No, Joost Lagendijk, Dutch Europarliamentarian and chairman of the EU Turkey Commission, did not call opposition party CHP ‘a disaster’, nor did he say that ‘European social-democrats are ashamed of the CHP’, a party that has its roots in social democracy. That’s how Turkish media quote him, incorrectly. But his criticism of the CHP was […]
My name, Fréderike, is a source of ongoing confusion. For example, some time ago I tried to make an appointment with a feminist group and visit their office on a night when they had some activity organised. I had mail contact with one of the members of the group, and she was hesitant to let […]
In the world-wide demonstrations and protests held to mark International Labour Day, only in Turkey did things get out of hand. Police used water cannons and tear gas on demonstrators heading for Taksim Square. Why? Because their demonstration was ‘illegal’. Why? Well, easy: the authorities prohibited a Labour Day march, officially because there were fears […]
‘More freedom of opinion in Turkey’, I read in a newspaper. If only that were true. Another newspaper was more accurate, their headline said: Turkey changes article 301. The changes that have been made to the article that was misused many times to shut up writers, journalists and publishers for ‘insulting Turkishness’, will probably only […]
I was in the Netherlands for a few days. One of the reasons: I needed a special sticker in my passport, which could only be obtained from the Turkish consolate in Rotterdam. Well, no point in fighting bureaucracy, so I took a plane and went. In my bag a pile of letters from media I […]
I saw a guy in a wheelchair on Taksim Square. First thing I thought: that must be a journalist spending a day or two on wheels to discover what it’s like to be bound to a wheelchair in Istanbul. I mean, it must be impossible to actually live your life in Istanbul sitting in a […]
There is unrest in the Turkish property market because of a court decision that, for the time being, foreigners can not buy property in Turkey. This also has consequences for people who want to buy a holiday house in Turkey. “Have I lost my money now?”, asks Dutchman Peter by mail to his advisor on […]
An overwhelming success, Anadolu’nun kayip sarkilari, ‘Lost songs of Anatolia’, premiered last night at the Istanbul Film Festival. A marvelous and touching journey through Anatolia, based on old traditional songs from different cultures with roots on this soil. Village women singing from their hearts the songs they learned from their ancestors, little girls and boys […]
Turkish universities are troubled by violence. In one and a half months nine violent incidents, with several wounded victims, made it to the national media. This is assumed to be only the tip of the iceberg. “Violence is a problem in the whole of Turkish society and universities are no exception”, says political scientist Koray […]
Turkish women need to give birth to at least three children. So says Prime Minister Erdogan. He said it once, nicely planned to coincide with International Womens’ Day, and that turned out not to be a slip of the tongue because he repeated his advice. Three children, because that’s the only way to maintain Turkish […]