Associate Professor of History Howard Eissenstat wrote a couple of short articles for The Middle East Institute’s (MEI) Weekly Briefing. His first piece titled “A Year After Devastating Earthquakes, Turkey’s Recovery Lags, but Erdoğan Suffers Few Political Costs” addresses the 2023 earthquake in Turkey and Syria in remembrance on the first anniversary of the date. Eissenstat’s second article in the MEI Weekly Briefing is titled “Local Elections Will Make or Break Turkish Opposition, Dictate Erdoğan’s Ability to Shape His Legacy,” which consists of his update on Turkey's upcoming municipal elections.
Eissenstat was also featured on Coda Story in an article titled “In Istanbul, the Last Uyghur Bookshops Struggle to Survive.” Eissenstat suggests that Turkey's collaboration with repressive regimes like China stems from a transactional approach to international relations, with little regard for the rule of law. This collaboration includes actions such as extraditing individuals sought by China and suppressing dissent, which poses a threat to Uyghur refugees in Turkey. The piece also highlights the precarious situation of Uyghur bookshops in Istanbul, emphasizing their importance in preserving Uyghur culture and the challenges they face due to government raids and economic pressures.
