The Turkish Breakfast Club

This week we have our very first cross-pod collaboration as we got the chance to talk with the wonderful women behind Hayriye and Huriye's Dissertation on Turkish Pop Culture. On their show, they offer up hilarious and knowledgeable breakdowns of Turkish pop culture, past and present, through the eyes of two Turkish-Australian fans. In our conversation, we found out how they've man

This week we are wading into some controversial territory as we take on the topic of yogurt. For some, that may seem like a ridiculous statement. But questions about the best ways to eat yogurt, who makes it best, and where it comes from are all hotly debated in Turkey and across the region. But what is indisputable is how central yogurt is to Turkish cuisine. The word yo

Outside of Turkey, the name Zeki Müren might not ring a bell. But inside the country, he is one of the most beloved cultural icons who rose to fame as a singer in the 50s and has remained widely popular even after his sudden death in 1996. He is known as the 'Sun of Art' and has been compared to the Turkish version of David Bowie, Freddie Mercury or Liberace, because of his flamb

This week, we're shaking it up şekerim by taking a look at Turkey's obsession with the Eurovision Song Contest. With its strong musical culture, Turkey has proven we could be the same as other powerhouses in the competition.  But after a string of top 10 performances, including Sertab Eraner's win in 2003, Turkey suddenly withdrew from the competition in 2012. For the past 10

This week's episode will hopefully hit home with a lot of you. I've talked a lot about my experience as a Canadian expat who has spent most of my adult life outside of Canada and has chosen to put down roots halfway around the world in Turkey.  My guest this week is Erkan Çakır [prono: ehr-kahn chuh-ker] and he has done the same but from the opposite side: After growing up a

Moving to Turkey was one of the best decisions of my life, but it was filled with a lot of challenges as I learned how to setup and settle into a brand new life in a completely foreign country and culture. One of the invaluable resources I still use to this day is Yabangee.com -- a play on the Turkish word yabancı, which means 'foreigner' or 'stranger'. The website is filled with

Hayırlı Ramazanlar! This year, April 2 to May 2 is Ramadan, the ninth and most sacred month of the Islamic calendar. I've mostly known it as the time when Muslims around the world fast from sunrise to sunset. But my guest this week explains why it's so much more than that. Sevde is from the Center for Cross-Cultural Communication, a group of volunteers that offers workshops

The hijab has become a political lightning rod recently, which has perhaps made some people shy about asking any questions, for fear of stirring controversy or offending the wearer.  But our guest this week, Efnan Han, has very graciously agreed to not be offended by any questions and guide us through both the basics and intricacies of wearing a headscarf. On top of being very

Studying history enables us to develop a better understanding of the world in which we live. But what about our herstory? According to our guest this week, there's still surprisingly little known about even the most famous and powerful women in Ottoman times. Professor Gülhan Balsoy teaches the history of women, labour and medicine during the late-Ottoman period at Istanbul Bilgi

At every march and protest I've been to in Turkey, I've noticed there's always been a strong presence from the transgender community. It's maybe no surprise since they are constantly forced to fight for their rights, not only for equality but also just to be recognized and respected in public spaces. To understand more about what life is like for trans people in Turkey, my guest th