When Aatish Taseer first traveled to the Turkish city, he was closeted and just beginning his writing career. This time, he explores revolutions personal and political.
Tag Archives: Istanbul (Turkey)
Ukraine War Divides Orthodox Faithful
Around the world, national churches, parishes and even families are reassessing relations with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, who has encouraged Russia’s aggression.
Turkey Transfers Khashoggi Murder Trial to Saudi Arabia
The move will almost certainly end the last trial aimed at serving justice for a heinous crime that caused global outrage.
Sanctioned Oligarch’s Presence Adds Intrigue to Ukraine-Russia Talks
Roman Abramovich, sanctioned owner of the Chelsea Football Club, mysteriously showed up at the talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul, and is said to be playing an unofficial role.
Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks Enter a New Phase in Istanbul
“All the world is expecting good news from you,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in greeting the Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
‘Things Will Only Get Worse.’ Putin’s War Sends Russians Into Exile.
Thousands of Russians saw their comfortable, middle-class lives fade overnight with the invasion ordered by President Vladimir V. Putin.
Heavy Snow Strands Motorists in Greece and Turkey
In areas more used to dealing with extreme heat, blizzard conditions caused chaos on roads and at airports.
Cashing In Grandma’s Gold Coins, a Turkish Family Struggles to Get By
As inflation soars and the value of Turkey’s currency plummets, one couple described how working families can’t make ends meet and have had to cut back on basic necessities as well as life’s smaller pleasures.
Many Turks Can’t Afford Bread, and Bakers Can’t Afford to Make It
Squeezed by rising costs, price controls and plunging sales, bakers warn of ruin, while their impoverished former customers line up for government-supplied loaves.
Wrong Man Arrested Over Khashoggi Killing, France Says
The French authorities released a Saudi man who shared the name and age of a suspect in the murder of the dissident writer, saying it was a case of mistaken identity.
Turkey Claims to Have ‘Captured’ Cleric’s Relative in Kenya
The removal of a Turkish citizen from his home in Kenya is part of the crackdown by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on those he sees as connected to a failed 2016 coup.
Afghans Fleeing Home Are Filling the Lowliest Jobs in Istanbul
After years working on American bases in Afghanistan and fearful of the Taliban, Afghans are heading to Turkey and Europe.
Chair Incident Was Sign of Enduring Sexism, E.U. Leader Says
“Would this have happened if I had worn a suit and a tie?” asked Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, after she was left standing during a summit in Turkey this month.
Biden’s Dilemmas, Part 1: Punishing Saudi Arabia
In the first of two parts about what we’re learning about the current administration, we look at the president’s approach to justice in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
Biden Won’t Penalize Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi’s Killing, Fearing Relations Breach
The decision will disappoint the human rights community and members of his own party who complained during the Trump administration that the U.S. was failing to hold Mohammed bin Salman accountable.
Why Medical Tourism Is Drawing Patients, Even in a Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has devastated medical tourism, but pent-up demand remains for affordable treatment in foreign lands.
Turkey’s Coffeehouses, a Hub of Male Social Life, May Not Survive Virus
Coffeehouses, mainstays of Turkish neighborhoods for centuries, are suffering under pandemic restrictions — particularly a ban on games. Regulars fear losing “our jokes, our laughter.”
Istanbul Is Locking Down. But Not if You’re a Tourist.
The city’s strict weekend curfew doesn’t apply to foreign visitors, who are free to roam the city, even as Turkey’s Covid-19 cases spike.
When Does an Enemy’s Cultural Heritage Become One’s Own?
The cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh may offer new hope for the preservation of threatened monuments everywhere.
Turkey’s Finance Minister Resigns Amid Pressures of Sliding Economy
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s son-in-law, who is known for his ties to the Trump White House, said he was quitting as Turkey’s lira tumbles and its economy worsens.
Jamal Khashoggi’s Killing is Focus of ‘Kingdom of Silence’ and ‘The Dissident’
“Kingdom of Silence,” due Friday, and “The Dissident,” due Dec. 18, revisit the killing of the Saudi journalist Khashoggi in Turkey in 2018.
Turkey Braces for Yet Another Currency Crisis
A sharp drop in the value of the lira is testing businesses and residents while they are coping with the pandemic.
Erdogan Reopens Turkey’s Hagia Sophia as a Mosque
The Muslim faithful celebrated the decision by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, even as it generated dismay among Christians and architectural conservators.
Turkish Court Clears Way for Hagia Sophia to Be Used as a Mosque Again
The decision to revoke its 80-year-old status as a museum would allow it to become a place of worship but is likely to provoke an international furor.
In Turkey’s Soccer League, the Super Lig’s Giants Face a Reckoning
Turkish soccer, hobbled by fallen giants and rife with conspiracy theories, can no longer match Europe’s powerhouses. Fixing its problems will require the one trait no one seems to have.
Erdogan Talks of Making Hagia Sophia a Mosque Again, to International Dismay
The World Heritage site was once a potent symbol of Christian-Muslim rivalry, and it could become one once more.
Turkey Court Sentences U.S. Consulate Employee to Over 8 Years in Prison
Ignoring U.S. arguments that the charges were baseless, a court convicted Metin Topuz of aiding the group that Turkey accuses of masterminding a 2016 coup attempt.
Khashoggi’s Son Says Family Pardons His Father’s Killers
The pardon effectively ends the prospect that any of the men who killed Jamal Khashoggi will be executed.
Pick a Card and Be Transported: 7 Board Games From Around the World
Design the Sagrada Família in Barcelona or wander through Edo-era Japan. These games are about learning and exploring, not winning.
In Istanbul Under Lockdown, Baklava Makers Are Essential Workers
A strict weekend curfew quiets the city’s joyous commotion, but offers up new moments of breathtaking beauty, both spiritual and natural. And essential sweets are still delivered.