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Ilhan Mansiz: from World Cup hero to Olympic pairs figure skater?

The scorer of Turkey's most important goal has his heart set on success in a second sporting career at the Sochi Winter Games

James Riach

The Guardian, Wednesday 27 February 2013 22.00 GMT

Ilhan Mansiz and Olga Bestandigova hope to compete in the pairs figure skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Photograph: Corbis

Scoring the most important goal in your country's history would be the zenith in the career of most professional athletes. Ilhan Mansiz did just that at the 2002 World Cup, yet a greater challenge lies ahead of him on the road to the 2014 Winter Olympicswhere he hopes to represent Turkey once again, this time, quite remarkably, in pairs figure skating.

A nomadic footballing journey began late for the former striker and included spells at Besiktas, the Japanese side Vissel Kobe and Hertha Berlin. It was cut short in 2007 when Mansiz was knocked down by a car at a pedestrian crossing in Munich and suffered terrible knee injuries.

After surgery, eight months recovering and a brief attempt to extend playing, he was offered a place on the TV show Buzda Dans, Turkey's Dancing On Ice. Problems with the knee persisted but after falling for his dance partner Olga Bestandigova, one of the professionals on the programme who competed at the 2002 Winter Games, the pair formed a relationship that spurred them on to victory. Now they are loved up and training in America.

"It was Oli during the show who saw my potential," Mansiz says. "I always wanted to start a second sporting career after football but I never thought in my dreams it would be pairs skating.

"We are not expecting to get a medal but to be a part of the Olympics will mean much more than winning. It is also about encouraging people that no matter what, at any age, you can reach your dreams by believing and working hard."

What makes this surprising tale even more unlikely is that Mansiz's left knee was torn to shreds by the crash six years ago. Sustaining medial ligament damage and with cartilage seemingly beyond repair, the fact that he and Bestandigova are now practising death star spirals, flying camels and double jumps on a rink in Arizona as they bid to qualify for Sochi next year is some turnaround.

"I would be the first athlete to compete in the World Cup and the Winter Olympics," says Mansiz, who is in the midst of a gruelling regime that involves six sessions of yoga, ballet and gym work every week, with plenty of time on the ice. "I had never even watched skating before I stepped on the ice for the first time when I was 32.

"There are two ways to qualify for Sochi. First is in March during the world championships, which we are not taking part in. Sixteen couples can qualify there and four more spots will be won in September at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf. We are planning to compete there to be one of the four best non-qualified pairs."

Mansiz, 37, was part of the Turkey side who finished third in Japan and South Korea in 2002, when Hakan Sukur, Hasan Sas, Emre, Tugay and Umit Davala combined to great effect to make Turkey a surprise package, losing narrowly to eventual champions Brazil in the semi-finals.

Sukur led the forward line on his own throughout the tournament with Mansiz accustomed to coming off the bench in the second half, making an impact when it mattered most. Turkey's quarter-final with Senegal was goalless and edging towards a penalty shootout before Mansiz expertly steered Davala's cross past Tony Sylva for a 94th-minute golden goal that sparked wild celebrations in Osaka. He then started the third-place play-off against South Korea and scored twice in a 3-2 victory.

"It was my breakthrough at the World Cup. I was always on the bench even though I was in better shape then Hakan Sukur, and we were always trying to explain to the coach [Senol Gunes] to play with two forwards but he was afraid of it. When I scored the goal I didn't know it would be the most important of my career but it was the most remarkable goal in Turkish history."

Perhaps Mansiz's penchant for extravagance should have been noted in 2002. Not only did he score that crucial goal against Senegal but he produced one of the most sublime pieces of skill in World Cup history, impudently flicking the ball over the head of Brazil's Roberto Carlos when he was being shepherded out of play.

"The flick was a move I did a lot during practise but because it was the World Cup and Roberto Carlos, people keep it in their minds. Almost anybody that recognises me asks about that flick – most of the players got mad but we shook hands on the pitch afterwards and Roberto Carlos told me it was a nice move – such a sportsman."

From such a high in South Korea, Mansiz was at a low ebb five years later. "It ended my career," he says of the car accident. "I was on my usual morning run to the park, crossing the street I waited for the pedestrian signal. As it showed green I started to run and halfway across a car accelerated and hit me on my left side, right underneath the knee. It got twisted and I flew three metres up in the air and landed on my shoulder on the car."

Bestandigova revealed in an interview that before she met Mansiz she was dubious of being partnered on Buzda Dans with a footballer: "As far as I know they are dumb as a candy and they don't know anything apart from kicking the ball and running around the pitch," she told Absolute Skating. Mansiz admits the heavy schedule can be tough on the relationship but after moving to America and committing to qualification, everything so far is going to plan. They may not be the Turkish Torvill and Dean, but reaching Sochi would represent a unique achievement.

"We have a lot of fun when we practise together. Of course sometimes it gets too much with the busy schedule because we are doing everything together, but we survive," Mansiz says. "It was a big step to move to the States but in five months we have got close to our best. The last 10% is always the hardest to reach so we are working hard to be on course."

Turkish hacker group Redhack claims responsibility for all tweets about Gezi protests

ISTANBUL

Hürriyet Photo

Hacker group Redhack has claimed responsibility for all tweets that were posted about the Taksim Gezi Park protests after the government announced that an investigation into the matter had been launched. “The AKP [Justice and Development Party] is going to conduct an investigation. We have posted all tweets and hacked thousands of people’s computers. Don’t take on the innocent ones, we are here,” Redhack wrote on its Twitter account. “All accounts that retweet Redhack, write about Redhack, or organize the resistance, were hacked by us.” Following the message by the group, Twitter users began to announce that they were hacked by Redhack with a hashtag “#redhacktarafındanhacklendik” (#wewerehackedbyredhack). The government recently launched an investigation into the around 5 million tweets posted about the Gezi protests including the hashtags #occupygezi, #direngeziparkı and #direngezi. Redhack previously gave tips to protesters to avoid being charged with “sharing provocative messages” on social media after 29 people were detained for tweets related to the protests on June 5. If these tips fail to work, “users can tell the police that their account was hacked by Redhack. We would take the blame with pleasure,” the group said via Twitter. Transport Minister Binali Yıldırım stressed on June 19 that the government was working to "fight against cyber crime, not to regulate social media," adding that crime was a crime in any place, including on social media. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said people were free to communicate via social media, but if it was used to encourage crime and violence – referring to the Gezi Park protests – then deterrent measures should be taken.

June/20/2013

Turkey protests: Q&A (via Turkey's 'standing people' protest spreads amid Erdoğan's crackdown | World news | The Guardian)

i LOVE the 'standing' protestors! but seriously, a justin bieber t-shirt?

(via A Graphic History of the Gezi Resistance - Bianet / English - Bianet)

Taksim Square protests: not a Turkish spring, but the new Young Turks The movement so rudely shattered this week is reminiscent of a group credited with laying the groundwork for modern Turkey

Betty Caplan, guardian.co.uk, Thursday 13 June 2013 19.00 BST

'At Taksim the flag (bearing the image of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk) has served as a reminder of the cherished ideals that were being trampled by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – chiefly the separation of state and religion.' Photograph: Yannis Behrakis/Reuters

By now you will have seen pictures of police battles, burning tyres, riot shields and tear-gas – stricken protesters. These images have become so familiar to us over the past few years that we are almost immune to them. But what you can't get from the pictures is the extraordinary transformation that took place in Taksim Square – the centre of Istanbul – in the space of a mere 10 days. It became a living, breathing community of peace, love and hope. "Woodstock" people whispered as they strolled amongst the stalls of free food and books, and the forests of posters and red flags. Too beautiful too last. We all knew that.

The organisation of the protesters has been impeccable: all over Gezi Park every inch of space is still covered by tents, blankets, tables laden with food, maps and information posts. Barricades block all the entrances so that only the trusted can enter. There is a library, a clinic, theatre masks and gas masks and even a garden. In order not to allow the municipality with its large vans to collect rubbish, each morning the community has been organising a roster of members to clean up the mess, passing bags along a human chain. Instead of the streams of relentless shoppers each caught in his own acquisitive world, people have felt free to engage one another in talk.

This movement which was so rudely shattered on Tuesday has historical precedents. The Young Turks were a diverse group of Turkish citizens who rebelled against Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II and his extremely authoritarian government in the early 20th century. They are often credited with laying the groundwork for the modernisation and ultimate demise of the Ottoman Empire. The association of the Young Turks with radical ideas and revolutionary change is so widespread that the term is often used in slang to refer to groups of youthful and politically active individuals who agitate for change.

Their origins lie in 1889, when an atmosphere of quiet dissent began to spread throughout the Ottoman Empire, primarily among students and disaffected members of the military. After a brief period of constitutional government from 1876-1878, the Sultan suspended the Turkish constitution, causing a great deal of unrest among many Ottoman citizens. The Young Turks began meeting in small cells to talk about the creation of a secular, constitutionally based government as an alternative to Turkey's existing monarchy, and the movement quickly spread until 1906, when the Young Turks came out in the open and began to actively agitate for change.

At times, it was a group whose passion was greater than its vision. It got rid of one sultan only to replace him with his aged brother who had been dragged into the limelight from the palace where he had been imprisoned by Abdul Hamid for 30 years. Imagine his terror when he heard the 101-gun salute, followed by relief at being crowned Mehmed V.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern, secular Turkey, played a minor role in the Young Turk revolution, and those who have visited Takism square over the course of the last week will have noticed many red flags bearing his image. Those known as the Kemalists often worship their leader blindly. But at Taksim the flag has above all served as a reminder of the cherished ideals that were being trampled by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – chiefly the separation of state and religion. Turks are ready to gloss over the man's failings because he helped to bring the modern republic into being. Erdoğan resents the power the great father still holds over his people, and longs to find a comparable role.

What began as a protest against the demolition of one of the few remaining green spaces in Istanbul has become a beacon of radicalisation for the whole country. Each night as dark falls, cities are alive with the banging of pots and pans. But there isn't a coherent plan, rather a cry of pain. The prime minister has reacted with fury because try as he might, he can't crush the social media. He has been defeated by tweets. And the police have over-reacted because for years they have been brought out in busloads whenever three people have gathered together, only to sit around for hours, chafing at the bit. At last they've had some real action.

For now the brief occupation of Taksim is over and soon the cars will be back after the blood has been scrubbed away and the debris removed. Erdoğan may show contempt for the capulcu but the bourse is suffering and potential investors are turning away. Those are things he can't ignore for long.

RESIST METU!!!

ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, METU

– JUNE 12, 2013REFLECTIONS AND COMMENTARIES

RESIST METU!!!

We, the undersigned members of Middle East Technical University, having had first-hand experience of police brutality during the recent visit of the Prime Minister to our campus on 18 December 2012, strongly oppose the mentality of the Turkish government which aims to impede the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the use of force and violence across the country.

In the face of such use of violence, we wholeheartedly support the rise of our people, especially the youth and women across the country, to defend their fundamental (human) rights and freedoms.

Mindful of the fact that the responsibility of what has been happening over the last two weeks lies solely with the government, we believe that the adoption of the just and legitimate demands of Taksim Solidarity constitutes a minimum requirement of democracy and rule of law.

We condemn the use of force and violence by the state authorities against those who are defending with dignity, their basic rights and freedoms, life styles, environment and society.

We deem it necessary to inform the public that all those who are responsible for the use of force and violence should be held accountable for their deeds.

Academic and Administrative Staff Middle East Technical University, Ankara http://odtuayakta.org/

A. Fersun Paykoç, Prof. (R)A. Halis Akder, Prof.A. Metin Ger, Prof. (R)A. Suzan Oniz, Instr. (R)Abdulkadir Kuzlak, Res. Asst. Abdullah Ulaş, Prof.Adem Yeşilyurt, Res. Asst.Adil Oran, Assoc. Prof.Adnan Barlas, Assoc. Prof.Agah Hazır, Res. Asst. Ahmet Beyaz, Assoc. Prof.Ahmet C. Yalçıner, Prof.Ahmet İnam, Prof.Ahmet M. Önal, Prof.Ahmet N. Eraslan, Prof.Ahmet Üçer, Prof. (R)Akile Zorlu Durukan, Instr.Akın Akdağ, Asst. Prof.Alageyik Balcıoğlu, Instr. (R).Alessandra Nicolosi, Instr.Ali Cengizkan, Prof.Ali Çırpan, Assoc. Prof.Ali Çulfaz, Prof. (R)Ali Gitmez, Prof. (E.)Ali Gökmen, Prof.Ali İhsan Arol, Prof.Ali Millioğulları, Instr. (R)Ali Muhtaroğlu, Asst. Prof.Ali Özgür Yılmaz, Assoc. Prof.Ali Tolga Özden, Ph. D., Res. Asst. Ali Türel, Prof.Alpan Bek, Asst. Prof.Anıl Albağlar, Instr.Anıl Ilgaz, Res. Asst.Anita Akkaş, Instr.(R)Anja Martin, Instr.Arif Ertaş, Prof.Armağan Kuru, Ph. D.Arzu Eke, Instr.Arzu Gönenç Sorguç, Assoc. Prof.Arzu Tuncay Koç, Instr.Aslı Günay, Res. Asst. Aslı Kutluk, Res. 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Asst.Bahar Gedikli, Assoc. Prof.Bahar Sener-Pedgley, Assoc. Prof.Bakış Kutlu Kurtuluş, Instr.Banu Aksel Gürün, Ph. D. Instr.Banu Cingöz-Ulu, Asst. Prof.Banu Günel, Asst. Prof.Banu Sıtkı, LecturerBanu Tuncay, Instr.Barış Alkan, Res. Asst. Barış Çakmur, Ph. D.Barış Mücen, Ph. D.Barış Salihoğlu, Asst. Prof.Başak Ağın Dönmez, Instr.Başak Alpan, Asst. Prof.Başak Öztürk, Ph. D.Başak Şahin, Ph. D.Begümşen Ergenekon, Ph. D.Belgin Turan Özkaya, Prof.Belkıs Garip, Res. Asst. Bengi Öner Özkan, Prof.Bengü Taşkesen, Instr.Berat Kılıç, Res. Asst. Beril Besbinar, Res. Asst. Beril Yılmaz Senem, Res. Asst. Berin Gür, Assoc. Prof.Berrak Kekeç, Res. Asst.Besim Can Zırh, Ph. D.Besime Erkmen, Instr.Bilal Kırkıcı, Asst. Prof.Bilge İmer, Assoc. Prof.Bilge Say, Ph. D.Bilge Serin, Res. Asst.Bilgehan Ögel, Prof.Bilgin Kaftanoğlu, Prof.Binnur Özkan, ExpertBirsen Pir Halıcı, ManagerBirten Çelik, Asst. Prof.Buket Yeniyol, StaffBuket Zaifoglu, Res. Asst. Bülent Doyum, Prof.Bülent İçgen, Assoc. Prof.Bülent Karasözen, Prof.Burak Büyükcivelek, Ph. D.Burak Yedierler, Assoc. Prof.Burçak Özoğlu, Ph. D.Burcin Cihan, Res. Asst. Burcu Akata Kurç, Assoc. Prof.Burcu Altan Sakarya, Assoc. Prof.Burcu Babayiğit, Res. Asst.Burcu Binboğa, Res. Asst.Burcu Erciyas, Assoc. Prof.Buse Gönül, Res. Asst. Çagatay Candan, Assoc. Prof.Çağatay Keskinok, Assoc. Prof.Çağatay Topal, Asst. Prof.Çağla Doğan, Asst. Prof.Çağlar Dölek, Res. Asst.Çağlar Güven, Prof. (R)Çağrı Çetintepe, Res. Asst. Çağrı Topal, Asst. Prof.Can Baykan, Prof. Can Bilgin, Assoc. Prof.Can İz Yemişcioğlu, StaffCan Özen, Asst. Prof.Cana Bilsel, Prof.Canan Büyükaşık Çolak, Res. Asst.Canan Çilingir, Prof.Canan Sepil, Assoc. Prof.Canan Sümer, Prof.Canan Toker, Prof. (R)Canan Ünlü, Ph. D.Caner Durucan, Assoc. Prof.Caner Özdemir, Res. Asst.Cansu Canaran, Ph. D. Instr.Cansu Göktan, Instr.Carter Mandrik, Asst. Prof.Celal Abdi Güzer, Prof.Celal F. Gökçay, Prof.Celal Yurdakul, ExpertCem İyigün, Asst. 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Asst.Dilara Yetkin, Instr.Dilek Basar Baskaya, Ph.D. Instr.Dilek Çeltik, Instr.Dilek Keskin, Assoc. Prof.Doğu Erdener, Assoc. ProfDuygu Canan Öztürk, Res. Asst. Duygu Cihanger, Res. Asst. Ebru Boyar, Assoc. Prof.Ebru Voyvoda, Assoc. Prof.Eda Işık Taş, Ph. D.Eda Sun Selışık, Ph. D.Edibe Serra Ayken, Instr.Ediz Paykoç, Prof. (R)Ekin AkoğluEkin Erbatur Kocabaşoğlu, StaffEkin Gedik, Res. Asst. Ela Babalık Sutcliffe, Assoc. Prof.Elanur Yılmaz, Res. Asst.Elçin Kartal Koç, Ph. D.Elçin Kentel, Assoc. Prof.Elif Akbostancı, Assoc. Prof.Elif Akın, Faculity SecretaryElif Deniz, Instr.Elif Er, Instr.Elif Kemeröz, ExpertElif Öztabak-Avcı, Asst. Prof.Elif Sarıtaş, Res. Asst. Elif Şeşen, Instr.Elif Yılmaz, ProgrammerElvan Altan Ergut, Assoc. Prof.Emin Özsoy, Prof.Emin Zerman, Res. Asst. Emine Hale Göktürk, Prof.Emine Kortan, Instr.Emine Mertsoy, Instr.Emine N. Caner-Saltık, Prof.Emine Şebnem Avıoğlu, Instr.Emrah Yıldırım, Res. Asst. Emre Artun, Ph. D.Emre Ege, Res. Asst. 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Çenesiz, Res. Asst. Gigen Uzar Özdemir, Res. Asst.Gizem Ateş, Res. Asst.Gizem Deniz Güneri, Res. Asst. Gökce Gökalp, Asst. Prof.Gökçen Gök, LecturerGöknur Kaplan Akıllı, Ph. D.Göksel N.Demirer, Prof.Gözde Akar, Prof.Gözde Alkan, Res. Asst. Gözde Şahin, Res. Asst.Gözde Somel, Res. Asst. Gülay Ertaş, Assoc. Prof.Gülay Hasdoğan, Prof.Gülay Özcengiz, Prof.Gülbin Dural, Prof.Gülcan Can, Res. Asst. Gülçin Con, Res. Asst. Güler Çelik, Ph. D.Gülhan Özbayoğlu, Prof.Güliz Bilgin Altınoz, Asst. Prof.Güliz Korkmaz Tirkeş, Ph. D.Gülnur Cesur, Instr. (R)Gülşah Gülen, Res. Asst. Gülşen Altun, Instr.Gülşen Töre Yargın, Ph. D.Gülşen Vural, LecturerGülser Köksal, Prof.Gülsevim Evsel, Res. Asst. Gülsün Gökağaç, Prof.Gülüm Şumnu, Prof.Günay Yıldızer, Res. Asst.Güngör Gündüz, Prof. (R)Gürkan Karakaş, Prof.Gürsevil Turan, Prof.Güven Arif Sargın, Prof.Güzin Erlat, Prof.Güzin Şen, Res. Asst.H. Esin Erdem, Instr. Ph. D.H. İlker Yelbay, Res. Asst. Hafit Yüncü, Prof.Hakan Boğazpınar, Res. Asst.Hakkı Eskicioğlu,Prof. (R)Haldun Süral, Assoc. Prof.Hale Uysal, Res. Asst. Halil Kırbıyık, Prof.Halil Önder, Prof. (R).Halis Günel, Assoc. Prof.Haluk Darendeliler, Prof.Haluk Erlat, Prof. (R)Haluk Hamamcı, Prof.Haluk Kasnakoğlu, Prof. (R)Hande Sözer, Instr.Hande Toffoli, Assoc. Prof.Hanife Akar, Assoc. Prof.Hasan Cömert, Asst. Prof.Hasan Faruk Uslu, Res. Asst.Hasan Gökhan Güler, Res. Asst. Hasan Öztürk, Asst. Prof.Hasan Taşeli, Prof.Hayrettin Yücel, Prof.Hayri Dörtdivanlıoğlu, Res. Asst. Hayriye Çelik, Res. Asst.Helga Rittersberger-Tılıç, Assoc. Prof.Hilal Dinçer, Instr.Hilal Tekin, Instr. (R)Hilmi Güven, Instr.Hülya Yıldız, Asst. Prof.Hüseyin Hacıhabiboğlu, Asst. Prof.Hüseyin İçen, Asst. Prof.Hüseyin İşci, Prof.Hüsnü Yıldız, Res. Asst.İbrahim Gündoğdu, Res. Asst.İdil Candan, Instr.İlhan Can Özen, Asst. Prof.İlhan Tekeli, Prof.İlkay Şensoy, Asst. Prof.İlkay Ulusoy Parnas, Assoc. Prof.İlke Mankalyalı, Instr.İlker Dalğar, Res. Asst. İlker Güresun, Instr.İlker Özkan, Prof.İlknur Kuntasal, Instr.İlter Ertuğrul, Instr.İnci Batmaz, Prof.İnci Gökmen, Prof.İnci Togan, Prof.İpek Eren Vural, Asst. Prof.İpek Gürsel Dino, Asst. Prof.İpek Karamercan, Instr.İrem Erel, Asst. Prof.Işık Kuşcu, Asst. Prof.Işıl Anıl, Ph. D.Işıl Arıca, Instr.Işıl Çelimli-Inaltong, Ph. D.Işıl Erol, Assoc. Prof.Işın Demirşahin, Res. Asst. İsmail Aydın, Prof.İsmail Ozan Demirel, Res. Asst. İsmail Serdar Bakal, Asst. Prof.İsmet Erkmen, Prof.Jale Hacaloğlu, Prof.Jale N. Erzen, Prof.Jale Ulaş, Res. Asst.Jan Personn, Instr.Kadri Atabaş, Instr.Kağan Parmaksız, Asst. Prof.Kağan Tuncay, Prof.Kahraman Albayrak, Prof.Kemal Behlülgil, ExpertKemal Cem Düzan, Instr.Koray Benli, Res. Asst.Kürşad Ertuğrul, Assoc. Prof.Kürşat Aker, Ph. D.Kürşat Çağıltay, Prof.Lale Alatan, Prof.Latife Akyüz, Res. Asst. Levend Parnas, Prof.Levent Aybak, Res. Asst. Levent Toppare, Prof.Leyla Etyemez, Res. Asst.Leyla İpek, Department SecretaryLeyla Molu, ExpertM. Ali Opak, Res. Asst.M. Cemal Göncüoğlu, Prof. (R)M. Kemal Leblebicioglu, Prof.M. Koray Pekeriçli, Instr.M. Savaş Küçükyavuz, Prof. (R)M. Semih Yücemen, Prof.M. Sinan Gönül, Assoc. Prof.M. Suna Yılmaz, Res. Asst. M. Ümit Atalay, Prof.Mahinur Akkaya, Prof.Mahir Yılmaz, Res. Asst. Mahmut Kuzucuoğlu, Prof.Mahmut Parlaktuna, Prof.Mayda Gürsel, Assoc. Prof.Mehmet Çalışkan, Prof.Mehmet Değirmenci, Institude SecretaryMehmet Ecevit, Prof.Mehmet Erdi Özgürlük, Res. Asst.Mehmet Halis Günel, Assoc. Prof.Mehmet Mutlu, Res. Asst. Mehmet Okyayuz, Assoc. Prof.Mehmet Pancaroğlu, Res. Asst. Mehmet Penpecioğlu, Ph. D.Mehmet Tomak, Prof.Mehmet Utku, Prof.Mehmet Zülfü Aşık, Prof.Mehtap Öztürk Şengül, ExpertMehtap Tosun, Res. Asst. Melek Diker Yücel, Assoc. Prof.Melih Çalamak, Res. Asst.Melih Ersoy, Prof.Melih Gürçay, Res. Asst.Melih Yanmaz, Prof.Meliha Altunışık, Prof.Melika Gül, Res. Asst. Meltem Dayıoğlu Tayfur, Assoc. Prof.Meltem J. Akkaş-Sonat, Instr.Meltem Ok, Ph. D.Meltem Şenol Balaban, Ph. D.Meral Çileli, Prof.Meral Doğancı, Instr. (R)Meral Kence, Assoc. Prof.Meriç Selamoğlu, Res. Asst.Mert Elverici, Res. Asst. Mert Kükrer, Res. Asst.Merve Erdal, Asst. Prof.Merve Kaplan, ExpertMesut Muyan, Assoc. Prof. Mesut Uğur, Res. Asst. Mete Özay, Res. Asst.Mete Severcan, Prof.Metin Balcı, Prof.Metin Durgut, Prof. (R).Mihrac Banu Gündoğan, Ph. D.Mina Şentek, Res. Asst.Mine Kalkancı, Res. Asst. Mine Mısırlısoy, Asst. Prof.Mualla Erkılıç, Prof.Muammer Ermiş, Prof.Mübeccel Demirekler, Prof.Müge Akkar Ercan, Assoc. Prof.Muhsin Doğan, Res. Asst.Mukaddes Yıldırım, LecturerMurat Balamir, Prof. (R)Murat Kırdar, Assoc. Prof.Murat Köksalan, Prof. DrMurat Manguoğlu, Doç.Ph. D.Murat Uzunca, Res. Asst.Mürvet Volkan, Prof. DrMustafa Kemal Bayırbağ, Asst. Prof.Mustafa Özbakan, Ph. D. Instr. (R)Mustafa Şen, Assoc. Prof.Mustafa Tokyay, Prof.Mustafa Türkeş, Prof.Mustafa Versan Kök, Prof.N. Duygu Bağcı, LecturerN. Kartal Toker, Instr.N. Tülin Güray, Prof.Naci Sevinç, Prof. (R)Naciye Atalay, LecturerNadir Öcal, Prof.Nadire Atıcı, Ph. D.Nafiz Alemdaroglu, Prof.Naz Dino, Instr.Nazlı Songülen, Res. Asst. Nebi Sümer, Prof.Necati Özkan, Prof.Necati Polat, Prof.Necmi Erdoğan, Assoc. Prof.Necmiye Türkan, Instr.Nejan Huvaj, Asst. Prof.Neriman Şahin Güçhan, Assoc. Prof.Neşe Arslan, LecturerNese Emecan, Ph. D.Neşe Yalabık, Prof.Nesrin Hasırcı, Prof.Nevin Ünsal, LecturerNevzat G. Gencer, Prof.Nevzat Yıldırım, Prof. (R)Nezih Güven, Prof.Nezihe Başak Ergin, Res. Asst.Nihal Selçuk Yüce, ExpertNihan Ocak, Res. Asst. Nil Mısır Osmanoğlu, Instr.Nil Şirikçi, Asst. Prof.Nil Uzun, Assoc. Prof.Nilay Bekçi, LecturerNilgün Güleç, Prof.Nilgün Öner, Ph.D. studentNimet Özgönül, Instr.Nükte Öcal Durhan, Instr.Numan Tuna, Prof.Nur Canoğlu, Ph.D.Nur Evin Özdemirel, Prof.Nuran Kılınçarslan, Instr.Nuray Demirel, Assoc. Prof.Nuray Güner, Prof.Nuray Karancı, Prof.Nuray Sakallı Uğurlu, Prof.Nuray Tekin, Instr.Nuray Tokyay, Prof.Nurcan Alkış, Res. Asst. Nuri Akkaş, Prof. (R)Nuri Merzi, Assoc. Prof.Nuri Yıldırım, Prof. (R)Nurkan Karahanoğlu, Prof.Nursel İçöz, Prof. (R)Nursen Çoruh, Assoc. Prof.Nurunnisa Usul, Assoc. Prof.O. Yavuz Ataman, Prof.Oğuz Işık, Prof.Oğuzhan Baran, Res. Asst.Okan Esentürk, Assoc. Prof.Oktar Türel, Prof. (R)Ömer Kırca, Prof.Ömer Seyfi Durhan, Instr.Ömür Birler, Ph. D.Ömür Kurt, Res. Asst.Ömür Uğur, Assoc. Prof.Önder Güneş, Res. Asst.Önder Yüksel, Prof.Onur Demirörs, Prof.Onur Özkoç, Res. Asst. Onur Pekcan, Ph. D.Onur Rauf Bingöl, Res. Asst.Onur Yıldırım, Prof.Onur Yüncü, Instr.Osman Balaban, Asst. Prof.Osman Sevaioğlu, Prof.Oya Gözel Durmaz, Res. Asst.Oya Sezginer, Instr.Ozan Çınar, Res. Asst.Ozan Sener, Res. Asst. Özay Afacan Erdoğdu, Instr.Özdemir Doğan, Prof.Özge Alpaslan, Instr.Özge Dinç, Res. Asst.Özge Ünlüce, Res. Asst. Özgen Karaer, Asst. Prof.Özgün Özçakır, Res. Asst. Özgür Bal, Res. Asst. Özgür Kurç, Assoc. Prof.Özlem Atalay, Instr.Özlem Boyd, Instr.Özlem Bozo-İrkin, Assoc. Prof.Özlem Gölgelioğlu, Res. Asst.Özlem Özkan, Res. Asst. Özlem Tür, Assoc. Prof.Özlem Yılmaz, Prof.P. Gaye Tolungüç, Instr. (R)Pelin Akalan, Instr.Pelin Akçagün, Res. Asst. Pelin Bayındır, Assoc. Prof.Pınar Bedirhanoğlu, Assoc. Prof.Pınar Çobanyılmaz, Res. Asst.Pınar Dede Işıkman, LecturerPınar Derin-Güre, Asst. Prof.Pınar Mercan, Res. Asst. Pınar Şen, Res. Asst. Rafet Akgūnay, Ph. D.Rafet Çevik, Res. Asst. Ramazan Sarı, Prof.Rasim Aşkın Dilan, Res. Asst. Raşit Kaya, Prof.Raşit Turan, Prof.Recep Boztemur, Prof.Reşit Soylu, Prof.Reyhan Atasever, Instr.Reyhan Bilgiç, Prof.Rikkat Civelek, Prof.Rıza Gürbüz, Prof.Rüknettin Oskay, Prof.Ş. Onur Bahçecik, Ph. D.Sadettin Kirazcı, Asst. Prof.Şafak Alpay, Prof.Şahin Alp Taşkaya, Res. Asst. Şahinde Demirci, Prof. (R)Saim Özkar, Prof.Sakine Batun, Asst. Prof.Salih Durhan, Asst. Prof.Salih Özçubukçu, Asst. Prof.Salih Saner, Prof.Samet Bağçe, Assoc. Prof.Sara Banu Akkaş, Ph.D. ExpertŞebnem Düzgün, Prof.Seçil Erdem, Res. Asst. Seçil Karal Akgün, Prof.Seçil Özdemir, Res. Asst. Seçil Savaşsaneril, Assoc. Prof.Seçkin Çopur, Res. Asst.Seçkin Kürkçüoğlu, Assoc. Prof.Sedat Doğru, Ph. D.Sedef Algı, Instr.Sedef Meral, Assoc. Prof.Sedef Süner, Res. Asst.Selahattin Özdemir, Prof.Selcan Kilis, Res. Asst. Selçuk Bayın, Prof.Selçuk Dursun, Asst. Prof.Selda Koydemir, Instr.Selda Şeker, ManagerSelim Heper, Res. Asst.Selim Jürgen Ergun, Asst. Prof.Selin Çavdar, Res. Asst.Selin Güven, Res. Asst. Sema Onurlu, Instr.(R)Semih Akçomak, Asst. Prof.Semih Bilgen, Prof.Semra Kaptanoğlu, Assoc. Prof.Semra Kocabıyık, Prof.Semra Tuncel, Prof.Senem Turhan, Res. Asst.Şenol Yağız, Instr.Serap Emil, Instr.Serap Kayasu, Assoc. Prof.Serap Türüt-Aşık, Assoc. Prof.Serdal Tümkaya, Res. Asst.Seren Güneş, Res. Asst. Serhat Akın, Prof.Serhat Köksal, Ph. D.Serkan Algan, Instr.Serkan Özgen, Prof.Serper Tümer, Instr.Serpil Şahin, Prof.Seven Ağır, Asst. Prof.Sevil Enginsoy Ekinci, Asst. Prof.Sevilay Kahraman, Assoc. Prof.Sevinç Özkan Altıner, Prof.Şevki Can Cevher, Res. Asst.Şeyda Gündüz, LecturerSeyhan Çamlıgüney, ExpertSeyhan Özmenek, Instr.Seza Danışoğlu, Asst. Prof.Sezer Aygün, Prof. (R)Sibel Doğru Akgöl, Instr.Sibel İmren, Res. Asst.Sibel Kalaycıoğlu, Assoc. Prof.Sibel Yılmaz, LecturerSinan Bilikmen, Prof.Sinan Gürel, Assoc. Prof.Sinan Kalkan, Asst. Prof.Şinasi Ellialtıoğlu, Prof. (R)Sinem Çınar, Ph. D. Instr.Sinem Güven, Res. Asst. Sinem Topçuoğlu, Res. Asst.Sipan Aslan, Res. Asst.Şirin Saracoğlu, Assoc. Prof.Sırma Altun, Res. Asst.Şölen Balman, Prof.Soner Yıldırım, Prof.Süha Oral, Prof.Süha Tirkeş, Ph. D.Süleyman Tuğrul, Prof.Sümercan Bozkurt, Res. Asst.Sümeyye Hoşgör, Res. Asst. Suna Güven, Prof.Suna Köksalan, Prof. (R)Tamay Erguven Orhan, Instr.Tamay Şeker, Ph. D.Tanju Mehmetoğlu, Prof.Tarık Şengül, Assoc. Prof.Tayfun Akın, Prof.Tayfun Can Onuk, Öğr. GörTayfun Eylen, Res. Asst. Teoman Pamukçu, Assoc. Prof.Teoman Tincer, Prof.Tevfik Güyagüler, Prof. (R)Tijen Atasoy, Instr. (R)Tolga Can, Assoc. Prof.Tolga Çiloğlu, Prof.Tolga Esat Özkurt, Asst. Prof.Tolga Kaptı, Res. Asst. Tolgahan Akdan, Res. Asst. Tuba Ünlü Bilgiç, Asst. Prof.Tufan Ekici, Asst. Prof.Tuğba Altan, Res. Asst. Tuğba Orhan Lekesiz, Res. Asst. Tuğba Tanyeri-Erdemir, Ph. D.Tuğcan Aktaş, Res. Asst. Tuğçe Bölükbaşı, Instr.Tuğrul Atasoy, Instr. Ph. D. (R)Tülin Gençöz, Prof.Tuna Coşkun, Res. Asst.Tunay Berkman Dik, Instr. Ph. D.Tuncay Birand, Prof. (R)Turgut Önder, Prof.Türker Gürkan, Prof.Türker Mirata, Prof.Ufuk Ataş, Res. Asst.Uğur Çağlı, Assoc. Prof.Uğur Halıcı, Prof.Uğur Soytaş, Prof.Ülgen Acar, LecturerÜmit Ruşen Aktaş, Res. Asst. Ünal Töngür, Res. Asst. Vasıf Hasırcı, Prof.Volkan Esat, Asst. Prof.Wolf Konig, Prof. (R)Yağız Aksoy, Res. Asst. Yakup Darama, Assoc. Prof.Yakup Kepenek, Prof. (R)Yalçın A. Göğüş, Prof. (R).Yalçın Tanık, Prof.Yaprak Güleç Öğütçü, Instr.Yaşar Kondakçı, Instr.Yasemin Akis, Res. Asst.Yasemin Ener Aktaş, Instr.Yasemin Oran, Graphic DesignerYasemin Serin, Assoc. Prof.Yasemin Tezgiden Cakcak, Instr.Yasin Ceylan, Prof.Yavuz Topkaya, Prof.Yavuz Yaman, Prof.Yekta Bakıroğlu, Res. Asst.Yelda Kaya, Res. Asst.Yeşim Aydın Son, Asst. Prof.Yeşim Çapa Aydın, Asst. Prof.Yeşim Hatırlı, Instr.Yeşim Serinağaoğlu, Assoc. Prof.Yesim Soyer, Assoc. Prof.Yeti Ziya Gürbüz, Res. Asst. Yetkin Alıcı, Res. Asst. Yiğit Özcan, Res. Asst. Yıldıray Ozan, Prof.Yıldırım Yavuz, Prof.Yıldız Ecevit, Prof.Yılmaz Üstüner, Assoc. Prof.Yonca Özdemir, Ph. D.Yonca Toker, Asst. Prof.Zafer Bozkuş, Assoc. Prof.Zafer Dursunkaya, Prof.Zahide Yıldırım, Prof.Zahit Uysal, Prof.Zana Çıtak, Assoc. Prof.Zehra Çağnan Ertuğrul, Assoc. Prof.Zehra Gören, LecturerZehra Kasnakoğlu, Prof. (R)Zeynep Akgunay, Instr.Zeynep Akşit, Instr.Zeynep Başak, Res. Asst. Zeynep Ceren Eren, Res. Asst. Zeynep Hatipoğlu Sümer, Asst. Prof.Zeynep Kalaylıoğlu, Assoc. Prof.Zeynep Kayar, Res. Asst. Zeynep Mennan, Prof.Zeynep Orakcı, Instr.Zeynep Serap Tekten, Res. Asst.Zorlu Paksoy, Ph. D.Zuhal Akyürek, Prof.Zuhal Küçükyavuz, Prof. (R)Zuhal Sayman, Instr.Zülküf Aydın, Prof.

Editorial Note:

Following a municipality decision on Gezi Park in Taksim, İstanbul, those who wanted to use their democratic rights to protest the cutting down of the trees and demolishing of the park has been subject to the fierce intervention of the police and the government. The events got worse and became dreadful lately. Police interventions that caused deaths, injuries and countless unjust treatments have received huge reaction and the protests that started in İstanbul spread into many cities with countless number of people’s involvement. Since the government viewed the protestors as ‘enemies’ and continued its fierce interventions and accusations, the events have turned into a public wound. Like many sensitive people and institutions, academics and employees of many universities have also criticised the government’s attitude and called the government to stop its fierce attitude and irreconcilable approach. One of the most organised and strongest reactions came from the academics and employees of Middle East Technical University (METU). Considering Turkish media’s censoring attitude during the protests, academics and employees of METU have sent their signed statement to Centre for Policy Analysis and Research on Turkey (ResearchTurkey) in order to be published. We are sharing this statement with our readers with our respect for differing opinions and as a pre-requisite of democracy.

Taksim Square protests bring hope to Turkish musicians

Liberal rock bands who feared drift towards socially conservative authoritarianism say protests are an awakening

Matthew Collin in Istanbul

guardian.co.uk, Thursday 13 June 2013 14.31 BST

Drummers in Taksim Square, Istanbul. Photograph: Matthew Collin for the Guardian

When riot police launched their first raid on Taksim Square in Istanbul two weeks ago, somewhere in the melee was Serhat Köksal, the pioneer of politically charged Turkish electro music. Fleeing through the clouds of teargas as the police advanced, Köksal – who performs under the name 2/5BZ – collapsed into a construction trench, breaking both of his arms.

Still recovering after surgery that left him with 24 titanium pins in his limbs, Köksal was unable to take part in the mass protests that followed the police raid. But many other Istanbul musicians have joined the rallies against a government that they believe threatens their freedom and way of life.

Barkin Engin, of Replikas, an alternative rock band, said the Erdoğan administration's redevelopment of Taksim Square and its planned destruction of Gezi Park was a tipping point.

"The park became a symbol but there are many things behind this resistance," he said, citing restrictions on freedom of speech, limits on alcohol and abortion, the privatisation of public spaces and "an undemocratic prime minister who thinks he's the nation's father figure and uses religion to gain popularity".

The injured Köksal, meanwhile, described the protests as a folk war. "The struggle against the state is a struggle for being human," he said.

Rock musicians initially took to the streets as individual activists, fuelled by fury at the police's brutality. "It was very emotional and actually quite magical, how it started. After all the hopelessness and powerlessness we had been feeling for so long, at that moment there was nothing else we could do but go to the streets," said Ekin Sanaç, of the female electro duo Kim Ki O, whose most recent album Grounds explored the "depression" they felt before the protests erupted.

Before riot police moved in to retake Taksim Square on Tuesday this week, the Gezi Park occupation had evolved into a non-stop free festival. The carnival atmosphere was muted by the early-morning crackdown, but demonstrators defied the authorities the following day by dancing a mass tango in gas masks.

There has been an outpouring of songs inspired by the protests, although the one that has resonated most deeply – Eyvallah, by the pop-rock band Duman, with lyrics about police brutality, batons and pepper spray and the defiant message "we are still free" – was written beforehand.

"Music helps create a sense of solidarity," said Berna Göl, of Kim Ki O. "It spreads the feeling and the idea and it encourages the people who are on the streets."

The protest sympathisers who hammered out rhythms using kitchen utensils on their balconies while marchers filed past in the streets below inspired another band, Kardeş Türküler, to write a tribute titled The Sound of Pots and Pans.

One of the most popular anthems on YouTube is Every Day I'm Çapuling, a collage of news clips including a protester in a gas mask moonwalking behind the barricades, cut to LMFAO's exuberant pop hit Party Rock Anthem. Its title was a satirical poke at Erdoğan, who notoriously described the Taksim demonstrators as çapulcar – marauders.

Turkey actually has a long history of protest rock dating back to the politically turbulent 1970s, with singers such as Selda Bağcan and Cem Karaca delivering socially-conscious lyrics in the years before the 1980 military coup. The army takeover saw many such songs banned and some musicians including Karaca going into self-imposed exile, while Bağcan was jailed several times for her opposition stance.

Some of the more psychedelic tunes from this "Anadolu pop" era have recently seen a revival of interest with a series of compilation albums including re-edit master Bariş K's Istanbul 70, while Bağcan has been sampled by rapper Mos Def, but the music was often shorn of its political context when it was repackaged for Western audiences.

A few 70s protest songs were revived during the recent rallies, but plans to stage a major protest concert in Taksim Square attracted strong criticism on social networks. "One of the reasons was that those famous pop musicians already have their stage, and this is a stage for everyone. There is no hierarchy," said Göl.

Despite the police offensive, many musicians who have been on the Taksim Square frontlines believe that some kind of collective psychological victory has been achieved. Both Replikas and Kim Ki O described what had happened as "an awakening".

"Although emotionally things are quite rough now because of the terrible violence, of course there is hope and of course a lot has been gained already," Sanaç said.

An offer of a referendum on the park's future has not calmed passions. "A referendum is something but it's not enough," said Gökçe Gürçay, of the folk-rock band Gevende, who was teargassed in the square when the police moved in this week.

It was perhaps inevitable that Istanbul's liberal rock musicians would embrace the resistance movement. But some of them say it has banished the isolation they were feeling in a country that they feared was drifting closer towards socially conservative authoritarianism.

"One month ago, if you asked me, I would have said there was no hope for change," Gürçay said. "One month ago, we were talking about which country should we move to. Now we see that there is a future here."

Gezi Park Philharmonic (by dogugod)

Word origin | Çapulcu

Mavi Boncuk | çapul first mentioned 1500 Pavet de Courteille, Dictionnaire Turc Oriental, Paris 1870, facsimile printing 1972.[from Caghatay Turkish] çapawul EN Raid, Attack TR akın, saldırı first mentioned 1700 TDK, Tarama Sözlüğü, 3. baskı, Ankara 1995.. [Tartar Turkish] çapul combined word from çap EN to run, gallop, organized raid TR - koşmak, dörtnala gitmek, akın etmek +AgUl → çarp +ağul/+awul common suffix from Caghatay dialect and Mongolian. Turkish use possibly borrowed from Mongolian.

çapulcu noun EN who engages in raid. raider, depredator, freebooter, looter, marauder, plunderer, swag man

Istanbul London Solidarity - Omuz Omuza (by TerryDee99)

Istanbul gets its own Disneyland on the Golden Horn ISTANBUL A theme park inspired by the world-famous Disneyland opens its doors in Istanbul. The project, located on 600,000 square meters of land, is set to employ 4,000 people

Prime Minister Erdoğan (C) participates in a ceremony to mark the opening of Vialand, the theme park. DAILY NEWS photo / Emrah GÜREL

The biggest entertainment park in Istanbul, Vialand, has opened its doors with a ceremony attended by the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Vialand Istanbul close to thpe city’s Golden Horn region, claims to be the biggest shopping center with its park, aquapark, themepark and shopping center lying on a million-square meter area in Eyüp district. The project was launched in September 2011 and has employed nearly 1,000 people in the construction stage and 4,000 people upon completion. The 600,000-square meters project area, located within the Eyüp and Gaziosmanpasa Municipality borders, has the Transit European Motorway (TEM) to the North and the E5 Highway to the South. Prime Minister Erdoğan said at the ceremony that the area used to be a stone pit when he was the Mayor of Istanbul between 1994 and 1998. Haliç, known as the Golden Horn, which connects to Istanbul’s Boshporus, had lost its habitat feature for sea animals but efforts were being made for it to re-gain its natural existence, Erdoğan said. Erdoğan said it was a “love business” for him. “My people know that the AK Party [the ruling Justice and Development Party] holds its promises. We never cheated and we did not let anyone cheat us. Who would believe there was going to be a fun center in this area 10 years ago? Look now we have it. ... These are all about love. This is a business of love,” Erdoğan said. Erdoğan also said his party could not stand idle by poverty and asked Vialand managers to set some free entrance days as well.

Turkish PM opens Istanbul's new entertainment park

King Kong, Fatih Dark Ride Vialand features main attractions such as the Rapid Ride, offering a fast-water rafting experience; Splash Coaster, combining natural waterfalls with the fun of a rollercoaster; and Family Coaster, an attraction for anyone who enjoys or might enjoy a rollercoaster. The guests of the Park will find themselves swept away to a world inhabited by the legendary creature King Kong, and where they can wander the lively streets and squares where the old, mystical way of living in Istanbul is revived, its different cuisine and culture is presented with staff happy to be meeting guests’ needs, and full of many other surprises, wonders and smiles. The Fatih Dark Ride entertainment unit will allow guests to take an exciting and educational trip through the Ottoman Empire period and witness Fatih the Conqueror take over Istanbul. Including educational and informative activities particularly for kids of elementary or secondary school age along with all the fun, Vialand will also be undertaking many social responsibility projects. Vialand also has shops in the old Istanbul style and Ottoman-style houses and buildings, a waterpark and kids fun center.

9 Popular (Mis)Conceptions About Istanbul Posted: 05/22/2013 12:57 pm

You can love it or hate it but Istanbul probably won't leave you indifferent.

It's one of the most visited cities on earth and there are nearly as many opinions about it as there are visitors. It has been called everything: exotic, historic, unsafe (a claim buttressed by the death of photographer Sarai Sierra), food heaven, fundamentalist, a developing country, a mess, erotic or downright scary, all of them adjectives that stick to unexpected like glue.

I carried many of these preconceptions with me on a recent visit and tested them against reality. Some were terribly accurate while others, instantly dismissable.

Istanbul is crazy and disorganized. Yes and no. Try to cross a street and you'll feel like you're rushing across a noisy minefield with a blindfold. Traffic has rules only drivers understand and pedestrians require courage and daredevilry in equal proportions as they dart among cars which miss them by an inch or two. In many other ways Istanbul is supremely organized. Ride an escalator and pedestrians will stand obediently to the right, leaving the left lane free for those in a hurry. Ride the tram or subway and watch as commuters stand willingly aside while passengers get off. There's less pushing and shoving than on public transport in orderly Geneva...

Everyone eats meat on skewers. Um, no. First of all kebabs are not from Istanbul but from the Balkans or the Caucasus. You'll find at least as many kebabs in London as you will on these streets. Most food is not skewered. You'll recognize some Turkish food if you like Greek or Lebanese, things like hummus or dolma (dolmades in Greece). Turkey has an unsuspected wealth of regional cuisines, ranging from Caucasus and Black Sea cooking to Mediterranean or Middle Eastern. The city doesn't have many foreign restaurants (American fast food excepted). They don't need to: regional cuisines are varied enough to satisfy even the most jaded palate.

Istanbul is dusty and poor. Perhaps a few years ago you could have said that and gotten away with it. No more. The dusty streets below Galata Bridge are slowly becoming gentrified, (and local inhabitants are being pushed out by rising rents). The goats that once trotted along the roads have been edged, along with their owners, out of town. There are poor Istanbullus -- but there are poor New Yorkers and Londoners as well. Rural Turkey is far poorer but Istanbul is a thriving, cosmopolitan city with its rich, its poor and its middle classes, just like other world-class city its size.

Istanbul is a hotbed of Muslim fundamentalism. There has definitely been an increase in religiosity and conservatism since the Islamic-leaning AK Party was elected in 2002. Many women wear headscarves now, almost unheard of a decade ago, but don't be fooled. They're not all suddenly devout. A headscarf also has political uses and plenty of women wear them to get ahead professionally. In an Islamic administration it goes without saying that playing the part will win a few brownie points.

The city is full of rabid dogs. In some neighborhoods, especially those less less frequented by tourists, you will indeed find dozens of dogs -- and cats -- on the streets. Literally. They lie around in the middle of the road, somehow escaping grievous bodily harm as cars and buses weave around them. They are not rabid in the least, on the contrary. It seems the government pays for them to be spayed or castrated to prevent additional unwanted births. And the kind citizens of Istanbul do love their pets, leaving water and food out for them every night. In my neighborhood, nearly every doorway had a bowl of water and leftover food for the uninvited visitor.

Istanbul is confusing and you'll never find your way around. Yes, it is most definitely confusing. Not only is it a collection of villages, but getting from A to B usually involves a detour through C and D. The city lies over two continents, which can add to the confusion. However, public authorities have invested heavily in public transit, not least because the city is bidding for the 2020 Olympics and won't have a chance unless it gets its transport together. It does seem to be working although there are gaps when you try to cross the entire city. To get downtown from my northern suburb involved taking a bus, a subway, a funicular and a tram. Complex, developing, but well-marked all the way and a single transport card makes paying a cinch. It's dangerous, especially for women. The most cited example is the recent murder of Serai Sierra, the New York photographer found dead along the city's ancient walls. Yes, she was brutally slain while traveling in the city. And she wasn't the only one. A few other females have found death in Istanbul. But most haven't. Domestic violence is sadly rising but non-domestic violence against foreign women is extremely rare. When it comes to general crime, Istanbul doesn't even make it into the top 100 most dangerous cities in the world, nestled statistically between Victoria, Canada and Santiago de Chile. So yes, Istanbul can be dangerous. It is sad when tragedy happens but Istanbul isn't more prone to violent crime than other large cities. In fact, far less so.

The Grand Bazaar is a den of thieves and you could "almost" lose your life there. Urban legends abound about this 500-year old warren of merchant streets stuffed with an impossible array of goods from all corners of the Orient. Stories of muggings and robbery and even kidnappings have long titillated visitors who yearn to feel the shivers of ancient and exotic mysteries. Nothing could be further from the truth. The dim alleys have given way to brightly lit pedestrian walkways that would look at home in a suburban mall, if it weren't for their unusual wares and open storefronts.

Istanbul is dirt cheap. Not for everything, unfortunately. Some things are cheaper than in Western Europe, for example street food. But step into a patisserie or restaurant and you'll easily spend what you would in any other southern European country. Public transport is definitely cheaper, as are leather goods and clothes. But cheaper does not mean you can blindly stuff your suitcases full of bargain-basement goods for resale back home.

Istanbul left me wide-eyed with wonder, exhaustion, history and enchantment. Mostly it surprised me. I arrived with a set of expectations and left with most of them demolished. And that, to me, is exactly how travel is supposed to be.

(via Turkey Immigration and In-Migration Urbanization Rate is 70%)

Turkey Immigration and In-Migration Urbanization Rate is 70%

Muslims from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Sudan flock to Istanbul to get good jobs in a Muslim-friendly and economically viable city. Turkey is 70% urban while the rest of the world is only 51% urban.

Mollatasi Street in Istanbul reminds me of a 1940s set for a movie about immigration. The street is choked with immigrants primarily because the detention center for immigrants is in this neighborhood and many of them are waiting for family members to be allowed into the country. These people often settle near where they are released. This looks like the old Istanbul before the two million turned into twelve million. Turkey is primarily affected by internal migration and is also a spinning top for migration to Europe from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Sudan. Sudanese go first to Libya and then on to Turkey. Turkey is very late to the party as far as effectively managing immigration, which is one of the factors they must deal with for EU membership. They are still operating with a 1951 law that limits immigration to only wealthy west European countries. Meanwhile Africa receives more refugees than Europe. 250,000 foreigners seek a better life by moving through Turkey, but few want to stay. But according to the head UNHCR immigration lawyer, if you are Muslim you tend to stay longer.

Part 3 of what has inadvertently turned into a series on Turkish women in academia.

New APPS's analysis of 'why' women are better represented in Turkish academia than elsewhere:

04 May 2013

Why are there so many female academics in Turkey?

Feminist philosophers drew attention to this THE article on gender equality in academia. The article highlights striking differences between countries on gender participation in academia, with a 47% female participation rate in Turkey, and an abysmal 12.7% in Japan as two extremes (see the map through the link). For most of my academic career, I have studied and worked in Belgium, where gender participation is very poor (it's one of the red countries on the map). Only 13% of full professors in Belgium are women. In the EU, only Cyprus and Luxembourg do worse. In this post, I want to examine causes for the disparity (the high % in Turkey; the low % in Belgium), drawing amongst others on personal experience, and on this highly relevant article on Turkish academia.

First, some preliminary puzzling observations. Turkey has overall a low participation of women in the labor market (e.g., only 28% compared to Belgium's 48% - that is not very high, but significantly higher than Turkey). Turkey scores lower than Belgium on the gender inequality index (i.e., more gender inequality): Belgium is ranked 12, Turkey 68. Turkey also has a lower proportion of females graduating from college (42.9%) than the EU countries, including Belgium.

So why does Turkey have better academic representation of women, even compared to countries with a high egalitarianism, such as Norway or Sweden? Healey et al. rely on historical data, qualitative interviews and comparative data analysis, finding that there are various historical and contextual factors at work.

There is a long history of state ideology that promoted increased participation in the Turkish academic labor force. In the 1920s, the new Turkish republic sought to secularize and reform higher education, leading to an entry of female lecturers in Turkish higher education as early as 1920-1930. Although there were few explicit gender equality policies in place, the Kemalist principles promoted gender equality against a strong tradition of sex segregation originating from the Ottoman times. Compare this to Belgium. In Leuven, girls were only allowed to be students in 1920, and of course there were no female lecturers at that time. It was only in the 1960s that higher education became generally accepted as a choice for young women. I do not have data for when female lecturers (all levels) appeared in Belgium, but anecdotally this seems not earlier than the 1970s. So the historical perception of women as capable academics is far more culturally entrenched in Turkey than in Belgium , and there is a much longer history of women in academia.

In Turkey, academia was and still is regarded as a female-appropriate career choice. As Healey et al. explain "academic career were historically and socially constructed and sex-typed as ‘safe’ and ‘proper’ choices for graduate women in Turkey. Women were socially encouraged to take up professional employment, as opposed to entrepreneurial or commercial careers, since these were considered harmonious with the potent image of ‘a respectful Turkish woman’" (p. 253). Interestingly, Turkey has a lower disparity between men and women who graduate in science subjects than most EU countries. So gender stereotypes (that women would be less capable of doing research than men, or less qualified for some forms of research, like physics, philosophy or mathematics) do not play a large role in Turkey as they do in Belgium. In Belgium today, unfortunately, there is still a widespread perception that women are not as capable academics as men. This is hard to quantify, but I have talked to many male academics who keep on insisting on innate gender differences, backing their claims up with dubious evolutionary psychological research that seems to indicate that women are less ambitious or have different minds that make them less suitable for academic research, etc. Many senior male academics I know accept the innate gender difference story, and thus even feel that policies to increase women's participation in Belgian academia would be at the expense of quality. In fact, whenever there is a debate on affirmative action, I often hear the worry that any form of affirmative action will lead to a decrease in quality and excellence.

A significant expansion of the universities in Turkey starting the 1990s (with the number of state universities going from 29 to 76 between 1990 and 2004) created increased demand for academics and opportunities for career mobility for both men and women in Turkish academia. There was an increase of 75% full professors, many of those positions were filled by women. In Belgium, the gender gap in academia is decreasing, but unfortunately, economic recession in the EU has markedly decreased the number of new hires. Retiring (mostly male) professors are usually replaced not by new faculty, but by temporary lecturers. So even if more women are hired, it will take a very long time at this rate to close the gender gap.

The promotion system in Turkish tertiary education is more transparent compared to other countries. Vacancies for full professor have to be advertised, and criteria for promotion to full professor are clear and transparent, with a well-defined list of criteria. These do not make any explicit reference to gender equality, but it nevertheless results in greater equality of access to full professorial posts than in many other countries, where such standardization is rare. This transparency compares very favorably to both the Netherlands or Belgium, where many full professors are recruited through closed procedures, i.e., the position is never advertised. Many people are perpetually stuck at the level of assistant professor, despite an impressive research portfolio. Lack of transparency in hiring and promotion, even when supplemented by gender-equality promoting policies, is to the detriment of women. When Dutch departments try to fill a research chair or other prestigious position they look for people in their immediate network, and those people tend to be men. In Belgium and the Netherlands, even if a faculty position is formally advertised, there is often already a favored candidate who will take up the position, often someone who has been groomed for the position for years before it becomes vacant (e.g., a postdoc at the same institution). Unfortunately, men seem to have more access to this form of privilege than women. Other, more transparent procedures such as the Odysseus scheme also seem to favor men disproportionally. This scheme offers prestigious chairs at Belgian universities to foreigners, or to people who have established their academic career elsewhere, through a competition, with a generous start up grant. But in order to compete, a Belgian university has to sponsor one's application (i.e., in practice, a department has to nominate a candidate). The importance of informal networks here again favors men disproportionately, as can be seen in the recent list of awarded grants (of 59 grants awarded, only 6 appear to be to women, only 10%)

The qualitative interviews of Healey et al. revealed that women academics often relied on employed domestic help. Many academic women were married to academic partners, and relying on domestic help allowed them to cope with the traditional gender patterns that are still prevalent in Turkey. Nevertheless, Turkish people hold traditional views on gender division of labor. By contrast (and this is hard to quantify), Belgian women are still expected to work half time or take a step back once they've had a baby. Relying on domestic help, like Turkish women, is not regarded in a favorable light. As a female academic once told me, "I've dismissed my cleaning lady, because I felt that I should be doing my own housework. It's more difficult to combine with an academic career, but I feel that this is something I ought to do myself". Similarly, another female academic with several children, who was forced to quit her academic aspirations for an administrative position said "I felt I could not be a good mother to them when they needed me most. I kept on feeling my research was getting in the way of my being there for them". Undeniably, this dilemma plays for many women, but may be more starky felt by Belgian female academics than by Turkish ones, because relying on external help for the household is regarded as less appropriate for Belgian women.

In sum, the Turkish situation indicates that explicit policies promoting gender equality alone, although laudable, are not sufficient (Turkish academia even now has few such policies in place, whereas Belgium has many). It seems rather that transparency in hiring and promotion, a tradition of women in academia, a perception of women as capable academics are very important factors.

(visual aid for previous post, which featured a report from times higher education showing proportions of men and women in university staffs: red=farthest away from 50-50, purple being nearest to 50-50, and the others filling in the scale in prismatic order)

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