I am ready to head back to Turkey, and just before the flight, I have a few notes on the workshop I attended. First, it was a lovely international group of scholars, and I believe our final product as an edited book will be an essential source. The papers presented were in draft forms from … Read more
I am a bit neglecting the blog, but at least I am working on all my other pet projects and reading a lot. Besides, there is more travel, and I love it. Tonight I am flying to South Africa to attend a workshop. I follow Prof. Udupa’s work and am so happy to be part … Read more
I was in Berlin last week for a study trip. The International Academy for Leadership (IAF) visiting program of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation brought together Turkish and Greek media scholars and professionals to discuss issues of cooperation, coverage of crises as well as future solutions for their media systems. The program included talks with German … Read more
There are so many ancient settlements in Turkey, and I made it my goal to visit them all. Göbeklitepe was at the top of my list, and Sinem and I could visit the place last weekend. I am rarely too excited about the settlements I visit, but this was inevitably impressive. It was built 12 … Read more
I and Hakan, my brother, went on a trip to Morocco last week. This was our sixth bro trip. In 4 days we visited Casablanca and Marrakesh. Despite receiving so many tourists, Morocco does not seem to be very tourist friendly. Despite the goodies, we rated as the most unimpressive trip we had. Still, if … Read more
I am already in Cologne, Germany at the moment but just before arriving here I was there: A good summary of the event is here. RICH PROGRAM, FRUITFUL DISCUSSIONS The following presentations also brought richness to the MediaBarCamp’s program: Yörük Kurtaran (Turkey Mozaik Foundation, Association of Civil Society Development Center) “Financing Independent Media Organizations”, Associate Professor … Read more
I am writing to you from the new Berlin Airport. This might be my 7th time in Berlin. I loved the old airport, but the new one is too generic, and I could not find a good coffee spot. But it is brand new, and I am sure it is a well-made one. Still, I … Read more
After the Datça visit, I am about to fly to Van for a local journalism training program. It will be my first time in Van, and I will have time to travel around. My most recent obsession is to visit ancient towns in Turkey, and a rare goody to being a Turkish citizen is that … Read more
It is hard to persuade many people that we are in Datça for work. It is my first time here, a very laid-back, relaxed vacation town. However, our mission is to promote the Meta Kafe. A pop-up cafe style first opened in the UK to promote digital literacy. Our special work here is to promote … Read more
This week I am in London, attending an Incubator for Independent Media program organized by the Guardian Foundation and NewsLabTurkey where I contribute regularly in Turkish. The program is funded by SIDA. The program is intense and I did not actually plan any sightseeing. Since I visited London before, this is all a business event … Read more
I have passed through one of my busiest periods. The new semester begins, there are new projects and workshops to attend but my course load is less than the last semester and I believe I will have more time to travel. Just to note here, among the few places I could travel, I had been … Read more
I was invited to a local journalism training program in Batman. The organizer was Batman Sonsöz daily, which is the most rated local one in Turkey. I did not know that Batman is one of the cities where local journalism is relatively powerful. It is known for Turkey’s rare oil extraction program since the 1950s. … Read more
The Summer of 2021 hasn’t been a very happy one. After a major breakup in my personal life at the beginning of the summer, I have gone through a few minor health incidents, lots of writing work, a massive renovation at home, Istanbul’s hot and humid weather that triggers intense allergy attacks. But in the … Read more
I, my brother and two other friends went to Cape Town for a short vacation last week. Well, the other two friends, Vildan and Muzy, were clever enough to spend more time after a long flight. I and Hakan spent 4 days before we returned. Because of some unexplainable reasons, we thought the flight would … Read more
I was a jury member… Cameras Roll for Human Rights; And Now, It Is Time for The Awards! The award ceremony of the 9th EU Human Rights Short Film Competition, organized by the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey, will be held in the evening of 9 December in Ankara. With an all-time-record participation this year, 79 … Read more