Turkey Book Talk #194 – Demet Aslı Çaltekin, assistant professor at Durham University’s Durham Law School, on “Conscientious Objection in Turkey: A Socio-legal Analysis of the Right to Refuse Military Service” (Edinburgh University Press).
The conversation addresses the ubiquity of militarism and nationalism in Turkey, and the impact on people who refuse to do their compulsory military service.
Download the episode or listen below:
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Become a member on Patreon to support Turkey Book Talk. Members get a 35% discount on all Turkey/Ottoman History books published by IB Tauris/Bloomsbury (including the book from this episode), transcripts of every interview, transcripts of the whole archive, links to related content upon publication of each episode, and over 200 book reviews covering Turkish and international fiction, history and politics.
Check out and sign up to the excellent Turkey Recap.
Turkey Book Talk #188 – Nesi Altaras on “A Privilege That Cannot Be Bought: Jews of Turkey and Citizenship Restitution from Portugal and Spain” (Libra Books).
The book weighs up the practical and emotional motivations of Turkish Jews applying for Spanish and Portuguese passports in recent years, after the two countries allowed descendants of Jews expelled from the Iberian Peninsula following 1492 to ”reclaim” citizenship.
Download the episode or listen below:
Listen to Turkey Book Talk: iTunes / PodBean / Stitcher / PlayerFM / Spotify / RSS
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Become a member on Patreon to support Turkey Book Talk. Members get a 35% discount on all Turkey/Ottoman History books published by IB Tauris/Bloomsbury, transcripts of every interview, transcripts of the whole archive, links to related content upon publication of each episode, and over 200 book reviews covering Turkish and international fiction, history and politics.
Check out and sign up to the excellent weekly newsletter Turkey Recap.
Selim Koru on Turkey’s earthquakes and their political aftershocks
February 21, 2023
Turkey Book Talk #187 – Selim Koru, analyst at the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey and fellow at the US-based Foreign Policy Research Institute, on the devastating recent earthquakes.
The conversation compares the earthquakes’ effect with the Marmara earthquake of 1999, as well as addressing the Erdogan government’s response, the potential social, political and economic consequences, and the possible impact on Turkey’s foreign policy.
Download the episode or listen below:
Check out (and subscribe to) Selim’s excellent Substack “Kulturkampf”.
Please consider supporting one of the trusted groups involved in post-earthquake relief measures in Turkey and Syria.
Listen to Turkey Book Talk: iTunes / PodBean / Stitcher / PlayerFM / Spotify / RSS
Support for post-earthquake relief efforts
February 12, 2023
It has been heartening to see international support flowing into relief groups, charities and foundations in the immediate aftermath of the 6 February earthquakes that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria.
The needs are overwhelming. A considerable challenge awaits aid and rehabilitation efforts for the millions of affected people in the coming weeks, months and years, once international media coverage moves on.
For Turkey Book Talk listeners keen to support groups on the ground, here is a list of independent organisations to consider donating to:
- Ahbap – A trusted NGO in Turkey founded by musician Haluk Levent. In recent years Ahbap has worked to support needy people across the country, particularly rising to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ahbap has been active in relief efforts since the earthquakes. You can donate to Ahbap here.
- Akut – Turkey’s top volunteer search and rescue organization. Click here to donate directly.
- The Turkish Philanthropy Funds – Another US-based group reportedly supported by, among others, Hamdi Ulukaya, the businessman who founded food company Chobani. Click here to donate to their earthquake relief.
- Needs Map (İhtiyaç Haritası) – A Turkey-based platform, linked to the Turkish Philanthropy Funds, that is currently working on a live map through which you will be able to search for a cause to support that suits you. You can also donate here to the organisation.
- Support to Life – A local, trusted organisation focused on Hatay. Support here.
- Karam Foundation – Supports Syrian refugees in Turkey and across the region. It has set up an emergency fund for post-earthquake efforts, which can be found here.
- The White Helmets – One of the few rescue and aid groups able to work in areas of northern Syria outside the control of the Assad government. Support here.
PS. Turkey Book Talk will not be posting an episode on 14 February. Our next episode will be published on 21 February.
Turkey Book Talk #186 – Çağdaş Üngör, professor of political science and international relations at Marmara University, on Turkey-China ties.
The conversation addresses the modern history of relations between the two countries, Turkish public perceptions of China, Ankara’s stance on China’s treatment of its Uyghur minority, and Beijing’s efforts to craft its message to Turkish public opinion.
Download the episode or listen below:
Üngör authored the paper “China Is Playing by Turkey’s Media Rules” for the Carnegie Endowment.
She also wrote “The ‘Chinese Vaccine’ and its Discontents: Turkey’s Public Debate on Sinovac during the COVID Crisis”, for the Middle East Institute.
Listen to Turkey Book Talk: iTunes / PodBean / Stitcher / PlayerFM / Spotify / RSS
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Become a member on Patreon to support Turkey Book Talk. Members get a 35% discount on all Turkey/Ottoman History books published by IB Tauris/Bloomsbury, transcripts of every interview, transcripts of the whole archive, links to related content upon publication of each episode, and over 200 book reviews covering Turkish and international fiction, history and politics.
Check out and sign up to the excellent weekly newsletter Turkey Recap.
Mostafa Minawi on Arab-Ottoman imperialists at the end of empire
January 17, 2023
Turkey Book Talk #185 – Mostafa Minawi, associate professor of history at Cornell University, on “Losing Istanbul: Arab-Ottoman Imperialists and the End of Empire” (Stanford University Press).
Drawing on archival records, newspaper articles, travelogues, personal letters, diaries, photos and interviews, the book follows the rise and fall of a generation of Arab-origin figures who flourished in the Ottoman capital at the end of the 19th century and start of the 20th century.
Download the episode or listen below:
Also check out Mostafa’s previous appearance on the podcast in January 2021, discussing “The Ottoman Scramble for Africa: Empire and Diplomacy in the Sahara and the Hijaz” (Stanford University Press).
Listen to Turkey Book Talk: iTunes / PodBean / Stitcher / PlayerFM / Spotify / RSS
Follow : Instagram / Facebook / Twitter
Become a member on Patreon to support Turkey Book Talk. Members get a 35% discount on all Turkey/Ottoman History books published by IB Tauris/Bloomsbury, transcripts of every interview, transcripts of the whole archive, links to related content upon publication of each episode, and over 200 book reviews covering Turkish and international fiction, history and politics.
Check out and sign up to the excellent weekly newsletter Turkey Recap.
Turkey Book Talk episode #59 – Ceren Baysan of University of California, Berkeley on her paper “Can More Information Lead to More Voter Polarization? Experimental Evidence from Turkey.” The study was based on voter surveys in the months before the April 2017 referendum on granting President Erdoğan more powers and also measured Turkish parties’ own polling operations.
Baysan measured Turkish voters’ opinions about various issues as well as the major parties’ own polling operations: How much they know about voters’ preferences and how they adapt their work in light of that information.
The report is full of interesting insights about the state of Turkish parties and the deep polarization that is only getting worse in the country.
Download the episode or listen below
Here’s a link to download/read the report itself.
The Kayhan Delibaş book mentioned in the episode is called “The Rise of Political Islam in Turkey: Urban Poverty, Grassroots Activism and Islamic Fundamentalism.” Here’s an interview with Delibaş on his research.
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Consider supporting Turkey Book Talk and get extra content by becoming a member. Members get full transcripts (in English and Turkish) of every interview upon publication, transcripts of the entire Turkey Book Talk archive (in English) and access to an exclusive 30% discount on over 200 Turkey/Ottoman History titles published by IB Tauris.
Introducing Turkey Book Talk’s new membership system
February 7, 2018
[Read this introduction on Medium]
Hello Turkey Book Talk listeners. Let me start by thanking you for continuing to divert your attention to the podcast — most importantly to our guests and their work.
This week I published our 57th episode – many more than I expected when I started the podcast over two years ago based on my HDN book reviews. I think we have made big strides: From sound quality to editing, from questioning to general presentation. I hope you find that the listening experience has improved.
I want to keep making the podcast better, so I’m pleased to unveil a new membership system for Turkey Book Talk listeners.
The original podcast will still be free to listen for everyone. But I’ve decided to adapt our Patreon account for a special membership scheme.
What does that mean?
Basically from now on you will be able to both support the podcast and get access to more content and benefits as a paying member. Membership perks include:
Full transcripts – in both English and Turkish – of every future interview published on Turkey Book Talk in PDF form, when the episode is published.
Full transcripts of the entire Turkey Book Talk archive (in English) – over 50 conversations so far. Many of these interviews were previously published at Hurriyet Daily News but from now on membership will be the only way to access them. The archive also includes a number of interviews not previously published on the podcast.
Access to an exclusive 30% discount on Turkey/Ottoman History books published by the great IB Tauris. They have a fantastic archive of titles and over 200 books from their Turkey/Ottoman History series are available at cut price through a special discount code exclusive to Turkey Book Talk members. We have featured a number of IB Tauris authors on the podcast, so becoming a member is a great way to get more acquainted with their work.
Signing up as a member will help further develop the podcast going forward, giving you a warm fuzzy feeling. If we get memberships up to a certain level I’ll be able to start publishing episodes weekly (up from the current one episode every two weeks), providing a bigger platform for even more authors, academics, researchers and journalists to get the word out about their work.
In order to access these benefits and to support Turkey Book Talk going forward, all you have to do is pledge a minimum of $3 per episode via Turkey Book Talk’s official Patreon account. Here’s a link to it.
That Patreon account was previously used as a general “donation” page. The new membership scheme simply adapts it. Already existing donors contributing at least $3 per episode have automatically become members. At present I publish new episodes biweekly, so the monthly membership price is no more than $6. If ultimately I become able to publish a new episode every week then that maximum will go up to $12 monthly. It’s basically less than the price of a cup of coffee per episode.
If you’re feeling particularly generous and want to pledge more, of course everything helps and you are more than welcome. However much you pledge, membership is entirely at your own discretion. Members are only charged when a new episode is published so there is no prior commitment or strings attached: All members are free to sign off whenever they want.
Please do also share the podcast – and news of the membership system – with friends, colleagues and basically anyone you think may be interested. Word of mouth is crucial for initiatives like Turkey Book Talk. The aim is to turn it into a self-sustainable, reliable and wide-reaching source. We also want to develop the website and listener network and potentially branch out further into Turkish-language content in the medium to long-term.
It’s no secret that the country is currently going through a difficult period of wrenching changes – often depressing, sometimes surprising. At such a confusing time when news sources are proliferating but ever more difficult to rely on, many Turkey professionals and interested amateurs say they are hungry for dependable, informed and independent insights from voices on the ground.
Turkey Book Talk will not be able to exist without listeners, contributors and paying members. I hope you can join us, helping to strengthen the platform for our guests at a time when their work is more important than ever.
Many thanks
William Armstrong
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Alexander Clarkson on Turks and Kurds in Germany
October 13, 2017
Turkey Book Talk episode #49 – ALEXANDER CLARKSON of Kings College London discusses his research on the Turkish and Kurdish diaspora in Germany, addressed in his long article “Kenan Evren’s Bitter Harvest: Legacies of a Coup that Changed Turkey and Europe.”
Download the episode or listen below.
Subscribe to Turkey Book Talk: iTunes / PodBean / Stitcher / Acast / RSS
** SPECIAL OFFER **
Consider supporting Turkey Book Talk by taking advantage of a 33% discount plus free delivery (cheaper than Amazon) on five different titles, courtesy of Hurst Publishers:
- ‘Jihad and Death: The Global Appeal of Islamic State’ by Olivier Roy
- ‘The Circassian: A Life of Eşref Bey, Late Ottoman Insurgent and Special Agent’ by Benjamin Fortna
- ‘The New Turkey and its Discontents’ by Simon Waldman and Emre Çalışkan
- ‘The Poisoned Well: Empire and its Legacy in the Middle East’ by Roger Hardy
- ‘Out of Nowhere: The Syrian Kurds in Peace and War’ by Michael Gunter
Follow this link to get that discount from Hurst Publishers.
Another way to support the podcast, if you enjoy or benefit from it: Make a pledge to Turkey Book Talk via Patreon. Many thanks to current supporters Michelle Zimmer, Steve Bryant, Jan-Markus Vömel, Celia Jocelyn Kerslake, Aaron Ataman, Max Hoffman, Andrew MacDowall and Paul Levin.
Cenk Özbay on male prostitution in Istanbul and LGBT rights in Turkey
September 15, 2017
Turkey Book Talk episode #47 – CENK ÖZBAY on his book “QUEERING SEXUALITIES IN TURKEY: GAY MEN, MALE PROSTITUTES AND THE CITY” (IB Tauris).
The book delves into the murky world of male prostitution in Turkey in the 2000s, which allowed Özbay to explore assumptions about class, local and global culture, and masculine behavior. In the conversation we also address the troubled state of LGBT rights in Turkey at the moment and the general trajectory of the country over the past 15 or so years.
Download the episode or listen below.
Keep your ears peeled for two music clips – The first (after 10:23) is “Çile Bülbülüm” performed by Bülent Ersoy. The second (after 20:42) is “İmkansız” performed by Zeki Müren
Here’s my review of the book at HDN.
Subscribe to Turkey Book Talk : iTunes / PodBean / Stitcher / Acast / RSS
A piece I wrote a couple of years ago for Balkanist – LGBT Crackdown in Turkey: The Perils of Visibility
* DON’T FORGET SPECIAL OFFER *
You can support Turkey Book Talk by taking advantage of a 33% discount plus free delivery (cheaper than Amazon) on five different titles, courtesy of Hurst Publishers:
- ‘Jihad and Death: The Global Appeal of Islamic State’ by Olivier Roy
- ‘The Circassian: A Life of Eşref Bey, Late Ottoman Insurgent and Special Agent’ by Benjamin Fortna
- ‘The New Turkey and its Discontents’ by Simon Waldman and Emre Çalışkan
- ‘The Poisoned Well: Empire and its Legacy in the Middle East’ by Roger Hardy
- ‘Out of Nowhere: The Syrian Kurds in Peace and War’ by Michael Gunter
Follow this link to get that discount from Hurst Publishers.
Another way to support the podcast, if you enjoy or benefit from it: Make a pledge to Turkey Book Talk via Patreon. Many thanks to current supporters Michelle Zimmer, Steve Bryant, Jan-Markus Vömel, Celia Jocelyn Kerslake, Aaron Ataman, Max Hoffman, Andrew MacDowall and Paul Levin.
Douglas Howard on a new history of the Ottoman Empire
August 18, 2017
Turkey Book Talk episode #45 – DOUGLAS HOWARD, professor of history at Calvin College in Michigan, discusses “A HISTORY OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE” (Cambridge University Press).
The book is the first single-volume history of the Ottomans to appear in a while, covering more than 600 years of history – from the empire’s 13th century origins in the Balkans and western Anatolia to its protracted, violent dissolution at the start of the 20th century.
Download the episode or listen below.
Here’s my review of the book.
Subscribe to Turkey Book Talk : iTunes / PodBean / Stitcher / Acast / RSS
* SPECIAL OFFER *
You can support Turkey Book Talk by taking advantage of a 33% discount plus free delivery (cheaper than Amazon) on five different titles, courtesy of Hurst Publishers:
- ‘Jihad and Death: The Global Appeal of Islamic State’ by Olivier Roy
- ‘The Circassian: A Life of Eşref Bey, Late Ottoman Insurgent and Special Agent’ by Benjamin Fortna
- ‘The New Turkey and its Discontents’ by Simon Waldman and Emre Çalışkan
- ‘The Poisoned Well: Empire and its Legacy in the Middle East’ by Roger Hardy
- ‘Out of Nowhere: The Syrian Kurds in Peace and War’ by Michael Gunter
Follow this link to get that discount from Hurst Publishers.
Another way to support the podcast, if you enjoy or benefit from it: Make a donation to Turkey Book Talk via Patreon. Many thanks to current supporters Michelle Zimmer, Steve Bryant, Jan-Markus Vömel, Celia Jocelyn Kerslake, Aaron Ataman, Max Hoffman and Andrew MacDowall.
Max Hoffman on Turkish civil society under siege
August 4, 2017
Turkey Book Talk episode #44 – MAX HOFFMAN on “TRENDS IN TURKISH CIVIL SOCIETY,” a joint report published by the Center for American Progress, the Istanbul Policy Center, and the Italian think tank IAI.
Download the episode or listen below.
Here’s a link to the report itself.
Subscribe to Turkey Book Talk : iTunes / PodBean / Stitcher / Acast / RSS
* SPECIAL OFFER *
You can support Turkey Book Talk by taking advantage of a 33% discount plus free delivery (cheaper than Amazon) on five different titles, courtesy of Hurst Publishers:
- ‘Jihad and Death: The Global Appeal of Islamic State’ by Olivier Roy
- ‘The Circassian: A Life of Eşref Bey, Late Ottoman Insurgent and Special Agent’ by Benjamin Fortna
- ‘The New Turkey and its Discontents’ by Simon Waldman and Emre Çalışkan
- ‘The Poisoned Well: Empire and its Legacy in the Middle East’ by Roger Hardy
- ‘Out of Nowhere: The Syrian Kurds in Peace and War’ by Michael Gunter
Follow this link to get that discount from Hurst Publishers.
Another way to support the podcast, if you enjoy or benefit from it: Make a donation to Turkey Book Talk via Patreon. Many thanks to current supporters Michelle Zimmer, Steve Bryant, Jan-Markus Vömel, Celia Jocelyn Kerslake, Aaron Ataman and Andrew MacDowall.
Turkey Book Talk 