Author Archives: aaronstein1

About aaronstein1

I am an Istanbul based PhD Candidate a King's College London.

Turkish Aerospace: A Deep Dive

Posted on July 31, 2018 by aaronstein1

Podcast link here. Turkey has poured a lot of money into its indigenous defense industry. To talk about the state of Turkish aerospace, Aaron spoke to Tony Osborne, London Bureau Chief at Aviation Week, about Ankara’s indigenous development programs, spanning … Continue reading →

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Turkish Elections: What Just Happened?

Posted on July 2, 2018 by aaronstein1

Podcast link here. The Turkish elections surprised most observers. No one doubted that Recep Tayyip Erdogan would win, but few expected the far right MHP to maintain support and win more than 11% of the vote. What just happened? What … Continue reading →

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Turkey and the F-35

Posted on June 27, 2018 by aaronstein1

Podcast link here. Turkey and the F-35 has made a lot of news in the past few weeks. First, Turkey had an interesting cultural display at the Lockheed ceremony in Fort Worth. Second, the Senate’s version of the National Defense … Continue reading →

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Turkey’s Uncertain Election: Why Anything Can Happen on Sunday, June 24th

Posted on June 20, 2018 by aaronstein1

Podcast link here. Turkish voters head to the polls on June 24th to vote for the country’s future president and members of parliament. The election outcome is uncertain and hinges on the complicated interplay between two main political coalitions and Turkey’s Kurds. … Continue reading →

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Idlib Intervention

Posted on October 16, 2017 by aaronstein1

Episode after the link. What the hell is going on in Idlib? Turkey has sent troops into a sliver of territory in northwestern Syria to monitor a tripartite deescalation zone, as part of the Astana process. The terms of the … Continue reading →

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New Politics (as usual?)

Posted on September 11, 2017 by aaronstein1

After a lengthy hiatus, the Turkey Wonk podcast is back. In the inaugural episode, Aaron speaks with Laura Pitel, an Ankara-based journalist. The conversation touched on all things Turkish politics since the April referendum and the current state of affairs … Continue reading →

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The Islamic State’s Network in Turkey

Posted on October 30, 2015 by aaronstein1

Noah Blaser and Aaron Stein On October 10, twin explosions tore through a crowded peace rally in Turkey’s capital of Ankara, killing 102, injuring hundreds, and earning the tragic distinction of Turkey’s deadliest ever terror attack. For many, however, the … Continue reading →

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Turkey Cracks down on the Islamic State

Posted on July 16, 2015 by aaronstein1

In the past three weeks, Turkey has launched 11 raids and arrested some 55 people in a widespread anti-Jihadi crackdown. The crackdown has included the blocking of well known IS/AQ sympathetic websites and has come just after Turkey’s changing of … Continue reading →

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A Region in Chaos: The New Middle East

Posted on July 7, 2015 by aaronstein1

The events in the Middle East over the past few years have prompted intense speculation about whether Iraq and Syria will collapse and be replaced with new political entities reflective of ethnic and sectarian differences. In today’s show, Aaron speaks … Continue reading →

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The Fall of Tel Abyad: Turkey and the Rise of the PYD

Posted on June 23, 2015 by aaronstein1

The fall of Tel Abyad poses a number of challenges for Turkish foreign policy. The Kurdish advance has sparked claims of ethnic cleansing, resulted in 23,000 refugees fleeing to Turkey, and sparked concerns that Islamic State fighters have quietly slipped … Continue reading →

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