Texts and photographs by Michele Cirillo and Emanuela Laurenti.
Premise
Only scratched the surface by the passing of time, by the Islamic conquest and other foreign dominations, the Kurdish culture is now in danger of being forgotten, or worse, losing its true identity, confused in recent years with the Muslim or Turkish tradition. Put through to the Ottoman Empire and then divided by the Western powers in the four states of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria, in the last ninety years, the Kurds have been victims of persecutions and slaughters that occurred with greater ferocity in Turkey, where a regime of forced repression resented every expression of their cultural identity. “Mountain Turks”. As Turks called Kurdish people. But in those mountains, dominated by the great Ararat, unquestionably still persist the flavors of ancient and specific traditions, traces of a thousand-years old past, vestiges of a precise and recognizable identity. Among those mountains, the first days of the wedding of Sükran and Samet took place, a symbolic union, especially because of their origins and historical events: Sükran is Kurdish, Samet is Turkish. Our journey starts here. In August 2014, at Xarik place as first, in Eastern Anatolia, and at Yozgat then, in Central Anatolia.
The Wedding
In the social structure Kurdish family is considered an inseparable unit: it is the core on which dipend the whole society and its importance is manifested on the occasion of a marriage. Specifically, the Sükran and Samet wedding party lasted five days: the first part of the celebrations was held in the bride family home, in the altitudes of Xarik, with sober characters although colored. The remaining four days of celebrations, took place, with the most sumptuous atmospheres, in the groom's family house. In Yozgat, a Turkish small town. The criteria that direct the marriage of two young people often depend on the relationship between their families. Even if there is not anymore the custom to give in marriage young girls, young men have some freedom of choice, young women even less, waiting for a sincere marriage proposal. The history of Sükran and Samet, fortunately, is a different story.
Ruins of Ani
Bridge over Arpachay river, this river is a boarder beetwen Tukrey-Armenia, so from left side is Turkey from right Armenia.
Parts from Varagavnk monastery. Often used like a storage
Ruins of Armenian church
Armenian church in Erzurum rebuilt in mosque.
Armenian church in Erzurum rebuilt in mosque.
Cave city in Any near Turkey-Armenia boarder.
View of Ani
Ruins of Arakelots monastery, near Mus
Armenian church of Holy Cross on Agtamar island. The church is under UNESCO protection since 2007.
Parts from Varagavnk monastery. Often used like a storage.
Tombstone from Arakelots monastery, near Mus
Armenian church of Holy Cross on Agtamar island. The church is under UNESCO protection since 2007.
Muslim woman are posing in fornt of the altar.
Ruins of Ani
Ruins of Ani
Inside the church, village Degermenalti (Por)
Traditional armenia cross- Khachkar
Parts from Varagavnk monastery. Often used as storage
Ruins of Arakelots monastery, near Mus/
Ruins of Armenian church
Symbols on the caravanserai in Bitlis
June 26, 2016
Kobane, Syria
This video shows damaged buildings in the predominantly Kurdish city of Kobane near the Syrian Turkish border.
A series of photos depicting Istanbul under construction
Wind sweeping through the covers. Karakoy, Istanbul.
Commonly used gesture to express frustration at the frequently congested traffic.
A shot form Bomonti's bustling Flea Market. Bomonti, Istanbul.
The writing on the wall is aimed to convey the message 'Parking is Prohibited' but accidental the misuse of the language means it reads 'Park Prohibited', a gentle and inadvertent reference to the spark that fired the Gezi Park protests.
Due to the mounting political tensions and concerns over security, many cruise-liners have cancelled their Istanbul leg. A new museum being built next to Istanbul Modern. Karakoy, Istanbul.
Non-stop construction work in the city has led to grey to be the most prominent colour. Karakoy, Istanbul.
View from in between derelict buildings. Bomonti, Istanbul.
Neatly organised construction hut. Karakoy, Istanbul.
A wall tagged with the letters CCC (three crescents) - a symbol used by ultra nationalists, a graffiti of the nation's much-loved 80's psychedelic rocker Baris Manco known for his positive spirit and a striking woman dressed in leather coming out of her red Ferrari. Bomonti, Istanbul.
This video shows Free Syrian Army fighters preparing a grave to bury the body of a young Kurdish fighter, believed to be a member of the PYD, killed during a battle in a northern area of Aleppo, Syria. It is claimed in some reports that the PYD (Democratic Union Party) is affiliated with the Kurdish PKK in Turkey. The FSA accuses the PYD and PKK of collaborating with the government of Bashar al-Assad. The contributor who shot the video says the FSA also claims the Kurdish militia group is using child soldiers. The Assad regime has in the past admitted to providing support to the PYD.
A survivor in the rebel-held area of Aleppo expresses frustration at international support for their cause and defiance in the face of the latest assault by forces of the Assad government.
Ibrahim, Citizen:
On the latest updates we here in the Castello area of Aleppo I can say that there is kind of a drop in the fighting (FSA) brigades are bringing against this big offensive. They (the FSA) are not being strict in taking the decision to stop this farce and save us from the force that is threatening us everyday to cut the main road of Aleppo. I wish that everyone in Aleppo, civilians and fighters, would come up with a solution to stop this farce that is threatening the people inside Aleppo and specifically the liberated areas. We are subject to threatens day and night. As they say, the mother of a threatened person doesn’t sleep, however a mother of a dead person sleeps. Where are the solutions to stop the threatens? Where is the FSA? Why is it absent? What will it do? He (The FSA) is available with us in all the liberated areas that might be under siege at anytime, hopefully not but this is the truth for now.
03:34
Our situation now is a result of the dirty political money and I hope that this stops at some point.
04:00
Question: What about the support from Saudi Arabia and Turkey?
Answer: It is only words, saying that they support the Syrian people. however we have been left alone.
Question: what about the ceasefire?
Answer: Nothing at all. In fact every time there is a ceasefire and there are talks to interfere in the Syrian war, more people die. Just leave us alone! We do not want support from anybody. In fact we are able to manage ourselves and we will be fine. We do not want anyone saying that we support the Syrian people. The Syrian people are standing alone and no one supports us. All what we ask you is to provide us with anti-aircraft weapons or a decision that imposes a no-fly zone, and we can deal with the rest. We can give you their dead bodies and their heads in coffins made in Aleppo.
Question: What about the Russian offensives on your city?
Answer: They are trying to push the citizens to leave and abandon their hometown in Aleppo, They want to change the demographics of the area and replace the original citizens with new ones. They want to spread fear all over the area as if they are telling us to revolt against the fighting brigades in our city. They are pushing the situation to be more complex in forcing us to flee our lands and change the demographics. The Rojava area is the biggest proof of what they are trying to do. This is proof that they are pushing Syria towards division.
Question: Why are you still here and have not taken refuge elsewhere yet?
Answer: This is my hometown, where do you want me to move? This is my town and I will keep defending it in my own way and by all the means available to me to do so until I die or win.
November, 2015 marked the 70th anniversary of the international humanitarian organization CARE. The US-based NGO was formed in 1945, shipping boxes containing food, clothing and other aid items to Word War II refugees in Europe, the boxes that came to be known as CARE Packages.
CARE continues to provide aid to refugees, now from Syria and other areas of conflict, but the box has become a plastic debit card.
Turkish police fire tear gas and water cannon in an attempt to disperse protesters in the streets of Istanbul during clashes following the death of Tahir Elci, a prominent senior Kurdish lawyer. Elci was shot dead on November 28th in the Diyarbakir province.
Protesters holding a Cumhuriyet edition high up as a sign of protest, a day after the arrest of two of its editors by Turkish police.
Protest against the Cumhuriyet editor's arrest took place in front of the headquarters of the opposition Turkish newspaper.
Protest against the Cumhuriyet editor's arrest took place in front of the headquarters of the opposition Turkish newspaper.