sevilay, who asked that her full name not be used for privacy reasons.After thinking about it, she made the tough decision to have an abortion, something she needed permission from her husband to do, as is required by law in Turkey. She thought that would be the hardest part.Related: In Turkey, a conservative push to remove domestic violence protections is met with an uproarThe greater challenge, though, was finding a hospital willing to perform an abortion. Private hospitals cost too much, up to $500. But public ones kept turning her away.Turkey is one of the few majority-Muslim countries where abortion is legal, but access to them is becoming increasingly limited under the conservative government. Abortion has been legal in the country since 1983 — and wealthy women from places such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, where the procedure is banned, often turn to Turkish clinics. But it’s still deeply stigmatized in Turkey. In the last decade, the ruling conservative AK Party and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have been chipping away at reproductive rights. Police have busted back-alley clinics for low-income women while many public hospitals have stopped providing abortions altogether.In 2012, the government tried to reduce the 10-week pregnancy limit to six weeks, but feminists fought back and won. Erdoğan publicly calls abortion a crime and says women should have at least three children.Sedef Erkmen, who authored a book on the subject, told Duvar, a Turkish news site, that the “anti-abortion practices that have been systematically implemented since 2012 turned into a de facto ban.”Related: Turkey passes ‘draconian’ social media legislationPublic hospitals can simply refuse women access based on what the president says, not the law. So, low-income women — in many cases, Syrian refugees — turn to back-alley clinics that do the procedure illegally.Last year, news broke that police had raided a clinic fronting as a Syrian hair salon. Three people were arrested.Related: Expulsions, pushbacks and extraditions: Turkey’s war on dissent extends to EuropeAn all-too-familiar story Sevilay reached out to Mor Cati, a women rights group, which helped her find a public hospital to do the abortion for free. But she says that even that hospital’s staff tried to make her feel guilty, and threatened her.“They said, ‘If you come to this hospital for another abortion, we won’t let you in,’” she said.She had an abortion at nine weeks, one week before it becomes illegal in Turkey. Sevilay says she felt broken by the emotional toll and harsh treatment. After the abortion, she felt awful.“I felt bad. I woke up crying. To be honest, sometimes my heart aches.”Sevilay, a mother of two in Turkey who had an abortion“I felt bad. I woke up crying. To be honest, sometimes my heart aches,” she said.Unfortunately, Sevilay’s story is all too common in Turkey. That’s something that Hazal Atay can attest to. She’s an outreach coordinator at Women on Web, a Dutch-based platform that helps women get access to abortions in restrictive countries.Turkey banned Women on Web's website in 2016. But Turkish women still find ways to contact them. Many are faced with dire circumstances.Related: Turkey's president formally makes Haghia Sophia a mosqueLike one 22-year-old woman in Erzurum, whose letter Atay shared with The World, in English: “I’m sure this situation is difficult for everyone, but if my family learns about the pregnancy, they won’t let me live. I know you help a lot of people, but you don’t know where I live, and you don’t know my family. You are my only hope," the woman said in the letter, adding, “Please get back to me as soon as possible. I cannot trust anyone except you. This is a conservative city. Even if I go to the hospital ... they will let my family know about it. Please help.” Two other letters sent to them from women in Istanbul reflect the same desperation. One woman says she doesn’t have the money to get an abortion. Another has run away from a violent husband but needs his permission to abort her pregnancy.Sevilay says she is still criticized by some of her women friends for having an abortion. But she says she just wants what is best for her family: “I am trying to set higher standards for my children. I am trying to provide them a good life … I can give birth to five children and can raise them very well, but I can’t provide them good opportunities.”

When Sevilay, a 38-year-old, stay-at-home mom in Istanbul, learned she was pregnant with a third child, she agonized over what to do.“I became very upset when I learned about my pregnancy. I wondered whether I could do it or not. I was already having a hard time with two kids. There was nobody that could help me.”Sevilay, a mother of two in Turkey who had an abortion“I became very upset when I learned about my pregnancy. I wondered whether I could do it or not. I was already having a hard time with two kids. There was nobody that could help me,” said Sevilay, who asked that her full name not be used for privacy reasons.After thinking about it, she made the tough decision to have an abortion, something she needed permission from her husband to do, as is required by law in Turkey. She thought that would be the hardest part.Related: In Turkey, a conservative push to remove domestic violence protections is met with an uproarThe greater challenge, though, was finding a hospital willing to perform an abortion. Private hospitals cost too much, up to $500. But public ones kept turning her away.Turkey is one of the few majority-Muslim countries where abortion is legal, but access to them is becoming increasingly limited under the conservative government. Abortion has been legal in the country since 1983 — and wealthy women from places such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, where the procedure is banned, often turn to Turkish clinics. But it's still deeply stigmatized in Turkey. In the last decade, the ruling conservative AK Party and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have been chipping away at reproductive rights. Police have busted back-alley clinics for low-income women while many public hospitals have stopped providing abortions altogether.In 2012, the government tried to reduce the 10-week pregnancy limit to six weeks, but feminists fought back and won. Erdoğan publicly calls abortion a crime and says women should have at least three children.Sedef Erkmen, who authored a book on the subject, told Duvar, a Turkish news site, that the “anti-abortion practices that have been systematically implemented since 2012 turned into a de facto ban.”Related: Turkey passes ‘draconian' social media legislationPublic hospitals can simply refuse women access based on what the president says, not the law. So, low-income women — in many cases, Syrian refugees — turn to back-alley clinics that do the procedure illegally.Last year, news broke that police had raided a clinic fronting as a Syrian hair salon. Three people were arrested.Related: Expulsions, pushbacks and extraditions: Turkey's war on dissent extends to EuropeAn all-too-familiar story Sevilay reached out to Mor Cati, a women rights group, which helped her find a public hospital to do the abortion for free. But she says that even that hospital's staff tried to make her feel guilty, and threatened her.“They said, ‘If you come to this hospital for another abortion, we won't let you in,'” she said.She had an abortion at nine weeks, one week before it becomes illegal in Turkey. Sevilay says she felt broken by the emotional toll and harsh treatment. After the abortion, she felt awful.“I felt bad. I woke up crying. To be honest, sometimes my heart aches.”Sevilay, a mother of two in Turkey who had an abortion“I felt bad. I woke up crying. To be honest, sometimes my heart aches,” she said.Unfortunately, Sevilay's story is all too common in Turkey. That's something that Hazal Atay can attest to. She's an outreach coordinator at Women on Web, a Dutch-based platform that helps women get access to abortions in restrictive countries.Turkey banned Women on Web's website in 2016. But Turkish women still find ways to contact them. Many are faced with dire circumstances.Related: Turkey's president formally makes Haghia Sophia a mosqueLike one 22-year-old woman in Erzurum, whose letter Atay shared with The World, in English: “I'm sure this situation is difficult for everyone, but if my family learns about the pregnancy, they won't let me live. I know you help a lot of people, but you don't know where I live, and you don't know my family. You are my only hope," the woman said in the letter, adding, “Please get back to me as soon as possible. I cannot trust anyone except you. This is a conservative city. Even if I go to the hospital ... they will let my family know about it. Please help.” Two other letters sent to them from women in Istanbul reflect the same desperation. One woman says she doesn't have the money to get an abortion. Another has run away from a violent husband but needs his permission to abort her pregnancy.Sevilay says she is still criticized by some of her women friends for having an abortion. But she says she just wants what is best for her family: “I am trying to set higher standards for my children. I am trying to provide them a good life … I can give birth to five children and can raise them very well, but I can't provide them good opportunities.”

Turkey has announced the biggest natural gas discovery in its history and it could possibly be part of a much bigger reserve. If so, this would mean Turkey would drastically reduce its dependence on foreign energy. We discuss what this find in the Black Sea means for the country and the rest of the region. Plus, it has been 19 years since the founding of Turkey's ruling AK Party. We look at how Turkey has fared under their leadership over almost two decades. Guests Aura Sabadus Senior Energy Reporter at ICIS Filiz Katman Assistant Professor at Istanbul Aydin University Burhanettin Duran Professor at Ibn Haldun University Bugra Kanat Associate Professor at Penn State University

Over its nearly two decade history, the AK Party has guided Turkey through a tumulous era that saw multiple wars on its doorstep, economic reforms, and a failed coup that changed the nation forever. We discuss what lessons we can take from the past with the co-editors of the book: AK Party Years in Turkey: Domestic and Foreign Policy. Guests Burhanettin Duran Professor at Ibn Haldun University Bugra Kanat Associate Professor at Penn State University

Since its establishment 19 years ago, Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has transformed the country's politics, economy, and culture in many different ways. As a result of its consistent electoral and referenda successes for nearly two decades, the party has become the dominant party in Turkish politics in unprecedented ways. As the party sets out to tackle long-standing ethnic, religious and political challenges in the country, Turkey has emerged as a regional power seeking to assume a critical role in global issues. The SETA Foundation at Washington DC is pleased to host a webinar discussion on the transformation of Turkey under the AK Party over the last 19 years. Speakers Ravza Kavakcı Kan, Member of Parliament from AK Party and President of Interparliamentary Union Group at the Turkish Parliament Talip Kucukcan, Professor of Sociology at Marmara University and Former Member of Parliament from AK Party Huseyin Alptekin, Researcher, Strategy Studies, SETA Foundation in Istanbul Moderator Kadir Ustun, Executive Director, The SETA Foundation at Washington DC --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/seta-dc/support

Hanim Tosun feels at home at the Istanbul office of the Human Rights Association, also known as the IHD, its acronym in Turkish. It was here that she and a group of Kurdish women launched the first Saturday Mothers vigil 24 years ago.The Saturday Mothers is one of the longest-running peaceful protest movements in the world. On Saturdays since 1995, the women would gather in Istanbul's Galatasaray Square, a popular pedestrian shopping area, to demand the whereabouts of their sons, fathers and husbands who disappeared after Turkey's 1980 military coup. Their protest was inspired in part by the Argentine women in white who demanded to know the fates of loved ones who disappeared during their country's dictatorship.Today, Turkey's Saturday Mothers continue to meet in Istanbul — at the IHD office. And while many of the founding protesters are growing frail, their daughters are taking the reins. Some men have joined the movement, as well.Hanim Tosun’s husband, Fehmi Tosun, was among hundreds of Kurds who disappeared in the ’80s and ’90s, when Turkey’s conflict with its minority Kurdish population was at its height. Anyone who sympathized with Kurdish separatists could be targeted. Related: Biden said ISIS is ‘going to come here.’ Is he right?In the wake of another war Turkey is now waging against the Kurdish region of Syria, many Kurds fear that more of their loved ones will be kidnapped by militias and authoritarian regimes.US troops are crossing into Iraq as part of a broader withdrawal from Syria ordered by President Donald Trump, a decision that allowed Turkey to launch an offensive against the Syrian Democratic Forces, which for years was a US ally battling ISIS. (SDF is a leftist Syrian Kurdish militia considered terrorists by Turkey.)Turkey agreed to pause its offensive for five days under a deal with Washington. The truce expires late on Tuesday, just after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is set to discuss next steps in the region at a meeting in Russia with President Vladimir Putin.‘They’re going to catch me. They’re going to kill me.’The last time Hanim Tosun saw Fehmi Tosun was October 1995. She was upstairs in their Istanbul apartment when the yelling started. It was around 7 p.m., and a group of men were taking him away.“He was shouting a lot. He tried not to get in the [men’s] car, but they forced him to get in the car ... they were dragging him in. While I was trying to go downstairs, I yelled, ‘Get that car's license plate,’” she said. Her daughter, Jiyan Tosun, who was 9 years old at the time, heard her father scream. “[He shouted,] ‘They’re going to catch me. They’re going to kill me,’” Jiyan Tosun said. “I ran downstairs. My brother ran up to the car, but my father told him to let go because they might do the same to him.”Related: Does the chaos in Syria help ISIS?They never heard from Fehmi Tosun again.“We didn't understand that it was undercover policemen at first.”Hanim Tosun, Saturday Mothers“We didn't understand that it was undercover policemen at first,” who took her husband away, Hanim Tosun said.Fehmi Tosun is among at least 1,300 Kurds who have disappeared in Turkey’s conflict with its minority Kurdish population since 1935, according to Maside Ocak, a researcher with Turkey's Human Rights Association. Only 200 bodies of Kurds who've been killed have been identified, she said.Her own brother, Hasan Ocak, is among the dead — his body was identified by a Turkish soldier — while a local journalist found bones from two teenage Kurdish boys in a cave in 2016.At 53, Hanim Tosun is one of the youngest of the Saturday Mothers. Many of them are in their 80s and 90s now, and some have died without getting answers. The Turkish government banned them from meeting for 10 years, from 1999 to 2009.Related: Syrian civilians plea for 'no-fly' zoneIn recent years, Turkey has been cracking down on dissent by women. In March, police tear-gassed and stopped the International Women’s Day protest in Istanbul after 17 years of allowing it.Successive Turkish governments have targeted and harassed the Saturday Mothers. But the current government, led by the AK Party, generally left them alone.Until August 2018. On the 700th vigil, police swooped in with tear gas. They arrested dozens of protesters, including one of the pioneering Saturday Mothers, 83-year-old Emine Ocak, who is Maside Ocak’s mother. An image of Emine Ocak in 1997 alongside a photo of her last year being detained by police went viral on Turkish social media.  Video of Turkey: Clashes erupt as Saturday Mothers protest for missing  Since then, the government has banned the Saturday Mothers from gathering at Galatasaray.“The world heard about our struggle from Galatasaray. We want to return there. It’s like a sacred ground, for us.”Hanim Tosun, Saturday Mothers“The world heard about our struggle from Galatasaray. We want to return there. It’s like a sacred ground, for us,” Hanim Tosun said.Turkish officials say they blocked the vigils because the Kurdish militia group, the PKK, was using them as propaganda on social media. The Saturday Mothers say they have no connection to the PKK.Amnesty International is advocating for the government to allow the group back to the square.“It’s a place of historic importance. It’s a place of peaceful protest, not just for the Saturday Mothers actually, but sit-ins [and] small-scale protests over the years have taken place there,” said Milena Buyum, a campaigner for Amnesty. “Now, it’s encircled by iron barriers, and there’s a permanent police presence there discouraging and stopping anybody else. And this is a really big problem. The public space is being banned for people.”Keeping the protest aliveFor now, the Saturday Mothers have moved their sit-in to the human rights office.Jiyan Tosun is 34 now, and when her mom can’t make it to the Saturday sit-in, she often steps in. She’s studying to become a lawyer, she said, because she wants to fight in court, as well as the street.“Until the disappeared are found and the perpetrators are tried, our demands will remain the same. This has been my mother’s struggle since we were kids.”Jiyan Tosun, Saturday Mothers“Until the disappeared are found and the perpetrators are tried, our demands will remain the same," she said. "This has been my mother’s struggle since we were kids. Every week, my mother was going to the demonstration on Saturday … If we didn’t go with her, we were waiting in front of the TV, to see how much she would be beaten that week,” said Jiyan Tosun.At one Saturday protest earlier this year, Jiyan Tosun was stationed in front of the human rights office. About 150 people gathered for the vigil, carrying red carnations and photos. Nearby, about a dozen police officers in riot gear stood on alert.“I’m angry because the reason we’re here is the government … They are just standing in front of us and actually preventing us from finding our relatives,” she said. Fariba Nawa/The World  Credit: Saturday Mothers meets every Saturday to demand the whereabouts of their missing husbands, fathers and sons. But Hanim Tosun says she doesn’t go as often as she used to.Related: For many US military vets, the offensive against the Kurds is personalShe said it’s painful to keep retelling her husband’s story. “When I was getting arrested, there was a lot of violence: kicking, slapping, tear gas, batons. But in jail, they didn’t touch us. One time, they put us in solitary confinement,” said Hanim Tosun, who has been arrested numerous times over the years.And she doesn’t like to discuss the details in front of her kids.“The hardest thing for me has been hiding the pain from my kids and enduring it in silence when I’m with them.”Hanim Tosun, Saturday Mothers“The hardest thing for me has been hiding the pain from my kids and enduring it in silence when I’m with them,” Hanim Tosun said.But she said that despite the pain, she will continue her activism. It’s still important for the world to hear them, so more people don’t disappear like her husband did.She and the Saturday Mothers have gotten recognition and support for their struggle. The Irish band U2 recognized Fehmi Tosun in their 1997 album, “Pop,” and the Tosun family met the band members after an Istanbul concert in 2010.“Our government doesn’t hear our voice. Somewhere far away, they hear us," Hanim Tosun said. "Our struggle is not in vain. I’m happy to see that."Reuters contributed to this story. 

Hanim Tosun feels at home at the Istanbul office of the Human Rights Association, also known as the IHD, its acronym in Turkish. It was here that she and a group of Kurdish women launched the first Saturday Mothers vigil 24 years ago.The Saturday Mothers is one of the longest-running peaceful protest movements in the world. On Saturdays since 1995, the women would gather in Istanbul's Galatasaray Square, a popular pedestrian shopping area, to demand the whereabouts of their sons, fathers and husbands who disappeared after Turkey's 1980 military coup. Their protest was inspired in part by the Argentine women in white who demanded to know the fates of loved ones who disappeared during their country's dictatorship.Today, Turkey's Saturday Mothers continue to meet in Istanbul — at the IHD office. And while many of the founding protesters are growing frail, their daughters are taking the reins. Some men have joined the movement, as well.Hanim Tosun's husband, Fehmi Tosun, was among hundreds of Kurds who disappeared in the '80s and '90s, when Turkey's conflict with its minority Kurdish population was at its height. Anyone who sympathized with Kurdish separatists could be targeted. Related: Biden said ISIS is ‘going to come here.' Is he right?In the wake of another war Turkey is now waging against the Kurdish region of Syria, many Kurds fear that more of their loved ones will be kidnapped by militias and authoritarian regimes.US troops are crossing into Iraq as part of a broader withdrawal from Syria ordered by President Donald Trump, a decision that allowed Turkey to launch an offensive against the Syrian Democratic Forces, which for years was a US ally battling ISIS. (SDF is a leftist Syrian Kurdish militia considered terrorists by Turkey.)Turkey agreed to pause its offensive for five days under a deal with Washington. The truce expires late on Tuesday, just after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is set to discuss next steps in the region at a meeting in Russia with President Vladimir Putin.‘They're going to catch me. They're going to kill me.'The last time Hanim Tosun saw Fehmi Tosun was October 1995. She was upstairs in their Istanbul apartment when the yelling started. It was around 7 p.m., and a group of men were taking him away.“He was shouting a lot. He tried not to get in the [men's] car, but they forced him to get in the car ... they were dragging him in. While I was trying to go downstairs, I yelled, ‘Get that car's license plate,'” she said. Her daughter, Jiyan Tosun, who was 9 years old at the time, heard her father scream. “[He shouted,] ‘They're going to catch me. They're going to kill me,'” Jiyan Tosun said. “I ran downstairs. My brother ran up to the car, but my father told him to let go because they might do the same to him.”Related: Does the chaos in Syria help ISIS?They never heard from Fehmi Tosun again.“We didn't understand that it was undercover policemen at first.”Hanim Tosun, Saturday Mothers“We didn't understand that it was undercover policemen at first,” who took her husband away, Hanim Tosun said.Fehmi Tosun is among at least 1,300 Kurds who have disappeared in Turkey's conflict with its minority Kurdish population since 1935, according to Maside Ocak, a researcher with Turkey's Human Rights Association. Only 200 bodies of Kurds who've been killed have been identified, she said.Her own brother, Hasan Ocak, is among the dead — his body was identified by a Turkish soldier — while a local journalist found bones from two teenage Kurdish boys in a cave in 2016.At 53, Hanim Tosun is one of the youngest of the Saturday Mothers. Many of them are in their 80s and 90s now, and some have died without getting answers. The Turkish government banned them from meeting for 10 years, from 1999 to 2009.Related: Syrian civilians plea for 'no-fly' zoneIn recent years, Turkey has been cracking down on dissent by women. In March, police tear-gassed and stopped the International Women's Day protest in Istanbul after 17 years of allowing it.Successive Turkish governments have targeted and harassed the Saturday Mothers. But the current government, led by the AK Party, generally left them alone.Until August 2018. On the 700th vigil, police swooped in with tear gas. They arrested dozens of protesters, including one of the pioneering Saturday Mothers, 83-year-old Emine Ocak, who is Maside Ocak's mother. An image of Emine Ocak in 1997 alongside a photo of her last year being detained by police went viral on Turkish social media.  Video of Turkey: Clashes erupt as Saturday Mothers protest for missing  Since then, the government has banned the Saturday Mothers from gathering at Galatasaray.“The world heard about our struggle from Galatasaray. We want to return there. It's like a sacred ground, for us.”Hanim Tosun, Saturday Mothers“The world heard about our struggle from Galatasaray. We want to return there. It's like a sacred ground, for us,” Hanim Tosun said.Turkish officials say they blocked the vigils because the Kurdish militia group, the PKK, was using them as propaganda on social media. The Saturday Mothers say they have no connection to the PKK.Amnesty International is advocating for the government to allow the group back to the square.“It's a place of historic importance. It's a place of peaceful protest, not just for the Saturday Mothers actually, but sit-ins [and] small-scale protests over the years have taken place there,” said Milena Buyum, a campaigner for Amnesty. “Now, it's encircled by iron barriers, and there's a permanent police presence there discouraging and stopping anybody else. And this is a really big problem. The public space is being banned for people.”Keeping the protest aliveFor now, the Saturday Mothers have moved their sit-in to the human rights office.Jiyan Tosun is 34 now, and when her mom can't make it to the Saturday sit-in, she often steps in. She's studying to become a lawyer, she said, because she wants to fight in court, as well as the street.“Until the disappeared are found and the perpetrators are tried, our demands will remain the same. This has been my mother's struggle since we were kids.”Jiyan Tosun, Saturday Mothers“Until the disappeared are found and the perpetrators are tried, our demands will remain the same," she said. "This has been my mother's struggle since we were kids. Every week, my mother was going to the demonstration on Saturday … If we didn't go with her, we were waiting in front of the TV, to see how much she would be beaten that week,” said Jiyan Tosun.At one Saturday protest earlier this year, Jiyan Tosun was stationed in front of the human rights office. About 150 people gathered for the vigil, carrying red carnations and photos. Nearby, about a dozen police officers in riot gear stood on alert.“I'm angry because the reason we're here is the government … They are just standing in front of us and actually preventing us from finding our relatives,” she said. Fariba Nawa/The World  Credit: Saturday Mothers meets every Saturday to demand the whereabouts of their missing husbands, fathers and sons. But Hanim Tosun says she doesn't go as often as she used to.Related: For many US military vets, the offensive against the Kurds is personalShe said it's painful to keep retelling her husband's story. “When I was getting arrested, there was a lot of violence: kicking, slapping, tear gas, batons. But in jail, they didn't touch us. One time, they put us in solitary confinement,” said Hanim Tosun, who has been arrested numerous times over the years.And she doesn't like to discuss the details in front of her kids.“The hardest thing for me has been hiding the pain from my kids and enduring it in silence when I'm with them.”Hanim Tosun, Saturday Mothers“The hardest thing for me has been hiding the pain from my kids and enduring it in silence when I'm with them,” Hanim Tosun said.But she said that despite the pain, she will continue her activism. It's still important for the world to hear them, so more people don't disappear like her husband did.She and the Saturday Mothers have gotten recognition and support for their struggle. The Irish band U2 recognized Fehmi Tosun in their 1997 album, “Pop,” and the Tosun family met the band members after an Istanbul concert in 2010.“Our government doesn't hear our voice. Somewhere far away, they hear us," Hanim Tosun said. "Our struggle is not in vain. I'm happy to see that."Reuters contributed to this story. 

On today's show: The Trump administration's track record on human traffickingTurkish president suffers upsetA Chicagoland youth music... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The U.S. prepares to unveil additional sanctions against Iran, ramping up tensions between the two nations. President Trump says he is not looking for war, while the U.S. envoy to Iran tells CNBC exclusively that the administration has not discounted further negotiations. On trade, China urges Washington to be open to compromise in upcoming G20 talks with Beijing as further Chinese tech firms are added to the U.S. blacklist. Turkey's opposition party wins again in Istanbul. The re-run for the post of mayor is a major blow to the ruling AK Party and President Erdogan. And in corporate news, Daimler downgrades its 2019 profit forecasts as higher diesel provisions weigh on its outlook.

US President Donald Trump says he is imposing new, tougher sanctions on Iran. He stressed at the White House Monday that Iran can never be in possession of a nuclear weapon and says his administration will continue to increase pressure on Tehran. Trump said new sanctions were already in motion prior to last week's downing of a US drone by Iran. According to Trump, the sanctions are crippling Iran's economy. He also accused Iran of being the top sponsor of terrorism in the world. Officials in Tehran have described US sanctions against Iranian people as “economic war” and “economic terrorism,” and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said that since the sanctions include ordinary people, they are examples of “crimes against humanity.” Turkey's opposition has dealt President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a stinging blow by winning control of Istanbul in a re-run mayoral election, breaking his aura of invincibility and delivering a message from voters unhappy over his ever-tightening grip on power. Ekrem Imamoglu of the secularist Republican People's Party (CHP) secured 54.21% of votes, the head of the country's High Election Board announced on Monday - a far wider victory margin than his narrow win three months ago. The previous result was annulled after protests from Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party, which said there had been widespread voting irregularities. The decision to re-run the vote was criticized by Western allies and caused uproar among domestic opponents who said Turkey's democracy was under threat. Democratic US presidential candidates are hoping they garnered black support after attending a notable fish fry in South Carolina on Friday. Twenty-one of 24 presidential hopefuls gathered at the event hosted by the highest ranking black lawmaker in Congress, South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn. The fish fry is seen as a chance to build a voter base in the early primary state, which boasts a Democratic electorate that is primarily black, at 60%. Though South Carolina typically votes Republican, many Democratic candidates see it as a boon for winning the party nomination. Both Senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker have sought the attention of South Carolina voters, but former Vice President Joe Biden still dominates the field among black voters, with 52%. South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg is facing tough questions about the police killing of a black man in his city last week. The 2020 Democratic presidential candidate held a town hall Sunday for a crowd that at times booed and shouted over him. Mayor Pete acknowledged the lack of trust between the black community in South Bend and the police. He also pointed out reforms that he's already made as mayor but admitted that they might not have gone far enough. Trump says he's delaying his deportation raids for two weeks. He tweeted Sunday that he had delayed planned immigration raids in nearly a dozen cities because he wants to give Democrats "every last chance" to address immigration issues. ICE agents were expected to round up about 2,000 illegal immigrants around the country before Trump called off the raids. On Twitter, he warned that if progress is not made in Congress, "big deportation" begins in two weeks. GUESTS:Daniel Lazare — Journalist and author of three books: "The Frozen Republic," "The Velvet Coup" and "America's Undeclared War." Dr. Clarence Lusane — African-American author, activist, lecturer and chair of the political science department at Howard University.Oscar Chacon — Co‐founder and executive director of Alianza Americas, dedicated to improving the quality of life of Latino immigrant communities in the US, as well as of peoples throughout the Americas. Shermichael Singelton — Writer, political consultant and former CNN political commentator.

On today's show:Turkey's election board has ordered that the Istanbul mayoral election be re-run after the ruling AK Party alleged... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Daily News Brief for Tuesday, May 7th: *)Reuters journalists freed from Myanmar prison Two Reuters journalists in Myanmar who were jailed for reporting on security forces’ abuses of Rohingya Muslims have been pardoned and released after 511 days behind bars. Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo (Chow So Oo), 28, were among 6,520 inmates released under a third round of pardons by President Win Myint to celebrate the traditional New Year. The pair was arrested in December 2017 and later sentenced to seven years in jail in September 2018. *)US AG faces contempt vote in Congress over Mueller report US House Democrats will hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress for failing to produce a full, unredacted special counsel's report on the Russian election interference. Shortly after special counsel Robert Mueller’s report was presented to the Department of Justice, Barr said US President Donald Trump was cleared of conspiring with Russia as well as obstruction of justice. But Democrats accuse Barr of trying to protect Trump by refusing to present the full report or underlying evidence to Congress. *) All directly involved in Easter Sunday attacks dead or arrested – Sri Lanka police All those directly involved in the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka are either dead or under arrest. This is according to the acting police chief. The bombings killed 257 people and wounded hundreds at three churches and three hotels. Sri Lankan police detained 73 suspects since the bombings and have seized stocks of explosives as well as other assets connected to the attacks. *)Turkey’s election body orders mayoral poll rerun in Istanbul Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Council (YSK) announced the rerun of Istanbul’s mayoral election will be held on June 23. The council accepted the governing AK Party's objection to results of the March 31 local government elections in Istanbul. Seven members voted in favour and four against. The mayoral certificate of Ekrem Imamoglu, who is from the main opposition CHP, has also been cancelled. An interim mayor will be appointed for the time being. *) Nature under siege as a million species face extinction, UN warns And finally, A landmark UN report on biodiversity warns humans are driving a million species to the brink of extinction. Relentless plundering of nature by humans threatens societies “at least as much as climate change,” experts say. The accelerating pace of extinction – much faster than over the last 10 million years – could tip Earth into the first mass extinction since non-avian dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago. Experts urge a “transformative change” of how we produce and consume almost everything, especially food.

Thursday, April 18, 2019 Phase two of India's massive election gets underway, and researchers revive pig brains hours after death. This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Thursday, April 18th. India votes in phase two of general election India heads to the polls today for the second phase of voting in the country's general election. Polling will take place in over 90 constituencies across 13 states. The results of the seven-stage election are expected in May. Count has Widodo ahead, Subianto claims victory Early results from Wednesday's presidential election in Indonesia show Joko Widodo winning a second term. But his challenger, ex-general Prabowo Subianto, has claimed victory. The government, army and police say they will crack down on any attempt to disrupt public order as official results are tabulated. North Korea tests a new tactical weapon North Korea says it's tested a new tactical weapon. State media said Kim Jong-un observed the trial. It comes as talks with the US on ridding the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons are going nowhere. Some analysts see it as an attempt to prod the tiger, in other words, to see if Trump's rhetoric is actually anything more than hot air. CHP's Ekrem Imamoglu named Istanbul mayor Turkey's electoral council has installed the CHP's Ekrem Imamoglu as mayor of Istanbul. The CHP margin of victory was some 13,000 votes, or less than 0.2 percent of the vote. The defeated AK Party is alleging irregularities. It has appealed to the electoral council, or YSK as it's known, to annul the result and call a new election. Researchers revive pig brains hours after death And finally, New science has raised questions about the meaning of death. Researchers in the US have revived activity in pigs' brains, four hours after they were declared dead. The debate over the ethical and philosophical implications of the test is only just beginning. And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World... For more, head to TRTWorld.com.

On this week's podcast we discuss Turkey's recent local elections which saw a surge in support for President Erdogan's AK Party in the predominantly Kurdish region for the first time. Also, we discuss Turkey's joint military operations with Iran against the PKK.

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Wednesday, April 3rd. *)Abdelaziz Bouteflika steps down as Algerian president Algeria's long-time president Abdelaziz Bouteflika has stepped down. He resigned on Tuesday with immediate effect. It came just hours after the head of the military called for him to go, for the second time in just over a week. However, it's unclear whether Bouteflika's ouster will quell weeks of opposition protests. Many Algerians want a fresh government, not just a new face of power. *)Venezuela’s Guaido stripped of immunity Venezuela’s Constituent Assembly has stripped opposition leader Juan Guaido of his immunity from prosecution. President Nicolas Maduro set up the Constituent Assembly after he lost control of the National Assembly. Guaido is head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly. *)Election body to ‘reassess’ votes in eight Istanbul districts Turkey’s election body is recounting votes in eight of Istanbul's 39 districts after Sunday's local elections. In the race for mayor of Turkey's biggest city, the CHP's Ekrem Imamoglu had a narrow lead over the AK Party’s Binali Yildirim ahead of the recount. Nationwide, the governing AK Party and its MHP coalition ally defeated the opposition alliance by about 52 to 38 percent. *)Australian senator censured over NZ terror attack comments Australia's Senate has censured a far-right lawmaker for his comments blaming immigration for the terrorist attack on two mosques in New Zealand. Senator Fraser Anning was also egged by an irate teenager, whom Anning then slapped in the face. Fifty people died in the March 15 assault in the New Zealand city of Christchurch. And finally, *)Hundreds of tarantulas seized at Manila airport Customs officials in the Philippines probably thought it was snack time: gift-wrapped boxes of cookies and oatmeal flown all the way from Poland. Except it wasn't cookies and oatmeal. It was 757 live tarantulas. A man tried to claim them, saying they were "collectible items." He's been arrested.

Turisk president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's tough talk against the west isn't paying off with urban voters.His ruling AK Party has lost in local elections in Ankara, and he's seeking a recount in Istanbul where results are too close to call.Erdoğan showed footage of the Christchurch mosque attacks, in a bid to drum up support at campaign rallies.But Turkey correspondent, Hasan Abdullah, told Kate Hawkesby his anti-west rhetoric hasn't convinced many voters."They were trying to tie the economic conditions with the overall security and conspiracy from elements on the West. That has perhaps not gone down too well with people."He said Erdoğan certainly wasn't expecting this result."The ruling party was expecting to win Istanbul by a significant margin, it is a bit of a shock for them."

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Monday, April 1st. *)AK Party, MHP alliance leads nationwide in Turkey’s local elections The governing AK Party-led People’s Alliance is leading the vote count nationwide in Turkey's local elections. According to unofficial results, the alliance has almost 52 percent of the vote. The opposition CHP-Iyi alliance has won about 38 percent of the vote. Vote count confirms comic’s lead in Ukraine elections *)Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky has won the first round of Ukraine’s presidential election. But it wasn't enough to prevent a run-off on April 21. Zelensky's won just over 30 percent of the vote, with incumbent president Petro Poroshenko trailing on 17 percent. *)Vietnamese woman pleads guilty to lesser charge in Kim killing A Vietnamese woman accused of killing the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has escaped the death penalty in Malaysia. 30-year-old Doan Thi Huong pleaded down to causing harm by dangerous means. She was sentenced to three years four months, but is expected to be out soon, given continued good behaviour. *)Algeria’s Bouteflika reported to be set to resign this week Algerian media are reporting that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is likely to step down this week. Bouteflika has faced weeks of anti-government protests, mainly against him personally and his 20-year rule. Some in the opposition are, however, calling for a change of the entire leadership, not just a new president. And finally, *)Rapper Nipsey Hussle shot dead Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle has been shot dead outside his clothing store in south Los Angeles. Police said two other people were wounded in the shooting and they were in stable conditions. Hussle was 33. His debut studio album "Victory Lapé" was nominated for Best Rap Album at this year’s Grammys.

In the grand chessboard of geopolitics, Turkey plays an important role. Its fate could have a significant impact on the wider region. The path it’s heading down at present is one of authoritarian nationalism and war. In the 24th June elections, incumbent President Tayyip Erdogan secured 52.5% of the vote, and his AK Party 42.5% of the parliamentary vote. Alex Whisson caught up with Turkish writer, poet and activist Ron Margulies and began by asking about the apparent coup attempt of July 2016, and the repressive measures Erdogan took in its wake.

On Sunday, millions of Turkish citizen went to the polls and despite expectations that opposition front might deny the incumbent a first round victory, the AK Party’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan took the Presidency with over 50 % of the vote. This second terms comes with enhanced powers that detractors are calling a move to one-man rule. Erdogan on the other hand calls his a win for democracy and the religion of Islam, is a country sharply divided between secularists and Islamists. Today we explore the contradictory image of the man at the center of Turkish politics.

On Sunday, millions of Turkish citizen went to the polls and despite expectations that opposition front might deny the incumbent a first round victory, the AK Party’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan took the Presidency with over 50 % of the vote. This second terms comes with enhanced powers that detractors are calling a move to one-man rule. Erdogan on the other hand calls his a win for democracy and the religion of Islam, is a country sharply divided between secularists and Islamists. Today we explore the contradictory image of the man at the center of Turkish politics.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling AK Party claimed victory in presidential and parliamentary polls on Sunday, overcoming a revitalised opposition that in recent weeks had gained considerable momentum and looked capable of staging an upset. Stephen Starr reports on the win, which gives Erdogan sweeping executive powers and extends his grip on the nation of 81 million until at least 2023. In the second part of the show, Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch reports on the latest in the US immigration crackdown and president Donald Trump's reiteration of his zero-tolerance approach, calling for illegal immigrants who enter the country to be sent home immediately.

HARDtalk's Zeinab Badawi is in Ankara to speak to the Turkish Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim in an exclusive BBC interview. Politicians in Turkey from the ruling AK Party say they are trying to bring the country together after the divisive referendum giving the presidency greater powers. The government narrowly won the vote, but the result is still being questioned by opposition parties and no-voters. Protests claiming the poll was rigged have been widespread, but the electoral commission has upheld the outcome. Is the country sliding towards one-party dictatorship?

HARDtalk’s Zeinab Badawi is in Ankara to speak to the Turkish Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim in an exclusive BBC interview. Politicians in Turkey from the ruling AK Party say they are trying to bring the country together after the divisive referendum giving the presidency greater powers. The government narrowly won the vote, but the result is still being questioned by opposition parties and no-voters. Protests claiming the poll was rigged have been widespread, but the electoral commission has upheld the outcome. Is the country sliding towards one-party dictatorship?

Here, we present the first part of an interview with Merve Arkun, Hüseyin & Özgür, members of Devrimci Anarşist Faaliyet, or DAF. DAF translates to Revolutionist Anarchist Action and is a network of overlapping collectives in Turkey. They are based out of Istanbul and run an office and two cafe's, both called 26A, which is a meeting space and employer for collective members. This conversation was conducted on March 19, 2016, a few short hours after a DAESH (ISIS) bombing occurred in the Beyoğlu neighborhood of Istanbul, on the touristy street called İstiklal Avenue, just a few blocks from one of the collective's cafe's and their newspaper office. The bomb killed 5 people (4 tourists plus the bomber), and injured some 36 more. The tension in the city in the days before the bombing was palpable as trucks of riot police roved around the neighborhood, and embassies and foreign schools closed for security reasons. The approaching Newroz celebrations, or Kurdish New Years, were slated to take place a mere 2 days after this attack in the contentious Taksim Gezi Park so recently after the resumption of military and legal hostilities between Kurdish groups and aligned leftists and the Turkish government headed by the AK Party of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This decision most certainly would promise demonstrations and conflict between security forces and civil society around the right to the contentious park, and against the war on the Kurds both in Syria and Turkey by Erdoğan's government. Besides the 26A cafes, DAF includes an Anarchist Women's collective, a publishing project in the form of the Meydan Gazette (published monthly in paper form), and a youth collective, the Lycee (or High School) Anarchist Federation called LAF. In addition it organizes arts events and projects, and participates in labor organizing and solidarity with Kurdish resistance and the Rojava Revolution. DAF also organizes in tandem though autonomously with anti-militarist and anti-conscription activists in Turkey. Merve is an active member of the Meydan Gazette publishing crew, the Anarchist Women's collective and also in a seperate but related anti-militarist group. Hüseyin is a main editor of the Meydan Gazette and involved in the 26A cafes. Özgür is involved in Meydan & the self-defense program and the PATIKA ecological collective. Throughout this first hour: Merve, Hüseyin & Özgür talk about the collectivized economic and living structures of DAF and how that pans out to support collective members and build collectivized models for survival within and against capitalism. To see an article (in Turkish) about Esra Ankan, you can visit the Meydan Gazette's article here: Trans Tutsak Esra'yla Dayanışmaya

Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed July's failed military coup on the exiled Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and his followers. Since a 3-month state of emergency was declared, more than 50,000 people have been rounded up, sacked or suspended from their jobs in the military, educational institutions, the judiciary and the media. Gulen has denied involvement in the attempted coup. Turkey is around 97% Muslim. However, there have been growing concerns among many who see the conservative religious reforms of Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party as being in opposition to the modern secular republic established in the 1920s by nationalist leader Kemal Ataturk. What do recent events say about the place of religion in Turkey? How strong is the tension between secularism and Islamism? What does the future hold for religious freedom in Turkey? Ernie Rea discusses religion in Turkey with Bill Park, senior lecturer at King's College London and policy advisor for the Centre for Turkey Studies; Ozcan Keles, Muslim chairperson of the Gulen-inspired UK charity, the Dialogue Society; and Hakan Camuz; Muslim international legal consultant and supporter of the Turkish government. Producer: Dan Tierney Series producer: Amanda Hancox.

Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed July's failed military coup on the exiled Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and his followers. Since a 3-month state of emergency was declared, more than 50,000 people have been rounded up, sacked or suspended from their jobs in the military, educational institutions, the judiciary and the media. Gulen has denied involvement in the attempted coup. Turkey is around 97% Muslim. However, there have been growing concerns among many who see the conservative religious reforms of Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party as being in opposition to the modern secular republic established in the 1920s by nationalist leader Kemal Ataturk. What do recent events say about the place of religion in Turkey? How strong is the tension between secularism and Islamism? What does the future hold for religious freedom in Turkey? Ernie Rea discusses religion in Turkey with Bill Park, senior lecturer at King's College London and policy advisor for the Centre for Turkey Studies; Ozcan Keles, Muslim chairperson of the Gulen-inspired UK charity, the Dialogue Society; and Hakan Camuz; Muslim international legal consultant and supporter of the Turkish government. Producer: Dan Tierney Series producer: Amanda Hancox.

Rainer Hermann, the editor of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, begins his talk with a contextualization of what Turkey is now and how it came to be that way. At the fall of ‘old Turkey’ there was a void, with several different types of political groups vying for power. In the end however only republicanism was left unchallenged and what then began was the “golden age of the AK Party”. Hermann discussed the new government’s mission “to bring a homogenous Islam in order to shape a homogenous Turkish nation” (Hermann; 6:10). The AKP used “pillars” of power to implement its republican ideology: military, judiciary, and bureaucracy. When AKP took control in 2003 after years of economic stagnation, the AKP was a huge success. And, during the “first decade of the AK Party rule, per capita income was tripled” (Hermann 8:02). On the political front, the AKP created a new civil society, brought Turkey closer to the EU, and made large investments in education and health system programs. Based off of these huge gains in growth, the first years of the party were a success; allowing a new middle class to emerge that was “hungry for both education and economic success”. Overtime, however, maintaining such a high growth rate proved difficult and beginning around 2007 the rate of growth began to decrease. Around this time Erdogan and his party began to experience more opposition; two examples being the military attempt at creating the electronic memorandum and the near constitutional ruling to forbid the ruling AKP. “From then on the leadership of the AKparty went really hard on their internal adversaries” (Hermann; 11:00). This escalated as the leadership, namely Erdogan, sidelined the military and replaced judiciary judges and bureaucrats with his own men. It is at this point where the authoritarian tendencies we now see in Turkey began to flourish. This behavior from Erdogan continues with the protests in the summer of 2013, and further results in a series of hate speeches and witch-hunts. From this escalation we can discern that: “Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Hermann; 12:30). From Hermann’s impression and past experience with Erdogan, he tells us that the leader was once rather modest and took advice. Now, however it is clear that Erdogan has become much more bold. As Hermann puts it, Turkey is “now back to square one” (Hermann 13:03). Erdogan has moved Turkey farther away from the European path and is beginning to look more similar to the authoritarian economic rising powers in Asia; perhaps this shift is an attempt to break Turkey out of the “middle-income trap”. Even so, Hermann does not see a likelihood for potential economic changes in Turkey now. However, Hermann does see a potential for change with Erdogan’s character as a leader. Throughout his political history, Erdogan has already had four major changes and therefore “there might be a Erdogan #5, because [he] doesn’t have an ideology. He is a shrewd politician” (Hermann; 16:01). What we are seeing now in Turkey is a one-man show. As Hermann comments, “I think Turkey is off the balance, because everyone is forced to go the way of Erdogan” for lack of another option. During the Q&A portion of the talk, Hermann touched on the polarization of Turkey, the source of Erdogan’s unopposed power, and the direction Turkey is currently heading in. In response to a question about support for Erdogan in Turkey, Hermann replied, “Turkey is highly polarized with 50% of the population behind Erdogan and 50% against”. It now seems unclear as to whether the future of Turkey will follow along Erdogan’s current path, whether Erdogan will have another ideology change, or if a new coalition of opposition groups will find enough power to lead the government. Rainer Hermann has been working as a journalist in Turkey and the Middle East for more than twenty years. As correspondent of the national German daily “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” he has been living in Istanbul from 1991 until 2008, then he moved to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Since 2012 he is an op-ed editor at the daily’s headquarter in Frankfurt, Germany. Rainer Hermannhas studied economics and Middle Eastern studies in Freiburg (Germany), Rennes (France), Basel (Switzerland), and Damascus (Syria). He has an M.A. in economics and a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern Studies. In Germany he has published most recently “The Gulf States” (2011), in March his new German book “Final Destination Islamic State? State Failure and Religious War” will be on sale.

Turkey's most important Islamic network, the Gulen movement, helped bring the ruling AK Party to power in 2002. But now it threatens to bring it down. Fethullah Gulen, the reclusive Muslim cleric who leads the movement, has hinted that he believes the AKP is no longer fit to govern. Presenter Edward Stourton travelled to Turkey to investigate the Gulen movement in 2011. He discovered unease amongst the Gulen's critics about the movement's influence in key institutions, including the police and judiciary. In the wake of the recent power struggle between the police and the government, he examines the Gulen's role in the rift. Producer: Helen Grady.