Istanbul
Turkey in Turmoil
Turkey is embroiled in a countrywide anti-government protest movement, sparked by news that police arrested Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19, days before his party held primaries for the 2028 presidential campaign. Imamoglu was widely predicted to win the primary, making him Erdogan’s chief challenger for the presidency.
The Death of Old Tokludede
The redevelopment of the Tokludede neighborhood in Istanbul reveals how such places and their communities have been torn open by Turkey’s embrace of modernization and global capitalism, with many of its former residents cast out to be replaced with a new culture and lifestyle.
A Brief History of Bağcılar, Turkey’s Most Misunderstood Municipality
“Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in,” wrote Robert Frost. In this profile of Bağcılar, one of Istanbul’s most misunderstood districts, we look at the riveting history of Turkey’s self-styled “municipality to the world.”
When Nature’s Force Turns Into Political Intrigue
We passed 10 firetrucks and other groups in helmets, some in bikinis and without masks. Half of us stayed put, and the other half rushed to help tug at a hose that slithered up a dirt slope and to deliver water bottles to those up there working.
Istanbul’s Most Beguiling Cocktail
Among all the foods in Istanbul’s giant foodscape, perhaps the one with the most complicated and long history and provenance is boza.
For Most of Turkey’s History, Liberalism Has Been More Illusory Than Real
The key to understanding liberalism’s consistent presence at the core of otherwise illiberal governance in Turkey lies in the history of another word, muhalefet. It’s the word at the center of Christine M. Philliou’s brilliant new book.
As Turkish As I Want To Be
“My baba left,” I would say to friends, who were still a little mystified I had moved by choice, “and now I’ve come back.” I could never stop myself from saying “back.” In a way, it makes no sense. I had never lived in Turkey before. But it acknowledges something that feels true: that the arcs of our stories stretch beyond our own lifetimes.