Dalia Mortada

Dalia Mortada is a freelance reporter, producer, traveler and eater. A Syrian-American who spent her childhood and summers in Spain, she’s used to not quite fitting in, so she lives in Istanbul, where she definitely doesn’t belong.

In November 2011, I bid tearful farewells to my loved ones in Virginia and hopped on a one-way flight to Istanbul. Not once did it cross my mind that the job I left my life for could be a dud.

It was.

After just six weeks, I left my gig at a local English-language newspaper. I edited and wrote for local magazines before I jumped into radio in late 2012, when a wonderful friend and colleague told me, “Just do it.” My love affair with audio went from a dream to a reality.

About six months after I filed my first radio story, Turkey erupted into protests, and I was in the right place at the right time. Ever since, I’ve reported feature stories on social issues for PRI’s The World, the CBC, Deutsche Welle and others.

My choice to go abroad came from a nagging case of wanderlust as I wrapped up a six-month stint at the PBS NewsHour in their desk assistant program. Armed with the skills I learned there and my mentors’ support, I made it to Turkey on two weeks’ notice.

I chose Istanbul partly because it was the first place I got a job. But mostly, I did it to be close to aging relatives in Syria, Turkey’s neighbor to the south. Sadly, the continuing violence has made it too dangerous to visit them.

When I’m not working, I’m feeding unsuspecting loved ones and street animals my culinary experiments, improving my Turkish by watching dating TV shows, playing fetch with my cats or professing my love for all creatures awkwardly long-necked: llamas, camels, giraffes…

Loury Rasheed

She missed five years of school because of the Syrian war. She won’t let that happen to her little brother.

She says it's too late for her but some Syrian kids finally get a chance in Turkish schools.

She missed five years of school because of the Syrian war. She won’t let that happen to her little brother.
The World

Myanmar's Inle Lake is just one small body of water, but this man is dedicating his life to saving it

Myanmar's Inle Lake is just one small body of water, but this man is dedicating his life to saving it
A man waves a Turkish flag at Taksim Square in Istanbul on July 16 after a coup attempt.

My local grocer knew the Turkish coup would fail. He's seen successful coups before.

My local grocer knew the Turkish coup would fail. He's seen successful coups before.
Banners are hanging all over Istanbul with different messages of unity and anti-terrorism. This one says, "We are one against terror."

Turks 'will not get used to' terror attacks in their country

Turks 'will not get used to' terror attacks in their country
Syrian food laid out on a table.

Syrian food is this reporter's connection to her family's homeland

Syrian food is this reporter's connection to her family's homeland
French sign

Is Beirut the codeswitching capital of the world?

In Beirut, most people don't just speak one language but three: English, French & Arabic. It's what many in Beirut call Lebanon's mother tongue — and speakers will often drift from one language to the next, mid-sentence.

Is Beirut the codeswitching capital of the world?
A sleepy cat in Istanbul.

More needs to be done to take care of these ridiculously cute cats in Istanbul

We're always taught to be wary of street animals. But in Istanbul, they're a fixture in the city, whether locals like it or not.

More needs to be done to take care of these ridiculously cute cats in Istanbul
Görkem Şen plays the Yaybahar with the Marmara Sea in the background. He hopes his instrument will soon be as common as a violin or cello.

It's not Space Odyssey, it's the Yaybahar

The Yaybahar was created about six years ago as a mix of all sorts of instruments: the Australian didgeridoo, the Turkish Ney and, most importantly, the thunder drum, a small cylindrical instrument that has two drum-like membranes linked by a spring.

It's not Space Odyssey, it's the Yaybahar
Chef Wareef Kassem Hamedo.

The making of a Syrian refugee celebrity chef — in Gaza

Chef Wareef Kassem Hamedo believes food isn’t just food, it has a soul. He dreamed of opening a restaurant in his hometown of Aleppo, Syria. As the conflict there rages on, Hamedo has finally opened his restaurant — but as a refugee in Gaza.

The making of a Syrian refugee celebrity chef — in Gaza
A scene from the hit Israeli TV show "Fouda."

Hit TV show 'Fauda' highlights the chaos of the Israeli-Palestinian divide, gets picked up by Netflix

"The Wire" of Israel has finished its first season and both Israelis and Palestinians are anxiously awaiting more. The show, called "Fauda" — "chaos" in Arabic, is about Israeli spies and Palestinian terrorists, and neither side is all hero nor all villain.

Hit TV show 'Fauda' highlights the chaos of the Israeli-Palestinian divide, gets picked up by Netflix
Old and new houses sit side by side in the southern Turkish village of Kafro.

Southern Turkish town finds fame in a pizza oven

In today’s Kafro, the old, decrepit houses are a reminder of the past, while a new planned community sits at the entrance to the village. The Syriac Christians of Kafro abandoned their homes decades ago during a civil war between Kurdish separatists and the Turkish government.

Southern Turkish town finds fame in a pizza oven
Armen Demircian says he's found a home at this recently restored Armenian Church in Diyarbakir, Turkey — though he's not a Christian.

One man in Turkey struggles with his long-hidden Armenian identity

What happens when you find out you're not who you thought you were? One man in Turkey discovered his father was a victim of the Armenian Genocide, and he's been embracing and struggling with that identity ever since.

One man in Turkey struggles with his long-hidden Armenian identity
dalia koya

'I am strong — I am not a victim,' says this Turkish 'co­-mayor'

Married off before graduating high school, spending years in an abusive relationship, 34-year-old Berivan Elif Kilic rises to become one of 46 women appointed ''co-mayors'' of communities in Turkey. “I want other women to take over after I’m done,” she says.

'I am strong — I am not a victim,' says this Turkish 'co­-mayor'
Kangaroo Care Ethiopia

With 'kangaroo care,' parents can save their premature babies, just by holding them

Infant mortality rates have been improving greatly in Ethiopia, but hospitals are still not well-equipped to handle care for babies born prematurely. Enter "kangaroo care," a technique originally developed in South America to keep premature babies in skin-to-skin contact with an adult during early, crucial weeks or months of development.

With 'kangaroo care,' parents can save their premature babies, just by holding them
A woman shouts slogans during a demostration in Istanbul against the murder of a young woman named Özgecan Aslan.

In Turkey, sometimes it takes a hashtag to be heard

Thousands of Turkish women took to the streets over the weekend to protest the murder of a 20-year-old woman. Özgecan Aslan was killed after fending off a bus driver who tried to rape her. #sendeanlat (#tellyourstory) began trending on Twitter as thousands of women shared their own horrific stories of sexual harassment and violence.

In Turkey, sometimes it takes a hashtag to be heard