Çiğdem Şahin says that eye of the investors and the state is always on region since there is no place left for profit through gentrification, or areas that have not been subject to urban transformation in İstanbul. Şahin also underlines that the historical value of places is disregarded in urban transformation or social transformation, and that tourism is established based on the scenery rather than the realities. “They speak of a tourism based on consumption and shopping. They don’t mention the value of region, it is a decor-tourism. People will make money on hotels, restaurants, night clubs, and coffee shops. People won’t make money from touristic or cultural values”, Şahin says.
When she was in high school, Denizcan Abay started to help her father, spokesperson for the Platform for Solidarity with Arrested Journalists, to keep tally of the journalists in jail. For this reason, she closely observed the price of critical journalism back then.