Displaced and Refugees

By Farrah Hassen | – ( Foreign Policy in Focus ) – March 2023 will mark 12 years of war in Syria. No country should reach such a tragic milestone. What began in March 2011 as an uprising for Syrian dignity against President Bashar al-Assad’s corruption and authoritarian rule has since morphed into several, ongoing […]

Bashar al-Assad

Sanctions or Assad: What is blocking Aid from entering northern Syria?

Middle East Monitor

Sulaiman Lkaderi | – ( Middle East Monitor ) – As the death toll from the earthquakes which rocked Turkiye and Syria continues to rise, many are questioning whether sanctions on Syria are preventing aid from reaching the war-torn country. After 12 years of civil war, most of Syria is once again under the control […]

Displaced and Refugees

Amid Massive Natural Disaster, Turkey’s Erdogan Wields Censorship and Prepares for Dicey Polls

Global Voices

Written byCivic Media Observatory This story is part of Undertones, Global Voices’ Civic Media Observatory‘s newsletter. It features a summary of a year-long research on media ecosystems from Turkey and what we can expect in 2023. Whenever you click on a hyperlink in the text, you will see the narrative and media posts upholding it. […]

Displaced and Refugees

Turkish President Erdoğan’s grip on Power threatened by devastating Earthquake

The Conversation

By Ahmet T. Kuru, San Diego State University | – The earthquake that struck Turkey on Feb. 6, 2023, is first and foremost a human tragedy, one that has taken the lives of at least 45,000 people to date. The disaster also has major implications for the country’s economy – the financial loss from the […]

Displaced and Refugees

Turkey’s historic city of Antakya, the Roman Antioch, has come back from powerful earthquakes in the past – and rebuilt itself

The Conversation

By Christine Shepardson, University of Tennessee | – Tens of thousands have died and millions have become homeless in southern Turkey and northern Syria after the massive 7.8 earthquake that struck on Feb. 6, 2023. But the ancient Turkish city of Antakya, known in Roman and medieval times as Antioch, has been here before. In […]

Displaced and Refugees

Turkey and Syria earthquake: Long-Term Funding is Needed to Support Search-and-Rescue After Major Disasters

The Conversation

By Ali Asgary, York University, Canada | – The strong and disastrous earthquake that shook southern Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6 drew attention to search-and-rescue (SAR) operations. The media’s attention raised familiar questions around SAR, including who conducts SAR, what formal and informal SAR teams are available, and how long trapped people are able […]

Climate Crisis

Is Turkey’s Prosecution of Shady Builders after 12,141 Structures Collapse in Earthquake a Model for going after Big Oil for Climate Disasters?

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Turkish government has issued 100 arrest warrants for building contractors suspected of erecting structures that did not meet building code standards in the 10 provinces most affected by last week’s massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which has left at least 32,000 dead and perhaps twice that. Some of the contractors […]

astronomy and outer space

Earthquake in Turkey and Syria: how Satellites can help rescue Efforts

The Conversation

By Emilie Bronner, Centre national d’études spatiales (CNES) | – In disasters like the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and 7.5-magnitude aftershock that struck Syria and Turkey on February 6, 2023, international cooperation on satellite imaging plays a crucial role in the rescue and recovery efforts. Such data enables humanitarian aid to better deliver water and food […]

Bashar al-Assad

Earthquake Leaves Millions Homeless and without Water and Electricity in Turkish, Syrian Harsh Winter, Many Facing Death

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Jordanian newspaper al-Ghad reports that on top of the now nearly 30,000 known deaths in Turkey and Syria, millions people are estimated to have been made homeless. Not only are they without shelter, they now lack water and electricity, and often even food and the World Health Organization (WHO) […]