All articles by Gizem Yarbil
Gizem Yarbil on February 26, 2010 4 Comments
Turkey, coups and the ‘Sledgehammer’ operation
Politics
Documentary tells story of Burma’s undercover journalists
Gizem Yarbil — February 10, 2010 0 Comments
This year, a documentary film that portrays the plight of these audacious undercover journalists is in the running for an Oscar as Best Documentary Feature. Burma VJ, directed by the Danish filmmaker Anders Ostergaard, tells the heroic story of Burma’s bold video journalists, armed with their battered handycams to report the uncensored truth from their country while risking torture and jail sentences
Resistance
Controversy flares over use of the word ‘Allah’ in Malaysia
Gizem Yarbil — January 17, 2010 17 Comments
Critics argue that the word “Allah” predates Islam and Christians had been using the word for generations, long before the Muslims even existed. The word is Arabic and has been used by various cultures and societies where Arabic is the main language
Religion
Kurdish activists and politicians detained in Turkey
Gizem Yarbil — January 8, 2010 0 Comments
The detention of human rights workers and elected officials for being part of an alleged “urban network” of an armed, militant group without any real proof except for speaking in parliaments and participating in film festivals, is an outright abuse of democracy and will undoubtedly stall the peace process in the region
Politics
Investigating Turkish atrocities against their Kurdish population
Gizem Yarbil — December 16, 2009 3 Comments
When I was growing up, everything I heard from Diyarbakir involved death and tragedy. Turkish media has covered the conflict extensively through the years, but generally only from the Turkish military’s point of view. Visuals of crying mothers of dead soldiers, coffins and military funerals on the evening news often accompanied our family dinners. But I don’t remember ever seeing a crying Kurdish mother or anything about the other side of the story on the news. For many of us, Kurds were the enemy, the “Other” that existed to destroy the Turkish people and the nation
Editor's Pick, Politics
Turkey, Islam and democracy: A reckoning
Gizem Yarbil — October 26, 2009 0 Comments
I think rather than going towards the East or West, Turkey is becoming more like itself. It is rediscovering its Ottoman past and coming to terms with its history and multiple identities. As long as Turkey remains democratic it will be Janus-faced, looking both to the Islamic world and Europe, just like the Ottoman Empire did for centuries
Politics
Israel condemns Turkish TV drama for “incitement”
Gizem Yarbil — October 19, 2009 3 Comments
In that case, considering the already strained relations between the two “allied” nations, the question becomes, is the Turkish government interested in enlarging the rift between the two countries? And if so, what would this say about the future of the Middle East?
Editor's Pick, Politics
Talented girls level the gender playing field in Turkey
Gizem Yarbil — September 22, 2009 1 Comment
I think it’s a huge step forward to have a professional women’s football league in Turkey; after all, it has been established in so many European countries for many years. Girls playing football or lifting heavy weights are at the beginning of a long road to establish total equality for women and men in Turkey
Editor's Pick, Politics
Portrayal of Mumbai attackers as just “extremist Islamists” ignores wider context
Gizem Yarbil — November 27, 2008 18 Comments
The disgraceful attacks in Mumbia may have been committed by Muslims, but the targets of the violence would indicate there is a wider context that is not being explored yet.
Politics
Religulous is ridiculous
Gizem Yarbil — October 8, 2008 1 Comment
Bill Maher’s latest movie, Religious, is a vainglorious and toothless attack on religion by an atheist who thinks he is actually God.
