EARTHQUAKE in Turkiye & the Cost of Corruption
03/10/23 • 62 min
From 2012-2022, and in the midst of a major construction boom, Turkiye fell nearly 50 places on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, from 54 to 101 out of 174 countries. The country has been praised for its ability to do infrastructure quickly, but the level of damage caused by a recent 7.8-magnitude quake has drawn greater attention to the amount of corruption in Turkiye's construction industry. With more than 45,000 dead, over $100 billion in damage, and 25,000 buildings reduced to rubble, Turkish citizens are outraged at the disorganized government response and the lack of proper preparation and are calling for greater government accountability. Just three months before a scheduled election, President Erdogan and his government are under intense scrutiny for the amount of damage, with a spotlight on the corrupt policies that allowed developers to cut corners on safety.
Fredrik and Leilani sit down for two separate conversations on these recent events. First, they meet with Professor Gönül Tol, founding director of the Middle East Institute’s Turkey Program, senior fellow for the Frontier Europe Initiative, and author of "Erdogan's War: A Strongman's Struggle at Home and in Syria," to recount her experience on the ground during the earthquake and to discuss how Erdogan instituted an autocracy that weakened Turkiye's vital institutions.
Then, they speak with Cihan Uzuncarsili Baysal, a member of Istanbul Urban Defense and an independent researcher, to discuss how Turkiye's economic and political history brought us to this moment.
From 2012-2022, and in the midst of a major construction boom, Turkiye fell nearly 50 places on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, from 54 to 101 out of 174 countries. The country has been praised for its ability to do infrastructure quickly, but the level of damage caused by a recent 7.8-magnitude quake has drawn greater attention to the amount of corruption in Turkiye's construction industry. With more than 45,000 dead, over $100 billion in damage, and 25,000 buildings reduced to rubble, Turkish citizens are outraged at the disorganized government response and the lack of proper preparation and are calling for greater government accountability. Just three months before a scheduled election, President Erdogan and his government are under intense scrutiny for the amount of damage, with a spotlight on the corrupt policies that allowed developers to cut corners on safety.
Fredrik and Leilani sit down for two separate conversations on these recent events. First, they meet with Professor Gönül Tol, founding director of the Middle East Institute’s Turkey Program, senior fellow for the Frontier Europe Initiative, and author of "Erdogan's War: A Strongman's Struggle at Home and in Syria," to recount her experience on the ground during the earthquake and to discuss how Erdogan instituted an autocracy that weakened Turkiye's vital institutions.
Then, they speak with Cihan Uzuncarsili Baysal, a member of Istanbul Urban Defense and an independent researcher, to discuss how Turkiye's economic and political history brought us to this moment.
Previous Episode
Bad to Worse: The Ukraine War & Serbia's Housing Crisis
Apartments in Serbia are selling fast. But the average income in Serbia is about 640 euros and the average price of an apartment is 2000 euros, so who is buying the apartments?
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused a domino effect around the world in a multitude of areas. Serbia, one of the few countries openly accepting Russians is facing an unprecedented housing crisis linked to the influx of people since the conflict first broke out. As more Russians buy property, the cost of living in Serbia has skyrocketed, and supply is growing short. Anger and resentment about landlords and about Russians has led the social situation to worsen as tensions grow.
Fredrik & Leilani meet with Jovana Timotijevic & Marko Aksentijević of Serbia's Ministry of Space to discuss how the country's history of communism and the current influx of wealthy Russians & Ukrainians fleeing the war is taking things from bad to worse.
Next Episode
Breaking Social: Building a Path from Anger to Hope
There's a new addition to the WG Film catalog! Fredrik's latest film, Breaking Social, is about the social contract we live by in society -- and the ways that the social contract is subverted and abused by the ultra-wealthy to undermine democracy and give them control of the world we live in. From Chile to the Netherlands, Breaking Social explores our upside-down economy while asking the question: 'Can we afford the rich?'
The film, which features many previous guests from Pushback Talks, made its debut on March 16th at the CPH:DOX International Film Festival. Now, join Fredrik and Leilani as they discuss the making of the film and how Fredrik hopes Breaking Social will help turn people's anger into hope, and help us find a way beyond cynicism and despair.
Let's change the conversation, and start talking about the society we want to build.
Learn more about Breaking Social, and support the film on Kickstarter here!
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