“We are also seeing that for these regimes, terrorism and content removal is not actually that interlinked. Particularly in Turkey, there is a huge hypocrisy in the way the government approaches this issue.”

“Today, when Erdogan constantly invokes Ottoman history while pursuing policies that threaten the interests of Arab leaders, it makes sense that they would appeal to this memory.”

“[Erdoğan] is a bit of a revolutionary leader in that he wants to turn Turkey into something completely new. He has already done this with his presidential system. He has already done this through various cultural policies and economic policies.”

“Turkey’s blatant defiance of the ECHR ruling clearly shows that Erdoğan’s regime has no respect for international law or institutions. Turkey’s friends in Europe and the U.S. must recognize, and many already do, what Kavala’s detention shows.”

“Erdoğan is anxious to shore up support, and his preferred strategy has been to harden his illiberal, nationalist and Islamist positions. The conversion of Ayasofya would bolster that image on the international stage.”

“Erdogan believes that a page is turning with the West in the sense that the West is finally coming to terms with a Turkey that can stand on its own two feet and aggressively defend its interest.”

“While I think the municipal elections quite rightly demonstrate a continued desire for democracy in Turkey—[nd that] remains true across a very wide spectrum of the Turkish population—I don’t think that necessarily translates into actual democracy.”

“It is very unnerving but at the same time quite believable that Turkey hasn’t been really going after these jihadist networks because Turkish law enforcement has been busy hunting down dissidents and government critics.”

“The US seems to insist on wishful thinking. Turkey is not going to give the S-400s back or keep them as a 2 billion dollar paperweight.”