My articles published on Bianet—a leading independent Turkish news outlet covering human rights, migration, and civil society. The first article commemorates the anniversary of the fall of Bashar al-Assad. It follows Yaman, a thirty-one-year-old from Aleppo, as he navigates displacement, identity, and the possibility of returning home to Syria after more than a decade away. After fleeing Syria in 2012, Yaman lived in Lebanon and Türkiye, overcoming educational setbacks, societal hostility, and the challenges of rebuilding a life. The article traces his journey from initial exile to establishing roots in Istanbul, his reflections on identity and belonging, and his cautious optimism upon returning to Syria in November 2025. Through Yaman’s experiences, the story explores the personal journey of refugees, the search for belonging, and the question of home for the six million Syrians displaced during the conflict.
The second, The Great Galata Replacement, examines how tourism, rising rents, and the “selfie economy” are reshaping one of Istanbul's most storied and historic neighborhoods. I traced the transformation of Galata through the lives of three different business owners: Bayram, who arrived in the 1970s and moved from the fruit trade into the café economy; Sertaç, whose clothing boutique flourished during a quieter, more creative period; and Fatih, a graphic artist seeking to create a legacy through a museum dedicated to İstanbul’s street cats. Their stories explore what it takes to adapt and reinvent in a neighborhood where survival is never guaranteed.
All photographs taken by me, with the exception of family and archival images.
