Listener mail: CHP chaos, election projections and Turkey-Bangladesh defense ties

Listener mail: CHP chaos, election projections and Turkey-Bangladesh defense ties

Turkey recap deputy editor of Economy recap fame Emily Rice Johnson joins Turkey recap editor Diego Cupolo to respond to listener mail. This is our second Q&A episode following the second religious holiday of the year. We focus primarily on the current judicial pressure faced by Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which recently had its leader Özgür Özel removed from power by court order. Also discussed are the political prospects of re-installed CHP chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, timing forecasts for the next election cycle, peace process updates and more — including Turkey-Bangladesh defense relations. Referenced in this talk: Submit a question for our Q&A podcast with this form [https://forms.gle/953tUNACVoZjpyPa7] RSVP to our Ankara get-together on June 11 using this form [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpCgjMkg13w7rvGHcOxAGcnCkp2t3dGfdpAht0gkWfwc3jMA/viewform?usp=header] Targeting the Opposition: Türkiye’s Democracy at a Crossroads (ISPI [https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/targeting-the-opposition-turkiyes-democracy-at-a-crossroads-238592]) Tens of thousands march in support of Turkey’s deposed opposition leader (AP [https://apnews.com/article/turkey-chp-ozel-ankara-march-opposition-a5c30da2de4af6e9f48d660ce665c8d9]) Bangladesh and Turkey: Defense Cooperation Enters a strategic phase (BMF [https://www.bdmilitary.com/analysis/geopolitics-diplomacy/bangladesh-and-turkiye-defence-cooperation-enters-a-strategic-phase/3346/]) Other ways to watch & listen: Our webcasts are also available on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@turkeyrecap], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1KzyzWkguHP5t9jPWRChEZ], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recap-radio/id1813696945] and other podcast players. Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Contact us: info@turkeyrecap.com [info@turkeyrecap.com]. Subscribe here on Substack [https://turkeyrecap.substack.com/subscribe] (or on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/turkeyrecap] for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools. We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to produce balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey. Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu, Parliament correspondent Hilmi Hacaloğlu, Political correspondent Gözde Ocak, Stüdyo recap editor Demet Şöhret, Social media and content manager This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe [https://www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Status update on Syria and SDF integration with Noah Bonsey

Noah Bonsey [https://www.crisisgroup.org/who-we-are/people/noah-bonsey], a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group focusing on Syria, joins Turkey recap editor Diego Cupolo to discuss developments in Syria with a focus on integration efforts regarding the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF. Following a Syrian Army offensive that reclaimed most of the formerly SDF-held territory in northeast Syria, Damascus and the SDF signed a peace agreement in late January to combine forces under the Syria state structure after 14 years of war. This podcast is a status update on how integration efforts are going in the context of escalated regional instability from the US-Israel war on Iran and amid the continued economic hardships faced by Syrian citizens. The talk covers how Damascus-SDF negotiations impact the PKK peace process in Turkey, as well as the current challenges, opportunities and risks faced by the transitional government of Syrian Pres. Ahmed al-Sharaa. Note: This episode was recorded May 25, 2026. Referenced in this talk: Submit a question for our Q&A podcast with this form [https://forms.gle/953tUNACVoZjpyPa7] PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s May 24 public statement (DEM Party [https://www.demparti.org.tr/tr/basina-ve-kamuoyuna/22725/]) ‘The country is on fire’: Riot police storm CHP headquarters and Bilgi University (Turkey recap [https://www.turkeyrecap.com/p/the-country-is-on-fire-riot-police]) An Opportunity for Calm in North-eastern Syria (Crisis Group [https://www.crisisgroup.org/cmt/middle-east-north-africa/syria/opportunity-calm-north-eastern-syria]) Comprehensive Overview of IDPs and IDP Returns 21-5-2026 (UNHCR [https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/122541]) First Turkey-Iraq transit convoy crosses through Syria (SANA [https://sana.sy/en/syria/2317604/]) Other ways to watch & listen: Our webcasts are also available on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@turkeyrecap], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1KzyzWkguHP5t9jPWRChEZ], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recap-radio/id1813696945] and other podcast players. Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Contact us: info@turkeyrecap.com [info@turkeyrecap.com]. Subscribe here on Substack [https://turkeyrecap.substack.com/subscribe] (or on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/turkeyrecap] for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools. We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to produce balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey. Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor Ceren Bayar, Parliament correspondent Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu, Parliament correspondent Günsu Durak, Stüdyo recap editor Demet Şöhret, Social media and content manager This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe [https://www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Court ousts Turkish opposition leader: What comes next with Berk Esen

Berk Esen [https://fass.sabanciuniv.edu/tr/faculty_members/detail/2486], associate professor of political science at Sabancı University in Istanbul, joins Turkey recap editor Diego Cupolo for an emergency podcast on the latest blow against Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). On Thursday, May 22, a Turkish court ousted CHP head Özgür Özel from the party leadership and replaced him with his predecessor Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. This podcast outlines Turkey’s ongoing slide towards autocracy, how Özel and his supporters might respond and the prospects for early elections as a result of this unprecedented moment in Turkish politics. Referenced in this talk: Submit a question for our Q&A podcast with this form [https://forms.gle/953tUNACVoZjpyPa7] Kılıç In The Matrix (Turkey recap [https://www.turkeyrecap.com/p/klc-in-the-matrix]) Turkey court rules to oust opposition leader in latest blow to Erdogan’s challengers (Reuters [https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-court-annuls-main-opposition-partys-2023-congress-latest-blow-2026-05-21/]) Istanbul’s mayor on trial for corruption charges (BBC [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c204ymjnn80o]) How to Fight Turkey’s Authoritarian Turn (Journal of Democracy [https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/how-to-fight-turkeys-authoritarian-turn/]) Other ways to watch & listen: Our webcasts are also available on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@turkeyrecap], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1KzyzWkguHP5t9jPWRChEZ], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recap-radio/id1813696945] and other podcast players. Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Contact us: info@turkeyrecap.com [info@turkeyrecap.com]. Subscribe here on Substack [https://turkeyrecap.substack.com/subscribe] (or on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/turkeyrecap] for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools. We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to produce balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey. Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor Ceren Bayar, Parliament correspondent Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu, Parliament correspondent Günsu Durak, Stüdyo recap editor Demet Şöhret, Social media and content manager This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe [https://www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Unpacking the shifts in Turkey’s Libya policy with Jalel Harchaoui

Jalel Harchaoui [https://www.rusi.org/people/harchaoui], a political scientist focused on Libya and a contributor at the Royal United Services Institute, joins Turkey recap editor Diego Cupolo to discuss shifts in Turkey’s Libya policy and how they fit into broader US and NATO objectives for stability in the divided nation. The talk outlines how, in 2019, Ankara initially backed the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity in Western Libya and, since 2024, has been expanding its diplomatic outreach and drone sales to the Benghazi-based Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar in Eastern Libya. Topics covered include Turkey’s hosting of joint military exercises [https://www.defensenews.com/global/mideast-africa/2026/05/06/turkish-exercise-sees-libyas-rival-forces-train-together-for-second-time-within-weeks/] between Libya’s rival forces as well as the spillover effects of Turkey’s Libya policy for regional conflicts and actors. They also discuss Turkish parliament’s planned legislation [https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/05/new-turkey-maritime-draft-bill-fuels-eastmed-tensions-greece-cyprus] to claim waters near the Greek Island of Crete by formalizing a maritime boundary agreement with Libya. Referenced in this talk: Submit a question for our Q&A podcast with this form [https://forms.gle/953tUNACVoZjpyPa7] RSVP to our June 11 get-together in Ankara with this form [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpCgjMkg13w7rvGHcOxAGcnCkp2t3dGfdpAht0gkWfwc3jMA/viewform?usp=header] (details inside) Libya’s False Peace (Foreign Affairs [https://www.foreignaffairs.com/libya/libyas-false-peace]) Turkey’s policy towards Libya: a year of major shifts (OSW [https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2025-12-02/turkeys-policy-towards-libya-a-year-major-shifts]) Libya’s Haftar acquires combat drones despite UN embargo (Reuters [https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/libyas-haftar-acquires-combat-drones-despite-un-embargo-2026-04-02/]) Libya in the middle: Can Greece’s moves rival Türkiye’s years-long strategy? (Daily Sabah [https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/op-ed/libya-in-the-middle-can-greeces-moves-rival-turkiyes-years-long-strategy]) According to experts, the “de-escalation environment” that Türkiye created in Libya brought the parties back to the negotiating table. (Anadolu Agency - Turkish [https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/uzmanlara-gore-turkiyenin-libyada-sagladigi-catismasizlik-ortami-taraflari-yeniden-masada-birlestirdi/3928789]) Other ways to watch & listen: Our webcasts are also available on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@turkeyrecap], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1KzyzWkguHP5t9jPWRChEZ], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recap-radio/id1813696945] and other podcast players. Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Contact us: info@turkeyrecap.com [info@turkeyrecap.com]. Subscribe here on Substack [https://turkeyrecap.substack.com/subscribe] (or on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/turkeyrecap] for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools. We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to produce balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey. Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor Ceren Bayar, Parliament correspondent Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu, Parliament correspondent Günsu Durak, Stüdyo recap editor Demet Şöhret, Social media and content manager This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe [https://www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

The Armenian elections and what they mean for Ankara, Baku and Brussels with Nareg Seferian

Researcher Nareg Seferian [https://naregseferian.com/] joins Turkey recap editor Diego Cupolo to outline the upcoming Armenia elections on June 7, 2026. Incumbent Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan is seeking re-election on a “Real Armenia” platform, which seeks to downplay historical territorial disputes beyond Armenia’s current borders in favor of EU integration and more cooperation with Azerbaijan and Turkey. It’s a high stakes vote with implications for not just Armenia’s foreign policy alignments, but also regional trade and transit routes, as Turkey and Armenia are currently pursuing normalization efforts that, if successful, could reopen a land crossing on their shared border. This podcast covers national election dynamics as well as the state of play for Baku-Yerevan peace negotiations and their impacts on Turkey-Armenia bilateral relations. We also review the prospects for EU-Armenia ties and the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) aka Zangezur corridor. Referenced in this talk: Submit a question with this form [https://forms.gle/953tUNACVoZjpyPa7] Armenia, Turkey and the Zangezur corridor with Nareg Seferian (Turkey recap [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz1QSOWErh0]) A Risk Assessment for Armenia’s 2026 Parliamentary Elections (GMF [https://www.gmfus.org/news/risk-assessment-armenias-2026-parliamentary-elections]) Armenia, Turkey sign memorandum on restoration of Ani Bridge (Armenpress [https://armenpress.am/en/article/1249223]) Turkish vice president’s Armenia visit marks turning point: Envoy (AA [https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkish-vice-presidents-armenia-visit-marks-turning-point-envoy/3928090]) Macron sings at Armenian state dinner with Pashinyan on drums (AP [https://apnews.com/video/macron-sings-la-boheme-at-armenian-state-dinner-with-pashinyan-on-drums-cd5a05f11df84ee0bbc46f5ae4101aee]) Other ways to watch & listen: Our webcasts are also available on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@turkeyrecap], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1KzyzWkguHP5t9jPWRChEZ], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recap-radio/id1813696945] and other podcast players. Turkey recap is an independent, reader-supported newsletter that helps people make sense of the fast-paced Turkey news cycle. Contact us: info@turkeyrecap.com [info@turkeyrecap.com]. Subscribe here on Substack [https://turkeyrecap.substack.com/subscribe] (or on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/turkeyrecap] for discount options). Paid subscribers get full access to our recaps, reports, members-only chat and news tracking tools. We are an affiliate of the Global Forum for Media Development and aim to produce balanced news that strengthens local media by supporting journalists in Turkey. Diego Cupolo, Editor-in-chief Emily Rice Johnson, Deputy editor Ceren Bayar, Parliament correspondent Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu, Parliament correspondent Günsu Durak, Stüdyo recap editor Demet Şöhret, Social media and content manager This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe [https://www.turkeyrecap.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]