Ziya Meral
@ziyameral.bsky.social
Lecturer @SOAS, Senior Associate Fellow @RUSI & the European Leadership Network.. Middle East/Turkey, international security, defence, diplomacy, climate security.. Belfast resident.. Posts likely to include poetry, baking and pics of Rathlin Island.
Reposted by Ziya Meral
President Donald Trump delivered another series of false claims at a press conference Wednesday at the NATO summit in Ankara. | Fact check
Fact check: Trump’s false claims at his NATO press conference | CNN Politics
President Donald Trump delivered another series of false claims at a press conference Wednesday at the NATO summit in Ankara.
www.cnn.com
July 9, 2026 at 3:01 AM
President Donald Trump delivered another series of false claims at a press conference Wednesday at the NATO summit in Ankara. | Fact check
Reposted by Ziya Meral
Also feels like almost no one is willing to say the blindingly obvious
‘What happened in Belfast is awful and - right now - there is no evidence that it was anything other than an isolated evidence. All this stuff about communities ‘not being safe’ isn’t based on any evidence’
‘What happened in Belfast is awful and - right now - there is no evidence that it was anything other than an isolated evidence. All this stuff about communities ‘not being safe’ isn’t based on any evidence’
June 10, 2026 at 7:23 AM
Also feels like almost no one is willing to say the blindingly obvious
‘What happened in Belfast is awful and - right now - there is no evidence that it was anything other than an isolated evidence. All this stuff about communities ‘not being safe’ isn’t based on any evidence’
‘What happened in Belfast is awful and - right now - there is no evidence that it was anything other than an isolated evidence. All this stuff about communities ‘not being safe’ isn’t based on any evidence’
Reposted by Ziya Meral
Breaking news: U.S. forces launched a new round of military strikes on Iran in response to attacks on American warships, officials said.
No American vessels were hit, and U.S. forces responded by striking Iranian military facilities, officials said.
No American vessels were hit, and U.S. forces responded by striking Iranian military facilities, officials said.
U.S. launches strikes on Iran after attacks on warships, military says
The “self-defense strikes” followed attacks on three American naval vessels, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. None of the U.S. warships were hit.
www.washingtonpost.com
May 7, 2026 at 10:21 PM
Breaking news: U.S. forces launched a new round of military strikes on Iran in response to attacks on American warships, officials said.
No American vessels were hit, and U.S. forces responded by striking Iranian military facilities, officials said.
No American vessels were hit, and U.S. forces responded by striking Iranian military facilities, officials said.
Reposted by Ziya Meral
YouGov find just 30% of people think we were right to leave the EU. The lowest number yet.
Just 10% of 18-24 year olds think it was the right decision.
Just 10% of 18-24 year olds think it was the right decision.
January 29, 2025 at 11:01 AM
YouGov find just 30% of people think we were right to leave the EU. The lowest number yet.
Just 10% of 18-24 year olds think it was the right decision.
Just 10% of 18-24 year olds think it was the right decision.
Reposted by Ziya Meral
ELN Senior Associate Fellow @ziyameral.bsky.social has written for @theipaper.com on the perilous situation the world finds itself in, and Britain's lack of readiness to respond to the potential outbreak of World War 3. Check it out below ⤵️
inews.co.uk/opinion/worl...
inews.co.uk/opinion/worl...
World War 3 is closer than you think. And still Britain is half asleep
Few people have the courage to say why we're really not ready
inews.co.uk
April 2, 2026 at 2:19 PM
ELN Senior Associate Fellow @ziyameral.bsky.social has written for @theipaper.com on the perilous situation the world finds itself in, and Britain's lack of readiness to respond to the potential outbreak of World War 3. Check it out below ⤵️
inews.co.uk/opinion/worl...
inews.co.uk/opinion/worl...
Reposted by Ziya Meral
I was just disinvited from the Air War College where I’d been asked to lecture on my book, which is a history of U.S. civil-military relations.
In all seriousness, sincerely concerned for how Hegseth is going to mess up PME now that his gin-soaked gaze has turned upon it.
Imposing political litmus tests on PME instructors - the likely plan - will meaningfully damage the institutions and thus US security in the long term.
Imposing political litmus tests on PME instructors - the likely plan - will meaningfully damage the institutions and thus US security in the long term.
When they won’t let you near the war.
March 14, 2026 at 7:02 PM
I was just disinvited from the Air War College where I’d been asked to lecture on my book, which is a history of U.S. civil-military relations.
Reposted by Ziya Meral
Great to see ELN Senior Associate Fellow @ziyameral.bsky.social speak to @thetimes.com and @lizcookman.bsky.social on Turkey's approach to the Iran war, check it out below ⤵️
www.thetimes.com/world/middle...
www.thetimes.com/world/middle...
Erdogan desperate to stay neutral as Iran war approaches Turkey’s borders
The Turkish president has urged diplomacy as fears of a refugee wave grow, but a missile targeting his country has changed the dynamic
www.thetimes.com
March 6, 2026 at 11:21 AM
Great to see ELN Senior Associate Fellow @ziyameral.bsky.social speak to @thetimes.com and @lizcookman.bsky.social on Turkey's approach to the Iran war, check it out below ⤵️
www.thetimes.com/world/middle...
www.thetimes.com/world/middle...
Reposted by Ziya Meral
After a suspected Russian strike on its Kyiv HQ, a Ukrainian drone firm opened its first UK factory
Its Shark-M can loiter for 7 hours, strike 110 miles away and use AI trained on battlefield footage
🤔How did Ukraine's drones become so effective?
Its Shark-M can loiter for 7 hours, strike 110 miles away and use AI trained on battlefield footage
🤔How did Ukraine's drones become so effective?
The drone company Russia tried to destroy - now in the UK
YouTube video by BFBS Forces News
youtu.be
February 27, 2026 at 12:52 PM
After a suspected Russian strike on its Kyiv HQ, a Ukrainian drone firm opened its first UK factory
Its Shark-M can loiter for 7 hours, strike 110 miles away and use AI trained on battlefield footage
🤔How did Ukraine's drones become so effective?
Its Shark-M can loiter for 7 hours, strike 110 miles away and use AI trained on battlefield footage
🤔How did Ukraine's drones become so effective?
Reposted by Ziya Meral
Taoiseach Micheál Martin speaking at Trinity College, Cambridge, to mark the announcement of Professor Alvin Jackson as the first holder of the Childers Professorship in Modern Irish History, a new university chair endowed by a donation from the government of Ireland.
February 22, 2026 at 10:08 AM
Taoiseach Micheál Martin speaking at Trinity College, Cambridge, to mark the announcement of Professor Alvin Jackson as the first holder of the Childers Professorship in Modern Irish History, a new university chair endowed by a donation from the government of Ireland.
Reposted by Ziya Meral
London’s “worst mass eviction in recent history” is underway; hundreds of households across London told to get out of their homes this week by the same landlord, ahead of the renters rights act. The landlord? Billionaire Asif Aziz’s Criterion Capital. www.londoncentric.media/p/asif-aziz-...
Who's the billionaire behind London’s biggest mass eviction?
He's the London philanthropist who says he's committed to solving homelessness. So why is Asif Aziz's Criterion Capital rushing to make hundreds of Londoners homeless in the coming weeks?
www.londoncentric.media
February 22, 2026 at 7:53 AM
London’s “worst mass eviction in recent history” is underway; hundreds of households across London told to get out of their homes this week by the same landlord, ahead of the renters rights act. The landlord? Billionaire Asif Aziz’s Criterion Capital. www.londoncentric.media/p/asif-aziz-...
Reposted by Ziya Meral
"Instead of acting united, EU countries are racing to produce new weaponry on their own terms. The result is a divided military landscape that creates neither credible deterrence nor strategic coherence."
@euractiv.com
www.euractiv.com/opinion/euro...
@euractiv.com
www.euractiv.com/opinion/euro...
Europe’s fragmented rearmament undermines its own security | Euractiv
Europe risks falling into a dangerous rhetoric-reality gap; it cannot claim unity while pursuing contradictory national policies
www.euractiv.com
February 21, 2026 at 8:54 AM
"Instead of acting united, EU countries are racing to produce new weaponry on their own terms. The result is a divided military landscape that creates neither credible deterrence nor strategic coherence."
@euractiv.com
www.euractiv.com/opinion/euro...
@euractiv.com
www.euractiv.com/opinion/euro...
Reposted by Ziya Meral
Dan wasn't even born before decimalisation (nor was he anywhere near the UK when he was born) but still he yearns for Britain's pre-decimal times 55 years later.
February 16, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Dan wasn't even born before decimalisation (nor was he anywhere near the UK when he was born) but still he yearns for Britain's pre-decimal times 55 years later.
Is US, a NATO ally, turning away from
the West?
the West?
Most European citizens realise the US can no longer be considered a reliable ally. In Switzerland, 21% view the US as an adversary. On the other hand, 30% of citizens in Poland still see the US as an ally.
Read @celiabelin.bsky.social and @pawelzerka.bsky.social's analysis:🔗 https://bit.ly/4aHAs5k
Read @celiabelin.bsky.social and @pawelzerka.bsky.social's analysis:🔗 https://bit.ly/4aHAs5k
February 15, 2026 at 6:21 PM
Is US, a NATO ally, turning away from
the West?
the West?
Reposted by Ziya Meral
Canada aiming to seriously increase defence spending and shift away from US manufacturers.
Very promising for NATO in the High North.
Very promising for NATO in the High North.
Ottawa’s shift away from US defence manufacturers aims to create 125,000 jobs
‘Buy Canadian’ strategy will raise military spending to 5 per cent of GDP and boost economy, new plan says
www.ft.com
February 15, 2026 at 11:10 AM
Canada aiming to seriously increase defence spending and shift away from US manufacturers.
Very promising for NATO in the High North.
Very promising for NATO in the High North.
Reposted by Ziya Meral
Imagine being so "patriotic" that you protest the Royal National Lifeboat Institute for saving lives.
Racist morons fuelled by hate.
Racist morons fuelled by hate.
February 15, 2026 at 8:29 AM
Imagine being so "patriotic" that you protest the Royal National Lifeboat Institute for saving lives.
Racist morons fuelled by hate.
Racist morons fuelled by hate.
Reposted by Ziya Meral
“I am too scared to drive my 5-year-old daughter to school in my husband’s car. I’m terrified ICE will detain me and our daughter will end up alone,” she said. “This is just as scary as the war in Ukraine, except now we don’t have Dmytro with us..."
www.thedailybeast.com/laughing-ice...
www.thedailybeast.com/laughing-ice...
Laughing ICE Goons Seize Dad Who Fled Ukraine War at Walmart
Dmytro Kulyk is facing deportation as refugees become the Trump administration’s latest target.
www.thedailybeast.com
February 14, 2026 at 11:50 PM
“I am too scared to drive my 5-year-old daughter to school in my husband’s car. I’m terrified ICE will detain me and our daughter will end up alone,” she said. “This is just as scary as the war in Ukraine, except now we don’t have Dmytro with us..."
www.thedailybeast.com/laughing-ice...
www.thedailybeast.com/laughing-ice...
Reposted by Ziya Meral
Reposted by Ziya Meral
47% of Europeans want X banned across the EU, so the flipping Scandiwegians are doing something about it, with proper Viking energy.
W is now accepting registration ahead of it's launch.
wsocial.eu
W is now accepting registration ahead of it's launch.
wsocial.eu
W — Trust your feed
We believe in the need for a global, trusted social media platform owned, run, and hosted in Europe. W is built on verified human users, transparency, privacy, and free speech.
wsocial.eu
February 12, 2026 at 6:47 PM
47% of Europeans want X banned across the EU, so the flipping Scandiwegians are doing something about it, with proper Viking energy.
W is now accepting registration ahead of it's launch.
wsocial.eu
W is now accepting registration ahead of it's launch.
wsocial.eu
Reposted by Ziya Meral
Good response to Jim Ratcliffe's appalling comment on immigration.
@jakerichardsmp.bsky.social: "Jim Ratcliffe has moved to Monaco to save £4 billion worth of tax in this country, one might question whether he is the patriot that we need to comment on this issue."
@jakerichardsmp.bsky.social: "Jim Ratcliffe has moved to Monaco to save £4 billion worth of tax in this country, one might question whether he is the patriot that we need to comment on this issue."
February 12, 2026 at 11:11 AM
Good response to Jim Ratcliffe's appalling comment on immigration.
@jakerichardsmp.bsky.social: "Jim Ratcliffe has moved to Monaco to save £4 billion worth of tax in this country, one might question whether he is the patriot that we need to comment on this issue."
@jakerichardsmp.bsky.social: "Jim Ratcliffe has moved to Monaco to save £4 billion worth of tax in this country, one might question whether he is the patriot that we need to comment on this issue."
Noooo.. hype over chatbots?? difficult to believe
Chatbots provided incorrect, conflicting medical advice, researchers found: “Despite all the hype, AI just isn't ready to take on the role of the physician.”
Chatbots Make Terrible Doctors, New Study Finds
Chatbots provided incorrect, conflicting medical advice, researchers found: “Despite all the hype, AI just isn't ready to take on the role of the physician.”
www.404media.co
February 9, 2026 at 4:20 PM
Noooo.. hype over chatbots?? difficult to believe
Reposted by Ziya Meral
"While his father Steve Witkoff acts as President Trump’s all-purpose special envoy, 32-year-old Zach Witkoff now heads up World Liberty, which has doled out at least $1.4 billion to both families"
extraordinary reporting from @wsj.com
www.wsj.com/finance/curr...
extraordinary reporting from @wsj.com
www.wsj.com/finance/curr...
One Generation Runs the Country. The Next Cashed In on Crypto.
Sons of top Trump administration officials made billions for their families, but their investors didn’t always fare so well.
www.wsj.com
February 9, 2026 at 4:17 PM
"While his father Steve Witkoff acts as President Trump’s all-purpose special envoy, 32-year-old Zach Witkoff now heads up World Liberty, which has doled out at least $1.4 billion to both families"
extraordinary reporting from @wsj.com
www.wsj.com/finance/curr...
extraordinary reporting from @wsj.com
www.wsj.com/finance/curr...
Three women in Istanbul late 1800s.. an Armenian, a Greek and a Jew.. Can you tell who is who?
January 25, 2026 at 8:04 PM
Three women in Istanbul late 1800s.. an Armenian, a Greek and a Jew.. Can you tell who is who?
Reposted by Ziya Meral
Trump’s Board of Peace logo is basically the UN logo, except dipped in gold and edited so the world only includes America.
January 22, 2026 at 10:16 AM
Trump’s Board of Peace logo is basically the UN logo, except dipped in gold and edited so the world only includes America.
Reposted by Ziya Meral
Some time after this photo was taken, someone said something like 'this should have been the end of it all'.
January 22, 2026 at 10:38 AM
Some time after this photo was taken, someone said something like 'this should have been the end of it all'.
Reposted by Ziya Meral
The simple fact is that if Joe Biden had delivered a speech at Davos as rambling and as disjointed as what we saw Trump deliver there would have been uproar in the US and calls to remove him from office.
Instead news organisations feel compelled to explain away what we saw and imply a strategy.
Instead news organisations feel compelled to explain away what we saw and imply a strategy.
In his mission to acquire Greenland, Donald Trump deployed his trademark bargaining strategy: Take the maximalist position — in this case the barely veiled threat of using military force — then dial back
Trump Finds His Greenland Framework and Pulls Back Threats
The president retreats from use of military force or tariffs.
bloom.bg
January 22, 2026 at 10:23 AM
The simple fact is that if Joe Biden had delivered a speech at Davos as rambling and as disjointed as what we saw Trump deliver there would have been uproar in the US and calls to remove him from office.
Instead news organisations feel compelled to explain away what we saw and imply a strategy.
Instead news organisations feel compelled to explain away what we saw and imply a strategy.