Frank Langfitt

And the U.S. score actually landed midway between our neighbor Canada and Russia, which, as we all know, is a hardcore authoritarian state.

And the U.S. score actually landed midway between our neighbor Canada and Russia, which, as we all know, is a hardcore authoritarian state.

Yeah. One leader that they'll talk about is Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He's the president of Turkey. A little bit of background. Erdogan was formerly, he was the mayor of Istanbul. Then in 2002, his party won a parliamentary majority and Erdogan became prime minister. Now, under Erdogan, there was a really nice period economically, what they refer to as the golden years.

Yeah. One leader that they'll talk about is Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He's the president of Turkey. A little bit of background. Erdogan was formerly, he was the mayor of Istanbul. Then in 2002, his party won a parliamentary majority and Erdogan became prime minister. Now, under Erdogan, there was a really nice period economically, what they refer to as the golden years.

Yeah. One leader that they'll talk about is Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He's the president of Turkey. A little bit of background. Erdogan was formerly, he was the mayor of Istanbul. Then in 2002, his party won a parliamentary majority and Erdogan became prime minister. Now, under Erdogan, there was a really nice period economically, what they refer to as the golden years.

There's a lot of strong economic growth. And he leveraged his popularity to basically take control of the levers of power.

There's a lot of strong economic growth. And he leveraged his popularity to basically take control of the levers of power.

There's a lot of strong economic growth. And he leveraged his popularity to basically take control of the levers of power.

This is Fulya Pinarş. She's an anthropologist who studies Turkey and the Middle East at Middlebury College in Vermont. And she says she watched Erdogan slowly tighten his grip on power in her homeland.

This is Fulya Pinarş. She's an anthropologist who studies Turkey and the Middle East at Middlebury College in Vermont. And she says she watched Erdogan slowly tighten his grip on power in her homeland.

This is Fulya Pinarş. She's an anthropologist who studies Turkey and the Middle East at Middlebury College in Vermont. And she says she watched Erdogan slowly tighten his grip on power in her homeland.

Pinar's sister, she worked for a major newspaper there.

Pinar's sister, she worked for a major newspaper there.

Pinar's sister, she worked for a major newspaper there.

And Pinar says the government also targeted a lot of academics.

And Pinar says the government also targeted a lot of academics.

And Pinar says the government also targeted a lot of academics.

And so Pinar, this is 2016. She moves to the U.S. She's basically seeking academic freedom. And she's also studying for a Ph.D. at Rutgers. But the U.S. has not over time proven to be the haven that she'd hoped. And since taking office, you know, Trump has withheld, as we've reported, billions of dollars from universities that he says haven't done enough to fight anti-Semitism.

And so Pinar, this is 2016. She moves to the U.S. She's basically seeking academic freedom. And she's also studying for a Ph.D. at Rutgers. But the U.S. has not over time proven to be the haven that she'd hoped. And since taking office, you know, Trump has withheld, as we've reported, billions of dollars from universities that he says haven't done enough to fight anti-Semitism.

And so Pinar, this is 2016. She moves to the U.S. She's basically seeking academic freedom. And she's also studying for a Ph.D. at Rutgers. But the U.S. has not over time proven to be the haven that she'd hoped. And since taking office, you know, Trump has withheld, as we've reported, billions of dollars from universities that he says haven't done enough to fight anti-Semitism.