Turkish Coffee: Recent Episodes
Podfresh: Nazlan Ertan and Aygen Aytaç
Whether in vibrant traditional coffee houses or in the privacy of homes, Turkish coffee has accompanied conversation about a wide range of subjects throughout centuries. The "Turkish Coffee" podcasts keep up this tradition of spontaneous and convivial talks where Aygen Aytaç and Nazlan Ertan talk of things relevant to life- from politics to family ties, from regional clashes to cultural codes.Friends for decades, Aygen and Nazlan often compared their experiences from London to Istanbul, from Brussels to Baku and saw first-hand that people shared similar concerns, fears and aspirations whether they were in corridors of power or in newsrooms. "Turkish Coffee" podcasts share their experience, observations and enduring good-humor against all odds.
In the wake of international headlines on Sofagate between Turkey and the European Union, Turkish Coffee hosts discuss the image of Turkey and Turks, taking their cues from history, literature and the current political affairs.
In this podcast, Aygen Aytaç and Nazlan Ertan discuss the Turkish image, starting from an 11th-century letter from Byzantine Emperor Alexius Commenus to today^s Sofagate, from references to Turks in Shakespeare to the soft power of the Turkish TV series.
References: Tamburlaine, Christopher Marlowe Astraea Redux, John Dryden Macbeth, William Shakespeare Les Miserables, Victor Hugo Prince, Niccolò Machiavelli Mozart and the Wolf Gang, Antony Burgess Turkish Embassy Letters, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu Aziyadeh, Pierre Loti Doğuştan Kadıncıl (Born Feminine), Refik Halit Karay
Nazlan and Aygen take up the role of 'enişte' (brother-in-law or uncle-by-marriage) in Turkish socio-culture. They look at the famous brothers-in-law, as well as prejudices, proverbs and cheeky references to foreign eniştes. References: Enişte Risalesi, Tanıl Bora and Mustafa Çiftçi
Thanks to @fukozrecords for the music.
As restaurants around Turkey and the world tentatively open their doors, albeit with distancing and hygiene rules, Aygen Aytaç and Nazlan Ertan look at the past, present and future of eating out. Which empire was the first one to discover the delights of eating out - Roman or Chinese? In the Ottoman Empire, what did you do if you wanted a taste of the Sultan’s food? If you are in Turkey, where would you go to clinch a political or financial deal? And to tie to the last Turkish Coffee podcast, which came first – coffeehouses or taverns?
References: The Restaurant: 2,000 years of dining out, William Sitwell Dining Out: A Global History of Restaurants, Katie Rawson and Elliott Shore Iktidarların Sofrası (The Rulers' Table) Artun Ünsal
Accompanied by their cups of Turkish coffee, Aygen and Nazlan discuss the history and heritage of the UNESCO-inscribed Turkish coffee, known alternatively as the "Mohammedan drink" or the "Devil's Cup." The two journos discuss how coffee became common in the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century and moved on to Europe through smugglers, janissaries, ambassadors, and, surprisingly, a butler from Izmir. References: George Steiner, The Idea of Europe Stewart Lee Allen, Devil's Cup: A History of the World According to Coffee Jonathan Morris, Coffee - A Global History Nina Luttinger, The Coffee Book Lonely Planet's Globa Coffee Tour Catherine Tucker, Coffee Culture Thanks to @Fukozrecords for the jingle
On the eve of March 8 International Women's Day, Aygen Aytaç and Nazlan Ertan discuss sexism and gender-based discrimination in politics, language and laws as well as how women fight back.From anti-abortion laws in Poland to Turkish ruling party's deputies questioning the honor of women who said they were strip-searched, the two journos look at the grim picture of women's plight around the world.Special thanks to @Fukozrecords for the jingle
Inspired by Turkey's unveiling of the 10-year Space Programme, Aygen Aytac and Nazlan Ertan dwell on dystopia and utopia, with examples from news, literature and global trends. The two journos keep the listeners guessing on what is fact and what is fiction: searching natural resources in space; live-in marriage counsellors to ensure that a family has three kids ASAP; attempts to privatize judiciary; Turkish poets moving to Australia collectively to create a 'Green Country' or women finding their rights taken away overnight.
References: George Orwell, "1984" Aldous Huxley, "Brave New World" Suzanne Collins, "Hunger Games" Margaret Atwood, "The Handmaid's Tale" Amin Maalouf, "First Century After Beatrice," Sophie MacIntosh, "Blue Pill" Tevfik Fikret, "Yeşil Yurt" (Green Country, poem) Ziya Gökalp, "Kızıl Elma" (Red Apple, book of poetry) Oya Baydar, "Çöplüğün Generali" (The General of Garbage) Oya Baydar, "Köpekli Çocuklar Gecesi" (The Night of Children with Dogs) Tahsin Yücel, "Gökdelen" (Skyscaper) Kerem Işık, "Islıklı Karnaval," (The Failed Carnaval) ... and the films and series "Star Trek," "Dünyayı Kurtaran Adam" (The Man who Saved the World), Avatar, Black Mirror, Snowpiercer
Following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's call for a new constitution, Aygen Aytaç and Nazlan Ertan discuss the search for justice since the times of Justitia, the Roman Goddess of Justice, and Kutadgu Bilig, 11th-century book to guide Turkish rulers. Discussing a wide range of issues from UN's 2021 focus on digital inequality to Turkey's long-standing judicial problems, the two journalists draw inspirations from theorists, mythology, literature and day-time TV.Special thanks to Geline Fuko Studio (@fukozrecords on Instagram) for original musicEach week during Turkish Coffee, Nazlan and Aygen discuss socio-economic issues in Turkey, as well as lifestyles, cultural peculiarities, arts and literature.-John Rawls, A Theory of Justice -Yaşar Kemal, Mehmet My Hawk -Victor Hugo, Les Miserables -Ben Elton, Blind Faith
As we approach Turkey's first Valentine's Day under lockdown, Aygen and Nazlan discuss whether people will still want to celebrate the day and how they will do it. The Interior Ministry has said that it would exceptionally allow flower deliveries over the weekend, providing a bit of hope for the pandemic-hit florists. Building up to the big day, newspapers give recipes for restaurant-class dinners at home and chatrooms in the popular new app Clubhouse invite singles to meet up. But for Nazlan and Aygen, nothing beats the love letters of the famous and the infamous, from Nazım Hikmet to Herman Hesse. Special thanks to Geline Fuko Studio (@Fukozrecords) for the music.
References: Nazım Hikmet: Piraye’ye Mektuplar Orhan Veli Kanık: Yalnız Seni Arıyorum Abidin Dino: Sensiz Herşey Renksiz Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville West: Love Letters Nizami: Layla and Majnun Hermann Hesse: Siddharta Hermann Hesse: Wandering Notes and Sketches Alexander Pope: Love Letters of Great Man by Ursula Doyle Nedim: Amor Vincit Omnia by Kemal Sılay Dorothy Parker: The Collected Dorothy Parker
Aygen and Nazlan discuss food history, waste, trends and the future of food in the face of the steep hike in food prices, unemployment in the food sector due to Covid-19 and the rich local cuisine. How has the rise in food prices changed Turkish people’s eating? What is the impact of the pandemic in our food yearnings? How have poor boy's meals of the past become the posh dishes of today? And can anyone – from Turks to Africans to Middle Eastern people – agree on the origins of their favorite dish?
Aygen Aytaç and Nazlan Ertan discuss the joys of travel, dodgy places and good food.
References: ''Invitation to the Voyage” by Charles Baudelaire “The Desert and the Sown” by Gertrude Bell “The Great Railway Bazaar” by Paul Theroux “Bodrum Every Night” by Selim İlerı “The Mythology Dictionary” by Azra Erhat “Seyahatname” by Evliya Çelebi “Iliad” by Homer ''Eat Pray Love' by Elizabeth Gilbert
Aygen and Nazlan, two bookworms, dive into the world of books and discuss what they read, why they read and how a book changes each time it is read.
References: The New Life by Orhan Pamuk, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe, The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wide, Master and Marguerite by Mikhail Bolgakov, Oblomov by Ivan Aleksandrovich, 1984 by George Orwell, 1985 by György Dalos, The World of Yesterday by Stephan Zweig, Midnight at the Pera Palace by Charles King, The Revolt of Aphrodite by Lawrence Durrell, Walden by Henry David Thoreau, All works of Şule Gürbüz, All works of Refik Halit Karay, All works of Martin Amis, All works of Dorothy Parker, Brainpickings by Maria Popova, Complete Works of Bernard Shaw, Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust, How Proust can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton
As most of the world ends 2020 under lockdown, Aygen and Nazlan dive into New Year Parties, past-present, real-imagined, hilarious or awful!
References: Dead Souls, Nikolai Gogol Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov Great Gatsby, Scott Fitzgerald Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf Atonement, Ian Mcewan
For songs used in this episode: ♫ Track: [Electro Swing] Dimaa - The Roaring Twenties [No Copyright Music] ♫ Watch: https://youtu.be/-SeBzpWM_as
Song: Nekzlo - Happy New Year (Vlog No Copyright Music) Music promoted by Vlog No Copyright Music.
Aygen and Nazlan discuss the year 2020, which to them sounded like a dystopian movie, from Covid19 to natural disasters; political unrest to wars.
References: Politico Class of 2021 Word of the Year Oxford, Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com Sarah Cooper lip sync of Donald Trump (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkKYVp9SE1g) The Empty Glass by Louise Glück
After a sleepless night watching the last season of The Crown, Aygen and Nazlan discuss - and mostly disagree- on just what makes this Netflix series interesting to watch.
References: The Crown, Netflix Series Ethos, Netflix Series The Queen (film directed by Stephen Frears) A Man for All Seasons (film by Fred Zinneman)
Nazlan and Aygen, who have again had their Coffee Talk long-distance, wonder out loud just when loneliness and lockdowns become too much.
Far Away From A Lost Home by Arthur Vyncke | https://soundcloud.com/arthurvost Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US
In the first podcast of the year, Aygen and Nazlan wonder out loud on what they would tell their 17-year-old selves to prepare them for love, life - and politics.
Music used in this podcast: "Escape by Sappheiros" is under a Creative Commons license (CC BY 3.0) Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: https://bit.ly/b-escape and Explosive Finale by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Refusing to succumb to half-hearted resolutions, Aygen Aytaç and Nazlan Ertan come up with their own, with a bit of help from writers, satirists and ghosts of the past.
References: The Conquest of Happiness, Bertrand Russel Schopenhauer as Educator, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche Devil's Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce
Aygen Aytaç and Nazlan Ertan discuss the recent disclosures of sexual harassment by women in Turkey's literary and publishing sector and whether they would have an impact on the future.
Nazlan and Aygen take up another particularity of the Turkish Culture, "the housegirls" - young women who stay the parental house, neither study nor work and wait for their Big Fat Turkish Wedding.
Aygen and Nazlan discuss “yenge” - aunts by marriage- and their complex role in the family and outside.
References: Yengeler Cumhuriyeti ed. Tanil Bora and Mustafa Çiftçi (in Turkish) Sıdıka by Atilla Atalay (in Turkish) Forbidden Love by Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen How to be a Good Wife (film directed by Martin Prevost)
Nazlan and Aygen talk of the role of sons-in-law in history, politics and in humour.
References: Lord of the Horizons by Jason Goodwin Constantinople, The City of World’s Desire by Philip Mansel
For Music 'Thar', our thanks to: Pratzapp & sakura Hz | https://soundcloud.com/pratzapp https://soundcloud.com/sakurahertz Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Whenever a woman is elected to a high post, it creates optimism on women's empowerment. Aygen and Nazlan discuss whether this is justified.
References: Kamala Harris: UN Women in Politics (Map): https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/03/women-in-politics-map-2020
For the music thanks to: Punch Deck Bhangra Bass by Punch Deck | https://soundcloud.com/punch-deck Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
After 30 years with no peaceful solution on Nagorno-Karabakh, an Azeri enclave populated by Armenians, Azerbaijan has moved to take back the enclave and the adjacent occupied lands from Armenians. Which side had the law and which side has the public sympathy on its side?
From the increase of domestic violence to economic hardships Covid19 had major impact on women around the world