Volga Kuşçuoğlu

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bianet English editor (December 2018).

Volga Kuşçuoğlu & Hikmet Adal

Thibaut Bruttin: 'Turkey was a matrix of policies to repress journalism in the West'

Q&A WITH RSF DIRECTOR GENERAL

Thibaut Bruttin: 'Turkey was a matrix of policies to repress journalism in the West'

In the face of systemic government repression and a version of "free speech" weaponized by tech oligarchs at the expense of fact-based public debate, Bruttin calls for international solidarity among press freedom defenders.

Volga Kuşçuoğlu

Trapped in the algorithm: Rethinking media’s role in a 'rigged' digital world

‘OUR MEDIA’ CONFERENCE

Trapped in the algorithm: Rethinking media’s role in a 'rigged' digital world

Experts warn that while leaving social media cedes ground to disinformation, staying demands ethical compromises and strategic resilience.

11 October 2025

Volga Kuşçuoğlu

Defending free expression amid global decline: ‘Journalism must reconnect with people’

‘OUR MEDIA’ CONFERENCE

Defending free expression amid global decline: ‘Journalism must reconnect with people’

Journalists and experts from the Western Balkans and Turkey explored the challenges confronting the media and discussed potential solutions to strengthen journalism.

Explained: The broader context behind Turkey’s crackdown on İstanbul mayor

Explained: The broader context behind Turkey’s crackdown on İstanbul mayor

İmamoğlu, who is seen as a strong challenger to President Erdoğan, faces the risk of losing both his chance to run for president and his position as mayor of İstanbul.

Turkey's independent media protest Google over ‘algorithmic censorship'

Turkey's independent media protest Google over ‘algorithmic censorship'

An analysis of website traffic shows that conglomerate and state media benefit significantly more from searches on Google and its news app than independent outlets.

Volga Kuşçuoğlu

Despite health issues, Bahçeli seems at steering wheel of Turkey’s new Kurdish initiative

Despite health issues, Bahçeli seems at steering wheel of Turkey’s new Kurdish initiative

Recovering from major surgery, Bahçeli remains actively engaged in the ongoing initiative.

Volga Kuşçuoğlu

Turkey’s crackdown on Kurdish political movement expands to ‘terrorist weddings’

Turkey’s crackdown on Kurdish political movement expands to ‘terrorist weddings’

Within couple of weeks, dozens of people across the country faced detention for chanting 'terrorist' slogans during weddings. Such moves are part of a broader policy to suppress the Kurdish movement in Turkey, aligning with Erdoğan's intent to carry out large-scale military operations in both Iraq and Syria.

Violent protests target refugee community in Turkey’s Kayseri after alleged sexual assault on minor

Violent protests target refugee community in Turkey’s Kayseri after alleged sexual assault on minor

Dozens of individuals have been taken into custody following the incidents. The events triggered counter-protests in the Turkish-controlled parts of northern Syria.

Turkey's Central Bank governor reveals living with mother due to exorbitant rental prices in İstanbul

Turkey's Central Bank governor reveals living with mother due to exorbitant rental prices in İstanbul

Gaye Erkan's statement was met with skepticism, with many questioning how she claims inability to afford a rental home in İstanbul despite her substantial Central Bank governor salary and a lucrative career in finance in the US.

16 December 2023

Volga Kuşçuoğlu

Turkey's housing crisis: Citizens faced with landlord violence amid government inaction

Turkey's housing crisis: Citizens faced with landlord violence amid government inaction

To address the soaring rent prices, the parliament introduced a rent increase cap of 25% in June 2022. The law aimed to protect tenants but inadvertently created disparities between long-standing tenants and new renters.

11 December 2023

Turkey faces judicial crisis as high courts clash over jailed MP

Turkey faces judicial crisis as high courts clash over jailed MP

The Court of Cassation defied the Constitutional Court verdict for the release of Can Atalay, who was elected an MP in the May elections.

9 November 2023

Cracks in Turkey's opposition could secure local election revenge for Erdoğan

Cracks in Turkey's opposition could secure local election revenge for Erdoğan

The idea of forming the broadest coalition possible to defeat Erdoğan suffered a serious blow in the dual elections in May, leaving the opposition parties in disarray.

15 September 2023

Journey through Anatolia's medieval history: New app offers virtual exploration of Ani

Journey through Anatolia's medieval history: New app offers virtual exploration of Ani

The app, available in Turkish, Armenian, and English, offers a captivating journey through the UNESCO-listed archaeological site of Ani, with routes that cater to both casual explorers and those who want to know it all.

Countdown to Turkey's presidential runoff: Propaganda ban begins ahead of Sunday's vote

Countdown to Turkey's presidential runoff: Propaganda ban begins ahead of Sunday's vote

As incumbent President Erdoğan and his rival Kılıçdaroğlu gear up for the decisive round of the presidential race, we bring you the latest updates.

What Kılıçdaroğlu-Özdağ deal implies about removal of elected mayors in Kurdish cities

What Kılıçdaroğlu-Özdağ deal implies about removal of elected mayors in Kurdish cities

The government has replaced all but a few of the HDP mayors in Kurdish-majority regions since the 2019 local election. The Kılıçdaroğlu-Özdağ protocol pledges to maintain this practice, but exclusively for individuals with "proven connections to terrorism."

Race for third player's support ahead of Turkey's runoff: Is Oğan really a game changer?

Race for third player's support ahead of Turkey's runoff: Is Oğan really a game changer?

Both the ruling and the opposition camps seek the support of the nationalist candidate who puts sending refugees back at the center of his rhetoric. But there are question marks over his ability to sway his voters to support the candidate he endorses.

Erdoğan's alliance poised to win parliament, boosting his chances in runoff for presidency

TURKEY ELECTIONS

Erdoğan's alliance poised to win parliament, boosting his chances in runoff for presidency

Final results are yet to come, with both Erdoğan and Kılıçdaroğlu apparently failed to reach the 50 percent threshold to win the presidential election in the first round.

How Turkey's new electoral law will affect outcome of May 14 polls

How Turkey's new electoral law will affect outcome of May 14 polls

As the new law could make allied parties compete against each other, not only the parties' voting rates but also how they will participate in the election will determine the outcome. The parties have set up "alliances within alliances" to maximize the number of seats they'll win.

Kurdish Islamist party poised to join Erdoğan's alliance

Kurdish Islamist party poised to join Erdoğan's alliance

The president invited the HÜDA PAR to his ruling alliance. The opposition questioned his motives given the party's negligible public support and linked the party to Hizbullah, an armed group responsible for the killing of hundreds of people, including journalists and politicians, in the 1990s.

Infographic: The network that organized the İstanbul bomb attack

Infographic: The network that organized the İstanbul bomb attack

As the investigation unfolds, more is revealed about the Syria-based network that carried out the November 13 attack on İstiklal Avenue, which killed six people and injured 81 others.

22 November 2022

Wraps without meat, baklava without nuts: Turkey's new street foods reflect deep poverty

Wraps without meat, baklava without nuts: Turkey's new street foods reflect deep poverty

"Plain" versions of Turkey's popular street foods, dishes and desserts have emerged one after another over the past months as the economic crisis is felt more strongly.

New revelations by Sedat Peker as he postpones video about Erdoğan due to Biden meeting

New revelations by Sedat Peker as he postpones video about Erdoğan due to Biden meeting

In the two new videos he released on the weekend, exiled mob boss Sedat Peker targeted a businessperson with family ties to the president, the interior minister and others.

Sedat Peker claims to reveal new cocaine route between Colombia-Venezuela-Turkey

Sedat Peker claims to reveal new cocaine route between Colombia-Venezuela-Turkey

In a new YouTube video, the mafia boss in a self-imposed exile continued making allegations against people close to the government. Former PM Binali Yıldırım's son is at the center of his drug trafficking claims.

Hamilton 'minds his own business,' equals Schumacher's record of world titles in İstanbul

THE STORY OF THE TURKISH GP

Hamilton 'minds his own business,' equals Schumacher's record of world titles in İstanbul

When the Mercedes driver complained about the slippery new surface of İstanbul Park, a district mayor told him to "mind his own business," which he did to win the race and clinch his seventh world championship.

15 November 2020

Is Turkey Underreporting Coronavirus Deaths? Here is What We Know

Is Turkey Underreporting Coronavirus Deaths? Here is What We Know

Who said what on the government's official tally of the Covid-19 pandemic and where does Turkey stand in excess deaths analyses?

Does Turkey's Plan to Resettle Millions of Refugees in Northern Syria Make Sense?

Does Turkey's Plan to Resettle Millions of Refugees in Northern Syria Make Sense?

Implementing the plan is only possible if Turkey commits a large ethnic cleansing against the Kurds and creates an "Arabic Belt," according to Prof. Balanche and journalist Taştekin.

AKP Aims to Achieve More Than One Goal with Mayor Dismissals but Opposition is Not Hopeless

AKP Aims to Achieve More Than One Goal with Mayor Dismissals but Opposition is Not Hopeless

After recovering from the election shock, the AKP dismissed several local administrators in the Kurdish-majority southeast in a move that united opposition groups from a broad political spectrum.

Campaign Against İstanbul Convention in Pro-AKP Circles

Campaign Against İstanbul Convention in Pro-AKP Circles

The convention on violence against women has come under spotlight five years after coming into effect as pro-AKP circles launched a campaign against it after Erdoğan reportedly said that it can be "annulled."

İstanbul Election Drama Makes it into Stadiums as Supporters Chant 'Mandate İmamoğlu'

İstanbul Election Drama Makes it into Stadiums as Supporters Chant 'Mandate İmamoğlu'

The opposition's winning-but-not-yet-mandated candidate for the İstanbul mayorship, Ekrem İmamoğlu, was at the football games of "the Big Three," Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Beşiktaş, on the weekend. Supporters welcomed him with slogans.

Everything You Need to Know About Turkey's 2019 Local Elections

Everything You Need to Know About Turkey's 2019 Local Elections

People of Turkey will go to polls on March 31 to elect their local administrators. Here is a detailed guide to the country's sixth election in the last five years.

'If You Love a Place, You Also Love People Fighting for Freedom There'

VOLGA KUŞÇUOĞLU'S INTERVIEW WITH GIANLUCA COSTANTINI

'If You Love a Place, You Also Love People Fighting for Freedom There'

Artist Gianluca Costantini's work covers the most important happenings in Turkey since the 2013 Gezi Park protests.