Turkey Book Talk

Zeynep Şentek on the environment, public health and politics in Dilovası, a heavily polluted industrial district near Istanbul. Şentek is among the reporters of a recent Black Sea.EU article on a "public health disaster zone" where dangerous chemicals are belched into the air, cancer rates are reportedly above average, and locals suffer from severe respiratory conditions. Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get English and Turkish transcripts of every interview, transcripts of the archive, access to a 35% discount on over 400 Turkey/Ottoman history books published by IB Tauris, and an archive of over 200 reviews covering Turkish and international fiction, history, journalism and politics.

Soner Çağaptay of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on how Turkey's military incursion into northeast Syria fits into President Erdoğan's broader policies in the Middle East. Çağaptay is author most recently of “Erdogan's Empire: Turkey and the Politics of the Middle East” (IB Tauris/Bloomsbury).  Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get English and Turkish transcripts of every interview, transcripts of the archive, access to a 35% discount on over 400 Turkey/Ottoman history books published by IB Tauris, and an archive of over 200 reviews covering Turkish and international fiction, history, journalism and politics.

Holly Shissler, associate professor of Ottoman and Modern Turkish History at the University of Chicago, on the life and work of Ahmet Mithat Efendi (1844-1912). The publisher of major newspaper Tercuman-i Hakikat, Ahmet Mithat also wrote many fictional works including Felatun Bey and Rakim Efendi, which appeared in English in 2016. Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get English and Turkish transcripts of every interview, transcripts of the archive, access to a 35% discount on over 400 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris, and an archive of over 200 reviews covering Turkish and international fiction, history, journalism and politics.

Deniz Çifçi on “The Kurds and the Politics of Turkey: Agency, Territory and Religion” (IB Tauris/Bloomsbury). Based on extensive on-the-ground research, the book describes the diversity of interest and opinion among Kurds in Turkey. While the Kurds are often seen as a homogeneous group with unified demands, Çifçi paints a more nuanced picture. Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get English and Turkish transcripts of every interview, transcripts of the archive, access to a 35% discount on over 400 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris, and an archive of over 200 reviews covering Turkish and international fiction, history, journalism and politics.

Nur Deriş on the life of Sabiha Sertel (1895-1968). Deriş is co-editor of “The Struggle for Modern Turkey: Justice, Activism and a Revolutionary Female Journalist” (IB Tauris/Bloomsbury), the first appearance in English of Sertel's autobiography. The book is a fascinating window into an era covering the war of independence and the single-party period until 1950. Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get English and Turkish transcripts of every interview, transcripts of the archive, access to a 35% discount on over 400 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris, and an archive of over 200 reviews covering Turkish and international fiction, history, journalism and politics.

Emre Erşen, associate professor of international relations at Marmara University and co-editor of “Turkey's Pivot to Eurasia: Geopolitics and Foreign Policy in a Changing World Order” (Routledge), discusses the past, present and future of Ankara's relations with Russia and China. Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get English and Turkish transcripts of every interview, transcripts of the archive, access to a 35% discount on over 400 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris, and an archive of over 200 reviews covering Turkish and international fiction, history, journalism and politics.

Hannah Lucinda Smith on her new book “Erdoğan Rising: The Battle for the Soul of Turkey” (William Collins). Smith has been Turkey correspondent for The Times of London since 2013 and her book is a part-biography of President Erdoğan, part-journalistic account of contemporary Turkish history. Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get English and Turkish transcripts of every interview, transcripts of the archive, access to a 35% discount on over 400 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris, and an archive of over 200 reviews covering Turkish and international fiction, history, journalism and politics.

Mehmet Fatih Uslu of Istanbul Şehir University on the pleasures and challenges of translating from Armenian into Turkish. Uslu has translated a number of significant texts, including by the great early 20th century Istanbul Armenian feminist Zabel Yesayan and the 19th century playwright Hagop Baronyan. Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get English and Turkish transcripts of every interview, transcripts of the archive, access to a 35% discount on over 400 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris, and an archive of over 200 reviews covering Turkish and international fiction, history, journalism and politics.

Yağmur Karakaya on the rise of Ottoman nostalgia in contemporary Turkish politics and popular culture. Karakaya is the author of "The Conquest of Hearts: The central role of Ottoman nostalgia within contemporary Turkish populism", published in the American Journal of Cultural Sociology. Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get English and Turkish transcripts of every interview, transcripts of the archive, access to a 35% discount on over 400 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris, and an archive of over 200 reviews covering Turkish and international fiction, history, journalism and politics.

Haris Theodorelis-Rigas on Skarlatos Byzantios' "Constantinople" (Istos), a monumental social and historical description of Istanbul written in the mid-19th century. Haris is the translator of the first volume and one of the founders of Istos, a publishing house focusing on the Greek Orthodox heritage of Istanbul and Anatolia. Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get English and Turkish transcripts of every interview, transcripts of the archive, access to a 35% discount on over 400 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris, and an archive of over 200 reviews covering Turkish and international fiction, history, journalism and politics.