A key interest of mine lies in exploring Turkey’s influence as a central actor in the Middle East and understanding the multi-faceted factors that encompass development in modern Turkey. Falling at a crossroads between East and West, this trip to Istanbul presents an enriching opportunity to enhance my knowledge of its development and apply what we have learned in the classroom to the specific case study of Turkey. As per the programme, the field trip is designed to immerse us as students in its cultural and economic capital. From city tours to workshops with academics, I believe it will be an enriching experience both academically and personally.
As someone who has not visited Istanbul before, I look forward to this chance to exploring the economic hub of modern Turkey, as well as its culture significance as the capital of both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. I especially look forward to exploring Turkish culture, having seen its influences on Kashmiri culture, particularly in crafts. Furthermore, having grown up in Saudi Arabia, I have been drawn to Turkey’s role as an emerging market and regional power. I am keen to learn how Turkey approaches changing relations with other regional actors such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and the UAE whilst also navigating economic development. This, against the backdrop of its cultural, religious and social influences, presents critical factors for examining development in the region. Sessions I am particularly interested in are the workshops on social policy and populism, as well as on gender and labor in Turkey. Offering insightful perspectives from academics, I believe they will be supplemental to broadening my understanding of policy-making in Turkey. The session offering a comparative perspective on Turkey and Thailand will further offer perspectives on the roles of religion and culture in development, and I look forward to this as I have not studied both of the countries through a shared lens before. During the tour, and throughout the trip, I hope to be able to document the city through photography, particularly areas such as the Old Town.
I look forward to visiting sites such as the Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace and Blue Mosque, as they carry Istanbul’s fascinating culture, and Persian, Ottoman and Byzantine influences. This will be additionally helpful when examining the emergence of modern Turkey, and the reemergence of culture in Turkish politics. Overall, I look forward to enriching my knowledge of Turkish culture and politics and exploring the city and its food!
Shameen Dar