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Society Women Worldwide

Learning Feminist Resistance At My Mom’s German Kebab Stand

It’s 122° F at the kebab grill. My mother has been standing there for 35 years, and I’ve been joining her there every day now, even though I’m still at university. Because that’s our form of resistance.

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In The News

Erdogan’s Islamist Grip Tightens, From Turkey To Germany

Hamza Aydin challenged orthodox teachings and was hounded out of his university. His story reveals how Erdogan’s Turkey wields religion as a political weapon, reaching from Ankara to German mosques.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

Kyrgyz Arrests, Uzbek Rebukes: Cracks In Russia’s Post-Soviet Grip?

Central Asian presidents have been fixtures at Moscow’s Victory Day parades since 2022, but this year, their visits were preceded by a wave of diplomatic tensions.

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Geopolitics In The News Society

“Workable” Israeli-Hamas Ceasefire Proposal, EU-China Summit, Fake Ambassador

👋 Yokwe!* Welcome to Thursday, where Israel receives a new “workable” ceasefire proposal from Hamas, the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia escalates following deadly military clashes and our daily quiz question is about a fake ambassador. Meanwhile, Rina Nikolaeva for independent Russian media Vazhnyye Istorii looks at why the Kremlin has been systematically shutting off […]

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Geopolitics In The News Society

Syrian Ceasefire, Ukraine’s New PM, Iceland Eruption

👋 Hyvää päivää!* Welcome to Thursday, where a ceasefire in Syria appears to be holding after government soldiers clashed with Druze minority forces, Ukraine gets a new prime minister and our daily quiz question is about a festival in Belgium. Meanwhile, Marcelo Cantelmi for Argentine daily Clarín looks at why Trump’s threats against Brazil aren’t […]

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Geopolitics In The News

Putin Skips Peace Talks, Israel Strikes Kill 54 In Gaza, Sinner And The Saint

👋 Nyob zoo!* Welcome to Thursday, where Ukraine voices disappointment as Vladimir Putin sidesteps peace talks in Turkey, Israeli airstrikes on Khan Younis kill 54 overnight, and today’s quiz question will please National Treasure lovers. Meanwhile, for Italian daily La Stampa, Francesca Mannocchi reports from Chad, where she spoke to some of the 700,000 refugees […]

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Geopolitics

How Does Erdogan Explain Turkey’s Protests? He’s Blaming Greece And Israel

Facing protests over the arrest of Istanbul’s opposition mayor, the Turkish government has found its culprits: Greece and Israel, two obstacles to its ambitions in the eastern Mediterranean.

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Geopolitics

In Turkey’s Dark Times, Protesters Are A Democratic Light

As protests continue against the arrest of Istanbul’s opposition mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, there’s no doubt that Turkey is in a dark chapter of its history — and a common story in authoritarian and populist regimes. But the protests also show that the will for democracy is alive.

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Geopolitics In The News

Erdogan’s Attempt To Squash Democracy May Be His Ultimate Political Miscalculation

When Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was arrested, it sent shockwaves through Turkey, igniting fears that no opposition figure was safe. But instead of silencing dissent, Erdoğan’s crackdown has sparked a nationwide movement that could shape the country’s political future.

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Geopolitics

Ocalan’s Plea: Could The Jailed Kurdish Leader Trigger A Domino Effect For Peace?

The imprisoned founder of the Kurdish Workers’ Party, Abdullah Ocalan, has called on his supporters to lay down their arms and dissolve the party. This peace initiative could have repercussions beyond Turkey, reaching Syria as well.

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Economy Green

Time For Turkey To Stop Unsustainable Fishing And “Give Back To The Sea”

Currently, the majority of Turkey’s fish currently comes from cultivation, also known as fish farming, compared to just 10% two decades ago. The short-sightedness of this shift risks eliminating fishing output from both the farms and the open seas along Turkey’s 5,200 miles of coastline.

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Food / Travel Geopolitics

Photos Of The Week: Freed Hostages, Trump Inauguration, LGBTQ+ Joy In Thailand

Among the images, are photos from Thailand, Gaza, Turkey, Japan — among other places.

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Geopolitics

How Turkey Is Seizing More Middle East Power — At Iran’s Expense

Regime change in Syria is a big point Turkey has scored against its regional rival the Islamic Republic of Iran, which may soon be pushed out of another crucial sector, trade and transportation in the Caucasus, Shahram Sabzevari writes in Kayhan-London.

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Geopolitics

Why Al-Sharaa’s Rise In Syria Is Making Jordan So Nervous

Jordan has cautiously followed the emergence of Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, from the ranks of jihad fighters to a statesman. Amman is increasingly concerned that the Muslim Brotherhood could exploit the rise of Islamists in Syria to sow chaos in Jordan, or the return of extremist fighters to areas on its borders.

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Geopolitics

Al-Sharaa, Syria’s Indispensable Leader Or Sly Islamist Strongman?

Al-Sharaa has surprised many with his openness to dialogue after a past linked to al-Qaeda. He represents a complex model that embodies the transformation of Syria since the beginning of the revolution in 2011.

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Geopolitics

Beyond The Flag — Why Building A New Syria Begins With A Question Of Identity

In Syria, the Muslim Brotherhoods and the Kurds have long suffered from repression more than other factions in Syrian society. They suffered not only because of their opposition to the regime but also their identities. Rebuilding a functional Syrian state requires deep reflection and hard compromise on what the nation’s identity and laws will be.

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Geopolitics

Why The West Is Talking To Syria’s New Leaders — For Now

The Americans already have direct contact, and the French are arriving tomorrow. While remaining “vigilant” about the Islamist nature of Syria’s new rulers, Western nations are reestablishing ties with Damascus to support a return to stability. Turkey, however, is already one step ahead.

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Geopolitics

“That Boy” — What Lebanon’s Slain Prime Minister Got Right About Bashar Al-Assad

After meeting Bashar al-Assad, then heir to the Syrian dictatorship, then Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri said he feared for the country’s future.

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Geopolitics

The Syrian Rebel Surge Is Just The Beginning Of A Much Longer War

The surprise attack by rebel groups on Syrian government forces in Aleppo has raised many questions since it coincided with the ceasefire deal in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel. With so many forces and interests around Syria, don’t expect the reignited conflict to end anytime soon.

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Geopolitics

Turkey Sees Rising Threat Of “Greater Israel” Arriving At Its Borders

Turkey has become increasingly concerned about Israel’s expansionist ambitions, both for peace in the region and the Turkish claims to contested territory, given Israeli officials’ comments about “Greater Israel.”

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This Happened

Terrorist Attack To A Powerful Man’s Rise — On This Day In History, November 15

A terrorist attack, a very powerful man’s rise to power, and the birthday of a famous Italian stylist.

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Society Women Worldwide

Abortion And The U.S. Election: Women Of The World Are Watching

A landmark decision last year by the Mexican Supreme Court is part of a push in Latin America to expand abortion access. But as seen by the U.S. overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022 and the presidential election in November of this year the issue is moving in different directions around the world.

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Geopolitics

How Putin Uses BRICS To Wield Power — And Avoid Pariah Status

The BRICS Summit, which opens on Tuesday in Kazan, Russia, is an opportunity for Vladimir Putin to show that he is not isolated. But it is above all the power of attraction of this club of emerging countries that needs to be seen, in a world dominated by the West since 1945 and struggling to evolve.

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Geopolitics Ideas

Can Democracy Survive This Fragile Moment? A View From Latin America

Critics are right to denounce crooked politicians or elected leaders for undermining the democratic system of checks and balances. But defending those checks and balances is not the key to restoring democracy — because people’s pervasive distrust and discontent with politics is a much deeper problem to address.

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Geopolitics

How Can Maduro Get Away With It? Look At What Lula And Pope Francis Refuse To Say

The Left’s reluctance to denounce President Maduro’s fraudulent reelection in Venezuela may seem tactical or expedient to itself, but is nothing short of stabbing the very principle of democracy at a challenging juncture in modern history.

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This Happened

This Happened — September 2: The Haunting Alan Kurdi Photograph

Updated August 22, 2024 at 11:50 a.m. The Alan Kurdi photograph was taken on this day in 2015. What is the Alan Kurdi picture by Nilüfer Demir? The Alan Kurdi picture is a photograph taken by Turkish photojournalist Nilüfer Demir. It depicts the lifeless body of two-year-old Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi lying face down on […]

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Geopolitics Israel-Palestine War

A Future For Hamas? That Old Arab Vice Of Declaring “Victory” In The Rubble

The higher cost of the war will not deter Hamas leaders from claiming victory once any truce is reached. It will only push the discussion of a real solution for the region farther away from all.

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Geopolitics

Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia: How Russia Tries To Seep Into Europe At The Edges

Europe’s fate is also being played out in countries outside the EU, where East and West are battling for influence. In Georgia on Tuesday, the government bowed to pressure from Moscow, and passed a law on “foreign influence” modeled on a Russia law.

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This Happened

This Happened — April 24: Armenian Genocide Began

Updated April 24, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. The Armenian genocide began on this day in 1915, when the Ottoman government arrested and deported hundreds of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople (now Istanbul). What led to the start of the Armenian genocide? The Ottoman government had long been hostile towards the Armenian population, who […]

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Food / Travel Society

Shish Kebab: Back To The Source Of Turkey’s Best-Known Culinary Export

Shish kebab is the heart of Turkish cuisine. Similar ways of cooking meat exist throughout the world, with differing methods in the East and the West, but Turkey’s classic recipe is what makes culinary expert Oğul Türkkan remember his childhood.

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Geopolitics

​​Will Post-Erdogan Turkey Really Be Much Different?

Following his AKP party’s resounding defeat in the March local elections, Turkish President Erdogan called the results a “turning point”. But will he — and country’s political landscape — really change?

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Geopolitics

Erdogan Exit Scenarios? Where Turkey Fits Between Brazil, Poland — And Putin

Former mayor of Istanbul, Erdogan had once theorized that a victory in the capital meant an easier path to a national victory. Following this theory, having lost by ten points to the Republican People’s Party means an even tougher defeat for the 70-year-old president. Is this the beginning of the end?

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Geopolitics

Inside The NATO-Russia Battle For The Black Sea — Where Turkey Is The Wildcard

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, NATO has drastically upgraded its focus on the Black Sea. A visit to the Romanian air base that NATO uses as a base to monitor its southeastern flank, and the open questions even among allies.

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Economy

“Dental Tourism” — British Teeth Pulled In Turkey Is Proof Of NHS Decay

Costly treatments, no appointment available, “dental deserts,” minority discrimination, mass exodus from the workforce… While UK dentists warn that so-called dental tourism is dangerous, the crisis in NHS dentistry is forcing more and more British patients to travel to brand new clinics in Turkey — not for cosmetic procedures, but basic treatment. In Turkey, medical tourism is booming more than ever.

Categories
Society

No Housing, No Help, No Word On The Missing: Turkey’s Earthquake Nightmare Continues

A year has passed since the Feb. 6 earthquake that shook Turkey, affecting more than 13 million people. Some are still looking for their missing relatives, living in containers, struggling to cope every day — and wondering when the government’s promises of support will be realized.

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Geopolitics Ideas

How Democracy Slips Into Dictatorship — A Warning From The Turkish Playbook

As nearly half of the world prepares to vote in elections this year, Turkish journalist and author Ece Temelkuran warns, in the Istanbul-based weekly Oksijen, that many countries are following Turkey’s path from democracy to dictatorship.

Categories
This Happened

This Happened—December 19: Assassination Of Andrei Karlov

Updated Dec. 19, 2023 at 12:30 p.m. The Russian diplomat Andrei Karlov served as an ambassador to North Korea, and then Turkey. On this day in 2016, he was assassinated while giving a speech in Turkey — the moment captured by an Associated Press photographer who’d been assigned to cover the speech. How was Andrei […]

Categories
Geopolitics Israel-Palestine War

Turkey-Israel Relations? It’s Complicated — But The Gaza War Is Different

Turkish President Erdogan has now called on the International Criminal Court to go after Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for war crimes, as the clash between the two regional powers has reached a new low.

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Economy Geopolitics

Turkish Airlines, Erdogan’s Ultimate Soft Power Weapon

In the last 20 years, Turkish Airlines’ rapid development has shocked its competitors. The carrier is generating substantial profits, while serving the interests of the Turkish state.

Categories
In The News

Worldcrunch Magazine #59 — How The World Sees The War In Gaza

November 20 – November 26, 2023

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