This ad from Turkey's Ministry of Tourism is so... creepy.
I guess the jaunty "Enjoy, I'm vaccinated" masks were too small to include "but 87% of my fellow citizens (who are under full lockdown and can't buy feminine hygiene products let alone alcohol) aren't."
I took my first Turkish class on the campus of Boğaziçi University, whose faculty and alumni are rightly some of the proudest I know. Tonight that campus is under attack by security forces. Peaceful protesters are being vilified, beaten, and detained. Again.
#Asa
ğıBakmayacağız
If any scholars from Turkey or Syria are struggling to focus on the writing deadlines they’ve been given, please DM me. I want to provide support, and we have a cool Zoom writing session you can join.
Reports from Turkey’s elections about long lines forming early, hands shaking and stamps breaking in the enthusiasm of voting, and coordinated vigilance to catch and report irregularities are all signs of vibrant democracy. May nothing stand in its way.
CHP leader Özgür Özel’s speech hit a bunch of high notes so this might get missed: Just because the opposition can win doesn’t mean elections are free and fair. The media’s still tilted, politicians still jailed, etc. Commentators shouldn’t conflate outcomes with constraints.
This woman saying she didn't get the revenge she wanted during the coup attempt, could take out/kill 50 people, and "has a list ready" sounds insane, of course. And it's insane that she's on TV. What's more insane is she's not alone in what she would do to "stand by" her leader.
Never thought I’d have Turkish friends checking on me to see whether I’m safe in the US during a violent civilian coup attempt. Unbelievable if not entirely unexpected.
This is my dad. This is the sign he held up when greeting me at the airport after I got my PhD. It’s his birthday. He always has this expression. I love him.
There are so many similarities I see in the decline of US democracy as a student of Turkey - delegitimization/co-optation of media, informal deputization of citizens to patrol society - but man, the rhetorical vilification of opposition is identical. Even false piety. Sometimes.
Excited to share that my first book, Identity Politics Inside Out: National Identity Contestation and Foreign Policy in Turkey, is released today by
@OUPAcademic
. Just in time for Fall syllabi, if you're as last-minute as I am...
Welcome news in strange times: my book project examining how Turkey's identity struggles play out in pop culture is under contract with Cambridge University Press.
Proposed title is Fight Scenes, but I'm open to suggestions. Stay tuned :)
I'm deeply honored that "The Empire's Opposition Strikes Back: Popular Culture as Creative Resistance Tool under Turkey's AKP" was awarded Honorable Mention for Best Article by
@APSAMENA
. A thread.
I could respond to this guy presuming to know what my course is about, what scope of materials I use to teach, or how we talk about Turkey’s Kurdish conflict. But I won’t.
Because *this* guy does this kind of stuff all the time, to lots of people. Back to course prep…
Scathing rebuke of people left without food and shelter in freezing cold. The president of Turkey, hit by its worst earthquakes in modern history, says those demanding aid are without manners, without morals, without honor. They are without a lot, but not those qualities.
Erdoğan: Terbiyesiz terbiyesizliği bırakmaz, birisi çıkmış 'Kızılay nerede? Ne çadırını, ne yemeğini görmedik' diyor; be ahlaksız, be namussuz, be adi, günde yaklaşık 2 buçuk milyon insana Kızılay yemeğini ulaştırıyor, böyle vicdansızlık olur mu?
On the eve of what many see as the country’s most significant election in recent history, I’m sending every best wish I have for democracy, peace, and justice for all in/from Turkey. As someone from elsewhere, I’m deeply grateful for the connections I’ve made. I stand with you.
This is what Turkey's government is spending its resources on during a massive humanitarian disaster? Detaining people for sharing "provocative" earthquake posts on social media??
How can pop culture influence the politics of protest? Here's my political science take on the fervor surrounding the
#Susamam
and
#olay
rap videos this past weekend for WaPo's
@monkeycageblog
:
Erdoğan unwittingly unites the opposition around the slogan "Tamam" ("Enough"), saying his party will step aside if the nation says "tamam." Twitter erupts. Precedent shows though that it's much easier to unite around what you're against than what you're for.
Unbelievable. Unfathomable. Everyone please understand why your students, colleagues, friends etc. from Turkey and Syria are not ok right now. This is trauma after trauma.
💥Turkey has unbelievably just suffered another strong earthquake, of 6.4. It’s 2 weeks since 10 cities in the south were completely devastated. The epicentre was Hatay, according to
@AFADBaskanlik
.
Friends in Adana say buildings are collapsing again.
#deprem
#turkeyearthquake
Deeply honored to receive this year's Excellence in Teaching in Regional Studies Prize by
@SAISHopkins
students. This year I think they also deserve an award for dedication, for supporting each other during upheaval. Cheers to them, and to all teachers, for doing the best we can!
Turkey's de-democratization holds important lessons for the US - media co-optation, opposition vilification, judiciary stacking, permissible violence... Yes, differences exist. But please hear this: Just because a leader violates norms/laws doesn't mean people won't vote for him.
I know there’s a ton of politics behind it but world leaders’ statements of congratulations are so disappointing - super transactional. No mention that the democracy they’re hailing was, in large part, oppositional action in the face of authoritarianism. So much just swept away
Extremely powerful and timely words from Cannes Best Actress winner Merve Dizdar.
She dedicated her award to all her sisters and others struggling for Turkey to see the better days it deserves, who never give up hope no matter what.
#Cannes2023
’te “En İyi Kadın Oyuncu Ödülü"nü kazanan Merve Dizdar:
“Bu ödülü ne olursa olsun umut etmekten vazgeçmeyen tüm kızkardeşlerime ve Türkiye’de hak ettiği güzel günleri yaşamayı bekleyen tüm mücadeleci ruhlara armağan ediyorum.”
Tebrikler 💜💐
@merveedizdar
Despite authoritarian incumbent advantage, Erdoğan was not able to pull off a presidential win. That is significant. And to the opposition’s credit. But AKP-MHP majority in parliament, Oğan’s anti-Kurdish stance, and opp frustration make opp’s 2nd round struggle tough. Onward
Just received my copy of the new Oxford Handbook of Turkish Politics. I’m honored to be a contributor (check out this amazing list!) and to have worked with editor extraordinaire Güneş Murat Tezcür.
This image is heartbreaking. Deniz Poyrak mourns while holding a photo of Dilan Kortak, killed during a police raid on her Istanbul apartment in 2015. Deniz was murdered today as she was working in an Izmir office of the pro-Kurdish HDP.
Turkey's parliament has spoken. Journalists, civil society members, and opposition politicians remain in jail as thousands of other prisoners are set to be released to prevent COVID contagion.
Lots going on in Turkey right now, but this shouldn't be overlooked.
Post-surgery back brace and all I’m happy to stand up and applaud this moment. It won’t be perfect, we’re all going to argue, but I feel better than I have in a long time. Here’s to justice for *all*.
@LiselHintz
@dlepeska
The politcal atmosphere and conjuncture in both countries are different!
As I replied to Ms Lisel before, Gezi and the US uprising has no similarities at all! Gezi was a sets of politically motivated coup against the legitimate government of Erdoğan.
99% of technics used in gezi
35 pairs of red shoes placed in an Amsterdam square to mark the 70 women who have been killed in Turkey since January.
Note that under the AKP Turkey recently withdrew from the Istanbul Convention, the 2011 Council of Europe treaty on violence against women.
So my parents always feel super awkward when I try to take their picture to acknowledge them coming to DC to celebrate my birthday with me, but can I get some love for them? These dear Wisconsin people gave me a wonderful and much-needed day. Thank you so much!
My article with
@haarunercan
on authoritarian responses to local opposition gains is out. We argue "permissive prejudice" leads regimes to calculate they can get away with harsher, more visible repression against ethnic minority mayors than majority ones.
My first live interview in Turkish in a very long while, begging your patience/Uzuuuun zamandan sonra Türkçe'de yaptığım ilk canlı röportajı paylaşıyorum, sabırınızı rica ediyorum... Ağzına sağlık
@merFaruken3
!
Yesterday a spineless anonymous creep tried to troll me through a photo of my parents, then sent an am*-filled DM telling I’m not even worth trolling but should shut up about Turkey. I post to tell others, esp women, to hang in there. I taught, I wrote on TR. Screw omurgasızlık.
So today in Turkey Troll-land I was called a Jew (I’m not), as well as an ISIS girlfriend and a CIA agent (hopefully goes without saying). But the winner was the image of a gnawed-on bone accompanied by a threat. I’d say it’s good to be back, but...
Oh well, see you tomorrow!
The pain, the outrage, the courage of this hospital worker who jumps into a live broadcast to make sure her voice is heard. So many voices saying the same thing: No one came here for days. They abandoned us. People froze to death. Where's the crisis management?Wake up already!!
Turkey Twitter spent the weekend discussing the latest episodes of the hit Netflix show
#Kul
üp (The Club). But the real-life nationalist violence on which scenes are based is not just in Turkey’s past. Today a group attacked a Syrian’s shop chanting “This is Turkey, not Syria.”
Esenyurt'ta saldırgan bir grup, Suriyeli esnafın dükkanını taşladı | Esenyurt’ta saldırgan bir grup, Suriyeli bir vatandaşın dükkanını "Burası Türkiye, Suriye değil" sloganları atarak taşladı. Organize saldırıda dükkanın camlarını kıran grup, dükkanım içine girdi.
Seeking a native Turkish-speaking grad student with media analysis experience to work with me and
@JonasDraege
as a Research Assistant in May-July. Project on regime-produced videos. Must be able to work in the US, but can work remotely. Please DM your email if interested.
Istanbul is always hotter than I remember but I’m grateful to be back. And with this view.
I’m extra grateful to
@ipc_ipm
for hosting me while I finish my book on pop culture as asymmetric battlefield in autocratizing states. Looking forward to our discussion on June 24!
Erdogan and Bahceli’s speeches declaring victory before votes are counted + massive media campaign affirming this + AKP supporters cheering in streets creates fait accompli such that anyone objecting can be painted a provocateur, traitor.
In contrast to the “boomer fails” that
@kenan_sharpe
and I study, this message from opposition presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu comes across openly and genuinely. It resonates on identity. Its tone and content in addressing youth in particular demonstrates learning.
All nationalisms are inclusive and exclusive. There’s an Us and a Them.
All nationalisms are unique in terms of specific identity content. The # of groups in the “Us” doesn’t make it more inclusive or special.
Also, might want to rethink the “inclusivity” of this panel.
In light of President Erdoğan winning re-election,
@YusufErim34
explains the rise of Turkish nationalism, which is unique as it is inclusive of other ethnicities and is in its essence deeply patriotic.
Watch the full event:
So as crazy as everything is, it’s my mom’s birthday.
@first_tori
gave me a weird first name, but her name Tori was weird at the time too. And her love of languages inspired me to learn Turkish and do a PhD - and she learned some Turkish too! Beraber kutlayalım mı?
I teach about soccer stadiums as emotionally charged sites of politics - for demonstrating solidarity with/as protesters, honing skills, forming collective identity, articulating grievances...
Like collecting toys. And chanting "government resign."
The week’s worst take. Smugly reductionist, purposefully inflammatory, sweepingly inaccurate takes like this are what help give seasoned Turkey analysts in DC a bad name. There’s much to criticize of the Erdoğan regime, but not like this.
Erdogan’s Islamic Republic in Turkey is like Khamenei’s Islamic Republic in Iran.
Both Islamist authoritarians are gutting civil society, repressing opposition, destroying their economy & imposing their will against their people.
I’m working on my second book on Turkey. I would think I could consistently type “authoritarianism” correctly by now. Word tells me that’s not the case. Also, I keep typing about my “book” with a missing “o.” This worries me as someone who speaks Turkish.
The first picture - of police treatment of a man who stormed an HDP building, taking hostage and then killing an employee - says a thousand words. The other three - of police treatment of opposition protesters - say much more.
İlk fotoğraf, polisin, hdp binasını basıp, bir çalışanı öldüren silahlı adamı gözaltına almasından. Diğerleri, kendi halinde protesto eylemi yapan muhaliflerin gözaltına almasından.
When I first came to Boğaziçi in 2010 to learn Turkish, I never thought I’d have this office view. Nor did I think the government would interfere as much as it has in this university and elsewhere. In solidarity with over 80 weeks of resistance.
#KabulEtmiyoruzVazge
çmiyoruz
Negative feedback in student evaluations is tough. But this comment for my Politics of Protest in Europe and Eurasia course is priceless in so, so many ways: "Rename class to Politics and Protest in Gezi Park as it is the only thing this lady cares about. Horrid grader. AVOID!"
I’m one week post-spinal surgery and returned to the hospital to be fitted for a back brace. I look more equipped for war reporting than healing but am in awe of all our healthcare workers are doing. May they have political leadership that works as hard as they do.
And here’s my podcast follow up to the How Turkey’s S-400s Can Save the Day in Ukraine and Beyond debate.
Come for the reasons why this can never happen. Stay for the grade I give Erdoğan for playing both sides and positioning Turkey as an indispensable regional actor.
🎙️ Expert
@LiselHintz
joins our podcast to break down why a recent op-ed in the
@WSJ
- which made the case that the US should help
#Turkey
transfer its
#Russian
S400s to
#Ukraine
to help Ukraine & resolve tensions with the US - completely misses the mark:
Music, humor, protest combine spectacularly again. On the 100th day of protest against rector Melih Bulu, Boğaziçi faculty played “The Man Who Sold the World” as Bulu’suzluk Özlemi - Longing for Bulu-lessness. Plays on the name of often political rock band Bulutsuzluk Özlemi.
I started a group Zoom session to help students/scholars from Turkey and Syria focus on writing and find community in difficult times. But I admit I’ve benefited immensely. I have new friend-colleagues, and a bunch of writing tasks completed. Please DM me if you’d like to join.
Someone questioned why I "politicized" Kurds' celebrations of Newroz in Turkey by noting police interventions. Even without police violence, holidays are inherently political. Especially for minority groups. Especially when the titular majority bans and/or co-opts a holiday.
So anyone lamenting publicly right now that they didn’t correlate data about seismic activity and voting patterns in Turkey after the 1999 earthquake… offfff.
Human lives aren’t just data for your cool project. Read the fucking room. Have some empathy.
Reading a piece on common mistakes beginning language learners make, I was reminded today of the mortifying moment years ago when I realized I’d been telling people I study Turkey’s teeth politics for weeks.
Taking solace in this beautiful view after one of today’s interviewees asked “is this for you master’s thesis?”
Upside: the collagen bar seems to be working!
Edhem Eldem is one of most renowned scholars of Turkish and Ottoman history. His “retirement” from Boğaziçi University, via bureaucratic obstacles, is another product of the government-imposed rector. Boğaziçi’s movement for academic freedom marked its 874th vigil on Friday.
Boğaziçi Ü. Tarih Bölümünün dünya çapındaki hocası Prof. Dr. Edhem Eldem yasal hakkı olan, Bölüm ve Fakülte kurullarından oybirliğiyle geçen araştırma izni başvurusunun üniversite yönetimince gerekçesiz reddedilmesi üzerine emekli oldu; ABD'de davetli olduğu üniversiteye gidiyor.
This happened to me just a few days ago. A male academic referred to me in Turkish as Ms. Hintz (Lisel Hanım) and to multiple male scholars as Prof X (X Hocam). Yeter artık.
Kadın profesörlere “hanım” erkek profesörlere “Hocam”! Bu dönemde akademik dünyada hala görülen cinsiyet ayrımcılığına karşıyız. Cinsiyetsiz, eşitlikçi, liyakata dayanan bir akademik düzenin bekçisiyiz. Böyle biline.
Today our post-earthquake Zoom group marks 48 weeks. Participants have completed dissertations, articles, applications, and more. I'm awed.
I hope others who can will host similar groups. To help, I wrote a blueprint that is now open access
@ps_polisci
Now on FirstView ft.
@LiselHintz
!
"...scholars in the diaspora may experience feelings of isolation, frustration, & anxiety as they watch their colleagues go about their daily life while they are struggling to meet writing deadlines.
Recap of the week in Turkey: Violent crackdown against peaceful university protests. Vilification of the LGBTQ community. Extension of baseless detention of philanthropist-activist Osman Kavala. Erdoğan’s dismissal of esteemed academic Ayşe Buğra as “wife of that guy Kavala.”
It's painfully obvious to most in my circles. For those understandably focused on the world's other heart-breaks, please have empathy for friends and colleagues from Turkey and Syria today, the anniversary of the earthquakes. Healing of all kinds continues. Büyük geçmiş olsun
Erdoğan’s throwing tea sachets to wildfire victims is reminiscent of Trump throwing paper towels to devastated Puerto Ricans. Completely inappropriate, completely out of touch.
Tonight was my last post-earthquake Zoom writing session of 2023. We’ve held 250+ sessions and had 100+ scholars participate at least once. Four PhD students defended their dissertations. We’ll start again in January - please send students from Turkey, Syria, and Morocco my way!
Fantastic news that PhD student Cihan Erdal, who had been imprisoned while in Turkey to carry out research on youth social movements, is safely back in Canada. Gözünüz aydın!
1- I want to share some wonderful news. My amazing partner Cihan is back home with me in Ottawa after two long years struggling to return from Turkey. Cihan is being welcomed back to Carleton University to complete his doctoral studies and we are so thankful to have him home.
I’m overwhelmed - in a very positive way - by the tremendous response I received. Given the numbers and time zones, I’ll hold multiple Zoom writing sessions to hopefully help with focus, community, and solidarity. If you’d like to join please DM me your email and time zone.
If any scholars from Turkey or Syria are struggling to focus on the writing deadlines they’ve been given, please DM me. I want to provide support, and we have a cool Zoom writing session you can join.
My paper with
@haarunercan
on subnational democratization in Turkey, authoritarian pushback, and the role of identity in all of this is under review. Hopefully coming to a journal near you soon!
29 years ago today a mob set fire to Hotel Madımak in Sivas, where a group of mostly Alevi artists and intellectuals had gathered. Some in the mob chanted "we'll burn the heretics" while watching as 37 died in the fire. Justice has yet to be fully served.
#unutMADIMAKl
ımda
For me Turkey’s first election debate in 17 years was a lot like most of its soap operas I work on: it ran longer than ideal, was full of men making promises, and despite a whole lot of hype left pretty much everything unresolved.
So I’m post-op recovery and off Twitter for a bit and come back to check what people are saying about Turkey and OH GOD IT’S A CRISIS AND ICELAND AND OTTOMAN-VIKING REMATCH AND MEN WHO DON’T KNOW CLEANING BRUSHES AND PEOPLE ARE JUST NOW LEARNING WHAT YAVŞAK MEANS FROM TWITTER!!!
In the last 24 hours I’ve been approached for my views on Turkey by US government officials and by producers of the new John Stewart show.
@JimGoldgeier
does this count as bridging the gap?
Even if you don't speak Turkish, watch this vice governor's arrogance and snide disdain in dismissing village women's questions about why tear gas was used during a women's protest: "Come on, tear gas is no big deal!" while munching on something and checking his phone. Rezalet.
"Kadınlar gününde bize niye biber gazı sıktırıyorsunuz? Bu biber gazını, şiddeti siz mi emrettiniz?"diye soran köylü kadına vali yardımcısının pervasız yanıtlarına bir bakar mısınız: "Birşey olmaz yaa, biber gazından ne olacak? Farzet ki ben emir verdim gaz için..."
#k
ızılcaköy
I spoke with the BBC about Turkey's upcoming elections - the stakes, the recent strides the opposition has made, the challenges in the AKP's authoritarian toolkit they still face, the earthquakes' effects on all of it.
Watch here:
Turkey's NATO blockage of Sweden and Finland is in part a move to demand concessions for its domestic defense industry (F-16s, arms bans) and to bolster its nationalist credentials ahead of elections. The AKP is "taking the fight outside" to the foreign policy arena (Hintz 2018).