Most recent articles by Ceyda Nurtsch
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Artists in TurkeyArtists against Erdogan's censorship
Turkey welcomes private investors in the fields of art and culture, but artists feel oppressed by the government. Beyond censorship and commercial speculation, an alternative art scene offers some hope. Ceyda Nurtsch presents them.
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Interview with Turkish women's rights activist Selime BuyukgozeA history of resistance
The attempted rape and subsequent murder of the student Ozgecan Aslan alerted the world to violence against women in Turkey. Ceyda Nurtsch spoke with Selime Buyukgoze from the women's rights organisation Mor Cati about women's struggle for self-determination
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Kurdish in exileThe right to a mother tongue
An estimated 800,000 Kurds from various countries live in Germany. Keeping up their mother tongue has proved difficult. Ceyda Nurtsch on the efforts to maintain Kurdish language and literature in the German diaspora, and pass them on to future generations
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Interview with Turkish sociologist Nilufer Gole"There is a collective will to live together"
Prominent Turkish sociologist Nilufer Gole is a leading authority on Islamic identity and urban Muslim women. In an interview with Ceyda Nurtsch, she explains why freedom of speech is not sacred and why a new society in Europe is inevitable
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The "Museum of Crimes of Thought"Novel weapon in the fight for freedom of expression
The people behind the recently launched online "Museum of Thought Crimes" hope to raise awareness of the suppression of freedom of speech and the persecution of intellectuals in Turkey and beyond. Ceyda Nurtsch talked to one of the project's initiators, Sanar Yurdatapan
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Musica Sequenza and Burak Ozdemir: "Rameau a la Turque"Orientalising Orientalism
This is a man with a passion for fusion. In his project "Rameau a la Turque", the internationally celebrated Turkish bassoonist Burak Ozdemir builds a bridge between French Baroque and Ottoman seraglio music, creating a modern "Baroque groove". Ceyda Nurtsch attended the CD launch concert in Berlin's legendary Berghain club
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World music from Istanbul: Light in BabylonAmbassadors of peace
The band Light in Babylon plays world music from Istanbul. They came to fame on the streets of the megacity and are now playing at international festivals. Ceyda Nurtsch talked to singer Michal about the Istanbul vibe
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Interview with the Syrian blogger Aboud Saeed"When the regime lost its control, I lost my fear"
Aboud Saeed started his Facebook blog on the war in Syria with the words "I am the smartest guy on Facebook". Today he has the highest number of possible friends and thousands of followers. His status updates have been published and translated into several languages. Ceyda Nurtsch spoke to the Syrian blogger
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Interview with Choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui"I Don't Mix Cultures, I Translate"
In his work, the Belgian-Moroccan choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui combines elements from different cultures, religions and styles. In this interview with Ceyda Nurtsch, he explains how his Moroccan roots influence his perception of aesthetics and speaks about the role of art in the Arab Spring
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Interview with Turkish politician Sirri Sureyya OnderThe solution to the Kurdish conflict as a yardstick for democracy
Sirri Sureyya Onder of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) is a member of the Turkish parliament and a negotiator in the talks between Abdullah Ocalan, head of the PKK, and the Turkish state. In an interview with Ceyda Nurtsch, he expresses his thoughts on the political future of Turkey under President Erdogan and on the negotiations to solve the Kurdish conflict
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Portrait of the Turkish writer Emrah Serbes"Politics is made on the street by the people"
The young author Emrah Serbes is regarded as the "enfant terrible" of Turkish literature. Not only is he one of the most popular authors in Turkey: since the protests in Gezi Park last summer and his active participation in the resistance, many now seen him as the "writer and voice of the people". Ceyda Nurtsch met him at a reading in Berlin
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Interview with Turkish author Murathan Mungan"Politics needs a new language"
Murathan Mungan is one of Turkey's most famous authors. His works deal with topics such as the Kurdish conflict, political Islam and gender issues. Ceyda Nurtsch spoke to him about language, identity and political resistance