Interviewed on May 18, 2019 Interviewer: Ayla Yackley Ahmet was born in the early 1960s. He gives an in-depth interview here on his identity in Turkey. He calls himself a Turkish man of African descent. He often is asked by white Turkish people “where are you from?” He responds that he is from Torbalı and…
Born in the village of Naime in 1960, Esat Sezen’s life spans many national shifts in the nature of work and education in Turkey from the 1960s to the present. Similar to the life stories of many Afro-Turks, Sezen worked on his parent’s farm when he was a child, and he was one of nine…
Recorded in April, 2019 Interviewer: Uğur Yılnaz Ferah Öztürk’s personal history serves as an important example of cross-cultural connections and legacies. She was born in 1965 to an Afro-Turk family. However, at the age of 2 or 3 (the dates are unclear in the interview), Öztürk was adopted by a prominent white Turkish family in…
Interview recorded on May 18, 2019 Interviewer: Ayla Yackley Ayşe Ürümlü was born in 1932, though she is not certain of the exact date. Ürümlü was born in the tiny village of Tulum, which currently has about 200 residents. It is located roughly 60 minutes outside of Izmir. Ürümlü has lived in Tulum her entire…
Interview recorded in March 2019Interviewer: Almila Kütük Şakir Doğuluer was born in Hasköy, a small village outside of Izmir in 1955. He has four siblings, and his oldest sister is Mesure, who is also featured on this website. In this interview, Doğuluer talks about his life and work in Izmir. His parents were farmers who…
Interview recorded in March 2019 Interviewer: Serhan Bulanık Mesure Doğan was born in Hasköy, a small village outside of Izmir in the late 1940s. She has four siblings, and she is the oldest daughter. In this interview, she covers a range of topics, including her childhood in a small village, marriage, children, religion, and her business….
