Istanbul

Turkish breakfasts are elaborate and offer a wide variety of options eaten over the course of an hour or two. Diners are not expected to eat everything on the table. 

In Istanbul, the classic ‘Turkish breakfast’ comes under fire for food waste

Turkey is famous for its elaborate breakfasts, featuring a huge spread of a wide variety of foods that can take hours to eat. Critics say the traditional breakfast is indulgent and leads to food waste. Others say it’s part of the culture and here to stay.

In Istanbul, the classic ‘Turkish breakfast’ comes under fire for food waste
A graphic with three photos. Left to right: Wheat harvest, Tibisay Zea and a man harvesting wheat in Senegal.

VIDEO EXPLAINER: How the war in Ukraine is affecting wheat exports and food culture in Senegal

VIDEO EXPLAINER: How the war in Ukraine is affecting wheat exports and food culture in Senegal
Yevdokia, 65, hugs her son Alexander in front of their house, which was heavily damaged by Russia attack, in the retaken area of Izium, Ukraine, on Sept. 14, 2022.

VIDEO: Ukraine’s year of war, displacement and no end in sight

VIDEO: Ukraine’s year of war, displacement and no end in sight
cat on a chair

Desperate pet owners turn to illegal drug markets to cure a rare cat virus 

Desperate pet owners turn to illegal drug markets to cure a rare cat virus 
People put flowers over a memorial placed on the spot of Sunday's explosion on Istanbul's popular pedestrian Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul, Nov. 14, 2022.

Turkey detains Syrian suspect in deadly Istanbul bombing

Turkey detains Syrian suspect in deadly Istanbul bombing
neighborhood sidewalk

'How long will this continue?': People in Istanbul see their rents double as inflation soars

This summer, Turkish inflation reached levels not seen since the 1990s, and nowhere is it more clear than the rental market. Tenants are seeing their rents double, or even triple, in just one year.

'How long will this continue?': People in Istanbul see their rents double as inflation soars
Syrians sit at a coffee shop

'I'm being strangled here': Refugees returned by Turkey to Syria say conditions are bleak

In the Turkish city of Istanbul, police have continued a stepped-up campaign of random ID checks in immigrant neighborhoods. This week, officials acknowledged that 19,000 people have been deported over the past eight months. It’s not clear how many of them are Syrians.

'I'm being strangled here': Refugees returned by Turkey to Syria say conditions are bleak
In just the first month of the war, scientists reported more than 80 dolphin deaths on the Turkish coast, according to the Turkish Marine Research Foundation. 

A spate of dolphin deaths in the Black Sea prompts scientists to search for answers

Since February, hundreds of dolphins have been found dead off the coasts of Ukraine, Bulgaria and Turkey. Scientists have pointed to the war in Ukraine as a possible cause. Navy sonar systems used to locate other vessels create powerful sounds that may be disorienting the marine animals. 

A spate of dolphin deaths in the Black Sea prompts scientists to search for answers
Yörük Işık, an independent Istanbul-based geopolitical analyst, is among a small group of ship watchers —  some hobbyists, some professionals — who observe ship traffic in Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait. 

At the mouth of the Black Sea, a ship spotter watches for clues amid Ukraine war

Turkey’s ship watchers observe traffic in Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait to understand geopolitics — including the comings and goings of Russian ships amid war in Ukraine.

At the mouth of the Black Sea, a ship spotter watches for clues amid Ukraine war
Popular Russian rapper Oxxxymiron played to a packed club in Istanbul to raise funds for Ukrainians and their fight against Russia.

The new Russian diaspora finds a home in Istanbul 

More than 3 million people have fled Ukraine in the violence of the past three weeks. At the same time, a smaller, more privileged migration route is emerging in eastern cities like Istanbul.

The new Russian diaspora finds a home in Istanbul 
drawing

For this man in Istanbul, the pandemic renewed a lifelong passion for drawing 

When the pandemic hit his home city of Istanbul, Ahmet Faruk picked up an old passion: drawing. He wandered around the city, looking for forgotten, underappreciated buildings. Then, he brought them to life on the pages of his sketchbook. Lately, he has been focusing on Islamic architecture, specifically, mosque domes and minarets.

For this man in Istanbul, the pandemic renewed a lifelong passion for drawing 
A security guard stands at the entrance of the Medical Forensic Institution in Istanbul, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022.

In a Turkish border town, migrant ‘pushbacks’ from Greece turn deadly

Last week, 19 migrants froze to death near a Turkish village on the border with Greece. Their deaths shed new light on pushbacks, which witnesses say are routine.

In a Turkish border town, migrant ‘pushbacks’ from Greece turn deadly
An advertisement of Bitcoin, one of the cryptocurrencies, is displayed on a building in Hong Kong, Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021.

‘It’s a casino operation’: As Turkish lira falls, some Turks turn to cryptocurrency

Millions of people in Turkey are turning to risky cryptocurrency investments in the hopes of protecting their savings or bringing in a side income. But economist Steve Hanke calls it a "casino operation." "They’re not really investments," he said.

‘It’s a casino operation’: As Turkish lira falls, some Turks turn to cryptocurrency
Yadgar Hussein recounts her perilous journey through Eastern Europe in her living room in Erbil after being deported from Poland, Nov. 24, 2021.

‘I had no life left here’: Iraqi Kurds are at the center of the migration crisis in Europe

Iraqi Kurds fleeing the semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq have made harrowing journeys to Western Europe. Now, many are being flown back to northern Iraq, often with little to restart their lives.

‘I had no life left here’: Iraqi Kurds are at the center of the migration crisis in Europe
A Syrian grocery shop in Istanbul sells brands that are familiar to Syrian customers, such as canned meats and condensed milk.

Syrian refugees and migrants in Turkey face a difficult decision to return home 

Millions of Syrians are wrestling with the tough choice to return to Syria after 10 years of civil war. In Turkey, the COVID-19 pandemic hit some Syrians so hard that they returned home, only to regret it.

Syrian refugees and migrants in Turkey face a difficult decision to return home