The Rise and Decline of Erdogan with Kaya Genç

Host Sanjay Ruparelia sat down with Kaya Genç, a scholar, writer and journalist and the Istanbul correspondent for the Los Angeles Review of Books. His latest book, The Lion and the Nightingale: A Journey Through Modern Turkey, weaves a narrative of the current political climate in Turkey after the terror events and failed coup in 2016 through the personal stories of regular Turkish people. The “lion” represents Turkey’s past, its militant strength and power; while the “nightingale” conjures a song, representing Turkey’s rich cultural history of art, literature and romance. In this episode, Dr. Genç talks about populism and the rise of Erdogan, the similarities between militant secularism and Islamic extremism, and the resurgence of the once-dormant Turkish left.

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Show Notes;

Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University

Guest: Kaya Genç, Turkish writer, journalist, and scholar, the Istanbul correspondent for The Los Angeles Review Books and a contributing editor to the Index on Censorship

Further Reading:

The Lion and the Nightingale: A Journey Through Modern Turkey by Kaya Genç

Erdogan's Imperial Presidency by Kaya Genç, New York Review of Books

Istanbul's Youth Feel Emancipated and Precarious by Kaya Genç, Los Angeles Review of Books

The Tragedy of the Turkish Left by Ahmet Samim, New Left Review

Read the transcript here.