LALE KEMAL: Authoritarianism and conservatism kill Turkish creativity. A social roundup follows

LALE KEMAL – Authoritarianism and conservatism kill Turkish creativity

Talking to people from every walk of life and from every age group in Turkey, one will hear about the unpleasant experiences they have gone through either in the workplace, school or at home as well as in university that stems from a state ideology of authoritarianism and conservatism that kills creativity.

Turkey’s Changemakers: Husamettin Kocan establishes museum to revitalize village’s economy

from Hurriyet Dailynews by HDN

Sabanci Foundation’s ‘Turkey’s Changemakers’ project showcases Husamettin Kocan, who hoped to preserve his hometown’s culture by establishing a museum in Bayburt.

Models present creations for Muslim women during an Islamic Fashion Fair in Istanbul April 11, 2010. From a simple headcovering, stigmatised in the early days of the Turkish Republic as backward and rural, the headscarf has become, in the last decades, a carefully crafted garment and highly marketable commodity, embodying the challenge of a new class of conservative Muslims to Turkey’s secularist elites. Picture taken April 11, 2010. To match Feature TURKEY-FASHION/HEADSCARF/ REUTERS/Murad Sezer/Files

Turkish PM says free press is OK within limits

from Hurriyet Dailynews

Prime Minister Erdoğan said Wednesday that the freedom of the press could not be limitless, and the convictions of Turkish journalists were a judicial, rather than political, concern.

Changes in Turkey?s export markets, 1996-2009

by istanbulnotes

Much has been made of Turkey?s increasing efforts to develop its trade and investment links with the countries of its neighbouring regions. For some, this is one of the indicators of Turkey?s alleged turn towards the east. For others, these deepening financial ties indicate precisely the opposite, by showing commercial pragmatism at play rather than ideological realignment.

Media representatives withdraw from Turkey’s Press Council

from Hurriyet Dailynews

A number of key Turkish media representatives have withdrawn from the Press Council after its Nov. 3 vote of confidence to keep Oktay Ekşi as its chairman.

Turkey foreign media ownership law clears committee | Reuters

In defence of Oktay Ekşi?s insults

from istanbul notes

It?s old news at this stage, but the resignation under fire of Hürriyet?s chief columnist Oktay Ekşi at the end of last month continues to leave a bad taste in the mouth. This kind of free speech question usually draws out a few straightforwardly liberal responses from English-language commentators, but support for Mr Ekşi has been muted. It has also been partly qualified in two recurring ways: first, with reference to the ?intemperate? nature of the column that got him into trouble and, second, on the basis that Mr Ekşi appears to be someone who has treated others badly over the years.

Alevis set to rally against Turkish education council’s decisions

from Hurriyet Dailynews

An Alevi organization will stage a sit-in Saturday in Istanbul to protest a recent National Education Council decision to demands to eliminate compulsory religious courses.

Survey reveals doubts over Turkey’s smoking ban

from Hurriyet Dailynews

A survey focusing on attitudes regarding Turkey?s smoking ban has revealed that Turks generally support the rights of smokers to be able to choose to smoke in designated areas. The survey also shows the ban has had a significant impact on cafe and teahouse operators, some of whom have seen a 90 percent drop in trade since the ban came into effect

Turkey’s Tattoo Politics

Every year on November 10, at exactly 9:05 a.m., Europe’s biggest city comes to a halt. Air raid sirens begin to blare. Pedestrians freeze in their tracks. Schools, factories, and government offices suspend work to observe two minutes of silence. On Istanbul’s massive thoroughfares, cars, buses and trucks screech to a stop, their drivers and passengers spilling out onto the street, many of them teary eyed, to stand to attention.

Turkish government’s Alevi initiative a failure, union leader says

from Hurriyet Dailynews

Turkey?s ruling party is trying to create an official form of Alevism that can be subsumed into its Sunni-led Directorate of Religious Affairs while delegitimizing all other forms of the faith, an Alevi labor union leader says. ?The government will make it seem like Alevism is recognized while using methods to diminish it further,? says Vicdan Baykara

Violence against Female Guest in Esra Erol?s Marriage Show

from off the screen by feyza

This is a news item from www.medyatava.com . Two guests, Necati and Yadigar, who met in Esra Erol?s program and were dating to get to know each other so as to be able to decide whether to marry or not, broke up in the studio.

A Documentary on Marriage Shows: Kamerayla Izdivac (Married to the Camera)

from off the screen by feyza

A very interesting documentary film directed by Doğa Kılcıoğlu. The film is about one of the most popular daytime shows, a matchmaking show, Esra Erol?la Izdıvac. I haven?t seen the film yet, but the trailer is very exciting and triggers my enthusiasm about my research project.

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LALE KEMAL: Authoritarianism and conservatism kill Turkish creativity. A social roundup follows