Özgür Öğret

çevreye verdiğimiz rahatsızlıktan dolayı iftihar ederiz

Turkey

Istanbul based journalist; focusing mostly on press freedom & rock'n'roll. Turkey representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Regular contributor to Turkish music magazine Headbang; occasional stringer for various media outlets. Formerly worked at/for: Hürriyet Daily News, Bianet, setimes.com & Blue Jean.

Portfolio
Nytimes
04/24/2016
Turkey's Crackdown on Critics of Erdogan Snares Dutch Journalist

ISTANBUL - Ebru Umar, a Dutch journalist, last week wrote a column critical of Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and his government's growing crackdown on freedom of expression. She later took to Twitter, criticizing supporters of Mr. Erdogan and using a profanity.

Cpj
03/16/2016
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of March 13

Erdoğan equates critical journalists with terrorists Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan today suggested that journalists calling for his resignation were allied with terrorists, revisiting a theme he has stressed with increasing regularity in recent weeks. "So he is a columnist, stating his opinion. I am not interested in whatever you may be.

Nytimes
09/25/2015
Hajj Tragedy Inflames Schisms During a Pilgrimage Designed for Unity

BEIRUT, Lebanon - For the two million Muslims from across the world performing the hajj in Saudi Arabia this year, the annual pilgrimage is a time to forget the differences in race, sect, wealth and even nationality that divide believers and focus instead on their equality before God.

Cpj
02/02/2015
Hope for justice still frail in Hrant Dink's 2007 murder case

The murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, founder and managing editor of the weekly Agos newspaper, is still under investigation in Turkey. But despite arrests last month in the eight-year-old case, Dink's family and colleagues are worried justice will still not be served.

Cpj
12/15/2014
Kadri Bağdu

Bağdu, 46, was shot multiple times by two unidentified men on a motorcycle who approached him from the back, according to local reports. Bağdu had been on his bicycle delivering issues of the pro-Kurdish daily Azadiya Welat in Adana. He sought treatment at a local hospital, but died a few hours later, reports said.

Nytimes
09/27/2014
Turkey Inching Toward Alliance With U.S. in Syria Conflict

KARACA, Turkey - No American ally is closer to the threat of the Islamic State than Turkey, and no country could play a more important role in a coalition that President Obama is assembling to combat the extremist Sunni militants.

Setimes
06/10/2014
Media groups remain concerned about press freedom

While the number of journalists in jail has dropped, experts say there are still numerous obstacles to media freedom. By Ozgur Ogret for SES Türkiye in Istanbul -- 16/06/14 Despite the significant decline in the number of imprisoned journalists, Turkey's press freedom problems remain according to experts and professional groups.

CPJ.org
06/03/2013
Reports of anti-press attacks amid Turkey protests

The press has come under fire from both government officials and protesters amid nationwide demonstrations in Turkey, with instances of attacks, obstruction, detention, and vandalism being reported, according to news accounts and local journalists.

Setimes
05/20/2014
Idea for exclusive LGBT prison draws scrutiny

Reforms are a more practical way to protect LGBT prisoners, experts say. By Ozgur Ogret for SES Türkiye in Istanbul -- 22/05/14 Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag's announcement that the government may build an exclusive prison for LGBT convicts to protect their rights has drawn criticism from experts and activists, who say LGBT rights can be more efficiently protected with improvements to existing conditions.

Setimes
05/06/2014
Two groups mark beginnings of organised atheism in Turkey

The two organisations seek to provide an outlet for Turkey's non-religious citizens. By Ozgur Ogret for SES Türkiye in Istanbul -- 08/05/14 The formation of two atheist organisations marks a milestone for religious tolerance in Turkey, as the groups provide a forum for citizens who wish to reduce the role of religion in society.

Telegraph
03/30/2014
Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces down opponents in Turkish vote

Municipal elections are usually a low-key affair in Turkey, but this year mayoral candidates for the AKP, his party, have been forced into the back seat, as Mr Erdogan campaigned vigorously to shore up support. He criticised his opponents for the leaks, saying those responsible were "traitors".

Telegraph
03/21/2014
Turkey's Erdogan faces backlash over Twitter ban

Mr Erdogan is ensnared in a corruption scandal, which he says is orchestrated by his "enemies", who he claims are using social media to wage the battle. The social platform had become a fertile ground for sharing links to leaked recordings that purport to capture corrupt deals being made by members of his administration and even his by own son.

Setimes
02/25/2014
New internet law could impact the economy, analysts say

President Abdullah Gul's approval of the new internet law came as a disappointment to many in and outside of Turkey. By Ozgur Ogret for SES Türkiye in Istanbul -- 27/02/14 The new internet provision signed into law by President Abdullah Gul will protect privacy on the internet, the government said.

Setimes
02/11/2014
New internet law draws criticism

Turkey's government says new internet regulations will improve privacy and security online, but the law has a host of detractors. By Ozgur Ogret for SES Türkiye in Istanbul -- 11/02/14 Facing criticism from media organisations, political opposition and the diplomatic community, Turkey's government stood behind a new internet law, saying the measure is a precaution to secure the privacy of individuals and not a means to increase censorship.

Setimes
12/24/2013
Press freedom debate continues as journalist is freed from prison

Press freedom is back in the public spotlight following an Istanbul court's release of imprisoned reporter Mustafa Balbay and publication of a report calling Turkey the world's leading jailer of journalists. The number of jailed journalists dropped from 61 to 40, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

SES Türkiye
09/03/2013
Sociologist Pınar Selek's unending battle with Turkish courts

After trials spanning 15 years and three acquittals, sociologist Pinar Selek is facing a life sentence in prison for her alleged role in an Istanbul explosion -- a case that has drawn intense domestic and international criticism over its many turns

SES Türkiye
08/20/2013
Journalists criticise Ergenekon verdict

The sentencing of more than a dozen journalists in the Ergenekon verdict is a blow against the Turkish media, press freedom advocates said.

The Media Line
07/24/2013
Turkish Media Struggle with Lawsuits, Government Oppression

Turkish journalists today marked the 105th anniversary of the cancellation of censorship. Until 1908, all papers were inspected by Ottoman officials before being printed. Yet, the Turkish media still has a long way to go before it can be called a free press.

SES Türkiye
07/22/2013
Bill on engineers' union stirs controversy

A new law backed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) adjusting the authority of the semi-official Turkish Union for Chambers of Architects and Engineers (TMMOB) has sparked controversy, with the union calling it a vindictive act and the government saying it is needed.

SES Türkiye
07/13/2013
At least 8,121 hurt, six killed in protests

The unrest that started in Turkey at Istanbul's Gezi Park resulted in more than 8,000 injuries and six deaths, including one police officer who fell off a bridge while chasing protesters, according to the Turkish Medical Association (TTB).

The Media Line
07/02/2013
Turks and Kurds Talk Peace

The decades-long conflict between the Turkish government and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is closer to an end than it ever has been before thanks to the ongoing peace negotiations, despite setbacks on both sides.

CPJ.org
06/17/2013
Journalists detained, beaten, obstructed in Istanbul

Anti-press violence intensified in Istanbul on Sunday as police aggressively sought to obstruct reporters covering demonstrations against the government, according to news reports and CPJ interviews.

CPJ.org
05/31/2013
Journalists hurt as police disperse Istanbul protest

At least two journalists were reported injured today as Turkish police trained water cannons and tear gas on peaceful protesters in the city's central Taksim Square, according to news accounts and CPJ interviews.

CPJ.org
05/18/2013
News blackout deepens Turkey press freedom doubts (blog)

When twin car bombs shook the district of Reyhanli in Turkey's southeastern province of Hatay near the Syrian border last Saturday, killing at least 51 people and wounding dozens of others, a local court issued a gag order on all news coverage of the attack.

Setimes
05/02/2013
DHKP-C: A marginal organisation with a history of violence

The group's latest attack will alienate its dwindling base, analysts say. By Ozgur Ogret for SES Türkiye in Istanbul -- 05/02/13 The terrorist bombing at the US embassy in Ankara by the outlawed Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) is likely to further erode the leftist group's negligible base of support, analysts told SES Türkiye.

SETimes.com
08/29/2011
KCK trial at an impasse (reportage)

Going into its second year, the KCK trial has advanced little, while it has spawned several political crises that have brought efforts to resolve the Kurdish issue to a standstill.

Bianet
07/12/2011
"KCK, PKK’nin Legalleşme Hamlesi"

Diyarbakır Baro Başkanı Aktar, BDP’nin Meclis boykotuyla tekrar gündeme gelen KCK davası bağlamında KCK örgütlenmesine çözüm odaklı bakılması gerektiği ve sürecin Kürt halkının çözüm umutlarını tükettiği görüşünde.

CPJ.org
05/23/2013
Hrant Dink murder to be retried, but concerns remain (blog)

A decision last week in the murder case of Hrant Dink will lead to a retrial, but Dink's supporters are still not satisfied. The ruling on May 15 by Turkey's Supreme Court of Appeals in Ankara acknowledged that there was a criminal conspiracy to murder the ethnic Armenian journalist, but stopped short of opening the way to a deeper investigation into potential involvement by Turkey's powerful institutions.

Bianet
08/10/2011
‘Sansür ve Otosansür Yok’ Diyen Yok

Bilgi Üniversitesi'nden Yrd. Doç. Dr. Arsan'ın editör ve muhabirlerle yaptığı araştırma gerek sansür, gerekse otosansürün medyada içselleştirildiğini ortaya koyuyor.

CPJ.org
04/08/2013
Turkey peace talks positive; press freedom still in peril (blog)

Today, hope for peace between the government of Turkey and Kurdish rebels is closer than ever to becoming reality. A resolution to the conflict, after more than 30 years, could have ramifications for Turkey's standing as the world's worst jailer of journalists. According to CPJ research, three-quarters of the journalists imprisoned in Turkey are from the pro-Kurdish media.

Bianet
08/06/2011
Siyah ve Eşcinsel Bir Örümcek-Adam

Örümcek-Adam öldü mü, ıssız acun kaldı mı şeklinde bir bilgi kirliliğine maruz kalalı kısa süre geçmişti ki şimdi de yeni Örümcek-Adam’ın siyah ve eşcinsel olacağına dair haberler çıkmaya başladı. Peki, bütün bunlar doğru mu? Hem evet, hem hayır, hem de belki…

SES Türkiye
01/29/2013
Anti-terror sweep draws criticism

Police have carried out several raids against the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), but domestic and international observers are assailing the detention of human rights lawyers, musicians and journalists.

Bianet
07/23/2011
Sexen, Ferec, Vortex Of Clutter

Türkiye’deki metal grupları arasında gerek duruş, gerekse siyasi içerik bakımından çoğunluktan ayrı yerlerde duran üç grup: Sexen, Ferec ve Vortex Of Clutter, alternatifin alternatifi olmayı bianet’e anlattılar.

CPJ.org
01/22/2013
Several journalists jailed in new Turkish crackdown

Turkish authorities should halt their practice of jailing journalists on vague anti-terror charges and allow the local press to report freely without fear of imprisonment or harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

SES Türkiye
01/09/2013
Imam Hatip schools spark debate on secularism

Halfway through the first academic year of the new 4+4+4 education system, Imam Hatip middle schools are operating for the first time since 1997 amid a debate over the role of secularism in education.

SES Türkiye
02/06/2012
Despite growth, income inequality persists

The numbers on income and living conditions may be questioned by experts of different backgrounds, but they all agree there is a wealth distribution problem on some level.

Bianet
07/28/2011
Gazeteciye ‘Meslekten Men’ Cezası

Gazeteciyi kamu görevlisi sayan bir mahkeme, yazdığı haber yüzünden Kırşehir Postası çalışanı Havva Karakaya’yı 375 gün meslekten men etti. Kararın Yargıtay’da bozulması bekleniyor.

Bianet
07/23/2011
Şimdi Gündem Otosansür

Bu pazar basında sansürün kaldırılışının 103. yıldönümü. Basına devlet eliyle sansür ve bunun yanında otosansürün gündemde olduğu şu sıralarda ayakları yere basan bir tarışma yürütebilmek büyük resme objektif bir bakış gerektiriyor.

SETimes.com
06/18/2011
Turkish bloggers analyze election results

The Justice and Development Party (AKP) won half the votes, but the entry of all major political parties makes for a more representative parliament ahead of expected reforms.

Hürriyet Daily News
11/06/2010
Gap remains between Turkey and EU, EP politician says (interview)

Turkey remains on the path to the European Union, yet there are still many vast cultural and political differences remaining between the country and the bloc, according to liberal European Parliament politician Marietje Schaakewho recently visited Istanbul.

Hürriyet Daily News
01/04/2011
Turkish court: Lock 'em up, toss away key

Unconvicted prisoners are being released from Turkish jails as part of a law that caps the maximum period inmates can be incarcerated without sentencing at 10 years. But while some have gone free, experts say the court ruling fails to align with EU standards despite that being the stated goal of the legal reform that came into effect with the new year

Bianet
07/27/2011
Adım Adım Dink Cinayeti

Avukat Fethiye Çetin mahkemeye sundukları kamera kayıtlarını cinayet mahallinin bir krokisiyle göstererek Hrant Dink’i vuran Ogün Samast’ın yalnız olmadığı tezlerini bir kere daha dil getirdi.

Bianet
07/26/2011
Çetin: ‘Bu Dava Üzerine Gidilmezse Bitirilecek’

Ogün Samast'ın Hrant Dink cinayetinden hüküm giymesinin ardından düzenlenen basın toplantısında, Dink ailesi avukatı Çetin "Dink Davası"ndaki usulsüzlükler ve ihmaller konusundaki şikayetlerini bir kez daha dile getirdi.

SES Türkiye
08/22/2012
AKP-Alevi relations in the spotlight

Nearly three years since the Alevi Opening was launched by the ruling AKP, Alevi groups and the government remain at odds as the process comes to a near standstill.

Hürriyet Daily News
11/22/2010
White Turks, Black Turks and grey debate

Every so often, the term 'Beyaz Türk' (White Turk) pops up in the Turkish press, sparking debate among the media and the public alike. But what exactly is a White Turk anyway?

SETimes.com
07/26/2011
Dink triggerman sentenced

The confessed killer of journalist Hrant Dink was sentenced by a juvenile court in Istanbul on Monday.

SETimes.com
06/08/2011
A visit to Yassiada (photo gallery)

Yassıada, a small member of the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara, was the stage of political trials after the first military coup on May 27th 1960.

Hürriyet Daily News
10/19/2010
Uncovering a real headscarf debate in Turkey (interview)

With the headscarf debate squarely in the county’s spotlight since Turkey’s top post-secondary education board commented on women attending university classes in headscarves a month ago, sociologist and activist Hilal Kaplan says the government must address the worries of those who oppose the headscarf while not compromising on covered women’s basic rights. ‘Covered women want to be a part of the country’s modernization process,” she says

Hürriyet Daily News
12/30/2010
Before and after a demilitarization promise in Turkey

The disparity between what the referendum appeared to foresee and what the AKP now seems to be delivering has many wondering if the vow to rein in the military was only an empty campaign promise.

Hürriyet Daily News
10/15/2010
The 'civil death' of conscientious objection in Turkey (interview)

The fact that conscientious objection does not exist in Turkish law pushes the conscientious objector to underground, says Mehmet Tarhan, who recently received the 2010 International Hrant Dink Award in the name of all conscientious objectors in Turkey. "You officially cease to eist," he adds.

Hürriyet Daily News
10/11/2010
Turkey's headscarf ban one from which no one graduates

Authorities have failed to explain why women’s employment has retreated in Turkey over the last two decades, even though it has risen in OECD and other Muslim-majority countries, according to the author of a new report that explores the economic and social ramifications of the ban on the Islamic headscarf for highly educated professional women

Hürriyet Daily News
12/24/2010
Turkey: Where the streets have too many names

Constantly changing street names in Turkey are vexing for taxi drivers and delivery people, but also have larger impacts on urban life. Whether a geographic location is renamed for political or other reasons, the alteration erases the historical and cultural fabric of a city, experts say, calling for regulations on such changes to be better defined

Hürriyet Daily News
10/05/2010
Turkish enigma to remain one more mystery

Recent claims by a retired colonel about founding JITEM, an alleged clandestine strike unit that is suspected in many unsolved murders have done little to dispel the mystery surrounding the organization. While experts say many of the colonel’s claims are unbelievable, they also call for an investigation to help shed light on dark parts of Turkey’s past

Hürriyet Daily News
09/10/2010
Authors on trial in Turkey for writing guide to Ergenekon

The ongoing Ergenekon coup investigation has netted two more journalists, Ahmet Şık and Ertuğrul Mavioğlu;and charged them with violating secrecy and trying to influence a fair trial with their reporting for a book that has been labeled as the most comprehensive guide to the inquiry.

Hürriyet Daily News
09/03/2010
Turkey's first 'Muslim objector' free but still defiant (interview)

Free to resume normal life after his recent release from a mental hospital where he was officially diagnosed as “anti-social,” Turkey’s first “Muslim objector” to military service has not wavered from his criticism of mandatory conscription.

Hürriyet Daily News
08/23/2010
Holy month of Ramadan means hassles for some Turkish non-fasters

Fasting, feasting and spiritual contemplation define Ramadan for Muslims, but some not-so-religious residents of Turkey say it's a time of traffic jams, late-night noise pollution and judgmental stares for them. The social pressure goes both ways, fasters and non-fasters say, calling for tolerance and respect for pious and secular practices alike

Hürriyet Daily News
08/11/2010
Ergenekon and Balyoz cases 'apples and oranges'?

A perceived double standard in two prominent coup-plot cases has some people crying foul, while other experts say the investigations are like 'apples and oranges.'

Hürriyet Daily News (original link broken)
05/27/2010
Turkey marks 1960 coup a half century later

As Turkey marks the 50th anniversary of the country’s first-ever military coup, present-day historians and legal experts said the coup leaders’ acts in the aftermath of the intervention were unlawful.

Hürriyet Daily News
05/27/2010
Fifty years after 1960 coup, Turkey visits ghosts of Yassıada (first person)

Five decades after the first coup swept through Turkey, an organization is seeking to erect a museum to honor democracy, commemorate those we lost and help ensure the country never forgets about Yassıada Island, where the junta trials took place. ‘I want people to bury the mentality of the time and plant seeds of peace and love,’ says a former political leader

Hürriyet Daily News
06/12/2010
Young party seeks new perspective for Turkish politics

Calling for a more independent foreign policy, greater inclusion and a more just distribution of wealth, the newly founded People’s Voice Party, or HSP, met on Saturday to elect 60 party executives.

Hürriyet Daily News
05/17/2010
Role of signature machines in Turkey's alleged coup plots debated

Confusion and disinformation about the capabilities of automated signature machines has been an on-and-off topic of dispute since the revealing last year of documents related to alleged coup plots. Manufacturer Bob Olding and lawyer Celal Ülgen, who set up a machine to fake signatures, talk to the Daily News about the devices' capabilities

Hürriyet Daily News
06/11/2010
Drama endures, no finale in sight for Turkey's Ergenekon case

As the Ergenekon case marks its third year of arrests and indictments, it remains to be seen whether the ongoing investigation will help Turkey leave behind shadowy ‘deep state’ allegations or further embroil the country in a power struggle between the ruling party and its critics.

Hürriyet Daily News
06/09/2010
Pressing for freedom: The rise of a party's partisans (series part VI-b)

The growing diversity of voices in the Turkish press has also seen the rise of pro-government outlets, including some the ruling party has turned from opponents into sympathizers. These 'partisan' outlets are not monolithic in their views, however; many publish critical op-eds and run the gamut from strongly pro-Islamic to reliably anti-military

Hürriyet Daily News
06/08/2010
Pressing for freedom: Majority rule and unruly reporters in era of AKP (series part V)

The ruling party's election saw many members of the press willing to give the new leaders a chance, but relations quickly soured as the prime minister sued one cartoonist and then another for depicting him in animal form. Both business and media groups split into pro- and anti-AKP camps, divided over how they see the party's agenda for the country

Hürriyet Daily News
04/29/2010
Freedom of the press remains elusive in Turkey

A US-based independent watchdog organization labels Turkey's press as 'partly free,' contrasting the continued harassment, pressure and threats against members of the media with an improved ability to publish diverse views, including criticism of the government.

Hürriyet Daily News
06/07/2010
Pressing for freedom: Requiring a gut feeling along with a lot of guts (series part IV)

Journalists in Turkey not only face the threat of censorship or imprisonment for writings seen as 'insulting Turkishness' or 'praising criminals'; they have also been killed for expressing their views. Members of minority groups say their publications are closely scrutinized, with one Kurdish journalist recently receiving a sentence of 166 years

Hürriyet Daily News
06/06/2010
Pressing for freedom: Democracy when? Press freedom for whom? (series part I)

Increased lawsuits against journalists and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's angry outbursts against the media have made the AKP era a challenging one for Turkey's press despite liberalization in other areas. While laws protecting freedom of the press have improved, one columnist says, there is still 'a mentality of intolerance against criticism'

Hürriyet Daily News
04/27/2010
Radikal journalist faces prison threat for reporting in Turkey

Confronted with a nine-year prison term, daily Radikal reporter İsmail Saymaz is facing a heavy penalty for doing his job. Prosecutors are claiming that Saymaz has interfered in judicial processes by reporting on the developments in the judicial crisis that broke out earlier this year. Watchdogs and fellow journalists say his case is worrying for press freedom in Turkey

Hürriyet Daily News
03/17/2010
Istanbul quake inspection leads to misunderstanding

A project that would have allowed residents in six Istanbul municipalities examine the earthquake resistance of their building does not actually exist, according to a metropolitan municipality spokesman.

Hürriyet Daily News
06/04/2010
Google new target of Turkish censors

Turkey's web users again bear the brunt of heavy-handed censorship as the Telecommunications Commication Presidency indefinitely shuts off access to several Google services, including 'Google Docs.' The move follows the banning of the popular video-sharing website YouTube for alleged insults against Turkish Republic founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

Hürriyet Daily News
02/28/2010
Freedom of (getting fired from) the press in Turkey

Newspapers, columnists and journalists' associations fire back over the weekend at Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's call Friday for writers he blamed for economic and political tensions to lose their jobs. Even columnists at some papers generally supportive of Erdoğan's governing Justice and Development, or AKP, party have critical responses to his words

Hürriyet Daily News
02/26/2010
Giovanni Scognamillo: 'Ours is a civilization of vampires' (interview)

Vampires in popular culture is hardly new. Since the 1897 classic novel of 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker, the bloodsucking undead has been a dominant figure in the field of horror fiction. However, as times change, so does the image and presentation of vampires, which does not make Giovanni Scognamillo happy at all. ‘Vampires cannot have sex’ the fantasy fiction writer and researcher objects

Hürriyet Daily News
02/26/2010
Beware the civilian-military Ides of March in Turkey (analysis)

As accusations fly and arrests continue in the alleged 'Balyoz' (Sledgehammer) coup plot that has been shaking the country for the last few weeks, the Daily News analyzes the latest skirmishes between Turkey's military, judiciary and government and what they may mean for the country

Hürriyet Daily News
05/15/2010
Assyrian-Armenian musician aims to put Turkey on metal music map (interview)

Ashmedi, founder and front man for the metal band Melechesh, is recording his new album in Istanbul with his band. Moreover, he lives in the city part time thanks to his girlfriend. The Assyrian-Armenian musician says the band is metal with Eastern sounds. The way they play their instruments is rather different than one would expect

Hürriyet Daily News
02/15/2010
Valentine's Day minus the saint (opinion)

We have imported Christmas while removing Christ some decades ago and we did it again with Valentine’s Day while also ignoring Saint Valentine.

Hürriyet Daily News
01/19/2010
Never too old for rock 'n' roll

Gökçen Kaynatan and Friends, witnesses to the evolution of Turkish popular music and pioneers of its experimentation, are still going strong. Known for their legendary shows in the 1960s, performances that were way ahead of their time and characterized by rambunctious crowds destroying concert halls, the band takes the stage at Beyoğlu Mini Müzikhol tonight

Hürriyet Daily News
01/14/2010
Religious objector to military service denies label

Enver Aydemir, the first person to object to military service on religious grounds, says he does not object to conscientious objectors. He says might join a jihad if he believes the cause is just and in pursuit of justice. However, the head of an NGO for fallen soldiers says Islam does not conflict with the Turkish military and that Aydemir cannot be a real Muslim

Hürriyet Daily News
01/11/2010
First Muslim objector unites people of different ideologies

Anti-military groups are supporting Enver Aydemir, who is under arrest for refusing to perform military service, which he says would be in conflict with his Islamic beliefs. Though he does not want to be called a conscientious objector, Aydemir's refusal to serve is bringing together supporters of different ideologies who share an anti-war stance

Hürriyet Daily News
12/27/2009
Orphaned Land: 'The warriors of light against darkness' (interview)

Israeli band Orphaned Land, the only act out of that country that has a strong following in Arab countries as well as the rest of the world, is back after six years with a new album, ‘The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR.’ Vocalist Kobi Fahri describes who the ORwarriOR is and the band’s mission as a group from one of the most troubled parts of the world

Hürriyet
12/05/2009
Travmaları ideolojikleştirmek

'Ferec', Kürtçede 'Sabah, tan kızıllığında güneş doğmadan önce gökte görülen son parlak yıldız; karanlıktan aydınlığa geçişin arifesi' anlamına geliyor.

Hürriyet Daily News
11/24/2009
'We do not want to ideologize our traumas' (interview)

Four young men from the southeastern city of Hakkari formed the first Kurdish metal band and named it Ferec. The band is a global pioneer. They recently released their debut album ‘Helîkoptêr’ in their native tongue to mark their coming. Daily News spoke to their frontman Reh Fuat on music and beyond

Radikal
11/26/2009
'Karanlığın sonuna geldik'

Kürtçe de 'karanlıktan aydınlığa geçişin arifesi' anlamına gelen Ferec grubu, ilk Kürtçe metal albümü 'Helîkoptêr'i yayımladı. Grubun vokalisti Reh Fuat, 'Biz de yaşadığımız karanlığın sonuna geldiğimiz inancındayız' diyor

Hürriyet Daily News
11/30/2009
Is Turkey's 'Sufi rock' the equivalent of Christian rock? (interview)

Musician Kağan Tayanç, who labels his music 'Sufi rock' after the tradition of Sufism, is a practicing Muslim and reflects this in his work by composing nasheeds alongside poems by Muslim poets. His debut album 'Yunus Gibi' was released this year

Hürriyet Daily News
10/27/2009
Sexen: Music for the infected generation (interview)

Sexen is a Turkish band who recently released their debut album titled 'Censored Inc' dealing with the 1980 military coup and how it still affects people in Turkey today. The band has a lot to offer, both in sound and ideas, for our chaotic times.

Hürriyet Daily News
09/20/2009
Tales from the darker side of night

‘The Other Side of the Night’ is the first solo exhibition of photographer and taxi driver Şevket Şahintaş. The exhibition reflects the dark side of Istanbul nights through the night trash collectors, homeless, night workers, prostitutes, transvestites and street animals

Radikal
08/14/2009
Bilenler bilmeyenleri ağlatsın

Neredeyse 10 yıldır bir arada olmayan, birleştiklerinde ise buraya yollarının düşeceğine ihtimal vermediğimiz Amerikalı grup Faith No More, çarşamba gecesi Küçükçiftlik Parkı'nda ortayaşlı hayranlarına unutulmaz bir gece yaşattı

Blue Jean/Headbang
07/01/2009
Ian Gillan: "İstanbul seyircisi dünyanın..."

Bu yaz Deep Purple ile yeni bir randevumuz var. Hard Rock'ın dünyadaki en prestijli gruplarından birini yeniden sahnede göremeden önce vokalistleri Ian Gillan ile DP, solo albümü, müzisyenlik ve Türkiye üzerine konuştuk