Simon Waldman
As seen in:
LinkedIn,
The Guardian,
Frontiers,
The Conversation,
The Globe and Mail,
The Hill,
Phys.org,
Haaretz,
The National,
GigaOM
and
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Simon Waldman
The Mecca Defense Pact and the Limits of Middle-Power Alliances
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan made headlines last month when they gathered in the holy city of Mecca to sign a military alliance. While the exact details are not public, all three countries pledged that “any armed attack against any one of the three States shall be regarded as an attack against them all.” If that sounds familiar, it is because it echoes Article 5 of the 1949 North Atlantic Treaty, the founding document of NATO, perhaps the most successful military alliance in modern history.
Erdogan Is Too Scared to Criticize Trump, So He Lashes Out at Israel
Share to FacebookShare to X Article printing is available to subscribers only Print in a simple, ad-free format Subscribe Zen reading is available to subscribers only Ad-free and in a comfortable reading format Subscribe The Turkish president portrays Trump as a victim blindly led into war by Israel.
Why Turkey's Erdogan Won't Confront Trump on Iran
Due to the technical or legal reasons, readability mode is not available for this article. Thank you for your kind understanding.
No Slaps or 'Seas of Blood': Why Turkey's Erdogan Won't Confront Trump About the Iran War
Share to FacebookShare to X Article printing is available to subscribers only Print in a simple, ad-free format Subscribe Zen reading is available to subscribers only Ad-free and in a comfortable reading format Subscribe President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a swathe of reasons to oppose the U.S.-Israel war on Iran.
Hailing Hamas? Comparing Netanyahu to Hitler? In Turkey, Erdogan Is Denounced for Being 'Too Moderate' on Gaza
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.
Otherphone | Justine Roberts CBE
Explore content categories
What Netanyahu's and Erdogan's spar over genocides in Gaza and Armenia is really about | Opinion
Sep 4, 2025 11:39 am IDT Send in e-mailSend in e-mail Sep 4, 2025 11:39 am IDT Despite his regular invectives against Israel, Turkey's firebrand President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces considerable public anger for not doing enough for Palestinians. Following close to two years of criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government actions in Gaza, last week Netanyahu struck back by recognizing, for the first time, the Armenian genocide, denied by Turkey.
How the possible end to Turkey's Kurdish problem could become Israel's Turkey problem | Opinion
Jul 17, 2025 2:50 pm IDT Send in e-mailSend in e-mail Jul 17, 2025 2:50 pm IDT Last week, in a largely symbolic and ceremonial gesture, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) set fire to weapons caches to fanfare of the local and international press. The move came after the Turkish-outlawed Kurdish separatist group declared in May an end to its nearly five-decade-long armed struggle against Ankara. It also pledged disarmament.
Erdogan rules the police, judiciary and media. Can Turkey's protesters oust him?
Erdogan's challenge-proof state leaves Turkish demonstrators with an uphill battle. But this only strengthens the righteousness of their cause Apr 6, 2025 6:07 pm IDT Apr 6, 2025 6:07 pm IDT Rallies and demonstrations erupted across Turkey after Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested last month. Not since the ill-fated 2013 Gezi Park protests has there been such a severe public outpouring against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan is suffering from delusions of grandeur in Syria
President Erdogan is making grandiose claims about Turkey's unrivaled influence in post-Assad Syria, from fat reconstruction contracts to quasi-colonial control over the north of the country and quashing or co-opting the Kurds.
Turkey, BRICS and Erdogan’s Global Aspirations
Dr Simon Waldman 5 Minute Read Turkey’s bid to join BRICS underscores Erdogan’s ambition for global influence, but the suspicion and distrust generated by Ankara’s past actions cast doubt on his great power aspirations. During this year’s annual BRICS summit in Russia on 22–24 October, Turkey made a formal application to join the BRICS group of countries. However, the summit did not end with Turkey as a new member of the international bloc.
Led by Hamas cheerleader Erdogan, does Turkey really want to walk away from the West?
Analysis | The list of Turkey's antagonisms toward the West goes on and on. But despite Erdogan's latest flirtations with non-Western blocs, major BRICS powers don't trust him. So the West should call his bluff Oct 21, 2024 5:34 am IDT Send in e-mailSend in e-mail Oct 21, 2024 5:34 am IDT This week, Turkey will make a formal application to join the BRICS bloc of nations during its yearly summit on October 22 in Russia.
Why Erdogan thinks Israel wants to conquer Turkey
In recent weeks, Turkey's President Erdogan has repeatedly accused Israel of plotting a post-Gaza takeover of the Turkish heartland, while praising Hamas for being Anatolia's 'first line of defense.' It's an outlandish conspiracy theory with deep roots in Erdogan's biography, antisemitism and his current political predicament Get email notification for articles from Simon A. Waldman Follow Get email notification for articles from Simon A.
Another election in Turkey means another Erdogan power grab
Analysis | In Turkey, each time there's an election, the country takes another step away from becoming a meaningful democracy. This weekend's local elections look set to continue the dismal pattern Get email notification for articles from Simon A. Waldman Follow Save Save article to reading list Get email notification for articles from Simon A. Waldman Follow On Sunday, Turkish citizens will vote in local elections. In a strange twist of irony, this is not a good sign for democracy.
In Turkey, the Gaza war is triggering a dangerous mood
Analysis | Since the Oct. 7 massacre, Turkey has seen a series of anti-Israel protests and incidents that sometimes defy logic, but are clearly inspired by the messaging of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Get email notification for articles from Simon A. Waldman Follow Save Save article to reading list Get email notification for articles from Simon A. Waldman Follow ISTANBUL - Toward the end of 2023, Turkey was rocked by a diplomatic scandal. In the News Paid by Attorney Rakefet Shfaim
In Turkey, Hamas Attacks Trigger Tsunami of Israel-hate and Outright Antisemitism - Simon A. Waldman
No one expected the Turkish government to beam the Israeli flag onto Istanbul’s Bosphorus bridge in solidarity with the victims of the Hamas attacks of October 7th. However, after those heinous attacks against civilians that claimed over 1,400 lives, Israel has not received even one message of solidarity from any of Turkey’s political elites. Columnists Actual . Favourites . Archive Aa Aa Aa - A + No one expected the Turkish government to beam the Israeli flag onto Istanbul’s........
In Turkey, Hamas attacks trigger tsunami of Israel-hate and outright antisemitism
Opinion | No one expected Erdogan's Turkey to overdo the solidarity with the victims of the Hamas atrocities. But the cross-party deluge of denunciations of Israel's 'barbarism,' comparisons between Netanyahu and Hitler and embrace of Hamas goes far beyond failing to offer any condolences to Israeli victims Get email notification for articles from Simon A. Waldman Follow Save Save article to reading list Get email notification for articles from Simon A.
Why Turkey's opposition failed to stop Erdogan
Even before Turkey's pugnacious President Recep Tayyip Erdogan secured himself yet another five years at the helm of Turkish politics, international observers noted that the incumbent enjoyed an unjustified campaigning advantage, by restricting the freedoms of assembly, expression, and association. However, this is not the only reason why Turkey's democratic outlook is bleak.
Turkey elections are cruel setback for anti-Erdogan opposition
ISTANBUL - The buzz of excitement that took hold of Turkey in recent days and weeks has come to an frustratingly anticlimactic end. With nearly all votes counted, neither the incumbent president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, nor the opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu won the 50 percent of the popular vote needed to clinch the presidency. Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its People's Alliance, meanwhile, seem set to retain their hold in parliament.
Türk muhalefeti hoşnutsuz seçmenleri kazanmakta nasıl başarısız oluyor?
Türkiye Cumhurbaşkanı Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hakkında ne düşünürseniz düşünün, ekonomiyi bariz bir şekilde kötü yönetmesine, zaman zaman uluslararası izolasyona maruz kalmasına ve doğal afetleri yönetme konusundaki beceriksizliğine rağmen hala bu kadar popüler olmasının oldukça sıra dışı olduğunu kabul etmelisiniz. Erdoğan’ın liderliğini yaptığı ve kurucuları arasında yer aldığı Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP) Türkiye’nin en popüler partisi olmaya devam ediyor.
Turkey's opposition can topple Erdogan. But there's one problem
Whatever you think about Turkey's President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, you must admit that it's pretty extraordinary that he's still so popular, despite his blatant economic mismanagement, intermittent international isolation, and ineptitude at managing natural disasters. The party Erdogan leads and co-founded, the Justice and Development Party (AKP), remains the most popular in Turkey.
Turkey was never a true democracy. Israel has much more to lose
In the midst of its own constitutional democratic crisis, Israel can learn a lot from what went wrong 500 miles north in Turkey, a nearby and darkly instructive example of what happens when political elites tamper with judicial independence. Turkey is not, and never was, a democracy. And in recent years, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) have all but extinguished the country's once-tangible opportunity to become one.
Erdogan is in deep trouble. This is his ruthless survival plan
Last month, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that he will seek one final term when the country goes to the polls in June. If successful, Erdogan will have spent 26 years at the helm of Turkish politics, having been prime minister in 2002 and then president in 2014. Whether Turkey's pugnacious head of state would actually give up power is yet to be determined. However, what is certain is that, right now, Erdogan is in no mood to leave the Presidential Palace.
Erdogan Is Priming a Far Bigger Explosion Than the Istanbul Bomb - Simon A. Waldman
36 39 1 It took just ten hours for Turkey’s security services to catch the alleged perpetrators of last Sunday’s terrorist outrage. Six people were killed and dozens wounded after a bomb was detonated in Istanbul’s Istiklal Caddesi, a popular pedestrian thoroughfare teeming with shops, restaurants, cafes and bars.
Erdogan's answer to the Istanbul bombing is to trigger a far bigger explosion
It took just ten hours for Turkey's security services to catch the alleged perpetrators of last Sunday's terrorist outrage. Six people were killed and dozens wounded after a bomb was detonated in Istanbul's Istiklal Caddesi, a popular pedestrian thoroughfare teeming with shops, restaurants, cafes and bars.
How Europe’s drought is making Britain’s energy crisis worse
Along the River Elbe, in Germany and the Czech Republic, is a series of rocks that are submerged in all but the lowest water conditions. The locals call them “hunger stones” because they are warnings: if the stone is visible, then famine will follow. Carvings on the stones record droughts back to the 15th century, and one has text translating to “If you can see me, weep”. As Europe faces what may be its worst drought in 500 years, these stones are appearing once again.
How Europe’s drought is making Britain's energy crisis worse Original
Along the River Elbe, in Germany and the Czech Republic, is a series of rocks that are submerged in all but the lowest water conditions. The locals call them “hunger stones” because they are warnings: if the stone is visible, then famine will follow. Carvings on the stones record droughts back to the 15th century, and one has text translating to “If you can see me, weep”. As Europe faces what may be its worst drought in 500 years, these stones are appearing once again.
Two-faced Turkey demands a terrible price for NATO expansion | Opinion
Who would have thought that on the first day of the NATO summit in Madrid, Turkey would lift its opposition to Swedish and Finnish entry to NATO? Previously, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s pugnacious flashy suit-wearing president had made his fierce opposition to NATO’s Nordic expansion well known, accusing them of supporting terrorism and asking, pointedly, “How can we trust them?” What is the reason for Turkey’s about-face?
Tidal Power is Set for a Commercial Breakthrough in the UK
Tidal energy has long lurked at the back of the UK’s renewable energy arsenal, outshone by its wind and solar counterparts due in part to early issues with technology readiness and high costs. Yet with recent research showing it could provide 11 percent of the UK’s electricity needs – and with significant government investment in the pipeline for UK projects – its future is looking ever brighter.
Here's why UK tides are soon going to play a much bigger part in powering your home
Tidal energy has long lurked at the back of the UK’s renewable energy arsenal, outshone by its wind and solar counterparts due in part to early issues with technology readiness and high costs. Yet with recent research showing it could provide 11% of the UK’s electricity needs – and with significant government investment in the pipeline for UK projects – its future is looking ever brighter. Tides are large movements of water around the Earth, powered by the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon.
Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Imagery to Characterise Pursuit-Diving Seabird Association With Tidal Stream Hydrodynamic Habitat Features
1 Introduction Tidal stream environments are of importance to anthropogenic developments, in the form of marine renewable energy (MRE) or tidal energy converters. While many turbine designs exist, the predominant form of tidal energy converters, representing around 70 % of global research and development efforts, are bottom-mounted horizontally orientated turbines (Fraenkel, 2006; Isaksson et al., 2020).
Why Erdogan will survive Turkey's horrifying crash | Opinion
Turkey’s economy is in free fall, but this is unlikely to end the reign of Turkey’s pugnacious President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Sure, Turkey’s economy is on the rocks. Official sources put inflation at just over 21 percent. However, according to the Inflation Research Group, which claims itself independent, consumer prices have increased by over 58 percent over the past 12 months.
Erdogan's big lie: Why Turkey's president rewrote the history of the 2016 coup | Opinion
15-16 July marks five years since the dramatic and bloody 2016 coup attempt in Turkey when a faction within the armed forces loyal to Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish Islamic preacher and U.S. green card holder, attempted to overthrow the democratically elected government. Since then, Turkey’s fragile democracy has all but collapsed, and the country’s international orientation seems to have definitively shifted away from its traditional allies in the West.
America no longer considers Turkey a strategic partner | Opinion
Joe Biden is no rookie when it comes to international affairs. Eight years as Vice-President under Barack Obama with important global responsibilities, and two terms as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as a Delaware Senator, the 46th President of the United States of America knew exactly what he was doing when he broke from his predecessors and recognized the Armenian Genocide last Saturday.
Erdogan wants to mend Turkey's ties with the West by rebranding as a human rights hero. It’s a sick joke | Opinion
Turkey is looking to mend ties with the West. Last December, Turkey’s firebrand president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, declared that that it was time to "turn a new page" in relations with the U.S. and Europe.
Thanks to Erdogan, Turkey hasn’t been this isolated for 50 years | Opinion
Not since Turkey’s 1974 invasion of Cyprus has Ankara been so internationally isolated. Last week, Washington slapped Turkey, a fellow member of NATO, with CAATSA sanctions for purchasing, receiving and testing Russian S400 missile defense batteries. Meanwhile, the EU hit Ankara with moderate sanctions of its own, a move akin to a final written warning before more hard-hitting measures are taken.
What Media Companies Can Learn From IBM’s Turnaround
Stay on Top of Enterprise Technology Trends Get updates impacting your industry from our GigaOm Research Community Simon Waldman is Group Product Director of LOVEFiLM, and author of “Creative Disruption: What you need to do to shake up your business in a digital world” [FT Prentice Hall]. He blogs here, and tweets as @waldo. Imagine a business in trouble. A lot of trouble. It is being disrupted by new technology. It has become bureaucratic and bloated.
Turkey is Seeking Global Power at America's Expense
For years, instead of focusing on problems plaguing much of the Arab world such as corruption, bad governance, and lack of accountability, too much attention was drawn to Israel and the plight of the Palestinians.
Turkey is Seeking Global Power at America’s Expense
For years, instead of focusing on problems plaguing much of the Arab world such as corruption, bad governance, and lack of accountability, too much attention was drawn to Israel and the plight of the Palestinians.
Erdogan’s crumbling superpower dreams make Turkey even more dangerous | Opinion
Last week, after learning that Israel and the UAE were normalizing relations, Turkey’s firebrand president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, threatened to recall his ambassador to the UAE and break off diplomatic relations for this "betrayal" of the Palestinians. Erdogan has good reasons to be upset by the emerging Israel-UAE accord, but it has little to do with his concern for Palestinian rights and everything to do with Turkey’s crumbling ambitions for regional hegemony.
Book Review | Review of The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace
There is perhaps no aspect of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that is subject to greater distortion than the so-called Palestinian ‘right of return’. The term refers to the demand, erroneously stated as a legal right, for the Palestinians (and their descendants in perpetuity) who resided in part of the British Mandate for Palestine that became Israel to return to their former homes, now 72 years after the failed Arab invasion of Israel during which they left.
The Turkey Economy Is Threatened by COVID-19, but Erdogan Isn’t
In a national address earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the start of a “normalization plan” to gradually ease restrictions on movement that had ground much of Turkey to a halt amid the coronavirus pandemic. After spreading rapidly during Mach and April, infection and death rates have decreased recently in Turkey, which currently has nearly 160,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including about 4,400 deaths.
Opinion | UNRWA's COVID-19 Disconnect
Thursday, 14 May 2020 This is an opinion article by an external contributor. The views belong to the writer. No-one in UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, appears to understand that the troubled UN agency needs to adapt in light of the devastation wrought by COVID-19. UNRWA lost no time making a flash appeal for US$14 million in order to tackle the coronavirus.
The Iranian Embassy siege: British-Iranian relations, forty years on
In formulating their strategy towards Iran, British policymakers should recall the dramatic events which took place forty years ago today at the Iranian Embassy in London, which became known as the Iranian Embassy siege.
Turkey's Erdogan has found a cure for coronavirus - Opinion - Israel News
Nothing seems to quench the authoritarian thirst for power, not even the greatest global health epidemic of the last 100 years. For some leaders, the COVID-19 global pandemic is an irresistible means to either gain additional power or consolidate it further, while silencing those who dare criticize the incumbent's handling of the crisis. It is well known that China’s attempt to muzzle news of the pandemic while it was still in its infancy contributed to the global crisis.
Turkey's Erdogan has found a cure for coronavirus | Opinion
Nothing seems to quench the authoritarian thirst for power, not even the greatest global health epidemic of the last 100 years. For some leaders, the COVID-19 global pandemic is an irresistible means to either gain additional power or consolidate it further, while silencing those who dare criticize the incumbent's handling of the crisis. It is well known that China’s attempt to muzzle news of the pandemic while it was still in its infancy contributed to the global crisis.
Why Europe should practise social distancing with Turkey
Brussels could maintain a transactional approach to dealing with Ankara but deepen its relations only after the latter undergoes domestic reforms and rethinks its foreign policy Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's president, and Charles Michel, president of the EU in Brussels on March 9. Bloomberg Some have described the Europe Union’s relationship with Turkey as being too important to fail. However, recent developments suggest that it has indeed broken down.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Simon
Contact Simon, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack