Ece Temelkuran Livres

Starting with the basic question "what is this place?", award-winning journalist and novelist Ece Temelkuran guides us through her "beloved country". In challenging the authoritarian AKP government – for which she lost her job as a journalist – Temelkuran draws strength and wisdom from people, places and artistic expression. The result is a beautifully rendered account of the struggles, hopes and tragedies which make Turkey what it is today. Lamenting the commercialisation and authoritarianism which increasingly characterises Turkish society, Temelkuran sees hope in the Gezi Park protests of 2013, the electoral breakthrough of the progressive HDP party in 2015 and in the simple kindness of ordinary people. Much more than either straightforward history or memoir, Turkey: the Insane the Melancholy is like sitting with a friendly stranger who, over raki or coffee, reveals the secrets of this rich and complex country – the historic "bridge" between east and west.

This timely, bestselling novel about a military coup in Turkey, told through the eyes of two children, resonates deeply with events there today. Ankara, the capital city in the heart of Turkey at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, East and West, is a hotspot in the Cold War, torn between communism and conservatism, Western freedoms and traditional ways, with an army fearful of democracy and a government that employs thugs and torture to enforce law and order. In the summer of 1980, tensions are building. Homes of the poor are being burnt down. Armed revolutionaries on college campuses battle right-wings militias in the city's neighborhoods. The lines between good and bad, right and wrong, and beautiful and ugly are blurred by shed blood. Two children, one from a family living in misery and one well-off, form an alliance amid the turmoil. Through their senses, the cityscape unfolds its wonders, its rich smells and colors, as they try to make sense of the events swirling around them. And they hatch a plan. For the first time in generations, mute swans have migrated from Russia to the Black Sea and to a park at the center of Ankara. For the generals, they are an affirmation, and their wings must be broken so they can't fly away. But if the children can save one swan, won't they have saved the freedom of all?

This is not about how we messed things up. This is about what kind of world we want to live in now, and the joy we can take in finding our dignity again. 'If I had to choose just one book that I want everybody of any age to read at this moment in time, this would be it' Brian Eno'Delightful' Yanis Varoufakis

In 2020 protest movements across the world revealed the inequalities sewn into the fabric of society. The wildfires that ravaged Australia and California made it clear we are in the middle of a climate catastrophe. The pandemic showed us all just how precarious our economies really are, and the conspiracy theories surrounding the US election proved the same of our democracies. Those in charge do not have the answers. In fact, those in charge, more often that not, are the problem. So, what do we do? In Together: 10 Choices for a Better Now, award-winning political commentator Ece Temelkuran puts forward a compelling new narrative for our current moment, not for some idealised future but for right now, and asks us to make a choice. To choose determination over hope; to embrace fear rather the cold comfort of ignorance; to save our energy for an unwavering attention on those in power and the destructive systems they uphold, rather than wasting time spewing out anger and outrage online. Above all, this book asks you to choose to have faith in the other human beings we share this planet with

An urgent call to action from a prominent European political thinker, this work serves as a guide to recognizing the subtle patterns and mechanisms of the global populist wave before it’s too late. Observing the reactions of reasonable people in Britain during Brexit, in America with Trump’s election, and in Turkey under Erdoğan, the author highlights how populism and nationalism infiltrate governments gradually rather than suddenly. This book is an impassioned plea and a warning that identifies early-warning signs of this phenomenon emerging worldwide, from Eastern Europe to South America, aiming to define a global pattern and equip readers with the tools to combat it. The author proposes alternative global solutions to pressing political issues, delving into the dangerous concept of 'real people,' the infantilization of language and debate, the misleading nature of laughter, and the risks of underestimating opponents. By weaving together memoir, history, and sharp argumentation, the author presents a compelling defense of democracy. The time for complacency is over; the threat is real and escalating, and it may soon be too late to act.

A literary phenomenon in Turkey with more than 120,000 copies sold, Women Who Blow on Knots is an engaging, funny and fast-paced book about four women hitting the road during the Arab Spring.

Starting with the basic question "what is this place?", award-winning journalist and novelist Ece Temelkuran guides us through her "beloved country". In challenging the authoritarian AKP government - for which she lost her job as a journalist - Temelkuran draws strength and wisdom from people, places and artistic expression.The result is a beautifully rendered account of the struggles, hopes and tragedies which make Turkey what it is today. Lamenting the commercialisation and authoritarianism which increasingly characterises Turkish society, Temelkuran sees hope in the Gezi Park protests of 2013, the electoral breakthrough of the progressive HDP party in 2015 and in the simple kindness of ordinary people.Much more than either straightforward history or memoir, Turkey: the Insane the Melancholy is like sitting with a friendly stranger who, over raki or coffee, reveals the secrets of this rich and complex country - the historic "bridge" between east and west.

»Ein unterhaltsamer und zugleich bedeutender Roman.« WDR 3 Im August 1980 macht nicht nur die Hitze den Menschen in Ankara zu schaffen. Auch politisch brodelt es: In der Türkei herrscht Bürgerkrieg, Menschen sterben auf offener Straße, bald wird das Militär putschen, um das Land »zu retten«. Diesen chaotischen Sommer verbringen die Kinder Ayşe und Ali gemeinsam. Sie könnten kaum unterschiedlicher sein: Ayşe kommt aus einem behüteten Elternhaus, ist quirlig und fröhlich, Ali, der introvertierte Sohn der kurdischen Putzfrau, lebt in einem Elendsviertel. Die beiden haben eine gemeinsame Mission: Sie wollen die Schwäne aus dem Schwanenpark retten, die der Befehlshaber der Armee in seinen privaten Garten bringen lassen will. Damit sie nicht entfliehen, sollen den Schwänen die Flügel gestutzt werden. Die Erwachsenen haben andere Sorgen, doch Ayşe und Ali haben sich ihr Gefühl für Recht und Freiheit bewahrt. Und am Ende dieses Sommers ist nichts mehr wie zuvor.

On the Road im Arabischen Frühling: Vier Frauen in einem alten weißen Mercedes, unterwegs von Tunis nach Beirut: Amira, Tänzerin und Aktivistin, Maryam, Wissenschaftlerin und fromme Muslima, und die Ich-Erzählerin, eine arbeitslose Journalistin. Und dann ist da noch Madame Lilla, eine geheimnisvolle alte Dame, die die Frauen auf diese Reise ins Ungewisse eingeladen hat. Eine Hymne an die Freundschaft, ein wilder Roadtrip und eine rasante Geschichte über weibliche Selbstbehauptung. »Die mutigen Frauen, von denen ich erzähle, haben mir viel beigebracht über das Leben - in einer reinen Männerwelt geben sie nicht auf, fordern ihre Rechte ein.« Ece Temelkuran »Ece Temelkuran gebührt Applaus für dieses großartige, magische Werk!« Turkish News »Ece Temelkuran schreibt voller Energie und Leidenschaft.« NRC Handelsblad (NL)

"Amira, bize kadınları nasıl seveceğimizi anlatan bir kitap lazım. Yoksa hep böyle şapşal ve kavruk kalacağız. Bize kadınların nefesini genişletecek, o nefesin rüzgarına yelken açmamızı öğretecek bir kitap lazım. Yoksa biz ne kadar sevilsek tamir olmayız. "Bir kadının kalbini fena kırmış bir adam... O adamı öldürmek için çölü geçmeyi göze almış dört kadın... Düğümlere Üfleyen Kadınlar bu yolculuğun romanı. Ne kadar sevilse de tamir olmayan o yaralı coğrafyada, Ortadoğu’da geçiyor. Saraylar devrilip, meydanlar dolarken sorular kalıyor geriye. Her yola en az bir soruyla çıkılır çünkü: Bir kadın ya da bir ülke nasıl sevilir sahiden?