The recent election victory of Joe Biden as President of the United States of America is expected to usher in many foreign policy changes for the US. One of the most important areas will be how the Biden Administration chooses to deal with Turkey, and how its President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan may respond in turn. […]
British Turkish Cypriot artist Eyeden has delved into his ethnic roots for his latest release, a bi-lingual English-Turkish track called Cyprus on My Mind, that dropped this weekend. The singer and rapper from Coventry gave T-VINE a sneak preview of the video, which adds striking visuals to the lyrically powerful song that’s dedicated to Cyprus’ recent tragic history. We […]
The new album by BaBa ZuLa, Hayvan Gibi [‘Like An Animal’], was released by Night Dreamer last month. In Turkish, the phrase ‘Hayvan Gibi’ is widely used for musicians who play extraordinarily; an expression of virtuosity about an unbelievably good performance, on a par with “Hey man, this band is out of this world,” making it an […]
American author J.A. Redmerski said, “I guess sometimes the greatest memories are made in the most unlikely of places, further proof that spontaneity is more rewarding than a meticulously planned life.” And so it was one Saturday last month when an unknown couple suddenly started dancing at Eminağa Garden Centre and Café in Girne, North […]
During the 1970s and 80s, Turkish cinema regularly churned out low-budget versions of Hollywood box office smashes and American television hit series. Star Wars, Star Trek, The Exorcist, E.T., and Superman were among those to get an often unauthorised Turkish makeover. These B-movies, often referred to as “Turksploitation”, are not only endearing to Turks, but […]
Just over a month ago, Nathan Apodaca went from an unknown American working in a potato factory in Idaho to becoming a global internet sensation. His car had broken down on the way to work, compounding an already tough week as he dealt with water and electricity problems at his trailer home. Instead of letting […]
Taner Öngür has been the torch-bearer for Turkish pop rock for decades, even baptising the genre with the name ‘Anatolian Pop’. The bass guitarist cum multi-instrumentalist has played with many of Turkey’s seminal artists, including Barış Manço, Erkin Koray, Ersen Dinleten and Selda Bağcan, and featured in the line-ups of leading progressive and psychedelic Anatolian […]
A photograph by Hasan Bağlar of a grasshopper shedding its hard outer skeleton has been selected by the UK’s Royal Society of Biology Photography as one of the year’s best images of the natural world. Bağlar, from Lefkoşa (Nicosia), North Cyprus, submitted his photo titled “My Shirt’, capturing the moment a grasshopper moults its exoskeleton. […]
Hit television series Kuruluş: Osman returned for its second season tonight with an exciting new name added to the cast, Cüneyt Arkın. Arkın’s new role is the head of ‘Aksakallılar’ – meaning ‘the white beards’, or wise male elders of the Turkish tribes of Anatolia. The octogenarian is seen giving advice to Osman, played by Burak […]
Any visitor to Turkey will know how important music is to the local culture. From Turkish pop to Ottoman-inspired classical music (Türk Sanat Müziği), folk (Halk Müziği) and the blues (Türkü), live renditions can be seen and heard everywhere. One of the country’s biggest modern entertainment traditions has been the gazino – a high-end cabaret […]
