Turkey has been more prominent in the news than at any time in the last five years. Conflict in the neighboring Middle East has spilled over in the form of more than one million refugees, a re-emergence of violence between Kurds and the government, and direct Turkish involvement in the fighting in Syria. At home, a seemingly inevitable move toward greater power for President Recip Erdoğan was short circuited by stunning elections in June to be followed new elections in November. Externally, ties with both Russia and the US seem in flux because of conflict in the region while domestically pressure on print and electronic media continues.

On Friday, October 30, 8:30 AM (Room 4217 Posvar Hall), the European Studies Center will host Andrew Finkel, veteran correspondent with more than 20 years of experience in Turkey. In addition to reporting for The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Economist, TIME, and CNN, he has worked in the Turkish language press, and on Turkish television. He was a regular contributor to the international edition of The New York Times and more recently for Reuter’s Opinion. In 2013 Finkel helped found P24, an organization whose mission is to support independent media in Turkey. He is the author of, Turkey: What Everyone Needs to Know, published by Oxford University Press. He is in the United States to present his report on press freedom in Turkey to the National Endowment for Democracy.

A light breakfast will be served. Please RSVP to Lizz Schellin (Email: eds35@pitt.edu).

We hope you can join us.