A dozen years ago, europeans looked to turkey and thought they saw a country becoming more like them, embracing Western Values and on a long term track to eu membership. But today, well, europe sees authoritarianism, conservatism, and repression embodied in the all powerful figure of president erdogan. My guest is elif shafak, the turkish novelist and writer who lives much of her life in london. Does the west get anywhere close to understanding turkeys complex culture and politics . Elif shafak, welcome to hardtalk. Thank you. When you write of turkey today, i wonder what emotions draw you . Would it be anger or sadness or incomprehension . I think there is a lot of sadness. I feel sad. I feel worried. So much is changing in turkey and so fast. I think speed is important with many things that are happening, with a bewildering speed which almost prevents time to stop and analyse because Something Else happens next week and so it goes on and on. I am very sad when i look at the direction
A dozen years ago, europeans looked to turkey and thought they saw a country becoming more like them, embracing Western Values and on a long term track to eu membership. But today, well, europe sees authoritarianism, conservatism, and repression embodied in the all powerful figure of president erdogan. My guest is elif shafak, the turkish novelist and writer who lives much of her life in london. Does the west get anywhere close to understanding turkeys complex culture and politics . Elif shafak, welcome to hardtalk. Thank you. When you write of turkey today, i wonder what emotions draw you . Would it be anger or sadness or incomprehension . I think there is a lot of sadness. I feel sad. I feel worried. So much is changing in turkey and so fast. I think speed is important with many things that are happening, with a bewildering speed which almost prevents time to stop and analyse because Something Else happens next week and so it goes on and on. I am very sad when i look at the direction
A dozen years ago, europeans looked to turkey and thought they saw a country becoming more like them, embracing Western Values and on a long term track to eu membership. But today, well, europe sees authoritarianism, conservatism, and repression embodied in the all powerful figure of president erdogan. My guest is elif shafak, the turkish novelist and writer who lives much of her life in london. Does the west get anywhere close to understanding turkeys complex culture and politics . Elif shafak, welcome to hardtalk. Thank you. When you write of turkey today, i wonder what emotions draw you . Would it be anger or sadness or incomprehension . I think there is a lot of sadness. I feel sad. I feel worried. So much is changing in turkey and so fast. I think speed is important with many things that are happening, with a bewildering speed which almost prevents time to stop and analyse because Something Else happens next week and so it goes on and on. I am very sad when i look at the direction
Im stephen sackur. A dozen years ago, europeans looked to turkey and thought they saw a country becoming more like them, embracing Western Values and on a long term track to eu membership. But today, well, europe sees authoritarianism, conservatism, and repressionm embodied in the all powerful figure of president erdogan. My guest is elif shafak, the turkish novelist and writer who lives much of her life in london. Does the west get anywhere close to understanding turkeys complex culture and politics . Elif shafak, welcome to hardtalk. Thank you. When you write of turkey today, i wonder what emotions draw you . Would it be anger or sadness or incomprehension . I think there is a lot of sadness. I feel sad. I feel worried. So much is changing in turkey and so fast. I think speed is important with many things that are happening, with a bewildering speed which almost prevents time to stop and analyse because Something Else happens next week and so it goes on and on. I am very sad when i l