Pictures and text by: Moa Aulanko – A look into the gecekondus of Gülsuyu and Gülensu On the outskirts of Istanbul the neighbourhood of Gülsuyu and Gülensu overlooks the sea. Gecekondus are low, self-built houses dating from the 1950’s. “Gecekondu literally means ‘built overnight’,” says Firat Genç, professor in urbanisation and sociology at Bilgi University in Istanbul. The gecekondus can be found in the area … Continue reading Homes of resistance
Text by Friederike Kunz Young wealthy women in Istanbul can have it all it seems: good education, love, fun. With all the possibilities, they know really well what they look for in life – and what they want to do differently than generations before them. Istanbul is a metropolitan city, buzzing and full of life. Women dress stylish, take care of themselves, and enjoy their … Continue reading What women want: Millenials’ goals in male-dominated Istanbul
Text and photo by Janina Hofmann – Big buildings, clean floors, and a lot of monitoring staff. The Beyoglu Culture Road Festival in Istanbul just started – two weeks of music, poetry, and theatre. From a tourist’s point of view, the festival seemed to be a great place for cultural exchange and the arts. After talking to Istanbulites, it sounds like the festival is meant … Continue reading „Music is always political”
By Veronique Bouwers – Life is getting more expensive worldwide. Last year you paid 100 euros on your shopping basket in the Netherlands and now you pay for the same groceries 109,60 euros according to figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics. But if you think that groceries in the Netherlands have become more expensive: in Turkey, it’s way worse. For that same shopping basket, … Continue reading “Things are more expensive every day and it makes me angry”
Text by Isabella Balanchi – Photo by Moa Aulanko – The houses in Gülsuyu and Gülensu stand on a hill with steep streets and a view of both the skyscrapers of Istanbul and the twinkling turquoise Marmara Sea. The smell of jasmine flowers mixes with a vague smell of chickens and trash. Some of the houses are neat-looking and painted in bright colours, others are … Continue reading Forced transition: From gecekondus to gated communities
Text by Basten de Jager – Photo by Moa Aulanko – The Sounds of the Saz and melodious Turkish lyrics got the band Altin Gün, Turkish for golden day, nominated for the grammy’s in 2019. The publics reactions was overwhelming as it was really unexpected. The nomination was not only a personal victory, it also marks a comeback of Anatolian rock, an incredibly popular genre … Continue reading Anatolian music fails to rock Turks
Text and audio y Christiaan Broersma – Istanbul is the city of a thousand noises, but despite that five times a day the inhabitants will hear a sound that outclasses all the others. The Azan is a call to prayer that can be heard from each mosque in Istanbul. Because of the diversity regarding religion, not everyone enjoys the sound. I dived into the world … Continue reading The Azan in Istanbul: love it or hate it
Text and photo’s by Sophie van den berg How Turks keep staying together Between 1960 and 1973, 65,000 Turkish migrants came to the Netherlands. These were almost all guest workers who wanted to earn money for their families in Turkey. For most, their lives consisted of nothing more than work. For example, they were not given the opportunity to learn the language. Ismail Ercan (70) … Continue reading “In this way Turks can never really integrate”
Text and image by Diana Miu – As Erdoğan’s fight against secular Turkey moves forward, bans and laws on alcohol consumption are strengthened, affecting both storeowners and young people. Maçka Park, 2022. Image credit: Gökhan Tan It’s 7pm and the Maçka Park seems to be getting more crowded every minute. Friends of friends are joining, young couples are laying down their picnic blankets and opening … Continue reading Bottoms up in Maçka Park
Text by Anna Monastyrova – Photo source; Instagram, @nevsinmengu For decades several journalists in Turkey have been prosecuted as terrorists who are trying to overthrow the existing regime. But the recent “disinformation bill” submitted to the parliament signifies a new approach to the oppression of journalistic freedom of speech. We can’t help but wonder, are independent Turkish media heading for complete extinction? The original aim … Continue reading Journalist, Not Terrorist
