Istanbul
All topics-
COVID-19 pandemic
How is Turkey dealing with the corona crisis?
Going by the official numbers, Turkey is doing well, especially in comparison to other countries. But does this impression correspond to the reality? There are significant reasons to doubt that it does. By Tayfun Guttstadt
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Urban renewal under Erdogan
Istanbul shantytown residents in limbo
Amid recent fears of earthquakes, Turkey has rolled out a new urban renewal plan. But past plans have failed to helped quake-prone neighbourhoods, due to a market dominated by construction firm interests. Ayse Karabat reports from Istanbul
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Uighur repression in China
Beards and hijabs behind bars
A newly leaked document confirms how China is imprisoning Muslim minority Uighurs based solely on their religion. Naomi Conrad met with a whistle-blower and visited relatives of those held captive
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The Istanbul Canal project
Erdogan's dream, Istanbul's nightmare
Turkey's President Erdogan wants to create a second Bosphorus. The cost to the economy and environment would be enormous – and that's why Istanbul's mayor is attempting to stop the plan. A bitter power struggle is raging. By Daniel Derya Bellut
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Islam and business
Diyanet – Turkey's religious authority that makes millions
Turkey's highest religious authority brings in huge profits, say experts. But as a historic brewery in Istanbul faces demolition, critics argue that such profiteering is not in line with Islam. By Aram Ekin Duran
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The Arter, art and gentrification
Modern art makeover in Istanbul?
A new modern art museum recently opened its doors at the heart of Istanbul's working-class Dolapdere neighbourhood. An opportunity for this culturally diverse quarter or a threat in an area recognised as a social flashpoint? Ulrich von Schwerin reports on the relationship between art, commerce and gentrification on the Bosphorus
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The Kemalist CHP and the Kurdish HDP
Decision time for Turkeyʹs opposition
Will the CHP take Imamogluʹs success in the re-run of the Istanbul mayoral elections, achieved through the support of the HDP, as an opportunity to finally abandon its rigid attitude towards the Kurds? By Gulistan Gurbey
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Mayoral election re-run in Turkey
Istanbul's Imamoglu has a plan
Having spent just seventeen days in the job, Ekrem Imamoglu from the Republican Peopleʹs Party wants to win back the office of Mayor of Istanbul. Who is this man – and why is his potential re-election so significant for Turkeyʹs future? By Marian Brehmer
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Berlinʹs Binooki publishing house
Cultural rapprochement hamstrung by Erdogan
Set up to foster understanding between Germany and Turkey by distributing Turkish literature in translation, Binooki, a niche publishing house founded in Berlin by daughters of Turkish guest workers, is fighting for survival – thanks to Erdogan. By Ulrich von Schwerin
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Book review: Bettany Hughes' "Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities"
Cementing the Orientalist legacy
Over the course of over 800 pages, the British historian and broadcaster Bettany Hughes paints a dazzling picture of the history of Istanbul. Using vibrant and vivid language, she describes wars and battles, eunuchs and harems, but says little about everyday life in Istanbul or how the city grew and evolved. Ulrich von Schwerin read the book
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Obituary: Turkish photographer Ara Guler
Chronicler of a bygone age
Turkey's most famous photographer, Ara Guler, has died in Istanbul at the age of 90. With his images of both the people and places of the Turkish capital, Guler has done more than any other to keep the memory of the city as it used to look alive. By Marian Brehmer
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Photographer Charlotte Schmitz
Between documentation and activism
Charlotte Schmitz is one of the most significant emerging photographers of our times, capturing refugees, Erdogan supporters and sex workers on camera. She travels the world and lets her protagonists shape their own images. By Ceyda Nurtsch