Nick Ashdown
@nickashdown.bsky.social
Canadian journalist/writer in Brussels writing mostly about Turkey. New Lines Magazine, LA Review of Books, Times Literary Supplement, Foreign Policy, Globe & Mail, etc.
Selected clippings: https://nickashdown.weebly.com/selected-published-works
Selected clippings: https://nickashdown.weebly.com/selected-published-works
Pinned
Nick Ashdown
@nickashdown.bsky.social
· Oct 11
They
On dehumanizing rhetoric in Trump's America and Erdoğan's Turkey
open.substack.com
Following the Kirk murder, I noticed the constant use of ‘they’: “They killed him,” “They are at war with us,” etc. It reminded me of Erdoğan’s use of ‘bunlar,’ and the brutal nature of Turkish politics, especially the feverish period from 2015-16, which I’ve long wanted to write about.
Reposted by Nick Ashdown
From the wife of the White House Deputy Chief of Staff.
Europe, don't say you weren't warned.
Europe, don't say you weren't warned.
January 3, 2026 at 10:53 PM
From the wife of the White House Deputy Chief of Staff.
Europe, don't say you weren't warned.
Europe, don't say you weren't warned.
Not like it was working so great when the Democrats were helping Israel commit genocide.
Trump’s action has freed up world powers to do whatever they want. International law no longer counts. Only strength.
January 3, 2026 at 10:33 AM
Not like it was working so great when the Democrats were helping Israel commit genocide.
Reminds me so much of a similar surreal clip I saw of a huge swarm of Russian helicopters over Ukraine on day one of the invasion.
Video rolling in of pretty massive airstrikes across Venezuela, plus low-flying helicopters which *appear* to be American.
January 3, 2026 at 9:32 AM
Reminds me so much of a similar surreal clip I saw of a huge swarm of Russian helicopters over Ukraine on day one of the invasion.
Reposted by Nick Ashdown
So much this! How can Europeans treat us like we are mere Arabs (who, of course, *should* be discriminated against)
We [Turkish immigrants] talk of this often & your class point is spot on. One point I'd add is that they are also not used to being 'minority', esp in ethnic terms; most regard themselves as White Europeans so not being treated as such but instead, say, like Arab migrants, makes them uncomfortable.
January 1, 2026 at 10:57 PM
So much this! How can Europeans treat us like we are mere Arabs (who, of course, *should* be discriminated against)
Reposted by Nick Ashdown
This thread 💯
Many white collar Turks enjoy class privileges, a culture of luxury & convenience separated from working class, & ethnic privileges that they all seem to be unaware of till they go to Northern Europe / America & get treated same as any other migrant would be, which is a shock to them.
Many white collar Turks enjoy class privileges, a culture of luxury & convenience separated from working class, & ethnic privileges that they all seem to be unaware of till they go to Northern Europe / America & get treated same as any other migrant would be, which is a shock to them.
Had an interesting conversation with a group of Turkish friends living in Europe about white collar Turks who move here, then move back to Turkey because they don’t like it. The reason we came up with is that they’re used to being part of a ruling class in Turkey, served hand and foot by the working
January 1, 2026 at 10:43 PM
This thread 💯
Many white collar Turks enjoy class privileges, a culture of luxury & convenience separated from working class, & ethnic privileges that they all seem to be unaware of till they go to Northern Europe / America & get treated same as any other migrant would be, which is a shock to them.
Many white collar Turks enjoy class privileges, a culture of luxury & convenience separated from working class, & ethnic privileges that they all seem to be unaware of till they go to Northern Europe / America & get treated same as any other migrant would be, which is a shock to them.
Had an interesting conversation with a group of Turkish friends living in Europe about white collar Turks who move here, then move back to Turkey because they don’t like it. The reason we came up with is that they’re used to being part of a ruling class in Turkey, served hand and foot by the working
January 1, 2026 at 2:01 PM
Had an interesting conversation with a group of Turkish friends living in Europe about white collar Turks who move here, then move back to Turkey because they don’t like it. The reason we came up with is that they’re used to being part of a ruling class in Turkey, served hand and foot by the working
Reposted by Nick Ashdown
“Trump is unpopular in Europe, even among the supporters of right-wing populist parties he sees as allies…
In France and Germany, only about a third of people who said they had supported right-wing parties reported seeing Trump in a favorable light.”
www.politico.eu/article/poli...
In France and Germany, only about a third of people who said they had supported right-wing parties reported seeing Trump in a favorable light.”
www.politico.eu/article/poli...
December 29, 2025 at 11:42 AM
“Trump is unpopular in Europe, even among the supporters of right-wing populist parties he sees as allies…
In France and Germany, only about a third of people who said they had supported right-wing parties reported seeing Trump in a favorable light.”
www.politico.eu/article/poli...
In France and Germany, only about a third of people who said they had supported right-wing parties reported seeing Trump in a favorable light.”
www.politico.eu/article/poli...
Some of my favourite books I read this year:
Intermezzo - by far Rooney's best. I feel she's really matured as an author. I like how she always has a very small group of main characters, and how her novels are light, engaging reads, but with plenty of depth and intelligence.
Intermezzo - by far Rooney's best. I feel she's really matured as an author. I like how she always has a very small group of main characters, and how her novels are light, engaging reads, but with plenty of depth and intelligence.
December 27, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Some of my favourite books I read this year:
Intermezzo - by far Rooney's best. I feel she's really matured as an author. I like how she always has a very small group of main characters, and how her novels are light, engaging reads, but with plenty of depth and intelligence.
Intermezzo - by far Rooney's best. I feel she's really matured as an author. I like how she always has a very small group of main characters, and how her novels are light, engaging reads, but with plenty of depth and intelligence.
Reposted by Nick Ashdown
this is the simple answer to people who keep saying NATO expansion matters. Sure, it matters because it presented an obstacle to Russian imperial ambitions. Putin didn't invade because he hated NATO expansion, he hated NATO expansion because he wanted to invade
December 26, 2025 at 8:14 PM
this is the simple answer to people who keep saying NATO expansion matters. Sure, it matters because it presented an obstacle to Russian imperial ambitions. Putin didn't invade because he hated NATO expansion, he hated NATO expansion because he wanted to invade
Reposted by Nick Ashdown
Christmas came early to the Russia scholars with Santa declassifying the Bush-Putin meeting transcripts.
That's 2001. Ukraine is Russian land, simply given away for no reason, as if USSR had not collapsed and there was no Ukraine independence referendum. And, long before the 2008 Bucharest Summit
That's 2001. Ukraine is Russian land, simply given away for no reason, as if USSR had not collapsed and there was no Ukraine independence referendum. And, long before the 2008 Bucharest Summit
December 25, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Christmas came early to the Russia scholars with Santa declassifying the Bush-Putin meeting transcripts.
That's 2001. Ukraine is Russian land, simply given away for no reason, as if USSR had not collapsed and there was no Ukraine independence referendum. And, long before the 2008 Bucharest Summit
That's 2001. Ukraine is Russian land, simply given away for no reason, as if USSR had not collapsed and there was no Ukraine independence referendum. And, long before the 2008 Bucharest Summit
I think the best way of putting this is that old Twitter felt like a community(s), whereas BlueSky feels like a tribe (or at times more like a cult).
Bluesky is better than it was a couple years ago, but the in your face American liberal resistance stuff is a bit much for me. And I met dozens of people through Twitter, but not a single person through Bluesky. I feel no sense of community here. And too much identical punditry, not enough reporting
December 24, 2025 at 10:21 AM
I think the best way of putting this is that old Twitter felt like a community(s), whereas BlueSky feels like a tribe (or at times more like a cult).
Well it took 3 years, but they finally slopified my X For You feed, which was actually probably my best social media algorithm, showing me exactly what I wanted, until it changed overnight. It's not even far right dominated, it's just all influencers now, rather than my usual journalists & scholars.
December 24, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Well it took 3 years, but they finally slopified my X For You feed, which was actually probably my best social media algorithm, showing me exactly what I wanted, until it changed overnight. It's not even far right dominated, it's just all influencers now, rather than my usual journalists & scholars.
Reposted by Nick Ashdown
A few quick thoughts about this morning's decision. Don't believe the spin from various Russians & others: it's a big deal. The EU has now unambiguously demonstrated that it is able and willing to provide the external financial support Ukraine needs, for as long and as much as it takes. (1/N)
December 19, 2025 at 10:31 AM
A few quick thoughts about this morning's decision. Don't believe the spin from various Russians & others: it's a big deal. The EU has now unambiguously demonstrated that it is able and willing to provide the external financial support Ukraine needs, for as long and as much as it takes. (1/N)
Russia and Europe are already in a hybrid war. There are suspected Russian drones flying all over Europe, huge, Russian-perpetrated explosions and fires, bomb plots against civilian flights, failed and successful assassinations of important figures, etc.
What are you even talking about! I am saying it is a delusional fantasy to suggest Russia is going to invade European countries like Poland, Germany or indeed the UK, which is the insane drivel currently being promoted in support of a disastrous arms race.
December 17, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Russia and Europe are already in a hybrid war. There are suspected Russian drones flying all over Europe, huge, Russian-perpetrated explosions and fires, bomb plots against civilian flights, failed and successful assassinations of important figures, etc.
Reposted by Nick Ashdown
In late 2021, there were a lot of smart people using their sound judgment to say "Russia isn't going to invade Ukraine, they can't conquer it all before the West mobilises, and the costs will be too high. Putin isn't that crazy". Those were well-founded assessments, and Russia invaded anyway.
I'm saying that if Russia has struggled to invade eastern Ukraine then it is not going to get anywhere in Poland, is it?
Your second point is bizarre. Zelensky's opponent was an anti-Russian hardliner? In 2010, eastern Ukraine voted overwhelmingly for Viktor Yanukovych.
Your second point is bizarre. Zelensky's opponent was an anti-Russian hardliner? In 2010, eastern Ukraine voted overwhelmingly for Viktor Yanukovych.
December 16, 2025 at 4:29 PM
In late 2021, there were a lot of smart people using their sound judgment to say "Russia isn't going to invade Ukraine, they can't conquer it all before the West mobilises, and the costs will be too high. Putin isn't that crazy". Those were well-founded assessments, and Russia invaded anyway.
Reposted by Nick Ashdown
I absolutely love the argument that this is somehow due to European warmongering. When the Cold War was over, Europeans couldn't wait to destroy their militaries and if it weren't for Russian aggression, the entire EU put together would probably make like 7 tanks a year
December 15, 2025 at 10:32 AM
I absolutely love the argument that this is somehow due to European warmongering. When the Cold War was over, Europeans couldn't wait to destroy their militaries and if it weren't for Russian aggression, the entire EU put together would probably make like 7 tanks a year
Reposted by Nick Ashdown
It has become received wisdom in Brussels and Washington that there is a new “euro-sclerosis”: that the EU economy is lagging the US
This view is wrong
A little primer on the measurement of productivity – and why reports of the economic death of Europe are greatly exaggerated🧵
This view is wrong
A little primer on the measurement of productivity – and why reports of the economic death of Europe are greatly exaggerated🧵
December 12, 2025 at 12:32 PM
It has become received wisdom in Brussels and Washington that there is a new “euro-sclerosis”: that the EU economy is lagging the US
This view is wrong
A little primer on the measurement of productivity – and why reports of the economic death of Europe are greatly exaggerated🧵
This view is wrong
A little primer on the measurement of productivity – and why reports of the economic death of Europe are greatly exaggerated🧵
Reposted by Nick Ashdown
Journalist Mehmet Akif Ersoy, who until recently was one of the AKP's favourites in the media, has just been imprisoned. For several weeks now, legal cases have been affecting an ever-increasing number of pro-government figures.
yetkinreport.com/2025/12/12/m...
yetkinreport.com/2025/12/12/m...
Mehmet Akif Ersoy Tutuklandı; İktidarın Medya Prenslerindendi - Yetkin Report
Mehmet Akif Ersoy iktidar medyasının prenslerindendi. İlginç olan iktidar medyasının yüz suçlamalara şimdiden kanıtlanmış muamelesi yapması.
yetkinreport.com
December 12, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Journalist Mehmet Akif Ersoy, who until recently was one of the AKP's favourites in the media, has just been imprisoned. For several weeks now, legal cases have been affecting an ever-increasing number of pro-government figures.
yetkinreport.com/2025/12/12/m...
yetkinreport.com/2025/12/12/m...
America is now fully a competitive authoritarian regime, and thus no longer considered a democracy. If you consider e.g. Turkey's democratic decline to have begun in 2010 (or arguably earlier), it took at least 5-6 years before governance experts stopped designating Turkey as a democracy.
“In 2025, the United States ceased to be a full democracy in the way that Canada, Germany, or even Argentina are democracies,” write Steven Levitsky, @lucanway.bsky.social, @dziblatt.bsky.social.
The Price of American Authoritarianism
What can reverse democratic decline?
www.foreignaffairs.com
December 12, 2025 at 12:00 PM
America is now fully a competitive authoritarian regime, and thus no longer considered a democracy. If you consider e.g. Turkey's democratic decline to have begun in 2010 (or arguably earlier), it took at least 5-6 years before governance experts stopped designating Turkey as a democracy.
Reposted by Nick Ashdown
Turkey's shrinking population: nine years ago, just under 30 of Turkey's 81 provinces had a fertility rate above the replacement threshold (2.1). Today, only three provinces do (Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Şırnak).
December 10, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Turkey's shrinking population: nine years ago, just under 30 of Turkey's 81 provinces had a fertility rate above the replacement threshold (2.1). Today, only three provinces do (Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Şırnak).
Reposted by Nick Ashdown
This 3,240-square-metre courtroom, built by TOKİ, will be able to accommodate 555 defendants, 1,268 lawyers and 472 spectators... Mind-boggling.
www.sabah.com.tr/gundem/2025/...
www.sabah.com.tr/gundem/2025/...
December 10, 2025 at 7:46 PM
This 3,240-square-metre courtroom, built by TOKİ, will be able to accommodate 555 defendants, 1,268 lawyers and 472 spectators... Mind-boggling.
www.sabah.com.tr/gundem/2025/...
www.sabah.com.tr/gundem/2025/...
Great reporting from @burcuas.bsky.social and Ukrainian colleagues about abuse and neglect of Ukrainian refugee children staying in hotels in Antalya, including two children impregnated by hotel staff.
Türkiye’ye getirilen Ukraynalı yetimlere yönelik ihmal ve istismar zinciri
Rusya'nın Ukrayna'yı işgali sırasında 510 yetim çocuk "Savaşsız Çocukluk Projesi" kapsamında Antalya'ya getirildi. Ancak Ukraynalı 11 yetkilinin imzasının bulunduğu rapora göre, yetim çocuklar ihmal e...
www.agos.com.tr
December 11, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Great reporting from @burcuas.bsky.social and Ukrainian colleagues about abuse and neglect of Ukrainian refugee children staying in hotels in Antalya, including two children impregnated by hotel staff.
Long piece about Baldwin in Turkey, with great photos too.
Retracing James Baldwin's footsteps in Istanbul, the city that saved his life
Retracing James Baldwin's footsteps in Istanbul, the city that saved his life
The American author and playwright first set foot in Istanbul in 1961, at the age of 36. Turkey was then alive with an artistic and intellectual effervescence, and for 10 years it became his refuge – a place of celebration and intense literary creation.
www.lemonde.fr
December 11, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Long piece about Baldwin in Turkey, with great photos too.
Reposted by Nick Ashdown
Quite breathtaking story - military grade drones at Dublin airport which flew on the path Zelensky's plane took. The drones reached the flight path of his plane exactly the time it should have been there, but just missed it because Zelensky arrived ahead of schedule:
Four unidentified military-style drones breached no-fly zone to target Zelenskyy's arrival in Dublin
Gardaí are investigating whether the drones took off from land in Dublin or from an undetected ship.
www.thejournal.ie
December 4, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Quite breathtaking story - military grade drones at Dublin airport which flew on the path Zelensky's plane took. The drones reached the flight path of his plane exactly the time it should have been there, but just missed it because Zelensky arrived ahead of schedule: