News
Selected news coverage, focusing on environmental and urban issues as well as civil society and human rights
Art Orgs Mobilize Support After Turkey-Syria Earthquakes
Artists and cultural organizations have been contributing to the post-disaster relief efforts despite their own needs for support. (Hyperallergic)
Turkish Workers Fight for Pay Rises as Inflation Bites
As inflation tops 60%, workers have staged a series of protests this year – winning concessions that could revive interest in unions. (Thomson Reuters Foundation News)
Urban Development Helped Fuel Turkey’s ‘Sea Snot’ Invasion
Industrialization and population growth in the Istanbul region is being blamed for a slimy outbreak of marine mucilage, threatening sea life in the Marmara Sea. (Bloomberg CityLab)
New Homes, Highways Boost Flood Risk on Turkey's Northern Coast
Two recent deadly floods have sparked fresh warnings about unchecked development in the country's Black Sea region. (Thomson Reuters Foundation News)
Controversy in Istanbul Underscores Rising Political Pressures on Turkish Art Scene
A nationalist message from the head of the country’s biggest contemporary art fair stands in stark contrast to limits of expression on other segments of the Turkish art world. (Hyperallergic)
Earthquake Aid From Istanbul: Feeding and Supporting Those In Need
Culinary solidarity after Turkey’s earthquakes: cooking in tent camps, delivering food aid, and supporting small local producers. (Culinary Backstreets)
The Fight Against Poverty in Istanbul, One Soaring Bill at a Time
A donation platform getting anonymous aid to families at the height of the pandemic has found renewed relevance as an economic crisis batters Turkey. (Bloomberg CityLab)
Climate Shifts and Rising Demand Leave Turkey Battling Growing Water Stress
Population growth, urbanization, climate change and poor water management are straining Turkey's water supplies. (Thomson Reuters Foundation News)
Across the World, Construction Workers are Caught Between Coronavirus Risk and Joblessness
Construction industry practices have come under scrutiny in many countries amid the on-going pandemic. (Equal Times)
Censorship Fogging Up Pollution Researchers' Work
In Turkey, rapid urbanization and poor pollution control are impacting public health, according to researchers. They say the government is fully aware, and is punishing experts who've tried to warn the public. (Deutsche Welle)
Turkey Targets Film Deemed ‘LGBT Propaganda’
The Turkish Culture Ministry has demanded its funding back on an award-winning independent film after a smear campaign by conservative media. (Hyperallergic)
The Price Isn’t Right: Economic Turmoil Bites in Istanbul
How the falling lira is affecting Turkey’s food and beverage sector, endangering the future of small businesses that were already hard-hit by the pandemic. (Culinary Backstreets)
Climate Campaigners Grapple with Constraints of Corona-era Activism
Around the world, environmentally damaging construction continues while activists’ ability to respond is hampered by virus restrictions. (Politico)
Turkish Arts Philanthropist Acquitted, Then Detained Again
Imprisoned since 2017, Osman Kavala was found not guilty of attempting to overthrow the government, but re-detained on new charges. (Hyperallergic)
Turkey Ploughs on with Controversial €1.2 Billion Dam Project
The work going on here threatens to displace tens of thousands of people across the Tigris Valley and submerge 12,000 years of history in Hasankeyf. (Equal Times)
More news stories
>> See You in Court: A Rise in Legal Attacks Against Rights Defenders Aims to Silence Corporate Critics (Equal Times)
Legal attacks by companies on trade union organizers and other human rights defenders are on the rise globally, with southeast Asia, central America, eastern Europe and Russia among the hotspots for judicial harassment.
>> As the World Stays Home, Street Vendors Fight to Survive (City Monitor)
Around the world, street vendors are among the most vulnerable to the ongoing economic turmoil wrought by the coronavirus, and to the disease itself. But a growing number of initiatives aim to help these workers recover some of their income while bolstering the cities where they operate.
>> Tomb of Fallen Warrior to Move Before Dam Floods Ancient Turkish Township (Thomson Reuters Foundation)
The 15th century tomb of fallen warrior Zeynel Bey is due to be moved from the banks of the Tigris river in southeast Turkey on Tuesday, marking the symbolic end of a decades-long battle to stop a new dam and inundation of a 12,000-year-old settlement.
>> TÜMTİS and the Case that 'Threatens All Trade Unions in Turkey' (Equal Times)
As political strife roils Turkey, the union that provided a model for labour organizing in tough times is enmeshed in a decade-long legal case that threatens to further erode the rights of all unions in the country.
>> 'We Want Our Jobs Back': Turkish Workers Protest Post-Coup Purges (Equal Times)
Tens of thousands of public-sector employees removed from their posts in Turkey following a failed military coup in July, a series of ongoing purges that the government says are necessary for the country’s security. Many of the dismissed civil servants believe that they have instead been targeted for their union activity.
>> Turkish Retailers Navigate Shaky Climate for Tourism (Women's Wear Daily)
Amid political and security concerns, they are counting on domestic spending and an ability to adapt to changing times.
>> Istanbul, the Day After (CityLab)
If this city knows how to do anything, it’s how to move on.
>> Living (and Dying) With Coal (Sierra)
Photographer Kerem Yücel’s series “Smoky Future” documents the immediate—and visible–effects of coal-fired power plants on communities in Turkey.
>> Oscar-Nominee ‘Mustang’ Puts Turkey in Unwanted Spotlight (Women’s eNews)
A cinematic depiction of five adolescent sisters being married off one by one in rural Turkey has received accolades abroad but a decidedly more mixed reaction at home.
>> The Renewal and Repression of Turkey’s Civil Society Grassroots (Equal Times)
Citizen-organized assistance efforts after Turkey’s deadliest-ever terrorist attack are equally revealing of how activist efforts have been both repressed and revitalized.
>> Rights at Risk in Turkey’s Anti-Terror Crackdown (Equal Times)
Still reeling from a deadly terror attack in a majority Kurdish town near the Syrian border, Turkey’s Kurds say they are targeted once again – this time by the counterterrorism measures their own government has taken in response.
>> Istanbul Is Slowly But Surely Getting On Its Bike (The National)
Despite many obstacles, there are encouraging signs of a growing cycling culture in Turkey’s largest metropolis.
>> Turkey's Building Boom Takes Toll on Worker Safety (IPS)
Worker safety issues in Turkey’s mining industry have been the subject of a national outcry, but the country’s construction sector is no less perilous for workers.
>> Centuries-Old Gardens Are the Latest Battleground in Istanbul (CityLab)
The ongoing debate raises bigger questions about who benefits from the city's changing landscape.
>> Occupy Istanbul? Inside the Growing Mini-City at Gezi Park (CityLab)
There are tents, libraries, free food, even free hugs. But how long will it be allowed to last?
>> Violence, Tear Gas Greet Protests to Save One of the Last Public Parks in Istanbul (CityLab)
The battle over Gezi Park has become a symbol of opposition to the city's massive urban upheaval.
>> Maternity Leave Boost May Backfire in Turkey (Women's eNews)
A government proposal to lengthen the duration of paid maternity leave from four months to six months is generating apprehension rather than applause from women in Turkey.
>> Turkish Women Blow Whistle on Rights Crackdown (Women's eNews)
Dozens of rallies have been held around the country to protest a new threat to reproductive rights.
>> Women of the World Unite for Rights (IPS-Inter Press Service)
The world’s recent financial and political upheavals have not been kind to women, participants said at the 12th International Forum on Women’s Rights and Development.
>> Economic Crisis Hits Gender Budgeting (IPS-Inter Press Service)
Over the last 10 years, there has been a growing movement to monitor national, regional, and local budgets and demand changes to allocation priorities to give women their due.
>> Ripe for Corporate Picking (Sierra)
Will there still be room for low-impact agriculture in the new Europe?