Istanbul
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Orhan Pamuk's Museum of Innocence: thousands of significant, insignificant objects
In April 2012, Tukish novelist and Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk opened a private museum – "Masumiyet Muzesi" (The Museum of Innocence) – in an old district of Istanbul, showcasing thousands of objects relating to the life of ordinary people in the Turkish metropolis. By Changiz M. Varzi
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Cat capital Istanbul
What to do about Turkey's strays?
Turkey is well-known for its stray cats and dogs. They have found a place in society over many years. But recent incidents and decisions indicate they could become new targets in an increasingly polarised country. Ayse Karabat reports from Istanbul
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Turkey five years after the attempted coup
"Witch hunt" focuses on Turkish artists and intellectuals
Artists and intellectuals in Turkey are coming under massive pressure. Since the attempted coup against Erdogan by parts of the military in 2016, the government has intensified its crackdown on critical voices. Now the coronavirus pandemic is proving the final nail in the coffin. Ceyda Nurtsch reports
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Erdogan, Islam and alcohol
Last call for Istanbul's meyhane bar culture?
Istanbul's beloved "meyhane" are where friends traditionally meet for a glass of raki or a game of backgammon. Now, however, owners and patrons are worried that new government restrictions could spell the end for these local hangouts. By Tunca Ogreten and Daniel Bellut
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Turkey's handle on soft power
Hit TV series from Turkey conquer the Arab world
Televised Turkish dramas are all the rage in the Middle East. A young Ottoman TV Empire has been expanding its soft power by harnessing regional dialects, Arabic names and viewers' desire for racy-yet-traditional plots. By Jennifer Holleis
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Political turbulence in Turkey
Turkey's President Erdogan under pressure
The economy in crisis, approval ratings at an all-time low, rising tension within government ranks: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is currently under massive pressure. Nevertheless, the USA and the EU seem to be coming to his rescue. By Marion Sendker in Istanbul
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Repression in Turkey
Art in exile: a prison cell as exhibition venue
What form does artistic freedom take in prison? The exhibition "Museum of Small Things" by exiled Turkish journalist Can Dundar explores the topic. By Ceyda Nurtsch
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Album review: Kudsi Erguner's “La Melancolie Royale”
Ney music with a mission
“La Melancolie Royale” is an hour-long Sufi meditation on the reed flute by the great Turkish virtuoso Kudsi Erguner. Marian Brehmer on a Sufi musician with a mission
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Violence against women
Femicide on the rise in Turkey
The recent murder of Turkish student Pinar Gültekin by her ex-boyfriend has sparked outrage in Turkey. Women's rights activists are calling for the government to tackle the widespread problem of femicide in the country, but their calls are being met with silence from the government and in some cases even tear gas and rubber bullets by police. By Daniel Bellut
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Interview with Olivier Roy on the conversion of Hagia Sophia
"Islamising stones is easier than Islamising souls"
The photos of the first Friday prayers in Hagia Sofia in 86 years triggered passionate and diverse responses around the world. Surrounded by a coterie of ministers, Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, led worshippers in prayer at the recently rededicated mosque. Eren Güvercin spoke to the renowned French political scientist Olivier Roy and asked him about the significance of the controversial reconversion
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Islamic popular culture
A match for Bollywood – the rise of Turkey's dizis
Turkey is the second-largest exporter of TV series in the world, boasting a growing presence on international screens from Pakistan to Chile. The "dizis" offer audiences an elaborately staged alternative to Hollywood and Bollywood. Marian Brehmer reports from Istanbul
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Turkeyʹs Middle East exiles
Istanbul – the Arab worldʹs beacon on the Bosphorus
Istanbul has become a refuge for many Arab communities – including the Muslim Brotherhood – but its cosmopolitan ways are also changing them. By Mohanad Hage Ali