Our changing idea of home
“Very happy with election results. But the truth is it may take decades to get back the country we belonged to - if we ever may.” On the 23rd of June, on the night of the Istanbul mayoral elections, a close
Think autocracy is ‘impossible’ here? Look at Turkey.
Ece Temelkuran is a Turkish journalist and writer. She is the author, most recently, of “How to Lose a Country: The 7 Steps from Democracy to Dictatorship.” “No, that can’t happen here.”
Ece Temelkuran on Erdogan, Trump, and the Banality of Evil
What We Can Learn from the Decline of Turkish Democracy into Populist Dictatorship The fighter jets are breaking the dark sky into giant geometric pieces as if the air were a solid object. It’s July 15, 2016, the night of the
From Tahrir to Trump: nationalism has hijacked the hope of the people
Protesters’ need for recognition has been harnessed to a darker, divisive movement and new heroes promising them greatness Thousands of people in Tahrir Square chanted the slogan: “Bread! Dignity! Freedom!” It was 2011, and the height of the Arab spring. Standing
‘What happened to Turkey is coming towards you. This political insanity is global’
The fighter jets are breaking the dark sky into giant geometric pieces as if the air were a solid object. It’s July 15th, 2016; the night of the attempted coup in Turkey. I am piling pillows up against the trembling
Erdoğan will pretend to be anything – even ‘journalists’ best friend’
His unlikely moral stance following the killing of Jamal Khashoggi comes as no surprise to many Turks The Turkish president is better known for relentless political oppression that has left dozens of journalists in jail or cast out of their jobs,
Erdoğan’s victory has broken our hearts. But we will keep hoping
After years of division, the feeling of brotherhood among Turkey’s different factions has been inspiring. It feels like I’ve been dumped by text message,” wrote one of my friends. She sounded like a heartbroken lover but in fact she was talking
Turkey and Poland: two nations paralysed by rightwing populism
Our two nations can feel solidarity in how our revolutions turned into authoritarianism. Is there hope for us? Of course A true patriot of her country and Europe.” This is how I was described during the Ambassador of New Europe award
Your Majesty, please tell Erdoğan ‘enough’ when he pops in for tea
If the Queen adds her voice to the Turkish people’s, we can inspire young people to stand up to evil. “So are we not supposed to be in dialogue? I mean shouldn’t we try to empathise with Trump voters to understand?” Dear
We Want Our Refugees and Exiles to Be Victims
"I am Now Obliged to Tell a Story, But Only the One Particular Story" I was supposed to be writing about a refugee in Istanbul. Then she disappeared. Most of them do disappear now and again. Then I had to disappear