Alienated Voices

Our guest is Serdar, who was born in Turkey and lived there until graduating from Bogaziçi University. He is an active member of the gay community in Istanbul. He says that he was a privileged gay person as his family and his high school environment could not have been more accepting and inclusive. He elaborated on what it means to be gay for him and when he actually came out as gay to his family, friends, and community. He has been living in the United States for more than 40 years, but he has never cut ties with the gay community in Turkey. We had an informative conversation about Turkey’s political parties’ stance against progressive ideologies. We agreed that the left-wing opposition parties in Turkey fail to embrace basic human rights and values.

In this episode of Alienated Voices, we explore the inspiring success story of the Laz people, an ethnic group from Turkey's Black Sea region. Host Can Sinan interviews Mehmet, a proud Laz community member, who shares how the Laz have seamlessly integrated into Turkish society while preserving their rich cultural heritage. From their unique language, Lazuri, to contributions in construction, music, and cuisine, the Laz people exemplify the power of tradition in modern times. Discover how Laz cultural festivals, folk dances like the Horon, and delicious dishes like Laz böreği continue to thrive, along with efforts to revitalize the Laz language for future generations. This episode celebrates the Laz people’s vibrant role in Turkey's cultural mosaic.

Our guest is Nilsu, a high school student from Turkey. She identifies as a lesbian-questioning unlabelled queer person. She explained what it means and how it feels to be a queer person in a predominantly Muslim country. She mentioned several cases of discrimination and bullying she encountered in her environment. Although she believes that she is a privileged queer person because of having a rather respectful and inclusive family and social environment, she scathingly condemned the government’s brutal stance against the queer community. We discussed the incumbent government’s inhumane treatment of LGBTQ+ people and labeling them undermining nouns. She is a true inspiration for the queer people in Turkey who are unable to speak up for themselves and are intimidated by society’s reaction. She encouraged them not to be afraid to embrace themselves and reiterated that it is not their fault that they think and feel differently than the customary way.

Our guest is Medical practitioner Jamal from Ghana. He moved to Turkey to study in medical school and pursue undergraduate research. We had an enlightening conversation about fitting in Turkey, integrating into the culture, and the essentiality of language. He elaborated on several instances of discrimination, segregation, and racism that he encountered in Turkey. We discussed both the positive and negative aspects of Turkish culture, and he was the quintessence of a respectful and forthright foreigner. He showed a commendable posture of denouncing prejudices and misconceptions about the Africans in Turkey, shedding light on a more interactive and engaging relationship between Africans and Turks.

Our guest is Doctor Mahmut, a Palestinian doctor who has moved to Turkey from Lebanon to study medical school. We had a wonderful and inspiring conversation about his experiences in Turkey, how he fit in, and what he encountered. Ranging from the Gaza conflict to the discrimination against Arabs in Turkey due to the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis, our topics of conversation necessitated mutual respect and understanding toward any group of ethnicity or race. We touched upon the West's twisted narrative of the Middle East and why human life matters to him the most.