President Erdogan’s time in power has been a fascinating period for Turkey - at once nodding to the liberal West, while simultaneously winking at the more Conservative East. It’s his country in a nutshell, and his policies in economics, social welfare, secularisation and his relationship with the EU all prove it. But one thing has always haunted him: the arm ... Show More
Jan 29
Paul Kenyon: 30 Years Under Fire as a BBC War Reporter
In this episode, Thomas talks to distinguished BBC journalist Paul Kenyon about his new podcast series Two Nottingham Lads. Paul recalls highlights from his remarkable career, which has taken him from Iran to Libya to Ukraine to Stockport —as he watched, in real time, America los ... Show More
58m 31s
May 2023
Turkish Elections: The End of Erdogan?
Turkey’s longtime leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing what many describe as his toughest election yet. On Sunday, May 14th polls will open for presidential and parliamentary elections, and amid a dire economic crisis in the country, his prospects are in doubt. His leading rival ... Show More
45m 32s
Apr 2024
A Turkey of an Election for Erdogan: AKP losses, CHP wins, and İmamoğlu's rising star
The recent local elections in Turkey did not go to plan for President Erdogan. The voters sent a clear message to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) party and the strongman president, when they voted in unprecedented numbers for the opposition Republican People's Part ... Show More
31m 37s
May 2023
Turkey’s President Fights for Political Survival
<p>For two decades, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has loomed large over Turkish politics. But skyrocketing inflation and a devastating earthquake have eroded his power and, in a presidential election over the weekend, he was forced into a runoff.</p><p>Ben Hubbard, The Times’s I ... Show More
24m 50s
Aug 2021
Soner Çaǧaptay, "A Sultan in Autumn: Erdogan Faces Turkey's Uncontainable Forces" (I. B. Tauris, 2021)
A Sultan in Autumn: Erdogan Faces Turkey's Uncontainable Forces (I. B. Tauris, 2021) is a primer for anybody who wants to understand modern Turkish politics and its central player Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who, for better or worse, has shaped Turkish politics and society for the last ... Show More
52m 35s
Apr 2024
What path lies ahead for Turkey after Erdogan's stunning local election defeat? Commentator Kadri Gursel explains
<p>Following The secular opposition's historic win in the March 31 elections, many say that Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is now confirmed as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's chief rival in the next elections that are due to be held in four years. However, the reality is ... Show More
30m 17s