Turkey is known for its love and care for animals. But the picture with regards to animal’s rights hasn’t always been rosy. Only last week, at least 17 dogs were poisoned to death in Istanbul, prompting protests by animal rights activists who called for stricter legislation. Now the Turkish parliament has passed a new law pertaining to the protection of animal rights. But are legislations or stricter punishments enough to protect animal rights?

Guest:

Deniz Tavsancil

President of Animal Rights Centre

Turkish online shopping company Hepsiburada's debut on the Nasdaq indicates a fast-growing and booming e-commerce industry in the country. Being Turkey's first company to break into the listings on the tech-heavy exchange, Hepsiburada has come a long way after starting more than two decades ago. But they aren't the only company from a growing e-commerce sector in the country that is looking to attract international investors and eyeing global expansion.

While Turkey's e-commerce sector isn't as big as Europe's, it has still shown exponential growth in recent years. In 2020, the country's total e-commerce sales stood at $27.4 billion, a 66 percent increase in volume from the preceding year. The sector continues to attract international investors, and at the same time local Turkish companies are making purchases of online start-ups in Europe to further expand their businesses.

Guests:

Emre Ekmekci

President of the Turkish E-commerce Association

Michael Wade

Professor of Innovation and Strategy at IMD Business School

Turkey and Russia have often found themselves to be sitting on the different sides of the fence in several conflicts, such as in Syria or Libya. Despite these differences, the two countries have continued their co-operation in matters concerning regional peace and stability. But as the political dynamics continue to shift in the region and across the world, will Turkey and Russia be able to continue their partnership uninterrupted?

Guests:

Furkan Kaya

Assistant Professor at Yeditepe University

Ivan Starodubtsev

Political Analyst

Turkey’s wind energy industry is booming. And with ambitious goals to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, Turkey is looking for more foreign investment, especially from wind powerhouses like Denmark.

Some of Asia’s key markets for wind and renewable energy have been adversely affected by COVID-19. This has led many companies to look for alternatives. Denmark, one of the world’s leaders in wind turbine manufacturing, is eyeing Turkey and its potential to become a regional hub. Denmark’s ambassador to Turkey, Danny Annan speaks to Strait Talk about that potential and relations with Turkey as a whole.

Guests:

Danny Annan

Danish Ambassador to Turkey

Turkey went through a tough spring as curfews and travel restrictions were imposed. But life is returning to normal. Much of it is thanks to a rapid vaccination drive that saw Turkey administering a million doses a day. But fears of the Delta variant and its rising cases in Europe and Russia could be a hurdle to those plans.

Guests:

Irshad Shaikh

Head of WHO Centre in Istanbul

Jennifer Iduh

Head of Research and Development at ETC

Turkey is in talks with at least four countries to secure currency swap agreements as it aims to provide boost to the lira. The lira has fallen steadily despite registering a 6.7 percent economic growth the first quarter of 2021. The country agreed with China earlier this month to increase their existing currency swap arrangement from $2.6 billion to $6 billion. So how will these measures help the economy and boost the lira?

Guests:

Einar Tangen

Political and Economic Affairs Commentator

Ozan Ozkural

CEO of Tanto Capital Partners

Turkey has expressed its disappointment over the recently concluded European Union summit for again overlooking its membership status. Ankara said the block was hinging relationship between the two sides on a limited scope that deals with refugees. Turkey was also troubled at the EU's one-sided statement on Cyprus, saying it ignored the Turkish Cypriots on the island. So where are the ties between Ankara and Brussels heading? And is the EU only using Turkey to safeguard its own interests?

Guests:

Basak Yavcan

Researcher at the Hugo Observatory

Klaus Jurgens

Political Analyst

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan triggered a snap election after resigning from his role in April of this year. He has managed to overcome the criticism that followed Armenia’s loss in the Nagorno-Karabakh war. But what will his second term hold for Armenia’s relations in the Caucasus region?