Ihsan Yilmaz
@ihsanylmz.bsky.social
Research Professor at Melbourne Deakin Uni. Religion and Politics; Digital Politics; Emotions; Populism; Authoritarianism; Transnationalism.
Pinned
Ihsan Yilmaz
@ihsanylmz.bsky.social
· Mar 30
HDR Scholarship - Sharp power effectiveness
PhD Scholarship to research The Effectiveness of Authoritarian Sharp Power Online in Influencing Diaspora Groups
www.deakin.edu.au
Can you please circulate?
PhD Scholarship:
The Effectiveness of Authoritarian Sharp Power Online in Influencing Diaspora Groups
www.deakin.edu.au/study/fees-a...
PhD Scholarship:
The Effectiveness of Authoritarian Sharp Power Online in Influencing Diaspora Groups
www.deakin.edu.au/study/fees-a...
The Rise of Social Media and the Fall of Western Democracy www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/o...
Opinion | The Rise of Social Media and the Fall of Western Democracy
www.nytimes.com
October 14, 2025 at 5:52 PM
The Rise of Social Media and the Fall of Western Democracy www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/o...
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
The six copies of the book titled “Hybrid Transnationalism and Repression: Turkey’s Diaspora Under Authoritarian Islamist Siege”, which I co-authored with my dear friend @ihsanylmz.bsky.social , have just arrived from the publisher.
October 8, 2025 at 6:24 PM
The six copies of the book titled “Hybrid Transnationalism and Repression: Turkey’s Diaspora Under Authoritarian Islamist Siege”, which I co-authored with my dear friend @ihsanylmz.bsky.social , have just arrived from the publisher.
It Begins With a Joke. Comics in the World’s Largest Democracy Know Where It Ends. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/w...
It Begins With a Joke. Comics in the World’s Largest Democracy Know Where It Ends.
www.nytimes.com
October 3, 2025 at 6:43 PM
It Begins With a Joke. Comics in the World’s Largest Democracy Know Where It Ends. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/w...
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
Horrible news to wake up to. My heart goes out to everyone affected. 💔
Manchester synagogue attack latest: suspect shot after four people injured in vehicle and stabbing attack, police say
Keir Starmer will fly home early from Europe to chair a Cobra meeting, while Greater Manchester mayor tells people to avoid the area
www.theguardian.com
October 2, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Horrible news to wake up to. My heart goes out to everyone affected. 💔
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
An absolutely depressing read on the state of higher education in the UK… solidarity with my colleagues.
Where now for Britain’s Universities?
UK higher education now faces a very bleak future, retreating in the face of little public sympathy and limited political interest.
politicalquarterly.org.uk
October 2, 2025 at 11:18 AM
An absolutely depressing read on the state of higher education in the UK… solidarity with my colleagues.
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
This is US cooperation in transnational repression www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-de...
Iran Confirms Deportation Of 120 Citizens From US This Week
Iran has confirmed that approximately 120 of its citizens will be deported from the United States and returned home this week.
www.rferl.org
September 30, 2025 at 11:08 AM
This is US cooperation in transnational repression www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-de...
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
The week in Trump absurdities: from Turkey’s ‘rigged elections’ to ‘your countries are going to hell’
The week in Trump absurdities: from Turkey’s ‘rigged elections’ to ‘your countries are going to hell’
The president, in five days, has claimed Tylenol causes autism, he was sabotaged at the UN and pronounced his rivals ‘guilty as hell’
www.theguardian.com
September 28, 2025 at 11:10 AM
The week in Trump absurdities: from Turkey’s ‘rigged elections’ to ‘your countries are going to hell’
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
'It has been widely observed that the speed of America’s democratic slide surpasses that of other “elective autocracies” such as Narendra Modi’s India and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Turkey. But that understates Trump’s impatience.'
America’s accelerating exit from itself
After the Kirk murder, Trump is pulverising the country’s founding principles with astonishing ease
www.ft.com
September 23, 2025 at 9:49 PM
'It has been widely observed that the speed of America’s democratic slide surpasses that of other “elective autocracies” such as Narendra Modi’s India and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Turkey. But that understates Trump’s impatience.'
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
I'd describe the new push to recognize Palestine as "mostly harmless"...
were it not for the fact that these efforts are mostly a fig leaf for not taking more aggressive action to stop what virtually every international human rights organization now describes as a genocide.
were it not for the fact that these efforts are mostly a fig leaf for not taking more aggressive action to stop what virtually every international human rights organization now describes as a genocide.
September 22, 2025 at 3:10 PM
I'd describe the new push to recognize Palestine as "mostly harmless"...
were it not for the fact that these efforts are mostly a fig leaf for not taking more aggressive action to stop what virtually every international human rights organization now describes as a genocide.
were it not for the fact that these efforts are mostly a fig leaf for not taking more aggressive action to stop what virtually every international human rights organization now describes as a genocide.
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
Breaking News: Britain, Canada and Australia formally recognized Palestinian statehood.
Britain, Australia and Canada Recognize a Palestinian State
The announcements came on the eve of the annual gathering of the U.N. General Assembly.
nyti.ms
September 21, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Breaking News: Britain, Canada and Australia formally recognized Palestinian statehood.
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
September 21, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
NEW: The Pentagon told journalists it will require them to pledge they won’t gather any information — even unclassified — that hasn’t been expressly authorized for release, and will revoke the press credentials of those who do not obey. @washingtonpost.com
Pentagon demands journalists pledge to not obtain unauthorized material
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is imposing strict new rules that would severely limit the ability of journalists to report on the Pentagon.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 20, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
Australia's universities are blighted by a "culture of consequence-free, rotten failure", according to the former chair of a senate inquiry examining governance at public universities. ... "There's no other sector in the country where failure is rewarded so handsomely and with so little scrutiny."
'Rotten' Australian university culture lashed in long-running senate inquiry
Australia's universities are blighted by a "culture of consequence-free, rotten failure", a senate inquiry has found.
www.abc.net.au
September 19, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Australia's universities are blighted by a "culture of consequence-free, rotten failure", according to the former chair of a senate inquiry examining governance at public universities. ... "There's no other sector in the country where failure is rewarded so handsomely and with so little scrutiny."
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
I wrote for @theguardian.com about the “Unite the Kingdom” rally.
High time to pull head out of the sand and learn from other countries — if only on what NOT to do!
High time to pull head out of the sand and learn from other countries — if only on what NOT to do!
After the far-right mass rally in London, Britain must learn lessons from abroad – and fast | Cas Mudde
This is no time for complacent exceptionalism. The UK is part of the fourth phase of the far right in the postwar era, and its politicians must respond, says political scientist Cas Mudde
www.theguardian.com
September 19, 2025 at 10:55 AM
I wrote for @theguardian.com about the “Unite the Kingdom” rally.
High time to pull head out of the sand and learn from other countries — if only on what NOT to do!
High time to pull head out of the sand and learn from other countries — if only on what NOT to do!
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
Trump's emotional targeting of comedy figures is so telling. Hypermasculine strongmen DESPISE being made fun of.
Again, look to Turkey. Experts literally testified on whether comparing Erdoğan to Gollum was an insult. A guy sharing a meme was jailed.
And then there's the satire magazine closures.
Again, look to Turkey. Experts literally testified on whether comparing Erdoğan to Gollum was an insult. A guy sharing a meme was jailed.
And then there's the satire magazine closures.
September 18, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Trump's emotional targeting of comedy figures is so telling. Hypermasculine strongmen DESPISE being made fun of.
Again, look to Turkey. Experts literally testified on whether comparing Erdoğan to Gollum was an insult. A guy sharing a meme was jailed.
And then there's the satire magazine closures.
Again, look to Turkey. Experts literally testified on whether comparing Erdoğan to Gollum was an insult. A guy sharing a meme was jailed.
And then there's the satire magazine closures.
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
My latest from @foreignpolicy.com
"Just recently, Turkey stood out for its repeated assaults on international norms. Now, those norms have been shattered by a host of bigger and more aggressive actors, and Turkey looks almost calm in comparison.
foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/17/t...
"Just recently, Turkey stood out for its repeated assaults on international norms. Now, those norms have been shattered by a host of bigger and more aggressive actors, and Turkey looks almost calm in comparison.
foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/17/t...
Erdogan’s Irredentism Just Can’t Keep Up
As international norms crumble, Turkey’s revisionist policies appear less provocative in comparison.
foreignpolicy.com
September 17, 2025 at 1:40 PM
My latest from @foreignpolicy.com
"Just recently, Turkey stood out for its repeated assaults on international norms. Now, those norms have been shattered by a host of bigger and more aggressive actors, and Turkey looks almost calm in comparison.
foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/17/t...
"Just recently, Turkey stood out for its repeated assaults on international norms. Now, those norms have been shattered by a host of bigger and more aggressive actors, and Turkey looks almost calm in comparison.
foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/17/t...
What Democrats Can Learn From Charlie Kirk www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/o...
Opinion | What Democrats Can Learn From Charlie Kirk
www.nytimes.com
September 17, 2025 at 1:41 PM
What Democrats Can Learn From Charlie Kirk www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/o...
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
My comments in FT
“What the government seems to want to do is not destroy the CHP but to take it over; not to eradicate it, but to neuter it..." Turkey could then become like the joke about the Shah’s Iran “where there is a ‘Yes’ party and a ‘Yes, Sir’ party.”
www.ft.com/content/423f...
“What the government seems to want to do is not destroy the CHP but to take it over; not to eradicate it, but to neuter it..." Turkey could then become like the joke about the Shah’s Iran “where there is a ‘Yes’ party and a ‘Yes, Sir’ party.”
www.ft.com/content/423f...
Is this the end of Atatürk’s party?
[FREE TO READ] A campaign threatens to give President Erdoğan control of Turkey’s largest opposition force, started by the nation’s founder
www.ft.com
September 13, 2025 at 12:31 PM
My comments in FT
“What the government seems to want to do is not destroy the CHP but to take it over; not to eradicate it, but to neuter it..." Turkey could then become like the joke about the Shah’s Iran “where there is a ‘Yes’ party and a ‘Yes, Sir’ party.”
www.ft.com/content/423f...
“What the government seems to want to do is not destroy the CHP but to take it over; not to eradicate it, but to neuter it..." Turkey could then become like the joke about the Shah’s Iran “where there is a ‘Yes’ party and a ‘Yes, Sir’ party.”
www.ft.com/content/423f...
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
My article "Film-Making the Nation Great Again" with
@liselhintz.bsky.social is out now in @poppublicsphere.bsky.social!
doi.org/10.1017/S153...
We show how Turkey’s ruling party instrumentalizes history through emotionally evocative videos to legitimize the authoritarian incumbent
🧵
@liselhintz.bsky.social is out now in @poppublicsphere.bsky.social!
doi.org/10.1017/S153...
We show how Turkey’s ruling party instrumentalizes history through emotionally evocative videos to legitimize the authoritarian incumbent
🧵
September 11, 2025 at 11:56 AM
My article "Film-Making the Nation Great Again" with
@liselhintz.bsky.social is out now in @poppublicsphere.bsky.social!
doi.org/10.1017/S153...
We show how Turkey’s ruling party instrumentalizes history through emotionally evocative videos to legitimize the authoritarian incumbent
🧵
@liselhintz.bsky.social is out now in @poppublicsphere.bsky.social!
doi.org/10.1017/S153...
We show how Turkey’s ruling party instrumentalizes history through emotionally evocative videos to legitimize the authoritarian incumbent
🧵
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
Warsaw opens metro station ‘express’ library to get commuters off their phones
Warsaw opens metro station ‘express’ library to get commuters off their phones
Metroteka aims to encourage people to read more in country that lost majority of libraries in second world war
www.theguardian.com
September 7, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Warsaw opens metro station ‘express’ library to get commuters off their phones
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
The golden rule of reporting on neo-Nazis? Don’t interview them.
How to report on neo-Nazis without giving them what they want
Media coverage of the anti-immigration marches was a 'propaganda triumph' for Australian neo-Nazis, who use media-baiting tactics to spread their message.
www.crikey.com.au
September 4, 2025 at 11:16 PM
The golden rule of reporting on neo-Nazis? Don’t interview them.
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
Daniel Andrews’ photo with dictators is a glaring reminder of Australia’s hypocrisy on human rights | Daniela Gavshon
Daniel Andrews’ photo with dictators is a glaring reminder of Australia’s hypocrisy on human rights | Daniela Gavshon
A government can’t half care about human rights. And Australia’s ‘disagree where we must’ approach with China enables abuse and undermines our national interest
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A photo of former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews alongside the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, during a military parade in Beijing raised troubling questions. Earlier, former New South Wales premier Bob Carr sought to pre-emptively justify his possible attendance at the event (although he didn’t in the end) in an opinion piece.
While it is difficult for the Australian government to control the actions of former officials, the photo still raises the question how the two former premiers found themselves in a situation where they were either in a photo or contemplated attending an event with all these known grave violators of human rights. Perhaps it is because the Australian government sends mixed messages about responding to human rights abuses when committed by some governments. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
September 4, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Daniel Andrews’ photo with dictators is a glaring reminder of Australia’s hypocrisy on human rights | Daniela Gavshon
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
“Diffusion of Digital Authoritarian Practices in China’s Neighbourhood: The Cases of Iran and Pakistan.”
by Galib Bashirov, Shahram Akbarzadeh, @ihsanylmz.bsky.social and Zahid Shahab Ahmed
in @democratization.bsky.social (2025)
#AutumnReading
by Galib Bashirov, Shahram Akbarzadeh, @ihsanylmz.bsky.social and Zahid Shahab Ahmed
in @democratization.bsky.social (2025)
#AutumnReading
Diffusion of digital authoritarian practices in China’s neighbourhood: the cases of Iran and Pakistan
This article examines mechanisms for the diffusion of digital authoritarian practices, focusing on China and two of its regional partners in South and West Asia: Iran and Pakistan. We investigate t...
doi.org
September 3, 2025 at 2:47 PM
“Diffusion of Digital Authoritarian Practices in China’s Neighbourhood: The Cases of Iran and Pakistan.”
by Galib Bashirov, Shahram Akbarzadeh, @ihsanylmz.bsky.social and Zahid Shahab Ahmed
in @democratization.bsky.social (2025)
#AutumnReading
by Galib Bashirov, Shahram Akbarzadeh, @ihsanylmz.bsky.social and Zahid Shahab Ahmed
in @democratization.bsky.social (2025)
#AutumnReading
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
Here’s what you need to know to start your day
Modi Shores Up Ties With China, Russia in Defiance of Trump
Good morning. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Vladimir Putin today after he reset relations with China. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sees the war in Ukraine dragging on with no clear end in sight. And the UK wins a £10 billion deal from Norway’s navy. Listen to the day’s top stories.
bloom.bg
September 1, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Here’s what you need to know to start your day
Reposted by Ihsan Yilmaz
Warnings From Weimar
Why bargaining with authoritarians fails.
www.foreignaffairs.com
August 28, 2025 at 10:17 AM