I have spent most of the summer days back on campus, working on two edited volumes. However, I had a short road trip that included Lesvos, Greece. Ayşe and I took a ferry and drove around the island. I have to tell you, the island is big, and if you like to see around, you … Read more
I stopped by Ayvalık to visit my old and dear friend Çetin. Çetin is doing great stuff there. He has been working on a cologne brand for a while, and I realize that what a nice brand he created. Have a look at its site. Experimental small bottles for grandma smells! Ayvalık Macaron Kolonyası is … Read more
You haven’t asked, but I was traveling for a week and am back to book editing camp in İstanbul! I will post about this after driving around for a week. One stop was in Urla, İzmir: Mrs. and Mr. Kesal established a fantastic cultural center near the city center. An old animal farm now serves … Read more
It was nice to catch up in Poznan, Poland, with my fellow anthropologists. I was here for this presentation: Saka, E. (2026, July 23). Sovereign AI and the Reproduction of Algorithmic Power: Governance Frameworks in the Global South. EASA2026: Anthropology: Possibilities in a Polarised World, Panel P018: Anthropology of Artificial Intelligence and Oppression [org. Sahana … Read more
Last week, I added two cities to my Google Maps history: Hamburg and Copenhagen. Ayşe and I flew to Hamburg and took a train to Copenhagen. Although we love train journeys, this route is not recommended (!) It was not a direct route; we had two transfers- one with a bus. The cities were clean, … Read more
A few days ago, we went to an exhibition in the Cistern of Theodosius, which was recently reopened. After spending some time in the exhibition, Ayşe and I walked around in Çemberlitaş, where the Cistern is located. There is a historical site (the courtyard of the Tomb of Mahmud II ) that contains many historical … Read more
On our ride towards Dağlıca, Hakkari, I suddenly saw this flock. Stopped the car and watched them. We were looking for a flower native to the region, but couldn’t see that. We were still satisfied with what we had seen. This is from the city center. On our ride towards Yüksekova, we stopped by Hoşap … Read more
I am writing to you from Yüksekova, Hakkari. As a news junkie, I was always curious about Yüksekova because it was one of the most tense places during the PKK’s heyday. I am here for a training by the Journalists’ Union for the local journalists. Before Hakkari, I was in Ankara for a session … Read more
After Ljubljana, I returned to İstanbul to celebrate my parents’ Eid, then flew to Bucharest for another COST project: RELINK². I am actively involved in this project, like the other one, GRADE. Its outputs will include an edited volume, an online glossary, and a research methods toolkit. This was my third visit to the city. … Read more
I have been in Ljubljana to attend the COST GRADE project meeting. This project is one of the most focused and well-managed COST projects I have participated in. You can find the program at the link above. One of the project’s outputs is an exhibition at the Museum of Computer History here in Ljubljana, Slovenia. … Read more
AI Tools for Journalists Workshop in Adana On Saturday, May 16, 2026, I took part in the “AI Tools for Journalists” workshop organized by TGS Academy in Adana. The workshop focused on how journalists can use basic AI tools in their everyday professional routines. We discussed practical uses of AI in news research, text production, … Read more
I attended the Artificial Intelligence, Manipulation, and Media Literacy Summit in Cyprus yesterday. Session 3 was in a question-and-answer format, which I prefer to just speaking. I asked Claude.ai to format my answers. I have to highlight that this formatting misses the anecdotes and lively occasions. Well, those who attend get the benefits. Still, for … Read more
I have attended a workshop of a COST project, and now I am flying back to İstanbul. The workshop took place on 19-20 March 2026 at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania. RELINK2 is one of the COST projects I could align my studies with. Glad to be part of it. By … Read more
6 people, 1 kid, and 1 toddler drove to Greece in two cars. I never did it before; I always flew to Greece, but driving through Greece may be a good trip. We had three days, so this wasn’t a big trip. We drove to Thessaloniki and passed through Alexandroupolis. You have to arrange … Read more
I am here in Bayburt for my uncle’s daughter’s wedding. Too many wedding drama etc but I took the opportunity to explore a few sites. The highlight was the Varzahan Monastery. Bayburt is surrounded by several villages worth visiting for their historical, ethnographic, and natural attractions. Notably, these villages offer insights into traditional rural life, … Read more