The global backlash against China is mounting with more than a hundred countries calling for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19. Now many nations, sensing a need to better protect fragile global supply chains, are urging their companies to leave China. US retailer Walmart has already shifted some orders of plastics and packaging to Turkey due to pandemic-induced supply disruptions in China. So, is this the beginning of the world breaking away from China's supply chain? And can Turkey and other countries play a role in filling those trade gaps?

Guests:

Xiaolan Fu

Professor at Oxford University

Altay Atli

Lecturer at Bogazici University

Fears are growing at the world’s largest refugee camp. Cox Bazaar in Bangladesh has confirmed its first case of COVID-19. Home to more than a million Rohingya Muslims who fled neighboring Myanmar, we look at what measures aid groups are taking at the camp, to prevent a catastrophe in these vulnerable areas.

Guests:

Steven Corliss

UN Refugee Agency Representative in Bangladesh

There are growing fears of the rapid spread of COVID-19 in Bangladesh's Cox Bazaar, one of the largest refugee camps in the world. Home to more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims, the camp has confirmed its first cases of COVID-19. What measures are aid groups taking to prevent a potential catastrophe there? Plus, many nations are rethinking their economic ties to China over the coronavirus, which has caused major disruptions to global supply chains. So, as world leaders pledge to move operations out of China, can the world really decouple from the largest exporting, and manufacturing nation?

Guests:

Steven Corliss

UN Refugee Agency Representative in Bangladesh

Xiaolan Fu

Professor at Oxford University

Altay Atli

Lecturer at Bogazici University

In Turkey, shopping malls, hair salons and many other businesses are once again taking customers. This slow reopening comes two months after Turkey announced its first confirmed coronavirus case. But can the country avoid new outbreaks? Plus, meat processing plants around the world have been hit by COVID-19 outbreaks, infecting hundreds of workers. So far, Turkey hasn't seen any major clusters within its food supply chain. But how long will that last? And​ what precautions has Ankara taken to keep its food supply safe and prices stable?

Guests:

Serhat Unal

Professor at Hacettepe University

David Alexander

Professor at University College London

Sevim Seda Yamac

Assistant Professor at Konya Food and Agriculture University

Abeer Etefa

Spokesperson at WFP Middle East​

Turkey is following the path of several countries that have relaxed coronavirus restrictions to jumpstart their economies. But many of the countries that partially reopened have seen spikes in coronavirus cases. Now that Turkey is starting to loosen its containment measures, can it avoid new outbreaks from emerging?

Guests:

Serhat Unal

Professor at Hacettepe University

David Alexander

Professor at University College London

In April, there was an explosion of coronavirus cases at more than a hundred meat plants across the US that infected thousands of people and killed dozens of others. Many plants shut down fearing an unsafe work environment, which caused food prices to soar. And it's not just the US: meat processing plants in Germany, Brazil, and other beef exporters also saw outbreaks infecting hundreds of workers. So far, Turkey hasn't seen any major clusters within its food supply chain. But how long will that last?

Guests:

Sevim Seda Yamac

Assistant Professor at Konya Food and Agriculture University

Abeer Etefa

Spokesperson at WFP Middle East

The internationally recognised Libyan government based in Tripoli is not only battling a deadly virus, but also illegal militias loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar. His year-long assault on the capital has left scores of civilians dead. But now, the Government of National Accord is on the offensive, advancing on a strategic airbase just southwest of Tripoli. So, is this a turning point in the Libyan civil war? Plus, across Europe and North America, care centres for the elderly have borne a heavy burden during the coronavirus pandemic. But the World Health Organization recently praised Turkey for the measures it's taken at nursing homes to contain the virus. We'll look at Ankara's elderly care policy and how it's led to comparatively fewer deaths compared to other nations.

Guests:

Guma el Gamaty

Special Envoy of the Libyan Prime Minister

Murat Aslan

Researcher at SETA Centre

Meltem Gulhan Halil

Professor at Hacettepe University

Irshad Ali Shaikh

Health Security Lead at WHO Turkey

The internationally recognised Libyan government based in Tripoli is not only battling a deadly virus, but also illegal militias loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar. His year-long assault on the capital has left scores of civilians dead. But now, the Government of National Accord is on the offensive, advancing on the strategic al-Watiya airbase just southwest of Tripoli. So are we at a turning point in the Libyan civil war? Is warlord Haftar starting to see his international support wane?

Guests:

Guma el Gamaty

Special Envoy of the Libyan Prime Minister

Murat Aslan

Researcher at SETA Centre

In Italy, the crisis in nursing homes is being called a 'silent massacre' and a recent report from the London School of Economics suggests that in many European countries, nearly half of all pandemic deaths have been in nursing homes. US government records also show that a shortage of medical supplies and lapses in management have fueled the spread of COVID-19 in care homes. But Turkey has been an outlier when it comes to treating the elderly. We'll look at Ankara's policy and how it's led to comparatively fewer deaths among senior citizens compared to other nations.

Meltem Gulhan Halil

Professor at Hacettepe University

Irshad Ali Shaikh

Health Security Lead at WHO Turkey​

For the world's 1.8 billion Muslims, the holy month of Ramadan has taken on new meaning amidst the coronavirus pandemic: what was once a time to gather by the thousands to pray and break their fast, has been replaced with the new reality of social distancing. So, although mosques are closed across Turkey and the world, how are Muslims ensuring the holiday stays as true to form as possible?

Guests:

Mutaz Alkhatib

Assistant Professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University