A promise by the ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party) to clamp down on those suspected of supporting terrorism has extended to members of HDP (People’s Democratic Party) – Turkey’s third largest political party, known for its pro-Kurdish views. HDP’s Gültan Kışanak and Fırat Anlı (pictured above), the co-mayors of Diyarbakır were arrested late on […]
Every Saturday since 1995, a group of mothers have been holding a vigil in Galatasaray Square in the heart of Istanbul. Their aim is simple: justice for their missing loved ones. Their weekly peaceful protest serves as a constant reminder to the Turkish authorities that they will persist until they obtain answers on the fate of […]
What’s the best way to dispel the doom and gloom in the news? Take a selection of leading artists from the Balkans, Turkey and the Middle East. Throw in a feel-good film about peace, and an award-winning storyteller. That is the essence of Amal – a celebratory evening to stimulate all the senses. Singer-songwriter Olcay […]
The death toll has risen to 50 following a suicide bombing of a wedding party in central Gaziantep, southeast Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan named Daesh as the prime suspect behind Saturday night’s terror attack, which also left 100 people wounded. Gaziantep Governor Ali Yerlikaya called the bombing an “abhorrent terror attack.” He told media that […]
Olcay Bayır is one of Turkey’s finest musical exports. Now based in the UK, the classically trained soprano with a velveteen voice like no other sings stories of Anatolian love and mystery. Hailing from Turkey’s southeast region and of Kurdish origin, she took the World Music scene by storm following the release of her stunning […]
It’s been an incredible 12 months for Çiğdem Aslan. Described by the Guardian as, “one of the best British-based discoveries of the year”, she released her debut album Mortissa last October to critical acclaim in both the UK and in her native Turkey. Among her many achievements this past year was to be nominated in […]
Over the past 24 hours, people from Turkey, Iran and many other countries in central and southAsia have been celebrating Nevruz. Meaning ‘new day’ in Farsi where the word originates from, this ancient annual festival falls on or around 21 March – the day of the northward Equinox. Dating back thousands of years and rooted […]
Using the Nevruz celebrations as his platform, jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan called on Kurds to lay down their arms and work for peace in Turkey. In a letter read out on his behalf by members of BDP (pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party), Öcalan said “Today a new period is beginning…From a period of armed resistance, […]
