Welcome to the Tr Reader, your regular review of what the Turkish press is saying about major events by Daniel Thorpe.

In the second episode, we explore how different outlets covered the CHP losing the Üsküdar municipality in Istanbul back to the AKP after the arrest of Mayor Sinem Dedetaş, paired with warnings that the same tactics might soon threaten the greater Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

We also look to a bitter public feud between former CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu.

Meanwhile, the Islamist-conservative daily Yeni Şafak broke rank to launch a sharp attack on high interest rates and the toll they are taking on businesses.

For more, visit turkeyrecap.com.

Article links

This post has bonus content for paid subscribers. Upgrade to get full access.

Other ways to watch & listen:

Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Get in touch at [email protected].

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to produce balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

✅ Typos verify our humanity. All Turkey recap news output is created and fact-checked by people. Find our AI policy in our Code of Ethics.

Diego Cupolo, Co-founder, editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Managing editor

Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu, Parliament correspondent

Hilmi Hacaloğlu, Political correspondent

Wouter Massink, Investigative reporter

Daniel Thorpe, Reporter-at-large

Gözde Ocak, Stüdyo recap editor

Demet Şöhret, Social media and content manager

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Turkey recap reader podcast, your regular review of what the Turkish press is saying about major events by Daniel Thorpe.

Coming to you from Istanbul, Thorpe provides a cross-partisan round-up of the leading narratives presented by a variety Turkish newspapers.

In this inaugural episode, we examine how pro-government media framed Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s participation this week in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Special focus was given to his meetings with Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin and Belarusian Pres. Alexander Lukashenko. In contrast, opposition media gave prominence to a new corruption investigation into former AKP Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek.

Discount: Click here and save 25 percent on annual subscriptions. The offer is valid until Sept. 8, 2026, so act now to lock in those savings and get full access to Turkey recap.

Other ways to watch & listen:

Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Get in touch at [email protected].

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to produce balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

✅ Typos verify our humanity. All Turkey recap news output is created and fact-checked by people. Find our AI policy in our Code of Ethics.

Diego Cupolo, Co-founder, editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Managing editor

Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu, Parliament correspondent

Hilmi Hacaloğlu, Political correspondent

Wouter Massink, Investigative reporter

Daniel Thorpe, Reporter-at-large

Gözde Ocak, Stüdyo recap editor

Demet Şöhret, Social media and content manager

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.turkeyrecap.com

After years of judicial pressure on political opponents and civil society leaders, the Turkish government is now targeting religious conservatives.

The Süleymancılar community, or cemaat in Turkish, has seen multiple waves of arrests and new investigations since mid-August on a variety of charges centered on allegedly criminal finances.

To dig deeper into recent developments and what they mean for Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s policies towards religious communities, Turkey recap editor Diego Cupolo spoke to Salim Çevik, a visiting fellow at the Centre for Applied Turkey Studies at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

This podcast covers the origin of Turkish state policies towards religious communities, how this changed under Erdoğan and the widening crackdown by Justice and Development Party (AKP). We conclude with what all this means for the next election cycle.

Discount: Click here and save 25 percent on annual subscriptions. The offer is valid until Sept. 8, 2026, so act now to lock in those savings and get full access to Turkey recap: https://www.turkeyrecap.com/publish/offers/back_to_work

Ankara’s NATO summit is over and Turkey is expected to sell its Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems today, according to a pro-government columnist at the Hürriyet newspaper.

The move could pave the way for the US congress to lift sanctions on Turkey and eventually facilitate the nation’s return to the F-35 fighter jet program, from which it was removed due to its 2019 acquisition of the S-400s.

Political scientist Soli Özel joined Recap radio to outline the significance of a potential S-400 sale, what that means for Turkey’s F-35 prospects and how this could impact the regional power balance with Greece and Israel.

Also discussed are the main takeaways from this week’s NATO summit, what the Turkish government sought to achieve by hosting the event and how all this serves Turkey’s long-standing drive for “strategic autonomy.”

Note: This podcast was recorded at 10:30 am Turkey time on Friday, July 10.

Referenced in this talk:

S400’ler üçüncü ülkeye gidiyor, satış bugün netleşecek (Hürriyet)

Netanyahu warns US could ‘destroy’ Mideast power balance as Trump floats F-35 jet sale to Turkey (France24)

The Ankara Corral (Turkey recap)

Quest for Autonomy: History, Geopolitics and Ideology in Turkish Foreign Policy (Institut Montaigne)

Other ways to watch & listen:

Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Get in touch at [email protected].

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to produce balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

✅ Typos verify our humanity. All Turkey recap news output is created and fact-checked by people. Find our AI policy in our Code of Ethics.

Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor

Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu, Parliament correspondent

Hilmi Hacaloğlu, Political correspondent

Gözde Ocak, Stüdyo recap editor

Demet Şöhret, Social media and content manager

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe

Next week’s NATO summit in Ankara will spotlight Turkey’s role in the alliance and the Turkish defense sector’s potential contributions to European security. Yet, Turkey-EU ties remain strained by a frozen accession process and deep distrust between the Erdoğan government and some member states.

To dig into the contradictions and opportunities of deeper Turkey-EU defense cooperation, Turkey recap editor Diego Cupolo spoke to Dimitar Bechev, director of the Dahrendorf Programme at St. Antony’s College’s European Studies Centre and author of the upcoming book, The Scramble for Europe, and a Substack by the same name.

This podcast covers how Turkey’s growing weapons manufacturing base and geographic leverage on the Black Sea naval balance has boosted Ankara’s role in regional security while improving Turkey-EU relations following years of tensions and democratic backsliding that continues today.

Referenced in this talk:

Scramble for Europe: Russia, China, and Turkey Challenging Regional Order (Oxford University Press)

Türkiye: Crackdown Ahead of NATO Summit (Human Rights Watch)

NATO’s Turkey Paradox (Modern War Institute)

Turkey does its own thing (International Crisis Group)

The Black Sea Has Become the Fulcrum of Europe’s Security (Carnegie)

Other ways to watch & listen:

Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Get in touch at [email protected].

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to produce balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

✅ Typos verify our humanity. All Turkey recap news output is created and fact-checked by people. Find our AI policy in our Code of Ethics.

Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor

Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu, Parliament correspondent

Hilmi Hacaloğlu, Political correspondent

Gözde Ocak, Stüdyo recap editor

Demet Şöhret, Social media and content manager

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe

More than a month has passed since a court ruling removed the leadership of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the party’s future is in limbo.

Ousted CHP chair Özgür Özel remains popular with the party base and is attempting to take back his position from the reinstalled but unpopular CHP head Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

To do so, Özel is pushing for a party congress in July that would allow party members to vote on their leadership, though Kılıçdaroğlu has maintained such a vote cannot take place until the conclusion of the appeals process behind his reappointment.

Ilhan Uzgel, former CHP deputy chair and foreign policy coordinator, joined the podcast today to outline recent events and the current leadership struggle within the party.

Covered in this talk are the prospects for a CHP congress this summer, the calculations behind forming a splinter party led by Özel, as well as the state of democracy in Turkey and the role of international allies, who will meet in Ankara next month for the 2026 NATO summit.

Referenced in this talk:

Ploy Division (Turkey recap)

Ilhan Uzgel: En kirli pazarlık (BirGün)

Turkey opposition crisis deepens as rival CHP leaders hold duelling meetings (Reuters)

Turkey lashes out at European Parliament report urging EU sanctions on justice minister (AP)

Other ways to watch & listen:

Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Get in touch at [email protected].

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to produce balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

✅ Typos verify our humanity. All Turkey recap news output is created and fact-checked by people. Find our AI policy in our Code of Ethics.

Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor

Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu, Parliament correspondent

Hilmi Hacaloğlu, Political correspondent

Gözde Ocak, Stüdyo recap editor

Demet Şöhret, Social media and content manager

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe

Olesya Vartanyan, a conflict analyst specializing in South Caucasus security and a researcher at George Mason University, joins Turkey recap editor Diego Cupolo to discuss the Armenian elections and what comes next for the region.

This podcast dives into the many factors behind Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan’s re-election, plus the interplay between Armenia’s peace deal with Azerbaijan and normalization process with Turkey.

Also covered is Russia’s energy leverage in Armenia, the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), as well as the human cost and deep distrust left by the Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Referenced in this talk:

Armenia election result revives hopes of reopening border with Turkey (RFI)

Türkiye-Armenia Border Reopening: A Turning Point For The South Caucasus (CACI)

Erdoğan congratulates Pashinyan on electoral victory (Armenpress)

US and Armenia sign partnership agreement ahead of Armenian election (Reuters)

Armenia votes West, but cannot quit Russia (EPC)

Other ways to watch & listen:

Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Get in touch at [email protected].

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to produce balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

✅ Typos verify our humanity. All Turkey recap news output is created and fact-checked by people. Find our AI policy in our Code of Ethics.

Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor

Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu, Parliament correspondent

Hilmi Hacaloğlu, Political correspondent

Gözde Ocak, Stüdyo recap editor

Demet Şöhret, Social media and content manager

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe

This Pride month, a set of new law proposals criminalizing LGBT expressions and restricting gender transition surgeries are expected to be introduced in the Turkish parliament.

In today’s episode, Yıldız Tar, editor-in-chief of KaosGL.org, a news site dedicated to LGBT issues in Turkey, outlines the pending reforms with Turkey recap editor Diego Cupolo.

They discuss the Tar’s ongoing trial, the current state of LGBT rights in Turkey and why the government’s legal agenda has focused more on conservative family values in recent years. It’s not just for votes, Tar argues.

Referenced in this talk:

RSVP to Turkey recap’s get-together in Ankra on June 11 using this form

Yıldız Tar’s trial history (Expression Interrupted)

LGBTI+ associations: “We will not be packaged away! We are here with pride, we demand to live with dignity!” (KaosGL)

Pro-creation, anti-LGBTQ: What’s behind Erdoğan’s ‘Year of the Family’ program (Turkey recap)

Calls for action against the LGBT+ hostile 12th Judicial Package (KaosGL)

Other ways to watch & listen:

Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Get in touch at [email protected].

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to produce balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

✅ Typos verify our humanity. All Turkey recap news output is created and fact-checked by people. Find our AI policy in our Code of Ethics.

Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor

Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu, Parliament correspondent

Hilmi Hacaloğlu, Political correspondent

Gözde Ocak, Stüdyo recap editor

Demet Şöhret, Social media and content manager

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe

Turkey recap deputy editor of Economy recap fame Emily Rice Johnson joins Turkey recap editor Diego Cupolo to respond to listener mail.

This is our second Q&A episode following the second religious holiday of the year. We focus primarily on the current judicial pressure faced by Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which recently had its leader Özgür Özel removed from power by court order.

Also discussed are the political prospects of re-installed CHP chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, timing forecasts for the next election cycle, peace process updates and more — including Turkey-Bangladesh defense relations.

Referenced in this talk:

Submit a question for our Q&A podcast with this form

RSVP to our Ankara get-together on June 11 using this form

Targeting the Opposition: Türkiye’s Democracy at a Crossroads (ISPI)

Tens of thousands march in support of Turkey’s deposed opposition leader (AP)

Bangladesh and Turkey: Defense Cooperation Enters a strategic phase (BMF)

Other ways to watch & listen:

Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Contact us: [email protected].

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to produce balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor

Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu, Parliament correspondent

Hilmi Hacaloğlu, Political correspondent

Gözde Ocak, Stüdyo recap editor

Demet Şöhret, Social media and content manager

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe

Noah Bonsey, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group focusing on Syria, joins Turkey recap editor Diego Cupolo to discuss developments in Syria with a focus on integration efforts regarding the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF.

Following a Syrian Army offensive that reclaimed most of the formerly SDF-held territory in northeast Syria, Damascus and the SDF signed a peace agreement in late January to combine forces under the Syria state structure after 14 years of war.

This podcast is a status update on how integration efforts are going in the context of escalated regional instability from the US-Israel war on Iran and amid the continued economic hardships faced by Syrian citizens.

The talk covers how Damascus-SDF negotiations impact the PKK peace process in Turkey, as well as the current challenges, opportunities and risks faced by the transitional government of Syrian Pres. Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Note: This episode was recorded May 25, 2026.

Referenced in this talk:

Submit a question for our Q&A podcast with this form

PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s May 24 public statement (DEM Party)

‘The country is on fire’: Riot police storm CHP headquarters and Bilgi University (Turkey recap)

An Opportunity for Calm in North-eastern Syria (Crisis Group)

Comprehensive Overview of IDPs and IDP Returns 21-5-2026 (UNHCR)

First Turkey-Iraq transit convoy crosses through Syria (SANA)

Other ways to watch & listen:

Our webcasts are also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast players.

Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Contact us: [email protected].

Subscribe here on Substack (or on Patreon for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools.

We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to produce balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey.

Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief

Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor

Ceren Bayar, Parliament correspondent

Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu, Parliament correspondent

Günsu Durak, Stüdyo recap editor

Demet Şöhret, Social media and content manager

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe