In Turkey’s industrial zones, where oil-streaked floors, shop talk, and a deeply masculine work culture long kept women at the margins, a quiet shift is underway. From the capital, Ankara, to İzmir on the Aegean, women are stepping into garages, running their own workshops, and changing how the country sees skilled labour. Among them is 22-year-old Mia Uyanık, a motorcycle mechanic in Ankara who fell in love with machines as a child, and 48-year-old Rukiye Karaman, who rebuilt her life …

The local elections in March 2024 may have marked the beginning of a new era in Turkish politics – and not just because the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) was overtaken by its main opponent. In the country’s largest city, Istanbul, the elections saw the emergence of a new generation of female politicians. More than a year on, the changes look set to last. Among the new entrants to the political scene was Sinem Dedetaş, who won the key …

Panel in Istanbul spotlights the rising tide of gender-based disinformation and the women fighting back STANBUL – Gender biases continue to shape newsrooms and media narratives worldwide. This reality turns the careers of female journalists into a constant struggle for recognition and survival. With the rise of social media, the spread and diversification of gendered disinformation pose a growing threat—not only to women in journalism but to society as a whole. In a powerful panel discussion titled “Gendered Disinformation and …

The textile industry in Turkey’s historic production hub Bursa is facing extinction due to rising costs and global competition. Many Turkish textile companies are shutting down or declaring bankruptcy as Egypt emerges as a competitor and buyers’ preferences shift to Chinese products. Thousands of workers are at risk of unemployment, especially those who are unregistered or work under precarious conditions. Located in western Turkey, Bursa has been the country’s textile hub since it received its first shipment of silk imports …

In a tough media landscape, parliamentary reporting has become a rare stronghold for women – but true equality remains elusive. Across the world, gender inequality remains deeply rooted in workplaces, and journalism is no exception. In Turkey, women journalists face additional hurdles from an increasingly restrictive political climate and economic instability. Yet within this difficult environment, parliamentary reporting in Ankara stands out as a rare space where women have carved out a strong and respected presence. This achievement didn’t happen …

Amid Turkey’s ongoing economic turmoil, a series of recent incidents have highlighted poor pay and conditions experienced by industrial workers, with many of the effects felt most strongly by women. In December 2024, an explosion at a capsule production facility in Balıkesir killed 11 employees, eight of whom were female. In July the same year, 146 workers, most of them women, were dismissed from the Polonez Meat Products factory in Istanbul after joining a union, sparking a six-month protest that …

For the first time in Turkey, the concept of “family massacre” has been formally addressed in the Turkish parliament, with the recent publication of a report by the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). Violence targeting women and children has long been a topic of discussion in the Turkish media and among civil society organisations, MPs and campaigners. But “Children Killed in Femicide”, a project of CHP member of parliament Sevda Erdan Kılıç that investigates men who kill their partners and …

In Turkish households, few things signal care and community as much as a tray filled with homemade pastries and fresh tea, and the chatter of women catching up in a friend’s living room. For generations, this scene has meant more than comfort – it has also served as a way for women to support each other financially, emotionally and socially. Recent local news reports of a group of women in Kocaeli, western Turkey, who defied a snowstorm to attend a …

“We used to visit my mum and dad with my children on the first day of Eid,” says Seher Yiğit. “Now, the only place I can visit is the empty lot where their home used to stand. I kiss gravestones, instead of my parents’ hands.” Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, has just been celebrated by millions of Muslims all around the world. But for thousands of people who lost loved ones in the massive twin earthquakes that …

It was 1960 when the prominent archaeologist and feminist Sally Binford said, “I’m not here to cook; I’m here to dig.” Yet 65 years later, gender inequality in archeology persists. Despite an increase in the number of female archeologists in Turkey and around the world, women continue to face obstacles both in the field and in universities. Professor Çiler Çilingiroğlu, a member of the Ege University archeology department, tells Inside Turkey that during digs, women are often assigned documentation and …