Episode - Island Talks

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 26: Analysing Turkey’s motives and the Greek Cypriot response (5/7/2021)

In this episode of Nicosia Uncut; Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykallı discuss the internal and external political motives of Turkey when it comes to the Cyprus problem on the eve of Turkish President Erdoğan's visit to Varosha. They also elaborated on the rather ineffective response of the Greek Cypriot leadership to the developments; how Turkish Cypriots are now by-passed with the new Turkish Cypriot leadership and failing Turkish Cypriot minority coalition.

Garip Zamanlar – Bölüm 18: Aşk adasında gladyatörler (29/6/2021)

Her gittiğimiz yerde bir aşı muhabbetidir gidiyor... Evren İnançoğlu, Kemal Baykallı ve Sertaç Sonan çiçek aşısı ilk bulunduğunda neler olduğunu, tarihin sonunu, aşırılıklar çağını, Napolyon'un serbest bıraktığı İngiliz esirlerini, Hegel'in acelesini, popülizmin önlenemez yükselişini, bilginin reddini, İngiliz reality show'u aşk adasını ve vitrindekilerin çekiciliğini konuştular. Garip Zamanlar'da yaşıyoruz...

Figure It – Episode 7: East Med geopolitics with Madalina Vicari (21/6/2021)

In this seventh episode of Figure It, Sapienta Economics Director Fiona Mullen discusses recent geopolitical developments in the region with independent analyst Madalina Vicari. How significant is the EU’s application to become an observer member of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMFG)? With the Republic of Cyprus will holding the presidency of the EMGF and EMGF-member France holding the EU’s rotating presidency of the European Council in the first half of 2022, what can we expect from the EMFG? Will Turkey ever join? Are we heading for a rapprochement between Turkey and various key players in the region? And if so, what does it mean for Cyprus?

Garip Zamanlar – Bölüm 17: Beni sarar melankoli (16/6/2021)

Kapılar açıldı! Gidebilen Baf'a kadar gitti, gidemeyen her gün uzun yolu arşınladı. Zombiler, vampirler geri geldi. Dünyevi, uhrevi, sembolik ölümsüzlük, yas tutamayanlar, melankolinin hüzünlü kıvrımlarında hapsolanlar, WhatsApp'tan lokasyon atılmayan zamanlar, randevularına yetişemeyenler, Odun Herif, Karpaz'ın çekim gücü ve doğaya dönüşün laneti. Evren İnançoğlu, Kemal Baykallı ve Sertaç Sonan, Garip Zamanlar'da dinleyicilerini kırmayarak progamı biraz uzun tuttular. Ortaya bu çıktı!

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 25: Election special episode (1/6/2021)

In this episode of Nicosia Uncut, Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykallı analyse the outcome of Republic of Cyprus parliamentary election result. A total of 366,608 out of 557,836 registered voters or 65.72% have voted. The abstention amounted to 191,228 votes or 34.28%. The parties that entered 56 seated parliament are Democratic Rally (DISY) 27.77% - 17 seats; Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) 22.34% - 15 seats, Democratic Party (DIKO) 11.29% - 9 seats, National Popular Front (ELAM) 6.78% - 4 seats; Movement for Social Democracy (EDEK) 6.72% - 4 seats; Democratic Front (DIPA) 6.10% - 4 seats; and Cyprus Green Party 4.41% - 3 seats.

Garip Zamanlar – Bölüm 16: And the 12 points go to… (28/5/2021)

Evren İnançoğlu, Kemal Baykallı ve Sertaç Sonan'ın hazırlayıp sunduğu Garip Zamanlar DAÜ İletişim Fakültesi'nce Düzenlenen Yeni Medya Altın Karga Ödülleri'nde "En İyi Podcast" kategorisinde aday gösterildi. Bundan esinlenen Garip Zamanlar ekibi çocukluk yıllarında Eurovision anılarını, günümüzde algoritmanın müzik ve film tercihlerimizi nasıl belirlediğini, "Shining" özelinde bir kitabın senaryoya dönüştürülmesinden sonra verdiği lezzet farkını ve zombilerin ve vampirlerin hangi sosyal sınıfa ait olduklarını konuştular.

Figure It – Episode 6: Halloumi/Hellim and the Green Line Regulation (20/5/2021)

In this sixth episode of Figure It, Sapienta Economics Director Fiona Mullen discusses the famous squeaky cheese of Cyprus, known as hellim in Turkish and halloumi in Greek, with the former president of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce and current MP with the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), Fikri Toros. In April of this year the European Commission “registered Χαλλούμι/Halloumi/Hellim as a protected designation of origin (PDO)”. This means that only hellim/halloumi produced in Cyprus “according to the product specification” may now use the registered name. We also discuss the obstacles put in the way of the Green Line regulation (European Council Regulation 866/2004) and how these longstanding issues prevent intra-island trade form reaching its full potential.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 24: Responding to our listeners’ feedback (15/5/2021)

In this episode of Nicosia Uncut, Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykallı respond to the feedback they have received to their recent episodes. The questions and feedback include the relations between corruption and division; role of the United Nations and the European Union in the Cyprus peace process; and what they needed to do in order to contribute to the peace process more positively. On the lighter side, it is the Bayram episode, so Kemal talks about his favourite Cypriot Bayram desert: Tel kadeyifi

Garip Zamanlar – Bölüm 15: Molehiya western çeksek sosyal medya linci yer miyiz? (10/5/2021)

Garip Zamanlar'ın bu bölümünde Evren İnançoğlu, Kemal Baykallı ve Sertaç Sonan sosyal medya lincini, şirketlerin gücünü, "gamer"leri, sinemada western çekenlerin Amerikalı olmayışını ve Hindistan'daki siyasi popülizmi konuştular. Cancel culture neleri içerir? Spaghetti western olur da, magarına bulli ya da molohiya western olmaz mı? Bir podcast bölümü nasıl sonlandırılır? Yavaş yavaş.

Nicosia Uncut – Episode 23: Discussing the 5+1 Geneva failure and next day scenarios for Cyprus (3/5/2021)

Informal 5+1 conference on Cyprus, with the participation of two Cypriot sides and three guarantor powers as well as the UN, ended with failure at the UN headquarters in Geneva. Positions of the sides were not bridgeable and the UN Secretary General announced his intention to gather sides once more for another informal summit. Nicosia Uncut producers Andromachi Sophocleous and Kemal Baykallı provides a critical analysis of the process and try to answer the quetion: "What's next?"