The Magnum photographer Emin Özmen has vivid memories of the fateful day in 1993 when radical Islamists set fire to the Madımak Hotel in Sivas, Turkey, claiming the lives of 37 people. The victims were intellectuals and artists who had gathered there to pay homage to a celebrated Alevi poet from the 16th century. It’s worth noting that many of those who perished in the horrific incident were Alevis, a minority Muslim sect in Turkey. While the violence between Alevi leftist groups and right-wing Sunni factions in the 1970s had ceased, tensions continued to simmer beneath the surface, culminating in the tragedy at Madımak when Özmen was just eight years old. This incident deeply impacted Özmen and instilled in him a desire to become a witness to such atrocities.
Fast forward to July 2016, where we see a crowd mourning at the Kocatepe Mosque in Ankara following a failed coup attempt by the Turkish military. The coup attempt resulted in the deaths of 265 people, including soldiers, police officers, and civilians. It’s moments like these that Özmen seeks to capture and preserve through his lens, depicting the constant terror experienced by his generation and his people, especially over the past decade. Unfortunately, under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s leadership, Turkey has transformed from an aspiring democracy into a divided autocracy grappling with a failing economy.
Despite the repression, violence, and hunger endured by many Turks over the past two decades, there was a glimmer of hope when Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Turkey’s first Alevi candidate for president, faced off against Erdoğan in the 2018 elections. However, neither candidate secured the required 50 percent of the vote, leading to a runoff set for May 28. Erdoğan’s victory in the upcoming election is widely expected. As Özmen aptly writes in his book, “Olay,” “A whole generation and I were only going to know this shadow. To grow up despite this shadow, to try to build ourselves despite this shadow. This shadow is still there, twenty years later.”
Özmen’s photographs, often black-and-white and lacking captions, possess a haunting stillness that reflects the collective trauma and powerlessness experienced by the Turkish people. These images serve as a reminder of the events that have shaped and defined the nation, from the Gezi Park protests of 2013 to the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis. Özmen’s aim is to convey the sense of powerlessness in the face of injustice and violence that has permeated Turkish society.
Over the course of the past decade, Turkey has not only grappled with political strife but also endured natural disasters, such as devastating earthquakes and rampant wildfires, which exposed the government’s failure in effectively responding to these crises. These events foreshadow what lies ahead for the nation.
In February, two powerful earthquakes struck southern Turkey within a 24-hour period, resulting in the deaths of thousands and displacing millions. The government’s inadequate response only reinforced the Turkish people’s psychological experience of the past two decades. They were not only left mourning and terrorized but also faced a dystopian future filled with uncertainty, where everything they once knew had vanished.
However, despite the challenges and suffering, the Turkish people’s resilience prevails. As Özmen’s photographs poignantly capture, their desire to live and love endures. The Turkish nation’s rich history spans centuries, far surpassing the 20-year reign of President Erdoğan. Even in the face of adversity, their democratic spirit remains unyielding.
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