Baharlı Neighborhood Pictures - Part Two

This article presents a collection of images from Baharlı Neighborhood, accompanied by personal narratives and historical context from its residents.

Baharlı Neighborhood Pictures - PART ONE

This article presents a collection of old photographs and family genealogies from Baharlı Neighborhood, aiming to preserve its collective memory and the interwoven lives of its diverse communities.

From Borders to Partnership: The South Caucasus' Search for a Third Transcaucasia and Regional Integration

This essay explores the historical attempts at regional integration in the South Caucasus and proposes a new model for a "Third Transcaucasia" based on economic cooperation and shared interests, rather than political unification.

Baharlı Neighborhood Family Genealogies and Pictures: (PART FOUR)

This fourth part of the series delves into the family histories and old photographs of Baharlı Neighborhood, aiming to reconstruct its collective memory and the interwoven lives of its residents.

Baharlı Neighborhood Once Upon a Time (PART THREE)

This essay argues that the renaming of Baharlı Neighborhood to 14 Kasım was a psychological punishment for its residents' political identity, urging the Iğdır Municipal Council to restore the original name.

Once Upon a Time in Baharlı Neighborhood (PART TWO)

This second part of the series delves into the untold story of Baharlı Neighborhood's youth during the 1980 military coup, focusing on Necdet Karatepe's harrowing experiences of detention and torture.

Once Upon a Time, Baharlı Neighborhood and the Terekemes (Part One)

This article explores the history and memory of Baharlı Neighborhood in Iğdır through Mecit Taşan's poem, which meticulously records the lives and stories of its former residents.

Peter Lerch: The Recording of Kurmanji and Zazaki in Latin Characters

This article discusses Peter Lerch's pioneering work in recording Kurmanji and Zazaki using Latin characters, highlighting his efforts to capture spoken language and develop a systematic orthography.

The Terekemes and a Colorful Figure of Iğdır: Ali Eşref Başaran

This article explores the life and historical context of Ali Eşref Başaran, a prominent Karapapak figure in Iğdır, through personal accounts and historical documents.

An Iğdır Success Story from Karxın to Ankara: Prof. Dr. Hakan Alpay Karasu

This article tells the multi-generational story of Prof. Dr. Hakan Alpay Karasu, a distinguished academic and dean, tracing his family's journey from Karxın to Iğdır and Ankara, highlighting their commitment to education, public service, and community.

The Triumph of Will in the Sky: Yusuf Akgün

Yusuf Akgün, an Iğdır native who once filled exam papers with a pen held in his mouth, now uses the same pen to draw Turkey's national combat aircraft, KAAN.

Kars's Silent Memory: The Molokans and Doukhobors

This article explores the history of the Molokans and Doukhobors, two spiritual Christian communities exiled from Russia to Kars, who built villages, cultivated the land, and later embarked on new migrations.

American General Harbord and the Silence of the Sürmeli Plain (1919)

This article explores General James G. Harbord's 1919 mission to Anatolia and the Caucasus, focusing on his encounter with Mustafa Kemal Pasha and his observations of the Sürmeli Plain, revealing a complex human tragedy amidst post-war political turmoil.

Do Societies Also "Dream"?

This essay explores how societies, like individuals, express their repressed desires, traumas, and fears through symbols, flags, anthems, and collective narratives.

The 1905 Revolution and a Napoleon in Yerevan

This article explores the 1905 Russian Revolution's impact on the South Caucasus, focusing on the ethnic conflicts in Yerevan and the surprising role of Prince Napoléon Louis Joseph Jérôme Bonaparte in restoring order.

Technology and Humanity: Fear, Arrogance, and Ethical Boundaries

This essay explores humanity's recurring fear and eventual adaptation to new technologies, from the printing press to AI, emphasizing the enduring importance of ethics and human values.

Baku in 1918: The Republic and the Commune

This article explores the dual political projects of 1918 Baku: the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic and the Baku Commune, highlighting their contrasting ideologies and historical significance.

The History of the CHP Cannot Be Contained in Any Single Seat

The CHP's internal struggles are not just about leadership; they reflect the party's historical role in Turkey's democracy and its future as a social democratic force.

The Moral Crisis of Politics in Turkey

This essay argues that Turkish politics has devolved from serving the common good into a realm of self-interest, opportunism, and moral decay, undermining public trust and societal well-being.

CHP, the Kurdish Question, and the Search for Social Democracy in the New Century

This essay explores the historical relationship between the CHP and the Kurdish question, arguing that the party must overcome its state-centric reflexes to embrace a truly social democratic vision for all of Turkey.

The Last Khan of Revan: Huseyin Kulu Khan

This essay explores the life and legacy of Huseyin Kulu Khan, the last ruler of the Revan Khanate, and his resistance against the encroaching Russian Empire in the early 19th century.

Iğdır Once Upon a Time: Right-Left Tensions in the Summer of 1980

This article translates a 1980 Milliyet newspaper report on the political and ethnic tensions in Iğdır, Turkey, just before the 1980 military coup, highlighting the perspectives of local leaders.

From Ikhwan al-Safa to the Iran War: Humanity in the Dock

This essay reflects on the 10th-century Ikhwan al-Safa's "Dispute Between Animals and Humans" to critique humanity's self-proclaimed superiority and its justification of violence, especially in current conflicts.

Why Has World War III Not Started?

Despite rising global tensions and regional conflicts, World War III has not erupted because major powers are employing a strategy of sequential containment rather than simultaneous confrontation.

A Slice of South Caucasian History: Khanates, Governorates, and the 1905–1920 Rupture

This article explores the tumultuous history of the South Caucasus from the 18th to the early 20th century, tracing its transformation from a system of khanates to Russian imperial rule and finally to the emergence of independent republics amidst ethnic conflict and mass displacement.

Hey America, Take Your Hand Off Iran!

This article critiques the double standards and power-centric morality in international politics, urging the US to cease its interventionist approach towards Iran.

From Simon Bolívar to Maduro: The Historical Continuity of the Culture of Intervention in Latin America

This article explores the historical continuity of intervention in Latin America, from Simon Bolívar's warnings against external influence to the recent US actions against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, highlighting the enduring struggle for sovereignty against foreign powers.

Hurç Cemile

This article tells the tragic story of Hurç Cemile, a young girl who survived the Ağrı Dağı Rebellion by living with bears, and her eventual return to human society in Iğdır.

A Young Man in Pursuit of Revenge: Misto

A tragic 1941 story recounts a nomadic family in Eastern Anatolia encountering a mysterious horseman, whose visit leads to unsettling events amid the chaos of World War II.

The Hidden Chain of History

History's flow often appears as sudden leaps, but progress is actually the result of silent, gradual accumulation, with each stage preparing the next in an often unpredictable chain.

Melayê Cizîrî: The Great Philosopher Who Poured Kurdish Cultural Memory into Poetry

Melayê Cizîrî, a 17th-century Kurdish poet and philosopher, is celebrated for elevating the Kurmanji language to a high cultural and philosophical level, embodying the rich intellectual tradition of Cizre.

Columbus Was Going to India; Now India Has Arrived

This article discusses the rising prominence of Indian-origin individuals in American business and politics, contrasting it with Columbus's historical journey to find India.

A Young Man from Iğdır in the USA: Ömer Paçal

This article introduces Ömer Paçal, a PhD candidate from Iğdır studying the state's market-driven hegemony in Eastern Anatolia between 1970 and 1990, and calls for contributions to his research.

Bulgarian Immigrants from Deliorman to Iğdır

This article explores the 1937 migration of Bulgarian Turks from Deliorman to Iğdır, detailing their arduous journey, settlement, and integration into Turkish society, enriched by personal anecdotes and historical newspaper accounts.

Dancing with Russian and Leningrad

This article explores the author's lifelong connection with the Russian language and culture, from childhood in Iğdır to a poignant encounter in post-Soviet Leningrad, alongside a tribute to Iğdır's first American daughter-in-law and a humorous anecdote.

The Iğdır Creole and Two Writers: Asım Keser and Mehmet Kum

This essay explores the concept of "Iğdır Creole" as a linguistic and cultural hybrid born from the diverse communities of Iğdır, exemplified in the works of writers Mehmet Kum and Asım Keser.

French or Spanish? The Basque Dilemma in Turkey's Kurdish Question

This essay explores the Basque experience in Spain and France as a model for Turkey's Kurdish question, weighing cultural versus political autonomy.