Kemalism
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Cengiz Aktar's "The Turkish Malaise"
Why is Erdogan gambling away Turkey's future?
In his essay “The Turkish Malaise”, Turkish economist and writer in exile Cengiz Aktar provides a crisp, concise explanation for his nation’s rapid, recent backslide into dictatorship. By Christiane Schloetzer
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Erdogan, Islam and alcohol
Last call for Istanbul's meyhane bar culture?
Istanbul's beloved "meyhane" are where friends traditionally meet for a glass of raki or a game of backgammon. Now, however, owners and patrons are worried that new government restrictions could spell the end for these local hangouts. By Tunca Ogreten and Daniel Bellut
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Turkey's handle on soft power
Hit TV series from Turkey conquer the Arab world
Televised Turkish dramas are all the rage in the Middle East. A young Ottoman TV Empire has been expanding its soft power by harnessing regional dialects, Arabic names and viewers' desire for racy-yet-traditional plots. By Jennifer Holleis
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Repression in Turkey
Art in exile: a prison cell as exhibition venue
What form does artistic freedom take in prison? The exhibition "Museum of Small Things" by exiled Turkish journalist Can Dundar explores the topic. By Ceyda Nurtsch
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Turkish ultranationalist, right-wing extremists
Germany's mission to muzzle the Grey Wolves
The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution classes them as "far right" and politicians want to ban them: the ultranationalist Grey Wolves movement. It originated in Turkey, where it is the secret power in the country and a political kingmaker. Marion Sendker reports from Istanbul
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Urban renewal under Erdogan
Istanbul shantytown residents in limbo
Amid recent fears of earthquakes, Turkey has rolled out a new urban renewal plan. But past plans have failed to helped quake-prone neighbourhoods, due to a market dominated by construction firm interests. Ayse Karabat reports from Istanbul
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Support for Turkey's AKP dwindles
Erdogan’s homegrown rivals
Erdogan has ruled Turkey firmly for the last 18 years, but his party now faces a huge challenge: former party heavyweights who have jumped ship to establish their own new parties. By Ayse Karabat
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Turkish incursion into northern Syria
You reap what you sow
Many Turks, at home and abroad, feel misunderstood. The Syrian offensive is intended to ease matters and does not constitute ethnic cleansing, they claim. They also say there is no racism in Turkey. This is a misrepresentation of the situation, says Tayfun Guttstadt in his contribution to the debate
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The Kemalist CHP and the Kurdish HDP
Decision time for Turkeyʹs opposition
Will the CHP take Imamogluʹs success in the re-run of the Istanbul mayoral elections, achieved through the support of the HDP, as an opportunity to finally abandon its rigid attitude towards the Kurds? By Gulistan Gurbey
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Comparison: India and Turkey
The Modi-Erdogan parallel
While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not achieved the degree of "state capture" that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has, he is also 11 years behind. The path the two leaders are on, however, is similar enough to invite comparison – and provoke concern. By Shashi Tharoor
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Countdown to the Turkish election
Erdogan beats the nationalist drum
Elected Mayor of Istanbul in 1994, Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged not blame Turkeyʹs problems on "outside powers, outside forces, or foreigners". Years later, with the weight of the presidency and a struggling currency upon him, that pledge is long gone. By Tom Stevenson
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Turkey's snap election
The calculus of alliances
The upcoming ballot in Turkey on 24 June will be a race between the People's Alliance, formed to keep Erdogan president, versus the Nation Alliance, which aims to beat him or at least win a parliamentary majority. The result, however, depends on a third party, the pro-Kurdish HDP. Ayse Karabat reports from Istanbul