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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Social Justice

Elections in Turkey Signal an End to the Presidential Party’s Influence

The defeat of President Erdoğan's candidate for Istanbul mayor is a sign that Turkey's most powerful political party is losing its influence after nearly two decades of control.

Gary M. Grossman

Police move to disperse thousands of people marching down Istiklal Street during a rally for International Women's Day in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 8th, 2019.

Viewfinder: Istanbul Police Disperse International Women’s Day Rally

Police tried to break up the rally as marchers moved down Istiklal Street.

Pacific Standard Staff

ProtestErs react after Turkish anti-riot police used tear gas against women's rights activists marching to protest against gender violence in Istanbul, on November 25th, 2018, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Viewfinder: Police Fire Tear Gas on Women’s Rights Activists in Turkey

ProtestErs react after Turkish anti-riot police used tear gas against women's rights activists marching to protest against gender violence in Istanbul.

Pacific Standard Staff

Turkish people break their fasting in Istanbul on May 28th, 2018, during the holy month of Ramadan.

News in Brief

Viewfinder: Breaking Ramadan Fasting in Istanbul

Turkish people break their fasting in Istanbul on May 28th, 2018, during the holy month of Ramadan.

Pacific Standard Staff

A woman carrying a baby crosses a street during a heavy downpour of rain at Taksim in Istanbul on July 27th, 2017.

News in Brief

Viewfinder: Heavy Downpour in Istanbul

A woman carrying a baby crosses a street during a heavy downpour of rain at Taksim in Istanbul on July 27th, 2017.

Pacific Standard Staff

News in Brief

Viewfinder: Soccer Fans in Istanbul

Pacific Standard Staff

News in Brief

A Brief History of Turkey’s Messy Civil-Military Relations

The events in Turkey Friday night and early Saturday morning were not an unexpected departure from its past.…

Pacific Standard Staff

Drawing Blood

Social Justice

An American in Istanbul: Molly Crabapple on Art and Activism

Molly Crabapple talks Drawing Blood, a memoir about her globe-trotting youth and her ongoing search for justice.

astoria istanbul malls genç

Social Justice

In Search of Istanbul’s Ghost Malls

The city’s malls, once so hip, are disappearing—but they're where many modern Turks forged their identity.

istanbul biennial 2015

Social Justice

The Istanbul Biennial: Orhan Pamuk and the Mysteries of Water

This year, the festival's reigning motifs are lines, waves, and knots—metaphors of evanescence in a timeless city.