Stories from Quick Reads and Middle East & North Africa
Women in Turkey stand in solidarity with women of Iran
In Turkey where women’s rights keep deteriorating, the murder of Mahsa Amini hits close to home. Women from across all walks of life express solidarity with the protests in Iran.
CIMER: a revolutionary platform or reporting tool in the hands of state sympathizers?
Set up in 2015, by the ruling Justice and Development Party, CIMER offers Turkish citizens communicate their “problems, complaints and requests” to the presidency.
Turkish football fans chant ‘Vladimir Putin’ during match against Kyiv
Aggravated Turkish football fans chanted "Vladimir Putin" during a match again the Ukrainian Dynamo Kyiv team, in a reference to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. International scandal followed.
In Turkey death of a doctor renews old grievances about violence against healthcare workers
Despite attempts to save Karakaya's life, he died, leaving behind devastated family but also becoming the most recent and brazen example of the on-going violence against healthcare workers in Turkey.
Turkey blocks access to two news websites
On June 30, Turkey’s Radio and Television High Council blocked access to the Turkish language websites of Deutsche Welle and Voice of America after two news outlets refused to obtain a broadcaster license.
Turkey's former mayor claims officials discovered hidden jellybean reserves
The former mayor was answering questions about recently discovered oil reserves when he made the comment about a major jellybean discovery.
A corny TV exorcism possesses Turkish social media
In Turkey, a woman named Pelin Hürman who describes herself as metaphysics expert, performed an exorcism on a TV show and quickly became a laughing stock on social media.
Istanbul police violently break up PRIDE March and arrest over 300 people
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Istanbul LGBT+ Pride Week. While local authorities banned all PRIDE events, protestors still took to the streets, marched, and chanted slogans.
Erdoğan's priorities turn to space as earthly problems mount in Turkey
As part of its national space program, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan unveiled plans to have its citizens serve aboard the International Space Station.
Turkey's latest attack on the arts: A provincial governor cancels a long-awaited music festival
While the statement did not specifically mention the upcoming music festival, the event falls under the calendar days mentioned in the statement.
In Turkey, a comedy show lands in hot water over a political sketch
The Guldur Guldur Show, a popular comedy show in Turkey, had its sketch removed by a television channel over a satirical bit about Minister of Finance and Treasury Nureddin Nebati.
In Turkey a journalist is arrested for covering an alleged hacking of a government database
The arrest comes after Haskoloğlu reported on an alleged hacking of a government database.
Has Turkey dodged its sunflower oil crisis?
In recent months, Turkey has been rocked by a handful of crises - financial, political, environmental, diplomatic but now it is grappling with a new one - the sunflower oil shortage.
In Turkey, health workers mark Doctor's Day by going on strike
To mark the holiday, health workers across the country said they would be on a two-day strike starting March 14 despite earlier warnings from the Ministry of Health against the protests.
Do we live in a news bubble of our own making?
We are able to follow news in multiple languages and make conclusions, choose what we share and what we label as misinformation.
‘This too shall pass,’ sings Turkish pop star
Fans are divided over the lyrics, with some claiming the song is about the pandemic and others arguing it addresses political issues. Regardless, the new song is a hit.
In Azerbaijan, a man arrested for disrespecting a flag
This is perhaps the first instance of strong public backlash against someone disrespecting a foreign flag in Azerbaijan.
In Turkey, a veteran pop star is facing scrutiny over song lyrics
The 67-year-old singer-songwriter, Sezen Aksu, is being accused of degrading religious values because one sentence in her song reads, "Give my regards to the ignorant Eve and Adam."
#helloTürkiye — Turkey's latest attempt to rebrand itself
The branding campaign follows a presidential circular signed on December 4, 2021, requiring the use of "Türkiye" instead of "Turkey" in all correspondence with other states, international institutions, and organizations.
The Turkish Lira continues to lose value at a breakneck pace
Turkey's largest business group urged President Erdoğan's government to "return to rules of economic science."
Roundup of Shia figures continues in Azerbaijan
Rustamov is the latest Shia figure targeted by the authorities in an apparent roundup of prominent Shia figures in the country.