A woman of Turkish Kurdish heritage has been given a top job in Belgium’s new federal government. Zuhal Demir, the third of five children born to Alevi Kurdish parents from Turkey, was one of eight Flemish ministers sworn in during Parliament’s first session on 2 October, following the approval of the new government. Ms Demir, […]
TRIBUTES were paid over the weekend to a young Turkish woman who documented her fight against cancer on social media. Neslican Tay, 21, died on Friday, September 20, at a private hospital in Istanbul where she was being treated since September 15. She was a student at the city’s Bahçeşehir University, and had won hearts […]
Shockwaves in Turkey over the killing of a mother in front of her child by her ex-husband have sparked a new debate over the country’s domestic violence record. Emine Bulut, 38, was stabbed to death in a cafe on 18 August by her former husband in the central Anatolian city of Kırıkkale, some 50km east […]
If you haven’t heard Dilara Fındıkoğlu’s name, where have you been? The London-based Turkish designer hit the headlines in September 2017 following her controversial Satan-themed catwalk show at St Andrew Holborn Church during London Fashion Week. Since then she’s enjoyed a meteoric rise, dressing global super stars for the red carpet and gala events. Described […]
A co-production with Fane Productions sees First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon meet Elif Shafak, Turkey’s most widely read female author and recently placed under investigation in her own country, in this timely and riveting discussion of democracy and human rights today. Shafak’s universally praised latest novel, has been described as a “piercing, unflinching look at the […]
Habibi Funk returns for his quarterly residency at the Jazz Cafe in early August with guest selector Kornelia Binicewicz aka Ladies On Records. Originally from Krakow, Poland, anthropologist turned DJ Kornelia has been living in Istanbul since 2015, where she has been curating an incredible collection of music recorded by lesser known female artists in […]
Today, 24 July, Filiz Dinçmen – Turkey’s first female Turkish ambassador – turns 80. She made history when she was appointed to The Netherlands in 1982, serving at the Turkish Embassy in The Hague for two years. For her last diplomatic mission, Dinçmen again broke new ground when she became the first female Muslim ambassador […]
One of Turkey’s most exceptional women passed away ten years ago today, 18 May 2009. Türkan Saylan was a doctor, educator and civil society activist, made famous first for her fight to eradicate leprosy and later for establishing Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği, ÇYDD (Association for the Support of Contemporary Living) to provide education for girls […]
A Turkish woman living in Germany has been confirmed as the world’s first female football referee. Drahşan Arda received the letter from FIFA last week, which verified her claim after viewing the available evidence. Edirne-born Arda, now aged 73, had undergone referee training in Zonguldak, northern Turkey, in 1967. She completed the course and received […]
A lovely, crisp day. The first day of autumn. I walk through tranquil gardens with two friends in bright sunlight towards an imposing building. A large crowd had started to gather in front of the building. The place is the St. Marylebone Crematorium in East Finchley. A sense of déjà vu washes over me. Not […]
