Pier Kadikoy

Yesterday I have sketched the Kadikoy Pier from the terrace of Deniz Yildizi Cafe which has a magnificient view especially in the late afternoon. Although everything was very calm under the last moments of September daylight, suddenly a big group of protesters have approached with slogans and entered the pier from exit gate to go to Karakoy and than Taksim. It seems it will be a long autumn.

Resist

 I drew the above sketch on Saturday, June 15— the day the police invaded Gezi Parkı. I had no idea this would be the last time I could sketch Gezi as it was; a peaceful, fun, creative place where people of all backgrounds came together to speak out against what they believe is wrong for their country. I've never seen anything like it. That night, I watched in horror as the police stormed the park, kicking in tents and gassing everything that moved— even going so far as to gas a hospital and hotel lobby, where injured people and lost children were taking refuge. I will never understand the violence, the lack of compassion and the blatant lying— this was, and still is, a peaceful protest.



Last week, a man named Erdem Gunduz stopped in the middle of Taksim Square and silently stood, facing the Atatürk Kültür Merkezi. He stood for eight hours. Soon, hundreds of protesters joined in and just... stood. On the first night, several were arrested by the police who are now a permanent fixture— occupying the park and every possible entrance to the Square. This new form of civil disobedience spread like wild fire throughout the country, stopping people in their tracks for five minutes at the very least, to hours on end. Since then, we've had red carnations for the dead, and sit-ins, the protest changing form but never its message.

Kugulu Park, Ankara

Kugulu Park / Park with Swans - No swans in the small pond by today. Moved to another place not to be affected from gas.

Diren Gezi

Taksim Meydanı, June 1st: Smoke rising from Gezi Parkı— PeF

We have seen a little bit of everything these last days in Taksim. We have seen much more on those social networks that have been condemned. And we have sketched a few moments of the ongoing turmoil that has taken Istanbul and many other Turkish cities. These are drawings mabe be me and fellow correspondent Samantha Zaza, from June 1st till June 3rd. And from what I understand from what has been happening on the political side, it seems these will not be the last.

Taksim Meydanı, June 1st: A shower of tear gas canister shot by the police— szaza

Taksim Meydanı, June 1st: Protesters— szaza

Taksim Meydanı, June 1st: Protesters— PeF

Gezi Parkı, June 2nd: Children at the playground— PeF

Beşiktaş Meydanı, June 3rd: Police gathering behind Barbaros statue— PeF

Galatasaray, Istiklal Street

There are not too many things to add to what has been reported in depth and wonderfully sketched by Szaza and PeF. What can I say is that I have seen the determination and committment of ordinary people. I witnessed the power of solidarity and helping each other. The above scene is from Galatasaray yesterday where there was a barricade of the police. After some time gassing started.

Occupy Gezi

Police gassing protestors in Talimhane, by szaza

For the past three days, people have gathered in Gezi Parkı in Taksim to protest the removal of trees for the massive construction project that the government begun last fall. The plan to turn one of the area's last green spaces into a shopping mall, moved people to peacefully occupy the park. In response, police have attacked protestors with tear gas and water cannons, injuring many, hospitalizing some. I do not know the exact figures, nevertheless, when I came home from work today, my neighbourhood looked like a war zone. Unarmed citizens are being gassed, sprayed point-blank in the face with chemicals, and assaulted by high-pressured water cannons. They even gassed the metro.

Police gassing protestors in Talimhane, by PeF

I tell you, it's madness outside. This evening, a few hundred of us were squeezed into the little hotel-lined streets, which were littered with broken glass, teargas canisters, and pieces of plywood. Fires were set, barricades erected, and the police, silhouetted figures in the orange smoky air, shot gas every other minute at us. A smoking canister bounced off the pavement and hit my left knee, while my right foot received a direct hit. The pain was intense, but then I felt the burning.

Protestors, by PeF

Protester with eye-soothing solution, by PeF

Protestors clapping and singing, by PeF

We eventually made it home safely, though many did not— people are seriously injured, and the Turkish media, who initially ignored the protests, is just now starting to cover the story. I was told by one protestor as he watched me sketch the scene, "Tell the world— you must tell the world what is happening here."

Visit my blog Harika to see the photos, and hear more of the story.

Simena

Simena is one of the most important ancient Lycian cities in Kas peninsula and it is just on the opposite side of Kekova Island. This sketch is of the restaurants at Simena Coast which draw my attention especially for the flowers on their balconies.

Şanlıurfa

Earlier this month me and Samantha were invited by Karala(ma) to join them in Şanlıurfa for a sketching weekend. The possibility to visit this part of the country which was unknown to me, and as a bonus, to see and sketch at Göbekli Tepe were too good to pass by. Here are a few of the sketches from this wonderful weekend.

Göbekli Tepe, sketched between heavy showers (who knew it would rain so much in May..?)

Hippocampus-centaur carving inside a cave, sculpted when Şanlıurfa was Edessa (outside, more rain)

Fountain next to a mosque, on the backstreets of Şanlıurfa (no rain this time)

Manolo Valdes Exhibition in Pera Museum

I have visited Manolo Valdes (1942) exhibition in Pera Museum, Istanbul yesterday and did some quick sketches of some of his monumental sculptures made of bronze an wood. He is one of the most famous contemporary pop-artists of Spain and in addition to sculptures, he is working on big size canvasas and using mixed media, especially fabrics with incredible colors and paint (maybe some epoxy as well) creating an appealing texture. Than during drinking coffee in a narrow street on Istiklal Avn. I have drawn the buildings seen.  

Jurassic Land

An odd combination of factors brought us to the Jurassic Café. But since we were there, I decided to have a go drawing the T-rex that loomed near the entrance. While visitors posed for a photo in front of it, from Jurassic Land itself came the presumed roars of prehistoric beasts, roars that did little to spur my curiosity about the place. It was good fun though to sit at the Jurassic Café sketching and trying to communicate with the nice waiters there. But when the sketch was finally concluded, night had fallen and we had to hurry back to the train.

Nusret Mine Ship, Çanakkale

Yarıyıl tatilinde Çanakkale'deydim. Keşan'a yakın olması nedeniyle vakit buldukça Çanakkale'ye seyahat edip eskiz çalışmaları yaparım.
Çanakkale, binyıllar boyunca farklı toplumların egemenliğinde kalmış, gerek mimarisinde gerek yaşamda onlardan izler taşımaktadır. 1970'li yıllardan itibaren ile yapılmaya başlayan ticarî yatırımlarla ildeki geleneksel toplum yapısı yerini hızla modernize kent olmuştur. Ticarî yatırımlarla ulaşım kolaylaşmış ve şehrin görünümünün değişmesi böylece başlamıştır. Bugün Çanakkale Türkiye'nin en modern çevrelerindendir. Geniş kaldırımları, temiz caddeleri, bakımlı binaları ile örnek bir şehirdir.
Yukarıda gördüğünüz eskiz çalışması, Çanakkale Deniz Müzesi Komutanlığı'nda  sergilenen Nusret Mayın Gemisinin birebir örneğine ait. Nusret hakkında daha fazla bilgi için Ottoman Minelayer Nusret
Çanakkale'deki bir günümü ve yukarıdaki eskizin hikayesi için çektiğim klibi aşağıda izleyebilirsiniz


One day in Çanakkale, Turkey from Doga Tutkunu on Vimeo.

Çanakkale'de çizdiğim  diğer eskizler..

The train to Küçükçekmece

On the train to Küçükçekmece, an older, impeccably dressed gentleman sat across from us, staring out the window with a faint smile on his face, lost in thought. At some point, he came out of his dream and realised I was up to something. His smile faded. I was concerned that perhaps I had offended him, but decided to nervously show him his portrait when we got up to leave the train. The smile returned, wider than before, showing off a row of pearly teeth and a twinkle in his blue eyes. He nodded his head and searched the train for any notice our interaction. I thanked him, wished him a good day, and hopped off onto the platform. As the train rolled on, I waved a quick goodbye, and turned away.

Tahtakale Hamamı, Edirne

  Edirne şehrinin tarihi, MÖ 7. yüzyıla uzanmaktadır. MS 2. yüzyılda Roma İmparatoru Hadrianus Edirne'ye stratejik önemi nedeniyle şehir statüsü vererek kendi adını koymuş. Romalılar zamanında Edirne, Hadrianoupolis olarak anılmış. Romalılar'dan Bizanslılar'a geçen kent Haçlı Seferleri sırasında birçok kez yağma edilmiş. 1361 yılında Murad Hüdavendiğar tarafından Bizanslılar'dan alındı ve Osmanlı topraklarına katılmış. Osmanlı İmparatorluğunun ikinci başkentidir. İstanbul'un fethine kadar 92 yıl boyunca Osmanlı başkenti olmuştur. Edirne 1900'lü yılların başında Bulgaristan tarafından işgal edilmiştir. Bu işgal sırasında birçok tarihi yapı yıkılmış ve zarar görmüştür.
  Tüm bunlara rağmen şehirde birçok tarihi yapıyı görmek mümkün. 3 gün önce bir iş için Edirne'ye gitmiştim. Ne zaman Edirne'ye gitsem çizim yapmak için bir konu mutlaka buluyorum. Bu sefer Saraçlar caddesinden sadece kubbesi görünenen yapı dikkatimi çekti ve daha iyi görebilmek için etrafından dolaştım. Sonradan Tahtakale Hamamı olduğunu öğrendiğim bu yapı, 1435'te II. Murat tarafından Darü'l-Hadis Camii'ne vakıf olarak yaptırılmıştır. Edirne'nin çifte hamam planında en büyük hamammış. Saraçlar caddesine bakan kısmı günümüzde restarona dönüştürülmüş.
Edirne'yi daha önceki ziyaretlerimde çizdiklerimi aşağıda görebilirsiniz.