On a warm evening in Poggiardo, the town square transforms into a gathering place for curious minds and engaged citizens. Gennaro Sangiuliano arrives to inaugurate Il Mondo che ci tocca – The World That Touches Us – with a book that peels back the layers of one of the most enigmatic and powerful leaders of our era.
A Portrait of Power and Ambition
Il Sultano is more than a biography. It's a lens into the transformation of modern Turkey and the tectonic shifts reshaping the balance between East and West.
Sangiuliano draws on years of journalistic inquiry to trace Erdogan's rise from the streets of Istanbul to the presidential palace. His narrative weaves political analysis with personal anecdote, revealing how one man's vision can alter the course of nations.
- The resurgence of political Islam in a secular republic
- Turkey's pivot between NATO alliances and independent geopolitical ambitions
- The role of strongman leadership in 21st-century democracies
- How Erdogan redefined the relationship between religion and state power
The Festival That Brings the World Home
This presentation is the opening salvo of a festival designed to make global issues feel personal and immediate. Poggiardo, a town rich in history but often overlooked in cultural circuits, becomes a stage for grappling with the forces that shape our daily lives.
Il Mondo che ci tocca runs on the premise that understanding distant leaders and foreign conflicts isn't academic—it's essential. The festival's curators have chosen Sangiuliano's work precisely because it bridges the gap between international headlines and local relevance.
An Evening of Questions and Revelations
The format is intimate and participatory. Sangiuliano speaks, but he also listens. Attendees are encouraged to bring their questions, their skepticism, their desire to understand how Turkey's trajectory affects migration patterns, economic stability, and the future of European identity.
Expect a conversation that moves beyond sound bites. The author unpacks Erdogan's relationship with Putin, his handling of the Syrian refugee crisis, and the internal contradictions of a leader who promises both tradition and modernization.
Piazza Giovanni Paolo II fills with folding chairs and anticipation. The air carries the scent of nearby kitchens preparing dinner, mingling with the rustle of pages and programs. This is intellectual engagement rooted in place, where global politics meets the rhythms of small-town Puglia.
Why This Book, Why Now
Turkey sits at the crossroads of continents and civilizations. Erdogan's choices ripple outward, affecting energy security, refugee flows, and the fragile architecture of international diplomacy.
Sangiuliano's book arrives at a moment when understanding authoritarianism, populism, and the erosion of democratic norms feels urgent. The discussion in Poggiardo becomes a local node in a much larger conversation about where the world is headed and what we can do about it.