Turkey

Çatalhöyük, 7400 BC, Konya, Turkey

What Is Çatalhöyük?

Thought to be one of the first major urban centers in human civilization, Çatalhöyük was a Neolithic settlement that, at its height, reached a population of close to 10,000 at a time when most humans still lived in small hunter-gatherer bands of several hundred people.

April 2, 2021 - Diana Ionescu

Turkey Tunnel City

Underground City from 5,000 Years Ago Discovered in Turkey

An urban renewal project in Turkey yielded an unexpected archaeological bonanza: a 5,000-year-old, underground city.

January 1, 2015 - Hurriyet Daily News

Court Halts Controversial Taksim Square Project

An Istanbul court has ruled in favor of Turkish architects, city planners and landscape architects who sued last year to halt the planned redevelopment of Taksim Square. The project sparked nationwide protests last month.

July 5, 2013 - The New York Times

Examining Europe's Attraction to Historical Pastiche

Lost amid the protests and heavy-handed police response throughout Turkey is the original debate over the proposed reconstruction of an historic military barracks in Gezi Park. Feargus O’Sullivan says such debates are playing out across Europe.

June 20, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Gezi Park Project Suspended; Have the Protestors Won?

Following a lengthy late night meeting with demonstrators, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to halt construction of a controversial redevelopment project pending the outcome of an ongoing court case and possible public referendum.

June 14, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Istanbul Protests Reflect Tensions over Urban, and Societal, Transformations

The protests that've gripped Istanbul, and several other Turkish cities in recent days, reflect tensions over the 'autocratic ambitions' of the country's government and the cultural transformations it has pushed through grand redevelopment projects.

June 3, 2013 - The New York Times

Violent Clashes Erupt as Protestors Try to Save Istanbul Park

What began as a peaceful gathering in central Instanbul erupted in violence Friday morning, as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse thousands protesting the redevelopment of a treasured park as a shopping center.

May 31, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

New Planning Law Will Protect Istanbul's Historic Views And Lines Of Sight

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has announced a plan aimed at protecting the city's views by preventing construction of tall buildings in lines of sight and preventing illegal building construction.

October 17, 2011 - Hurriet Daily News

A Planned Community for Artists

Artists are flocking to a town in Turkey that promises "authentic village life." The architect behind the plan says that the project has attracted creatives who "miss natural and pure human relations."

December 22, 2010 - Daily News & Economic Review

Turning Yellow Cabs Green

Cities in the C40 climate leadership group from across the globe are looking into improving taxi services, citing them as key to mobility in urban centers.

November 16, 2010 - TheCityFix

Istanbul: Too Big to Master Plan

Istanbul, a unique "hinge city" at which East and West intersect, has seen its population possibly quadruple in the last 30 years. This video offers an exploration of its uninhibited potential.

December 3, 2009 - Monocle

Archeological Find Slows Rail Progress in Turkey

A planned tunnel under the Bosphorus to connect Asia and Europe by rail has ground to a halt because of the extensive archeological discoveries at the dig.

December 1, 2009 - Voice Of America

'Fertile Crescent' Doomed by Century's End

Water projects and diversion efforts in Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria are draining the marshlands near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, known as the 'Fertile Crescent'.

July 29, 2009 - New Scientist

Middle East Choking as Euphrates Shrinks

Water policies in Syria and Turkey are draining the Euphrates River dry, and neighboring Iraq is feeling all the hurt from it.

July 20, 2009 - The New York Times

Turkey Hopes Planned Dam Generates More Than Electricity

Plans to build a massive dam in Turkey have many hopeful that its creation will revive the local economy.

May 28, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

Support Wanes for Turkey's Controversial Dam

A massive dam project in Turkey that would flood historic areas and displace 50,000 people is losing international support, as officials in Germany threaten to pull out of the project -- often called a smaller version of China's Three Gorges Dam.

April 20, 2008 - Der Spiegel

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