Tag Archives: People

On the Front Lines

Posted on by

With all the criticism that occurs around the media it’s easy for people to overlook the fact that many journalists are putting their lives on the line each and every day to report the news. Today our group met with Omer Berberoglu from Reuters News in Istanbul. Working as a producer and camera operator for several years, Berberoglu has experienced what it’s like reporting in a war zone. He showed and explained to us the various protective gear that journalists wear when working in these dangerous conditions.

This equipment is not worn all the time when working in war zones, but mainly when on the front lines under the most dangerous circumstances. It takes courage to be able to report in war zones, and Beberoglu said you have to do a cost-analysis on whether or not risking your life is worth spreading the information. While this equipment is somewhat reassuring, Berberoglu said it’s not a 100% guarantee. “Rarely you get killed by bullets, you actually get killed by bombs, and if you’re bombed then you’re done. These (items) are protector vitals, it saves you some time until you’re near a proper medical station.” Berberoglu also talked about how these experiences open your eyes to a whole new reality of what it means to feel secure.

Hardened hat: This is used mainly during riots and protests to protect the head from rocks and coins being thrown.

Gas mask: There are two types, the one displayed below is used against smoke grenades. The other kind is mainly used against chemicals.


Composite helmet and flak jacket: These are both used to protect the body from bullets. The helmet protects against rifles and pistols, and the flak jacket has a bullet proof plate that blocks against guns such as AK-47s and N-63s.


Stab vest: It’s good to protect from stabbing, riots and hand guns.

Looking at them, looking at me

Posted on by

On Saturday, we stepped foot in some of the oldest and most celebrated mosques – like the Blue Mosque – in Istanbul. The rules for those mosques are as follows:

  • No shoes allowed. You either carry your shoes in from outside or leave them on a rack outside the worshiping area.
  • Women should have their heads covered and wear a long skirt; men should wear long pants and not shorts. Occasionally they let these rules slide, but if the officers outside believe you’re dressed inappropriately, they’ll often provide a sheath of cloth to drape over your legs or shoulders.
  • You’re not technically supposed to speak aloud inside the mosque if you’re a visitor. They’re not too strict about this, so we didn’t feel too bad about exchanging awed “wows” as we looked around.
  • Photographs should not be taken during the prayers, which are supposed to happen five times a day; a couple hours before dawn, sunrise, midday, afternoon, sunset and after the last light of day disappears.
  • Visitors are supposed to stay behind the area designated for prayer.

Visiting these mosques was obviously a new and unusual thing for me. And the weirdest thing happened when we visited the first one: Another visitor politely asked if he could photograph me just standing there. I thought it was strange, but I told him that it was fine.

And it happened again later that day. After entering the Blue Mosque, I stopped looking upward at the ceiling when I realized an older woman was looking at me. I instinctively checked to make sure my scarf was in place, and I pulled my sweater close as I murmured a quick “Merhaba.” I blushed, embarrassed and worried that she thought I was dressed inappropriately. But not five minutes later, a man tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Excuse me, but my mother-in-law would like to take a picture with you. She likes you very much.” The small woman was smiling at me shyly and I happily agreed.

I realized, then, that she wasn’t judging me for me for being different. On the contrary, I think – or at least I hope – she realized that I was trying to be respectful of her beliefs, even though it was pretty clear I came from a very different place. I’ll never quite understand what it’s like to be her, just like she’ll never quite understand what it’s like to be me. But the least we can do is try.

One of Us

Posted on by

Since my topic deals with West Africans in Turkey, I’ve been activity seeking them out everywhere: looking for Africans in İstiklâl, stopping every dark-skinned male at the Grand Bazaar, chatting with random Kenyans and Libyans in Taksim. However, a couple of days I go, I realized they were also stopping me, and asking me if I was African.

This probably has to do with the fact that there aren’t too many Africans in Turkey. In fact, the only numbers indicating how many non-refugee, legal Africans reside here is the official Turkish census. The only two African countries listed are Libya at 1,239 people, and Egypt at 445. Even assuming that the “Other” 4823 migrants are all Africans, that still only leaves 6,507 census-documented African residents in Turkey– out of a population of 60,000,000 (as of the 2010 census).

Now, the numbers seem a bit low, and I’m still trying to investigate further. It wouldn’t surprise me, though, to learn that the count is less than 5%– after all, the rest of the people, after Turkish and Kurdish citizens, make up a little less than 10% of the population. Luckily, there is upside to the phenomenon: it’s wonderful to share a bond with people that have similar backgrounds as you.

 

Ay Yildiz and Old Glory

Posted on by

In Istanbul, every day is the Fourth of July, so to speak. Even though Turkey actually declared its independence on May 19th, 1919, the amount of flags you can see waving on any given day is comparable to what you see in the US on our barbecues-and-fireworks holiday.

The crescent design of the Turkish flag is inspired by the old Ottoman flag, which also featured the color green. The new Turkish flag, however, incorporated the color red to symbolize the new secularism brought on by the beloved national hero Mustafa Kemal, who is often simply referred to as “Ataturk.” Images of Ataturk are often juxtaposed with the Turkish Flag. As the honored “Father of Turkey,” he is compared to Presidents Washington, Lincoln and Kennedy.

The Turkish flag is called Ay Yildiz, or Moon Star in the Turkish national anthem, much like how we refer to the American flag as a Star Spangled Banner. The vertical crescent and star are symbols of Islam, the dominant faith of Turkey. Flag etiquette in Turkey is also similar to the United States. The national flag flies above all other flags, it should not fly tattered or torn, and should not touch the ground.

I find it interesting to contrast the patriotism of my country, the USA, with that of Turkey in regards to flying a flag. While we proudly display our flags all over our communities for one day over the summer, the Turkish flag can be seen on almost every building, federal or not, every day of the year.

Dört cheap: lessons in haggling

Posted on by

Eyes wide and camera ready, I walk around one of Istanbul’s most magnificent tourist meccas: the Grand Bazaar. I haven’t taken twenty steps before a young, eager merchant springs out of his chair and into my face.

“Where are you from? Paradise? It must be; you are angel,” he coos, “Come, I give you good price!”

Righhht.

Let me translate that for you. It’s easy, really- just substitute “paradise” with ‘”America”, “angel” with “tourist” and “good” with “extra expensive” and you’ve decoded this charming young merchant’s message.

Make no mistake, sellers at the Grand Bazaar will know you’re a tourist and they won’t hesitate to capitalize on your bewilderment. The key to surviving in this haggling haven is simple: do your research.

Kathy Hamilton, an American textile collector living in Istanbul who leads guided tours through the bazaar, is an expert bargainer. She gave me some helpful tips before turning me loose into the chaos. Now, drawing from Kathy’s advice and my personal hassles, I’ve compiled a my own guide to help future bazaar goers.  Continue reading →

Don’t wanna be an American idiot

Posted on by

Americans need to get over themselves.

Those aren’t my words (although I agree with them), but the words of Christy Quirk, an American who has lived and worked in the Middle East for over a decade.

Christy, who works for the Democratic party, conducts focus groups in Middle Eastern countries; she has worked in places like Azerbaijan, Yemen, Syria and is now located in Istanbul. During the focus sessions, she talks to concentrated groups of people about their opinions on Democracy and politics and has some invaluable insights into a culture most Westerners know nothing about.  Continue reading →

Hospitality: It’s the Turkish way of life

Posted on by

I have yet to come across an unfriendly Turk. The Turkish people have been nothing but hospitable to us while on this trip, and I have realized that it’s not because we are foreigners, but because it is a part of their culture. From the poorest to the wealthiest, the Turkish people will go out of their way to make you feel welcomed.

Numerous times I’ve stopped people on the street to ask them for directions and in every instance they have either shown me the way or, if they don’t understand English, have searched for someone who does to help me. The surprising thing is that they don’t expect anything in return, they are genuinely doing this out of the kindness of their heart…they just want to make you happy and at ease.

Another thing I have noticed is, much like in the Arab culture, the Turks are constantly offering you coffee, tea, juice, or water. Today we had a meeting with the Deputy Mayor of Kocaeli. When we first arrived we were asked what we would like to drink from the choices of Turkish coffee, Turkish tea, water, and pomegranate juice. These are standard selections offered when you’re a guest. Don’t be surprised if you’re even offered these selections while shopping in a store.

As journalists in Turkey, wherever we go we seem to always have a notebook, a pen, a camera…and Turkish drink with us.

Istanbul Fashion Week

Posted on by

In just 3 weeks the students at the Istanbul Moda Academy will be showcasing their hard work at the Istanbul Fashion Show. Dilek Ozturk, a student studying at the University explains how and she and her fellow students have been preparing their designs. One of the students is still completing the stitching on a black blazer that is part of her collection to be showcased. Gizem Kuguk said her inspiration for this collection was the theme of suffering. She researches images and channels the emotions she feels when viewing them into her clothing designs. She said she uses utilitarian shapes of the 40s to help express the idea of being in a cage. “With the idea of a cage, suffering is endless, you can’t escape it, there’s no cure,” said Kuguk. Located in the chic neighborhood of Nişantaşı, the Istanbul Moda Academy is housed in a 19th century mansion, that suffered a great fire in 1988, and has been housing the fashion academy since 2007.

Cross-Cultural Connection: Kids are Kids

Posted on by

Yesterday morning after our delicious breakfast of Turkish pastries, we were given a crash course in foreign correspondence via Skype by NPR journalist Kelly McEvers. A piece of wisdom she gave us was to look for certain universal signs that we all share in human experience. Across the globe, the birth of a baby is a joyous occasion. A funeral is a day or days of mourning. The universal I have caught on to while in Turkey is that no matter where you are, children are children.

Whether you are taking a stroll through Beverly Hills or roaming the Tarlabasi in Turkey, when you see children, you can expect certain similarities. Even with the supposed overexposure of technology in some populations, when a child sees a piece of unfamiliar technology, their interest is piqued, and so begins their pursuit of their “new toy.”

I noticed this in our evening trip to the Tarlabasi, an impoverished and neglected neighborhood in Istanbul, comparable to an inner-city housing project in Chicago. As soon as my fellow reporter and roommate, Caroline, set up her tripod and camera on the street, she was swarmed with curious children anxious to look in the viewfinder. The less reserved ones insisted Caroline give them the camera, so they could take their own pictures. One boy asked me to take a picture of his soccer jersey then proceeded to show me his soccer skills by kicking a small ball across the street.

As we grow up and become more inhibited, it is a lot easier to spot cultural differences in the way we conduct ourselves, but this is just not the case with kids. All children like to play, and all children visibly display their fascination with new and unfamiliar toys. If you would like to put my observation to the test, next time you see a small child, whip out your cell phone and see what happens.

Slam Poetry

Posted on by

Even if you travel halfway around the world, it seems you will always find a distant neighbor  just around the corner. While waiting in Taksim Square Wednesday night to meet a source,  we were approached by another American student from Detroit. His name is Kyle and he is a masters student at the Divinity School of Yale University. Studying religion and music, he also enjoys the spoken word, and gave us a preview of his slam poetry about male body image–a very marginalized subject in our society. It was powerful and refreshing to hear a male speak about this serious issue.