Producer and journalist based in Istanbul, Turkey.

Freelance Reporter in Turkey

Zeynep Bilginsoy is a freelance journalist in Istanbul, Turkey. 

Posts in 2023
What 5 more years of Erdogan’s rule means for Turkey

AP — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won reelection in a runoff Sunday, following a nail-biter first round two weeks earlier. Having secured another five years, Erdogan now faces a host of domestic challenges in a deeply divided country, from a battered economy to pressure for the repatriation of Syrian refugees to the need to rebuild after a devastating earthquake. Here’s a look at the challenges ahead.

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Earthquake compounds Turkish leader’s woes as election nears

AP — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to power 20 years ago riding a wave of public outrage toward the previous government’s handling of a deadly earthquake. Now, three months away from an election, Erdogan’s political future could hinge on how the public perceives his government’s response to a similarly devastating natural disaster.

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Turkey’s lax policing of building codes known before quake

AP — Turkey has for years tempted fate by not enforcing modern construction codes while allowing — and in some cases, encouraging — a real estate boom in earthquake-prone areas, experts say. The lax enforcement, which experts in geology and engineering have long warned about, is gaining renewed scrutiny in the aftermath of this week’s devastating earthquakes.

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