The 1909 Counterrevolution That Almost Undid the Young Turks
Imagine Istanbul in April 1909. The city is on edge. A year earlier, the Young Turks had forced the sultan to restore the constitution, and hope was in the air.…
The Karamanlides: Turkey’s Turkish-Speaking Greek Exiles of 1923
Imagine a family that speaks Turkish at home, prays in Greek Orthodox churches, and writes both languages using the Greek alphabet. Then one day, the government decides you are Greek…
How the 1926 Calendar Reform Threw Turkey into Chaos
Hook Opening Have you ever gone down a history rabbit hole at 2am and ended up somewhere completely unexpected? I was sitting in my favorite Kadikoy coffee shop, scrolling through…
The Night the Music Died: The Cocoanut Grove Fire and the Birth of Modern Fire Safety
Hook Opening Have you ever gone down a history rabbit hole at 2am and ended up somewhere completely unexpected? I have, more times than I can count. There I was,…
The Ottoman Spy Ring in Vienna’s Coffeehouses (1914–1918)
Have you ever gone down a history rabbit hole at 2am and ended up somewhere completely unexpected? I sure did a few months ago, sitting in my favorite Kadıköy coffee…
Struma: The Ship of Doom That Sunk by Istanbul
Hook Opening Have you ever gone down a history rabbit hole at 2am and ended up somewhere completely unexpected? I remember one night in Kadıköy, sipping çay at my favorite…
Forgotten Turkish History Thesis: Nationalist Ideology That Shaped a Nation
Hook Opening Have you ever gone down a history rabbit hole at 2am and ended up somewhere completely unexpected? I have, and it happened last winter in a tiny coffee…