Erkan travels

The Second day in Ankara

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I and my sister Nurdan arrived Ankara yesterday. Nurdan will attend an entrance exam to become a judge! There will be another one next month, chances are low but she will keep trying. She has been working for the exam since the beginning of summer. I just accompany her and do my own stuff while … Read more

Erkan in Ireland to attend EASA 2010 conference (#easa2010)

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11th EASA Biennial Conference: Maynooth, Ireland 24-27th August 2010 Crisis and imagination I have arrived Maynooth, a beautiful town near Dublin, Ireland. There are several Turkish friends attending and we did hang out today in the streets of Maynooth. Our sign of Turkishness today included passing on red lights (as passengers of course- green lights … Read more

Leaving Bayburt tomorrow, heading back to Istanbul?

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I have paid a short visit to my hometown: Bayburt. Stayed in the Öğretmenevi, walked around the city, broke the iftar at my mother’s village where I had spent all my summers until 13. In the village, I have walked around The mosque, remembering the time it was constructed (it was 1982 when I was … Read more

Making sense of Erzurum

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At noon we arrived Erzurum. Artvin was an inviting blend of secularism and religiosity. I did hang out with local boys, we went to Kafkasör Yaylası, had a BBQ, drank some. Some were fasting some were not. We did break iftar together. I was told Artvin was called “little Moscow” in the old times, as … Read more

In Artvin…

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This is a panoramic view of Artvin city center… We spend the day in Artvin and head to Erzurum tomorrow… The weather is better but not as cool as I desired…Well today we will some plateaus, maybe some cold weather will finally emerge…

Erkan flies to Trabzon

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As you read this, I will be in Trabzon. Finally, I can escape from Istanbul’s weather for a few days. I love Black Sea, its green mountains with cool air. After spending the night, we will move to Artvin. I have been to Trabzon several times but never been to Artvin. So real destination is … Read more

Greetings from Amasya

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Things may have gone wild all over Turkey or in the world but i have had a lovely 3 day trip with two beloveds that ends today. I will arrive back to Istanbul Monday morning and resume my ordinary life – or maybe not. My life may have already started to change for better after … Read more

Erkan, Çetin and Sarah, on their way to Samsun

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View Larger Map We start a trip from Istanbul to Samsun tomorrow morning. We will attend a friend’s wedding in a Samsun town, Çarşamba and then move to Eastern Black Sea towns for a few days… With two beloved persons, I am expecting to have a refreshing and memorable journey… a view from Çarşamba…

Today I was arrested (and then released…)

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at 7.30 after check-in, I went through the passport control and the policeman told me that there was an arrest warrant about me. He did not know what the reason was and I was taken to a detention room. Later there I learnt the reason. It was about a trial of evading military service. As … Read more

Erkan on his way to Belgium

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I wasn’t sure if I could make it to get my visa on time but that was resolved and tomorrow morning I fly to Brussels. I will then move to Ghent where EUPRERA’s spring symposium takes place. All details about the event can be found in their website. This year’s theme is “Social Media Go … Read more

Leaving Bucharest soon…I already left, back in Istanbul

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[I will probably update this post- and now updating 2 days later:)]

last updated: 17 November 2009: 20:00

An Atatürk statue in Bucharest streets

I cannot escape from Atatürk. He is everywhere:)

ASLS people did a great job, we have finished a very well organized conference thanks to Mihaela and her friends. And how hospitable they were! Among the people I met, Onnik (Armenia) and Jacop (Poland) has to be mentioned particularly but I was also excited to meet people from Azerbaijan (Emin and Parvana) and Georgia (especially Dodie!). Although Turkey is very close to Azerbaijan through national ties and all, I don’t think I have had made any intelligible conversation with any Azeris before.So this was the first time.

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Day 2 at the World Blogging Forum

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It seems that there is LIVE free coverage at the moment. We are notified that Azeri bloggers are actually sentenced today:(

Our session begins now… Online journalism…

Last updated: 16:30

Pre-conference notes. It is very likely that I will not able to see Bucharest at all. Except the route from the hotel to the Parliament Palace. We stay all day in the conference hall. I don’t really mind though. If only I could get the Romanian dailies to add to my newspaper collection, my mission will be completed:)

Pork is very dominant in Romanian food. That means I am a little malnourished in terms of proteins (!) Well, I don’t eat pork. A Turkish hypocricy. I consume alcohol but not pork. Anyway, the conference is about to start… Today I am presenting sometime between 14-16. Today there seems to be a shift in focus: more about what can be done with blogging politically and financially then dealing with oppressive regimes…

As of now, I am done with my presentation. Today’s lunch was non-pork (!) and i relieved and happy.

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Remembering Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade. Part II of Day 1 at the World Blogging Forum

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E-Democracy Panel. 14:00-16:00

Parvana Persiyani highlights the cause of Emin Mili and Adnan Hajizade, two bloggers who have been arrested in Azerbaijan because of a satirical video they made…

freeadnan

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Day 1 at the World Blogging Forum

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This is a post to be built all day…

WBF in Twitter.

Erkan decides to be think more about microblogging. This conference turns out to have main focus on microblogging.

Ramon Stoppelenburg narrates his story. He says any innovative move in internet will win… Boy, it is such a story. Who is this crazy dutch guy? Check out the links below:

Ramon

The Dutch Ramon Stoppelenburg (1976) started blogging from his student loft somewhere in 1998. But he became world famous for being the first ever person to travel the world for free, totally relying on the hospitality of strangers from all over the world, who invited him over through his website www.letmestayforaday.com. Over 3,577 people from 72 countries invited him over and from 2001 to 2003 he travelled through 18 countries in total, varying from Norway to South Africa and from Australia to Canada. In return for the offered hospitality he received, he wrote extensive daily reports about his whereabouts, his hosts, their life and the culture of the country he was visiting. His website had once processed over 1,2 million visits in one month. The British Sunday Times even called him the Internet Personality of the Year 2001.

Erkan is in Bucharest, Romania attending World Blogging Forum

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After a hectic day yesterday, I got the visa, flew to Bucharest, attended the welcome party and now I am getting ready for the Forum to start with a little hangover….Well, a clerk in the consulate makes such a difference. Because Mihaela wanted my try again, I went back to consulate yesterday and they issued … Read more