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Middle East Extra Turkey Syrian Refugee
Syrian refugee builds successful business in Istanbul
A Syrian refugee has become a successful businessman in Turkey after fleeing the civil back home.
Mohamed Nizar Bitar came to Istanbul with just one-thousand US dollars, but has opened a string of bakeries and restaurants.
Hot bread rolls out of the oven at an Istanbul bakery.
It makes its way along the conveyor belt for the owner to inspect.
Mohamed Nizar Bitar has made this business a success despite difficult circumstances.
He's a Syrian cook and entrepreneur who fled his homeland after the uprising erupted four years ago.
Bitar claims he was jailed twice by the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad for his political views.
And his family came to Istanbul from Damascus in March 2011 as the situation at home worsened.
He's one of almost 1.7 Syrian refugees living in Turkey, according to UNHCR figures.
"The Syrian uprising used to mean a lot to the Syrian people when it first started back in 2011," Bitar says.
"Now it means devastation and war and people being murdered all over Syria. For now, the future is bleak," he continues.
His family arrived in Turkey with just one-thousand US dollars and started their lives from scratch.
Bitar first took a job with the Free Syrian Army where he says he helped organise aid deliveries to refugees.
But then he joined a group of Syrians to launch a new business venture.
"My parents taught me how to cook at a young age. It was a hobby that then turned into a business idea when I grew up," he says.
"I had a fish restaurant in Syria in 2007. When I moved to Turkey I thought the best thing to do would be to get into the food sector," Bitar explains.
And business is booming.
This bakery in the Aksaray neighbourhood now produces 120,000 loaves of bread a day.
Bitar and his 22 partners have expanded the enterprise and now run six operations including another bakery and a chain of four restaurants.
And there are plans to open two more eateries soon.
It means he's been able to employ a large number of his countrymen.
"There are 312 people working with us. They work at the restaurants and the bakeries and they are mostly Syrian," says Bitar.
"Their education levels differ, 20 percent are very well educated - we have two doctors and three engineers. We try to place them in advertising or accounting," he continues.
Imad Kataf is one of Bitar's employees.
He worked as a cook in Damascus before leaving Syria in early 2014.
"I have been able to set up a home. I am looking after my wife and children. I am living a good life, thank God," he says.
Since the conflict began four years ago, more than 220,000 people have been killed and one million wounded.
Nearly four million Syrians have fled and registered as refugees in neighbouring countries, while another 7.6 million people are displaced inside Syria.
Bitar can not imagine returning home.
My dream is to go back to Syria after the events (conflict)," he says.
"But nothing on the horizon or in the future leads to the dream of going back. I think until the end of the world we'll be in the same situation," he continues.
Istanbul, Turkey - 11 March 2015
1. Various of bread rolling out of an oven at bakery in Istanbul's Aksaray neighbourhood
2. Close of bread falling from conveyor belt
3. Mid of Mohamed Nizar Bitar, Syrian refugee and businessman, looking at bread
4. Close of Bitar smelling bread
5. Wide of Bitar and other bakery workers
6. Wide of Bitar walking into his restaurant, Tarbus
7. Mid of Bitar at counter picking up a basket of bread
8. Mid of Bitar serving bread to customers
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohamed Nizar Bitar, Syrian refugee and businessman:
"The Syrian uprising used to mean a lot to the Syrian people when it first started back in 2011. But now it means devastation and war and people being murdered all over Syria. For now, the future is bleak."
10. Various of Bitar making falafel
11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohamed Nizar Bitar, Syrian refugee and businessman:
"My parents taught me how to cook at a young age. It was a hobby that then turned into a business idea when I grew up. I had a fish restaurant in Syria in 2007. When I moved to Turkey I thought the best thing to do would be to get into the food sector."
12. Various of dough being prepared by bakery staff
"There are 312 people working with us. They work at the restaurants and the bakeries and they are mostly Syrian. Their education levels differ, 20 percent are very well educated - we have two doctors, three engineers. We try to place them in advertising or accounting. We have lawyers, we have university students and we have those who don't have college degrees."
14. Mid of Imad Kataf, Syrian refugee and cook at Tarbus restaurant, chopping onions
15. Close of Kataf
16. Close of chopping onion
17. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Imad Kataf, Syrian refugee and cook at Tarbus restaurant:
"What helped me is that I have been able to set up a home. I am looking after my wife and children. I am living a good life, thank God."
18. Mid of Bitar passing falafel to server
"My dream is to go back to Syria after the events (conflict). But nothing on the horizon or in the future leads to the dream of going back. I think until the end of the world we'll be in the same situation."
20. Various exteriors of Tarbus restaurant
Political refugees , Restaurant operators , Flour and baked goods manufacturing , Medical technology , General news , Political refugees , Human welfare , Social issues , Social affairs , Food services , Consumer services , Consumer products and services , Industries , Business , Food manufacturing , Food, beverage and tobacco products manufacturing , Consumer product manufacturing , Health , Medical technology , Technology
057c1e25b6840d8eaa58260619d26fd5
Painstakingly refurbished vehicles grace the shores of Istanbul
Over 30 vintage and modern automobiles, competing in a prestigious four-wheeled beauty pageant.
They include this 1961 Jaguar MK II and this 1962 Thunderbird Sport Roadster.
The oldest contestant is this 1927 Pierce Arrow 80, a nostalgic flashback to the roaring 1920s.
The newest of them all is a 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby, it's billed by its makers as "The Cobra of Performance Cars."
All these autos have been brought under one roof by 'Concours d'Elegance,' an international car show which traces its roots back to the 17th century.
It has a reputation for exhibiting only the world's most spectacular cars and motorcycles.
Entries include American, British, German and Italian automobiles.
Six cars compete in five categories plus one special category, explains event organiser Ugur Isik.
"We have five categories and in addition to that, as a sixth category, there will be the 'People's Choice'," he says.
"The first category is "Antiques" for (cars) up to 1946; then (19) 46 - 60 makes; the next category is (19)60 - 70 makes; and afterward (19)70-80 makes. In addition to these categories, each year there is a make that's highlighted. For example, this year it's the Ford Mustang since this is it's 50th year."
"Antiques," is the section for cars manufactured up to 1945; "Classics" is for those that rolled off the assembly line between 1946 and 1960; the "Collectibles" category is reserved for cars made between 1961 and 1970 makes and the "Exotics" -- 1971 to 1981.
Entries for the competition were submitted earlier in May.
Now - of the 54 cars that vied for a chance to strut their stuff - 30 have made the cut and are competing in the official categories.
Cars that didn't qualify are competing for the 'People's Choice' award.
Owners were subjected to a long process in order to be considered for the competition.
According to the event's organisers, photographs of every corner of the car - including its engines - were a prerequisite for consideration.
An international team of six judges are now examining the cars while they're parked at Istanbul's Halic Congress Center.
The models found most loyal to their original form are given top points, that's according to Swedish judge, Horst Bruning.
"There are many criteria, but most important is the originality of the vehicle, its condition, the way its kept, that's the most important part of it," he says.
"Because it's 'Concours d'Elegance.' If you look at the cars not all of them are really elegant, but they are special all in their way."
According to Turkish judge Ekber Onuk, extreme attention is given to the most minute of details.
That means an unoriginal part is grounds for disqualification.
But he says a car's true value isn't just about its nuts and bolts, its place in popular culture is just as important in determining a car's worth.
"These all have a story," says Onuk.
"For example, the one you see behind me, (1936) Auburn, is a car that most Hollywood stars were using at the time in the United States. A car's real value, its price, also depends on whose car it was."
Aydin Harezi is competing in the "Collectibles" category with his 1961 Jaguar MK II.
"Every young boy loves playing with cars," he says.
"We started playing with cars when we were kids, and even though we have grown older, we keep playing with them. Only the size of the cars (that we play with) got bigger."
While the event is drawing scores of automobile aficionados to the banks of Istanbul's Golden Horn, there's also a fair share of others just enjoying their day out.
"I am normally not very interested in cars, but the Mustang is my favourite, I am really interested in them (Mustangs)," says visitor, Nihan Sepet.
"I had the chance to see the other cars as well, and I loved them, they are really special cars."
But with every competition there must be a winner.
After a second day of judging, this 1961 Chevrolet Corvette is crowned as "Best in Show."
The car's owner, Turkey's Cengiz Arsay, also took home the top prize in the "Collectibles" category.
"I'm really happy that this car was chosen as the "Best of Show". And we put in a lot of work in restoring it," says Arsay, who's competing in 'Concours d'Elegance' form the first time.
"And we tried to be as correct as, as authentic as, possible when we were restoring it. And I'm really happy to see that the judges appreciated the amount of work we have put in."
Arsay has been restoring vintage automobiles for 20 years and has 60 cars in total.
A mini, blue 1991 Fiat Jolly, with its straw seats, wooden floors and sun roof, took home the "People's Choice" award.
Istanbul, Turkey - 7 June 2014
1. Wide of the automobiles in "Collectibles" category at Concours d'Elegance event
2. Mid of 1961 Jaguar MK II
3. Close of emblem on automobile
4. Close of hood decoration
5. Pull focus of emblem on steering wheel
6. Wide of automobile interior
7. Mid of 1962 Thunderbird Sport Roadster
8. Close of Thunderbird emblem
9. Close of wing mirror and the Turkish flag in background
10. Wide of automobile interior
11. Close of dials in interior
12. Wide of 1927 Pierce Arrow 80 which won first place in "Antiques" category
13. Close of emblem on hood
16. Setup shot of Ugur Isik, President of Organising Committee, checking the engine of his car, a 1969 Dodge Charger
17. Close of 1969 Dodge Charger engine
18. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Ugur Isik, President of Organising Committee:
"We have five categories and in addition to that, as a sixth category, there will be the 'People's Choice.' The first category is "Antiques" for (cars) up to 1946; then (19) 46 - 60 makes; the next category is (19)60 - 70 makes; and afterward (19)70-80 makes. In addition to these categories, each year there is a make that's highlighted. For example, this year it's the Ford Mustang since this is it's 50th year."
19. Mid of jury examining 1935 Rolls Royce Limousine
20. Close of "Rolls Royce" emblem
21. Mid of 1935 Rolls Royce Limousine from front
22. Close of its front lights and "Rahmi Koc Museum" written on its placard
23. Close of jury examining marking inside engine
24. SOUNDBITE (English) Horst Bruning, Swedish judge:
"There are many criteria, but most important is the originality of the vehicle, its condition, the way its kept, that's the most important part of it. Because it's 'Concours d'Elegance.' If you look at the cars not all of them are really elegant, but they are special all in their way."
25. Wide of jury examining 1936 Auburn Roadster 852 Speedster
26. Close of jury member using light to examine car
27. Mid of jury member examining automobile
28. Wide automobile from rear
29. Close of dials and steering wheel
30. Wide of automobile from front
31. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Ekber Onuk, Turkish judge:
"These all have a story. For example, the one you see behind me, (1936) Auburn, is a car that most Hollywood stars were using at the time in the United States. A car's real value, its price, also depends on whose car it was."
32. Wide of the car pageant
33. Mid of people walking through pageant and cars on display
34. Wide of automobiles in "Collectibles" category
35. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Aydin Harezi, Car collector and competitor:
"Every young boy loves playing with cars. We started playing with cars when we were kids, and even though we have grown older, we keep playing with them. Only the size of the cars (that we play with) got bigger."
36. Wide of cars in "Classics" category
37. Wide of 1958 Cadillac Eldorado, which won first place in the "Classics" category
38. Wide of 1966 Ford Mustang and Nihan Sepet, Visitor, approaching
39. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Nihan Sepet, Visitor:
"I am normally not very interested in cars, but the Mustang is my favourite, I am really interested in them (Mustangs). I had the chance to see the other cars as well, and I loved them, they are really special cars."
40. Pan right of1927 Pierce Arrow which won first place in the "Antiques" category driving on stage
41. Mid of prise-giving ceremony
42. Pull out and pan right W 1958 Cadillac Eldorado which won the first place in the "Classics" category driving onstage
43. Mid of Haydar Ercan, Car owner, receiving his prize
44. Wide of audience
45. Pull out and pan right of 1962 Chevrolet Corvette which won the "Best of Show" and first place in the "Collectibles" category driving onstage
46. Mid of Cengiz Arsay, Car Owner, receiving his prize
47. Wide of photo opportunity with winners, organisers and jury
48. Wide of automobile rear
49. Mid of automobile interior
50. Wide of automobile rear and side
51. SOUNDBITE (English) Cengiz Arsay, "Best of Show" and "Collectibles" category winner:
"I'm really happy that this car was chosen as the "Best of Show". And we put in a lot of work in restoring it. And we tried to be as correct as, as authentic as, possible when we were restoring it. And I'm really happy to see that the judges appreciated the amount of work we have put in."
52. Close of Arsay's face reflected in car mirror
53. Wide of Arsay driving car away from stage
Automobile manufacturing , Automobiles , Collecting , Consumer product manufacturing , Consumer products and services , Industries , Business , Lifestyle , Hobbies , Recreation and leisure
9d0ff95622471ffff5130c6989975382
Turkey Unrest
Police use tear gas to disperse protesters in Istanbul
1. Various tracking shots of riot police running in street
2. Mid of police wearing masks and regrouping at top of street
3. Tracking shot of police moving down street, tear gas being fired in distance
4. Mid of police in street, tear gas being fired
5. Wide of riot police moving down street, vehicle following behind
6. Low angle of protesters in street
7. Mid of vehicle, debris on ground in background
8. Various of police officers dismantling barricade on Cumhurriyet Street
9. Wide of barricade in street
10. Various of water cannon truck
11. Low angle of debris on ground
12. Wide of guests outside Divan hotel
13. Mid of guests in front of hotel
14. Wide of tear gas in street
15. Wide of debris on ground in street
16. Wide of police in street
17. Wide of police officer firing tear gas canister, pan across street
18. Wide of riot police walking down street
Police used tear gas to disperse protesters in Istanbul early on Sunday morning, hours after a protest camp was cleared from a park in the Turkish city.
Riot officers also dismantled barricades which had been put up, including one on a street leading to Taksim Square - which has been at the heart of the recent unrest.
A hotel was hit by tear-gas canisters during the police operation, forcing guests and protesters sheltering inside the hotel to rush out into the street.
On Saturday, police ended an 18-day occupation of Gezi Park - emptying the area of protesters and leaving a series of colourful, abandoned tents behind.
For more than two weeks, the protesters had defied Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's warnings to vacate the area.
A brutal police intervention on 31 May against those protesting against plans to redevelop the park had sparked the biggest anti-government protests in Turkey in decades and dented the prime minister's international reputation.
The protests - which at one point spread to dozens of Turkish cities and towns - turned into a much broader expression of discontent about Erdogan's government, and what many say is his increasingly authoritarian decision-making.
Erdogan, who was elected with 50 percent of the vote for his third term in 2011, vehemently rejects the accusations by protesters and points to his strong support base.
He has already has offered to defer to a court ruling on the legality of the government's contested park redevelopment plan, and floated the possibility of a referendum on it.
But concessions over the park seemed not to be enough.
Erdogan's supporters were planning weekend counter-demonstrations in Ankara and Istanbul.
Protests and demonstrations , Riots , Municipal governments , Hotel operators , Government and politics , Political and civil unrest , General news , Local governments , Hospitality and leisure industry , Consumer services , Consumer products and services , Industries , Business
abd66dd0e3ce8819f09305c093c74aaa
Turkey March 2
March to show solidarity with Turkey attack victims
Turkish tourism, gastronomy and entertainment industry professionals on Tuesday marched to the Istanbul nightclub where 39 New Year's revellers were killed, in a show of solidarity and to protest a spate of recent attacks.
About two-hundred people, including restaurateurs, hotel owners and gastronomy students, took part in the protest, marching behind a large banner that read: "We won't be daunted! For our tomorrows."
Turkey's crucial tourism industry has suffered enormously after a series of recent attacks in the country.
The group condemned the attack and placed carnations at the entrance of the Reina nightclub, where portraits of the victims had been left.
The nightclub assailant, armed with a long-barrelled weapon, killed a policeman and a civilian early on Sunday outside the club before entering and firing at some of the approximately six-hundred people inside.
The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
++CLIENTS PLEASE NOTE++
Turkey's prime ministry office has imposed a temporary blackout on coverage of the armed attack that occurred early on Sunday in Istanbul, citing public order and national security reasons.
The order asks media organisations to refrain from broadcasting and publishing anything that may cause "fear in the public, panic and disorder and which may serve the aims of terrorist organisations."
The blackout includes: "moment of attack; aftermath of the attack and site of crime; public servants conducting their jobs; injured and dead … exaggerated analysis … analysis and anything related to the people suspected of involvement with the attack, their methods of transport and whereabouts."
This affects ALL coverage distributed inside Turkey.
Clients are advised to seek their own legal advice if they intend to transmit material already supplied by the AP and ongoing news coverage of this specific attack and its aftermath back into Turkey.
AP TELEVISION - NO ACCESS TURKEY
Istanbul - 3 January 2017
1. Tourism, gastronomy and entertainment sector representatives marching toward the Reina nightclub (scene of New Year's attack), holding flags and banner
2. Marchers behind a banner reading (Turkish) "We won't be daunted! For our tomorrows."
3. Various of march
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Yasemin Pirinccioglu, Tourism sector employee:
"We don't feel insecure, this happens around the world and we believe in our country and we believe in our government, but these things are happening all over the world and we are for peace. And this is a call for peace actually."
5. Wide of the march
6. Armed police officer near the Reina nightclub
7. Various of people laying flowers at the entrance of the nightclub, next to photos of the victims
8. Wreaths at the entrance to the nightclub
9. Close of police barrier, with wreaths behind sign reading (Turkish) 'Police'
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Kaya Demirer, President of Turkish restaurant and entertainment association:
"First we need to learn, to come together nationally. With that way we can survive. We have not started our businesses with international tourists, the international tourists came to top it up, our businesses. So, the way we can survive, can be done through our own nation, but, once we show the world that we are not in fear, of any acts, any international attacks, we will be showing this is exactly how the whole world should respond to international terrorism."
11. Various of a victim's relative laying carnations and praying at the site
12. Remnants of blood on the ground in front of the nightclub
Istanbul nightclub attack , Bars and clubs , Bar and night club operators , Protests and demonstrations , Entertainment industry , Travel , Events , Recreation and leisure , Lifestyle , Food services , Consumer services , Consumer products and services , Business , Political and civil unrest , General news , Media and entertainment industry , Shootings , Violent crime , Crime , General news
78dde76ed022bbc54cc535e4a9127a6c
Turkey Survivors
Turkey nightclub co-owner, 2 staff on attack ordeal
The co-owner and restaurant managers of Istanbul's Reina nightclub spoke to the Associated Press on Tuesday following the New Year's massacre there that left 39 people dead.
Co-owner, Mehmet Kocarslan, said he is in a dilemma whether to carry on the business as not to be defeated or close the place down due to the weight of the 39 lives lost.
Two restaurant managers, Muhammed Delibas and Sabri Ozturk who survived the attack shared their experiences of the night.
The Islamic State group (IS) claimed the attack on Monday, saying a "soldier of the caliphate" had carried out the mass shooting to avenge Turkish military operations against the IS group in northern Syria.
At least 14 people have been detained in connection with the attack.
Two foreigners were detained at Ataturk airport's international terminal on Tuesday after police checked their mobile phones and luggage, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu television.
1. Various of Reina club from approaching boat
2. Various of Mehmet Kocarslan, co-owner of Reina, his daughter and Muhammed Delibas, one of Reina restaurants' managers, entering restaurant
3. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Mehmet Kocarslan, co-owner of Reina:
"Even during the 12 September (referring to Turkish coup d'état in 1980) we did not have such drastic security measures. On the other hand, how the man could make it this far. I am not able to answer this. Answer for this will be given by the authorities as I cannot, but what I've experienced and have seen are extraordinary security measures. My daughter was coming to this island and even though they know we have another security checkpoint here, they still searched her. My partner was also searched that night at a second security checkpoint."
4. Cutaway
"To keep my business alive and to continue ordinary life for the sake of not surrendering to terror ... or to carry the weight of 39 lives and close this place down ... I honestly am in a dilemma right now, in a dilemma."
6. Delibas and Kocarslan at table
7. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Muhammed Delibas, Reina restaurant manager:
"I fell down, got back up a few times. We wondered whether we would die. I thought so. We prayed where we hid."
"Our biggest fear was whether it was a single person or five people. Because there was so much gun sound that you can't know whether it was a single person or not. Sadly, it was a single person who continuously changed his gun magazines and kept on firing, so we feared that they were numerous, that they scattered inside, that they would move everywhere and kill everybody. I was going through many feelings."
10. Sabri Ozturk, another restaurant manager of Reina (middle) sitting at table
11. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Sabri Ozturk, Reina restaurant manager:
"After I helped my wife and my child to lie on the ground, there were three guests nearby, two gentleman and a lady, who I had taken (into the club) that evening. They fell near my feet with a thud as I was lying down. The gun sound did not stop. They say it was seven minutes, but for us, it was like seven hours. You understand as you experience. You cannot understand what you do not live through. We were on the ground for a long time, waiting, not being able to summon courage up as even though the sounds stopped, the terrorist could still be inside. Will he set off a bomb? You say to yourself, let it explode, so that this can end. This is how you feel."
12. Olive oil bottles
"They (my family) were down on the ground. There were some chairs, and they were trying to move there. I told them to get down, not only them but also everybody. Our heads and feet were tangled together. I was pushing my wife to the left, under my arms, towards the chair to the left. And my son's head was beneath my hands. He was hitting his head on the table, so I put my hand in between (his head and the table). He was about to move, but I kept my hand on his mouth, telling him not to make any sounds."
14. Various view of Reina club from boat
Istanbul nightclub attack , Restaurant operators , Bar and night club operators , Restaurants , Bars and clubs , Events , Food services , Consumer services , Consumer products and services , Business , Food and drink , Lifestyle , Recreation and leisure , Shootings , Violent crime , Crime , General news
bdda5d5d988264846a24b827a0d7eb01
MEEX Turkey Fear
Businesses suffer as fearful Turks drink at home
LEAD IN:
Bars and restaurants are empty and closing at the heart of Istanbul as customers have been driven away since the attack in Reina on New Year's Eve that killed 39 people.
This is the 15th July Bridge that connects the European and the Asian side of Istanbul over the Bosphorus Strait.
Under the European side of the bridge is the Reina Club, that can almost be seen from this 5th Floor Restaurant terrace.
It is Saturday, but there are only four customers in the usually busy eatery near Taksim Square, where the secular elite, artists and foreigners have enjoyed cocktails and international cuisine since it opened in 1993.
Actress Yasemin Alkaya opened then this restaurant and after years of bureaucracy she managed to get an alcohol license, a visionary business move as the neighbourhood of Cihangir, where it is located, was turning into a bohemian area for professional and secular Turks. It has had years of success.
But since the Gezi protests against government conservative regulations ended in 2013 the business has been in decline. And after a year of terror attacks - particularly since the Reina Club attack - customers are afraid to come here.
"We hear all these scenarios like don't go to this market, or don't go to church, or don't go to mosque or school. Every day we hear something. And of course it terrorises you. I mean, once or twice you say no, no, no, then after that you become scared, and I understand people of course, people started to stay at home," says owner Yasemin Alkaya.
Last Christmas and New Year's Eve was the first time that the restaurant wasn't fully booked and had last minute cancellations. That followed more than 30 attacks since mid 2015 in Turkey by assorted militias.
In the last few years, Alkaya has closed the restaurant temporarily for a couple of weeks after the holiday period for renovations, but this year she is closing earlier and for a longer period of time due to the risk that her restaurant may become a target.
"This year it will be better to close it right now, because the schools are closing, and there are many saying that something will happen," she says.
The restaurant, which is due to close temporarily this week, is located a few metres away from Mis Street, adjacent to Istiklal Avenue and a few hundred metres away from Taksim Square.
The bars in Mis Street, where young Turks who drink alcohol usually gather, are also unusually empty on a Saturday evening.
Among the few customers of Bodega Bar is Seyitxan, a 37 year-old Kurd who lost his job as a waiter just a few days ago due to the decline in business.
He says liberal Turks keep drinking, but not in bars and restaurants, but at home, as there is no safe place to enjoy Istanbul nightlife.
"People they are not choosing to drink outside, they are afraid, they are choosing to buy their drinks, drink it at home, they don't feel in themselves they are safe outside because, okay, before dangerous places, area, was (were) Beyoglu, but now in Reina, Ortakoy, and before, Besiktas, you know. Now everywhere for them is dangerous," explains Seyitxan.
Only cats seem unafraid of walking around empty terraces and bars, but this may also be seen as an ill-omen.
Istanbul - 14 January 2017
1. Wide of Bosphorus and July 15th Bridge where Reina Club is located
2. Wide of Bosphorus view from 5th Floor Restaurant "5.Kat"
3. High angle of 5th Floor Restaurant rooftop terrace empty
4. Mid of a mirror where customers and views are reflected
5. Close of a bottle of beer and hands picking up nuts in a bowl
6. Wide of two customers and Bosphorus views behind
7. Close of customers
8. Wide of customers having lunch and empty tables with Bosphorus view in background
9. Mid of waiter and owner Yasemin Alkaya in 5th Floor Restaurant bar
10. Wide of 5th Floor restaurant, lots of empty tables
11. Low angle of empty glasses on a table
12. Yasemin Alkaya Aslan, 5th Floor Restaurant owner, sitting on a chair:
13. SOUNDBITE (English): Yasemin Alkaya Aslan, actress and owner of 5th Floor Restaurant 5.Kat:
"How many attacks we have now? Which one? I can't remember anymore. I mean, attacks, and bombs and we hear all these scenarios like don't go to this market, or don't go to church, or don't go to mosque or school. Every day we hear something. And of course it terrorises you. I mean, once or twice you say no, no, no, then after you become scared, and I understand people of course, people start to stay at home."
14. Wide of restaurant and customers drinking alcohol reflected in mirror
15. Wide of waiter moving around empty tables
16. Close of Alkaya's eyes
17. Close of Alkaya's hands
"This year it will be better to close it right now, because the schools are closing, and there are many saying that something will happen or we will see. And we all need to become stronger and to have a rest."
19. Wide of Mis Street where alcohol is sold in most of bars, near Taksim Square
20. Wide of a bar with empty terrace on Mis Street
21. Low angle of an ad on a window reading (English and Turkish) "Mulled wine!"
22. Wide interior of bar on Mis Street with empty tables
23. Wide of bar owner and friend sitting at a table
24. Wide of customers and former waiter Seyitxan
25. Close of former waiter Seyitxan
26. SOUNDBITE (English), Seyitxan (no given surname), former employee in a cafe in Taksim:
"In the New Year I remember I was working in a bar and I checked the social media about the Reina attack. Then after you know definitely our work is getting really down. And my boss two weeks before he said 'sorry, I cannot pay you how much I paid, I will give you little little', but with this money I cannot live, I said no, I cannot, that's why he said 'ok, I am sorry about it but no customers, not much work, even he cannot pay his rent."
27. Wide of bar with waiter and customer
28. Close of draft beer tap
29. SOUNDBITE (English) Seyitxan (no given surname), former employee in a cafe in Taksim:
"People they are not choosing to drink outside, they are afraid, they are choosing to buy their drinks, drink it at home, they don't feel in themselves they are safe outside because, okay, before dangerous places was, area, was (were) Beyoglu, but now in Reina, Ortakoy, and before, Besiktas, you know. Now everywhere for them is dangerous."
30. Wide of Mis Street with empty bars and people passing by
31. Mid of black cat walking around an empty table
Shootings , Violent crime , Crime , General news , Bar and night club operators , Restaurant operators , Restaurants , Istanbul nightclub attack , Bars and clubs , Home buying , Food services , Consumer services , Consumer products and services , Business , Food and drink , Lifestyle , Events , Recreation and leisure , Residential real estate
08e997b0e79443a7790f93716f7a51e7
Turkey Security 2
WRAP Security in Ankara, Istanbul for visit by US President Obama
Barack Obama , Abdullah Gul , Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Istanbul - 6 April 2009
1. Wide of highway that US president Barack Obama is expected to take into Istanbul
2. Security regulating traffic
3. Wide of traffic entrance to Ciragan Palace where Obama will attend a reception for the Alliance of Civilisations
4. Close up of Turkish and United Nations flags
5. Wide of Ciragan Palace
6. Mid of sniper patrolling along top of wall
7. Tilt down from Conrad hotel, where Obama will stay, to security outside
8. Security outside Conrad hotel checking cars
9. Pan from traffic to Tophane Pavillion where Obama will hold a Town Hall meeting on Tuesday
10. Close-up of sign identifying Tophane Pavillion
11. Wide of street with workers on crane installing security camera outside Tophane Pavillion
12. Close-up of security camera being installed
13. Wide of Hagia Sofia, tilt down to security outside
14. Mid of entrance to Hagia Sofia
15. Wide of Blue Mosque
Ankara - 6 April 2009
16. Wide of empty street with Sheraton Hotel, where Obama is staying, in the background
17. Pedestrians with police blocking road in the background
18. Police car blocking the road leading to the Sheraton Hotel
19. Close up of police car
20. A police unit changing shift behind of the road block fences
21. Two police motorcycles passing by
22. Road block cones
23. Counter terror unit vehicles
24. Armoured vehicles passing by the traffic police car
25. Traffic policeman directing the traffic
26. Traffic police car
27. Various of traffic policeman talking to a driver in front of road block
An extensive security operation was in action on Monday in Turkey to make sure that US President Barack Obama's first visit to a predominantly Muslim country passes without a hitch.
He arrived in Ankara, Turkey's capital, late on Sunday and is scheduled to attend a reception of the Alliance of Civilisations which will be held at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul on Monday and Tuesday.
Security in Ankara and Istanbul was tight with police checking cars and police snipers patrolling the areas.
The street leading to the Sheraton Hotel in Ankara, where Obama had been staying was closed and police were seen in the surrounding areas.
Istanbul's governor said nearly 9,000 policemen would be on duty in Istanbul.
News reports said that police snipers and riot police will be deployed.
In Istanbul security measures were in operation outside the Conrad hotel where Obama is due to stay.
On Sunday security cameras were installed outside the Tophane Pavillion where Obama will hold a Town Hall meeting on Tuesday.
Police were also securing the area around the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul where Obama is scheduled to attend the reception of the Alliance of Civilisations.
The forum, sponsored by Turkey and Spain, aims to foster dialogue between the West and the Muslim world.
Obama was in Prague earlier on Sunday and urged European Union leaders to accept Turkey as a member in the bloc.
He told EU leaders that the West should seek greater cooperation and closer ties with Islamic nations, and that letting Turkey into the EU would be an important sign of those efforts.
France, Austria and other nations oppose Turkey's long-running efforts to join the EU.
Others in the Union have urged Turkey to do more to guarantee minority rights, curb the powers of its military and pass new rights for trade unions.
In talks with Turkey's president, Abdullah Gul, and Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Obama is expected to try to sell his strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Traffic , Hotel operators , Transportation , General news , Hospitality and leisure industry , Consumer services , Consumer products and services , Industries , Business
Turkey , Istanbul , Ankara , European Union , United States , Middle East , Turkey , Western Europe , Europe , North America
322cc9d9ca4357396d11b30c3d6ae11f
(HZ) Turkey Jewellery
Byzantine-inspired glitz at jewellery show
Byzantine and Ottoman-inspired extravagance is on display at this year's Istanbul Jewellery Show.
The event brings together high-end designers, manufacturers and customers from Turkey and beyond.
This is the most expensive piece at the Istanbul Jewellery Show.
It's a golden replica of the Maiden's Tower in Istanbul - and it's worth 2.67 million US dollars.
The medieval Byzantine-era tower is one of the symbols of the city. It's located on a small island at the entrance of the Bosphorus strait.
The replica is made of pieces of 24 carat gold and weighs more than 70 kilograms (154 pounds), and is a product of the Nadir Doviz gold refinery.
"The Maiden's Tower consists of 71 kg (kilograms) of gold. One kg of gold in (US) dollars is approximately 38,000 dollars, so you can estimate the value of the gold. It has been done in 25 days," says Nadir Doviz sales manager Kaan Gozum.
Turkish gold refineries have reputation at the show for indulging in feats of creativity.
For the October show, the Istanbul Gold Refinery has crafted a gold fountain made of 24 carat gold - worth almost two million US dollars.
It features a specially-created golden liquid, explains Istanbul Gold Refinery's general manager Aysen Esen.
"In the waterfalls we used a special technique. In this technique we used a special kind of combination of melted gold. It is nearly one kg. But for the production of gold grams and the other samples you see here, totally we used 50 kilograms of pure gold. So nearly the value of this gold is two million (US) dollars," she says.
Another highlight is a handmade diamond-encrusted chess set, featuring 30,049 black and white diamonds, according to manufacturer Zen Diamond.
It's worth 347,450 US dollars.
The chairman of the Turkish Jewellery Exporters Association, Ayhan Guner, says he's seeing a trend at the show for casual jewellery mixed with a few unique items.
"The trend has changed in a way from big jewels to casual jewels. Today there are sport designs made by designers in many variations and also unique pieces."
One of these statement pieces is a 100 carat gold and 17 carat diamond necklace by Assu, worth 250,000 US dollars.
It's one of the most expensive pieces of jewellery at the show and is the work of designer Arda Isler, who says he was inspired by the style of the Ottoman sultans.
Another is this white diamond necklace by Turkish jewellery exporter FD Diamond, made of the purest D Colour VVS1 diamonds and valued at 183,000 US dollars.
Jewellery designer Aylin Gozen, who's president of the diamonds division at FD Diamond, has created a Zodiac chart of gemstones to tempt visitors to buy jewellery featuring their birthstone.
"In ancient cultures people are always amazed by gemstones. So we prepared this for gemstones. When you tell me your birth month, we will find your lucky gemstone," she says.
The Istanbul Jewellery Show is a twice-yearly event that brings together more than 800 companies and brands from 15 countries.
The October show occupies more than 30,000 square metres (approx 322,000 square feet) of exhibition space in three halls.
After India, Turkey is the second largest manufacturer of gold jewellery and the second biggest exporter in the world, according to data from Turkey's Jewellery Exporters Association.
Turkish jewellery exports increased by 38 percent between 2013 and 2014, according to Association figures.
The Association says Turkey's main customers are the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and the United States.
More recently Turkey has been courting interest from places further east, such as Singapore.
But Chairman Ayhan Guner says conflicts and instability in the Middle East have slowed down this year's exports.
"Actually we had a good start this year. But the war in Syria and also watching news about the war on television stopped people in the Middle East and Turkey buying jewels. And this is the reality. If you watch war on television, of course this is the result. However, we have seen a 10 percent increase (in exports) up to last month, compared to last year's figures."
Bombing attacks on Saturday (10 October) killed 97 people and wounded hundreds at a peace rally in Ankara.
But the Jewellery Exporters Association says the attack has not had a significant impact on visitor numbers to this exhibition in Istanbul.
They say only one percent of visitors have cancelled their trips.
Show organisers are expecting more than 15,000 buyers from 107 countries, compared to 7,000 at the last show in March.
They say the top 10 countries for visitor numbers at previous shows were Turkey, Iran, Russia, Iraq, Lebanon, Algeria, Greece, Azerbaijan, Italy and the United Arab Emirates.
The Istanbul Jewellery Show runs from 15 to 18 October.
Istanbul, Turkey - 15 October 2015
1. Wide of gold model of "Maiden's Tower" in Istanbul by Nadir Doviz metal refinery, made of pieces of 24 carat gold, weighing 71 kilograms (156 pounds), valued at $2.67 million USD
2. Detail of Turkish flag on Maiden's Tower
3. Various of gold tower
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Kaan Gozum, Sales Manager, Nadir Doviz:
"The Maiden's Tower consists of 71 kg (kilograms) of gold. One kg of gold in (US) dollars is approximately 38,000 dollars, so you can estimate the value of the gold. It has been done in 25 days."
5. Close up of Gold Fountain by Istanbul Gold Refinery, made of pieces of 24 carat gold, weighing 50 kilograms, valued at $2 million USD
6. Mid of Gold Fountain
7. Wide of Gold Fountain in jewellery show stand
8. Close up of Gold Fountain
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Aysen Esen, General Manager, Istanbul Gold Refinery:
"In the waterfalls we used a special technique. In this technique we used a special kind of combination of melted gold. It is nearly one kg. But for the production of gold grams and the other samples you see here, totally we used 50 kilograms of pure gold. So nearly the value of this gold is two million (US) dollars."
10. Mid of Chess Board by Zen Diamond, made of 10 kilograms (22 pounds) gold and 30,049 black and white diamonds, handmade, valued at $347,450 USD
11. Close up of chessboard pieces
12. High angle of chessboard
14. Mid of salesperson moving chessboard pieces
15. Wide of diamond sellers meeting buyers
16. Mid of Chairman of the Turkish Jewellery Exporters Association Ayhan Guner meeting customers
17. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Ayhan Guner, Chairman of the Turkish Jewellery Exporters Association:
18. Various of necklace by Assu, designer Arda Isler, made of 100 carat gold and 17 carat diamonds, valued $250,000 USD
19. Mid of jewels on display by Assu
20. Ring by Assu, designer Arda Isler, made of 55 carat gold and 9 carat diamonds, valued $35,000 USD
21. Mid of designer Arda Isler looking at his jewellery pieces
22. Wide of visitors walking through show
23. Various of white diamond necklace by FD Diamond Group, made of D Colour VVS1 Diamonds, valued $183,000 USD
24. Wide of designer Aylin Gozen moving the Zodiac Chart of Gemstones, FD Diamond Group
25. Close up of Zodiac Chart of Gemstones reading (Turkish) "7, July"
26. SOUNDBITE (English) Aylin Gozen, designer and president of diamonds division of FD Diamond Group
"In ancient cultures people are always amazed by gemstones. So we prepared this for gemstones. When you tell me your birth month, we will find your lucky gemstone."
27. Mid of Golden Coin Tree by Istanbul Gold Refinery, made of pieces of gold weighing from 0.65 to 5 grams (0.02 to 0.17 ounces), total weight 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) valued at $39,000 USD
28. Close up of Golden Coin Tree
29. Mid of model wearing gold jewellery
30. Close up of golden shoes by Istanbul Gold Refinery Inc., made of 21 carat gold, valued at $7,600 USD
31. Tilt down of model wearing gold jewellery made of 21 carat gold by Istanbul Gold Refinery: earrings worth $500 USD; two necklaces worth $7,000 USD each; belt worth $7,000 USD; purse worth $4,000 USD; shoes worth $7,600 USD
"Actually we had a good start this year. But the war in Syria and also watching news about the war on television stopped people in the Middle East and Turkey buying jewels. And this is the reality. If you watch war on television, of course this is the result. However, we have seen 10 percent increase (in exports) up to last month, compared to last year's figures."
33. Mid of Gold Potatoes by Lays, weight 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds), valued at $39,000 USD
34. Close up of Gold Potatoes
35. Mid of jewellery pieces by Zen Diamonds
36. Close up of necklace by Zen Diamonds, made of 8 carat diamonds, 9 carat tanzanite and 18 carat gold, valued at $21,000 USD
Metals and minerals industry , Jewelry , Gold mining and refining , Precious metals industry , Clothing accessories manufacturing , Customer statistics , Bombings , Logic games , Waterfalls , Materials industry , Industries , Business , Fashion accessories , Fashion , Beauty and fashion , Lifestyle , Textiles, apparel and accessories manufacturing , Consumer product manufacturing , Consumer products and services , Corporate news , General news , Games , Recreation and leisure , Environment and nature
ca90b9752048adf40f859679db914994
MEEX Turkey Syrian Restaurant
Restaurant businesses provide lifeline for Syrian refugees
Amid the wave of Syrian refugees fleeing their troubled country towards Europe, many have decided to stay and open businesses in Turkey.
It's not big business, but it's enough to live on.
Chicken Fatte is a Damascene favourite made of cubed chicken, yoghurt and fresh herbs.
In the last two years, this dish has become a staple for many customers of 'Sahtin' (Bon Appetit), a restaurant opened in 2013 by two Syrians.
It is located in Istanbul's Aksaray neighbourhood, known as "Little Syria" for the number of Syrian people and businesses located there.
Sami Kayali is one of the three partners.
Before the war, the 41-year-old from Aleppo used to have a trade and real estate business with Russians customers.
But after the conflict blew up he decided to move to Turkey, first to Gaziantep - not far from the Syrian border - where he opened his first restaurant and then to Istanbul.
Kayali says that his restaurant business is just a way of survival.
"Here we can't make big business, like factories, like in Syria, because we have money difficulties here, you know. Small business is enough for us to live. You know, Istanbul and outside Syria is too expensive for us."
As with many other Syrians, he hopes the war in his country ends one day so he can go back, but the uncertainty about when this might happen was one of the reasons he opened a business in Turkey.
Holding a Russian passport, it would have been easier for Kayali compared to other refugees to move to Russia, but he says he decided to stay in Turkey because of cultural and religious similarities.
"I visited Europe before. I visited Spain, I visited Italy, but I more love Istanbul. Turkey is same culture for us", says Kayali.
Sahtin does well and, including takeaways, they say they have around a thousand customers a day, most of them Arabs, but also Russians and Turks, as its cuisine includes international dishes.
He and his two partners employ 22 workers, most of them from Syria.
One of them, Gayis Alazi, arrived in Turkey last month, via Lebanon.
"I've worked as a chef since the year 2000. I used to work in several places in Aleppo. Then I moved to Lebanon, and a month ago I moved here to Istanbul," says Alazi, who is 30 years-old.
Turkey's employers' associations and Chambers of Commerce are working on reports to figure out the total number of businesses opened by Syrians since the crisis started, but they face the challenge that many of them are unregistered.
The Chamber of Commerce in Gaziantep, a bordering city where many refugees are initially settled when they move to Turkey, published that the number of businesses founded by Syrians in October 2014 was 209, compared to 60 before the Syrian crisis started in 2011.
A few hundred metres away from Sahtin is located 'Mandy Hadramout', the first restaurant which opened in Turkey offering this Yemeni tandoor spiced meat dish which is very popular in Syria.
Moamin Haj Biram owns the establishment together with his brother-in-law.
The former 51 year-old architect had four restaurants offering the same speciality in Syria when the war started, but he had to close them one by one due to the wave of destruction and moved first to Jordan and after that to Turkey in 2012.
After arriving in Istanbul, he realised that many his former customers had also moved there with a dwindling hope of returning to Syria, so he decided to relaunch his business here.
"We were afraid we will not be able to go back. Until that we have to live. It's not a commercial matter, it's a way of living. We have to feed our children, we have to pay for them, for their schools, for their living. That's it," says Biram, who belongs to the Circassian minority from Quneitra, in eastern Syria.
Mandy Hadramout has two branches in Istanbul, the second one being in Taksim. There is also a third one in Sapanca, a city 84 miles (135 kilometres) east of Istanbul.
In Summer time they employ up to 30 workers, mostly Syrians, and they say their customers amount to 300 a day including takeaways, most of them being Arabs, Asians and Africans.
Like other refugees, he says he hopes to go back to Syria, but it depends on the military situation there.
Meanwhile, Biram says he feels comfortable in Turkey, where he is not treated as a refugee but as a guest, so he has no plans to move to Europe.
"Turkey government, they help us more than the Europeans. They don't treat us as refugees, they treat us just as their people, they call us guests. They don't call us as refugees here. And they deal with us very kindly," he says.
Turkey hosts more refugees than any other country in the world, more than two million, with 600,000 new arrivals this year alone, according to Turkish government figures.
Istanbul - 12 October 2015
1. Close up of diced chicken and vegetables in a frying pan
2. Tilt up from ingredients to chef cooking
3. Close up of frying pan where Chicken Fatte is being cooked
4. Mid of waiters picking up dishes to be taken to customers' tables
5. Mid of 'Sahtin' restaurant owner Sami Kayali drinking water
6. Close up of Kayali's eyes
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sami Kayali, Sahtin Restaurant partner, from Aleppo, 41 years-old:
8. Wide of Syrian restaurant Sahtin
9. Mid of customers having lunch on restaurant terrace
10. Close of dish with chicken and rice
11. Close of waiter and kebab meat on the spit
12. Wide of kebab meat on the spit inside restaurant
13. Mid of customers inside restaurant
14. Wide of waiter passing by with dishes and restaurant owner sitting down
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Sami Kayali, Sahtin Restaurant partner from Aleppo, 41 years old:
"I visited Europe before. I visited Spain, I visited Italy, but I more love Istanbul. Turkey is same culture for us."
16. Close up of hummus on a plate
17. Mid of waiter taking dishes away
18. Mid of trays with food on display
19. Mid of chef filling trays
20. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Gayis Alazi, chef from Aleppo working in Syrian restaurant Sahtin, 30 years old:
"I've worked as a chef since the year 2000. I used to work in several places in Aleppo. Then I moved to Lebanon, and a month ago I moved here to Istanbul."
21. Wide of Selcuk Sultan Mosque in Fatih district
22. Mid of Selcuk Sultan Mosque dome
23. Wide of pedestrians passing by
24. Wide of Syrian restaurant Mandy Hadramout
24. Wide of restaurant partner Moamin Haj Biram with customers on the restaurant terrace
25. Wide of Haj Biram at restaurant counter
26. Close up of Haj Biram
27. SOUNDBITE (English) Moamin Haj Biram, Mandy Hadramout Restaurant partner, 51 years old:
"We were afraid we will not be able to go back. And for that we have to live. It's not a commercial matter; it's a way of living. We have to feed our children, we have to pay for them, for their schools, for their living. That's it."
28. Chefs preparing ingredients for cooking
29. Close up of mushrooms being sliced
30. Tilt down from chefs to ingredients
31. Close up of Yemeni dish called "Mandy" on a table
32. Mid of customers eating Mandy
33. Wide of customers inside restaurant
34. Moamin Haj Biram, Mandy Hadramout Restaurant partner, 51 years old:
"Turkey government, they help us, I think, more than the Europeans. They don't treat us as refugees, they treat us just as their people, they call us guests. They don't call us refugees here. And they deal with us very kindly."
35. Wide of Istanbul skyline across Galata Bridge
36. Wide of Hidayet Mosque (left) and Yeni Mosque (right)
Government and politics , Political refugees , Restaurant operators , Restaurants , European Mass Migration Crisis , Chefs , Real estate services , Small business financing , Government and politics , General news , Political refugees , Human welfare , Social issues , Social affairs , Food services , Consumer services , Consumer products and services , Industries , Business , Food and drink , Lifestyle , Events , Professional services , Small business
4bad9281b19c676925d7143bd0d7beb0
(HZ) Turkey Tourism
Tourists discover historic city where the East meets the West
Istanbul, Turkey, 27 April 2010
1. Wide shot Blue Mosque
2. Close up detail of Blue Mosque
3. Pan to Hagia Sophia
4. Mid shot of man holding boy, both wearing red fez
5. Wide shot tourists walking past carpet shop
6. Mid shot carpets on display
7. Mid shot tea vendor bringing tea to carpet sellers
8. Close up tea being stirred in iconic tulip shaped glass
9. Pan from two men eating to donner kebab shop
10. Wide shot donner kebab seller sharpening knives and cutting meat
11. Close up donner kebab being cut
12. Various man playing flute
13. Pan souvenir stall to selection of Istanbul guide books
14. Close up Istanbul guide books
15. Wide shot people walking through Grand Bazaar
16. Mid shot people walking through Grand Bazaar
17. Mid shot woman looking at earrings
18. Close up earring in woman's hand
19. Set up shot Aysem Erginoglu Michaelson
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Aysem Erginoglu Michaelson, Tour guide:
"Well they (tourists) definitely are very attracted from (by) the concept of the East is meeting the West. And this is the ideal place for where they can sort of link to the culture in a way because they know some about the past of Turkey and Turks, like in terms of Ottomans and in terms of the appetite of culture. And still it's a modern country, but they can find the oriental flair over here and they can feel this exotic atmosphere which they like a lot."
21. Close up glass candle light holders
22. Pan up from scarves to woman haggling for price
23. Mid shot Turkish flags above market stall
24. Mid shot people sitting on ferry boat looking at water
25. Wide shot Blue Mosque (left) and Hagia Sofia (right) as seen from ferry boat
26. Mid shot tourists taking photo
27. Wide shot coastline of B�y�kada Princes Island
28. Pan seafront B�y�kada Princes Island
29. Close up women drinking tea
30. Wide shot man weaving flower headbands
31. Close up man weaving flower headbands
32. Close up girls wearing flower headbands
33. Mid shot horse-drawn carriage
34. Pan horses
35. Set up shot Hasan Unal
36. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Hasan Unal, Horse Drawn Carriage Drivers Union Leader:
"Horse-drawn carriages are the primary source of transportation on the island. There are 225 horse carriages in this Island which operate all year round."
37. Tilt down Splendid Palace Hotel to horse-drawn carriage passing
38. Mid shot windows
39. Mid shot hotel room with open windows
40. Pan view from hotel room
41. Tilt down foyer inside hotel
42. Close up photo of soldier outside hotel during Greco-Turkish war years (1919-1922)
43. Mid shot photo of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (middle) with people at hotel
44. Set up shot Omer Hayyam
45. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Omer Hayyam, Hotel manager:
"The tourism is based on day to day tourism. Since it's so close to the city, people tend to go back to the city as opposed to staying over for a few nights."
46. Mid shot woman drinking beer
47. Wide shot boats with ships in foreground
48. Various boats
49. Various set up shots of Erkunt Oner
50. SOUNDBITE (English) Erkunt Oner, Tura Turizm:
"We have observed a certain decline of the quality of passengers, but not on the quantity of passengers. All the ships were full as they used to be but the quality, I think the rates have been decreased so the quality of the participants were a bit lower than the previous years."
51. Various people walking around Spice Market
52. SOUNDBITE (English) Aysem Erginoglu Michaelson, Tourist guide:
"Thankfully we didn't feel a real impact. I mean last year we were a bit worried because this is something which people cut as the first thing from their budgets, but for some reason Turkey was quite attractive, especially Istanbul and this year it is also going on in a good way."
53. Pan display of Turkish delight and baklava
54. Mid shot woman looking at spice display
55. Pan spices
56. SOUNDBITE (English) Sally Lennon, Tourist from the United States, Voxpop:
"We love it, it's way more sophisticated than we thought it was going to be."
SOUNDBITE (English) Locky Markusson, Tourist from the United States, Voxpop:
"Much more. A lot of diversity, great shopping, we keep thinking we're doing cultural things, we get side-tracked with shopping."
57. SOUNDBITE (English) Eugenio Stanci, Tourist from Italy, Voxpop:
"I think it's an exciting city and a melting pot of cultures, I like it."
58. SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Cost, Tourist from Australia, Voxpop:
"Just the history, it goes back so far. I mean we're from Australia, our history starts about 200 years ago, this goes back 2000 years. So it's very interesting."
59. Wide shot bridge that divides Europe (left) from Asia (right)
60. Mid shot boat on Bosphorus, with Istanbul written on it
Welcome to Istanbul, where East meets West in a unique multicultural atmosphere.
Tourists from around the world flock to this historic city to experience a taste of the orient in a Western setting.
The Call to Prayer at the Blue Mosque.
Opposite, the Hagia Sophia, a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque and now a museum.
We're in the heart of Istanbul, in the old Sultanahmet district.
The former hippodrome of Constantinople is an essential part of any tourist trip.
The surrounding streets offering a romantic impression of oriental life.
Carpet sellers drink Turkish tea (cay), and the smell of donner kebab wafts down the street. .
Tourists are everywhere, and so are stalls selling souvenirs, from jewellery to ceramics, textiles and carpets.
The Grand Bazaar is a shopping heaven, but also a labyrinth out of which most visitors emerge with more than they had planned to buy.
Aysem Erginoglu Michaelson is a German-Turkish tour guide who has been showing people from all over the world around Istanbul for 22 years.
She says tourists are attracted to the city's cultural diversity.
"Well they definitely are very attracted from the concept of the East is meeting the West. And this is the ideal place for where they can sort of link to the culture in a way because they know some about the past of Turkey and Turks, like in terms of Ottomans and in terms of the appetite of culture. And still it's a modern country, but they can find the oriental flair over here and they can feel this exotic atmosphere which they like a lot," she says.
At the numerous Istanbul bazaar stalls, haggling is encouraged.
Popular items to take home are these Turkish glass lights (10 Turkish Lira / $6.3 US Dollars) as well as scarves and spices.
But why spend all day in the dark mazes of the bazaars when the sun is shining outside?
To make the most of Istanbul's Mediterranean climate, a day trip to the Princes Islands is a good option.
The nine islands lie off the Asian coast of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara.
A 90-minute-ride on a passenger ferry takes you to B�y�kada ('big island'), the largest of the Princes Islands at 5.46 square kilometres (3.39 square miles).
Here, people are greeted by a relaxed atmosphere, which seems miles away from the buzz of Istanbul.
It seems like time has stood still on B�y�kada: old men are making flower hairbands.
Horse-drawn carriages offer the main means of transport - a romantic way to explore the small island.
Hasan Unal is the Horse Drawn Carriage Drivers Union Leader.
"Horse-drawn carriages are the primary source of transportation on the island. There are 225 horse carriages in this Island which operate all year round," he says.
In the 19th and early 20th century when steamboats became common, the Princes Islands became a popular retreat for Istanbul's wealthy residents, who built wooden houses on the islands.
A remnant of these grand times is the Splendid Palace Hotel.
Built in 1908, the historic building has welcomed celebrities as well as Ataturk, Turkey's first president.
Here, you can get a room with a view.
The hotel has 70 rooms and 4 suites and can accommodate 134 guests.
Prices range from $80 US Dollars for a single room ($90 US Dollars sea view) to $210 US Dollars for a four person suite.
But Splendid Palace Hotel is rarely full.
Hotel manager Omer Hayyam explains that most tourists are daytrippers who leave the island in the evening.
"The tourism is based on day to day tourism. Since it's so close to the city, people tend to go back to the city as opposed to staying over for a few nights," he says.
The recession has impacted on tourism to Turkey.
According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, tourism income decreased by 2.2% in the first quarter of 2010 (January, February and March) compared to the same period of the previous year.
Tourism income reached more than $2 billion US dollars ($2,413,524,810 in total ) in the first quarter of 2010, a total of 3,752,720 people visiting.
$1,737,060,723 US Dollars of this income was obtained from foreign visitors, $676,464,087 US Dollars was from Turkish citizens residing outside Turkey.
Overall, tourism income in Turkey in 2009 was ($21 Billion) $21,249,334,582 US Dollars, with a total of 32,006,149 people visiting.
Erkunt Oner, the CEO of cruise tour operator Tura Turizm, says the type of people visiting has changed since the global economic crisis.
"We have observed a certain decline of the quality of passengers, but not on the quantity of passengers. All the ships were full as they used to be but the quality, I think the rates have been decreased so the quality of the participants were a bit lower than the previous years," he says.
Tourist guide Aysem Erginoglu Michaelson says, although she was initially worried, she didn't feel the recession.
"Thankfully we didn't feel a real impact. I mean last year we were a bit worried because this is something which people cut as the first thing from their budgets, but for some reason Turkey was quite attractive, especially Istanbul and this year it is also going on in a good way," she says.
It might help that Istanbul is this year's European Capital of Culture 2010, attracting additional tourists interested in the vast cultural programme the city has to offer.
Sally Lennon and Locky Markusson, tourists from the United States, say they really love their trip to Istanbul, especially the shopping.
"A lot of diversity, great shopping, we keep thinking we're doing cultural things, we get side-tracked with shopping," says Markusson.
Eugenio Stanci from Italy says he likes the city's diversity.
"I think it's an exciting city and a melting pot of cultures, I like it," he says.
Australian tourist Paul Cost says he is impressed by Istanbul's history.
Istanbul, the city that links Europe to Asia, remains an attractive destination for tourists to experience the unique atmosphere of the East meeting the West.
Government budgets , Recessions and depressions , Travel , Hotels and resorts , Leisure travel , Hotel operators , Leisure facility construction , Residential construction , Government finance , Government business and finance , Business , Government business and finance , Government and politics , Economy , Lifestyle , Accommodations , Hospitality and leisure industry , Consumer services , Consumer products and services , Industries , Commercial and institutional building construction , Construction and engineering , Industrial products and services
e2a6dfebf3504bc2166fb946eb3a75dd
(HZ) Turkey Sweets
The sweet world of Turkish Delight
1. Close up Turkish delight
2. Pan display of Turkish delights
3. Close up cinnamon Turkish delight stuffed with cream
4. Close up pistachio Turkish delight
5. Mid shot customer looking at Turkish delight in shop
6. Pan boxes of Turkish delight
7. Wide shot employees in sweets shop
8. Set up shot Hande Celalyan
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Hande Celalyan, Owner Haci Bekir:
"We have the range with the spices which is new, with cinnamon, ginger and cloves and all sorts of nuts are in our products and most of the fruits."
10. Pan Turkish delight (plain, pistachio and rose)
11. Close up sign in shop window reading "Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir since 1777"
12. Mid shot exterior shop
13. Close up photo of shop dating back to 19th century
14. Close up painting of Haci Bekir, founder of the shop in 1777
15. Pan Haci Bekir sweet shop
16. Mid shot employee packing Turkish delight into box
17. Close up Turkish delight being packed into box
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Hande Celalyan, Owner Haci Bekir:
"The magic of Turkish delight is actually the starch because it is responsible for the elasticity, for the good structure of the product."
19. Close up Turkish delight being stirred in factory pot
20. Wide shot factory employees scraping Turkish delight mix off the mixing tool
21. Close up walnut strings being lifted out of box
22. Mid shot employee lifting walnut strings
23. Mid shot employee dipping walnut strings into Turkish delight
24. Various employee taking walnut Turkish delight out of pot and hanging them up to dry
25. Tilt up hanging walnut Turkish delight dripping
26. Wide shot factory room
"It's made in form of sausages like you see. The half walnuts are on a string and they are dipped into Turkish delight and they hang then for two days to set and then they are cut by hand, even today."
28. Wide shot employees cutting walnut Turkish delight
29. Close up walnut Turkish delight being cut
30. Tilt down Seyfi Yilmaz cutting walnut Turkish delight
31. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Seyfi Yilmaz, Oldest Employee in the Haci Bekir Factory:
"For me lokum (Turkish delight) is the greatest sweet on the planet. Some people say that Turkish delights will make you gain weight. Not at all, for me sweets burn fat. I recommend them for everybody."
32. Mid shot sugar boiling in pot
33. Close up sugar bubbles
34. Mid shot employee pouring hot sugar onto work surface
35. Mid shot employee working hot sugar mass
36. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Mehmet Ozgen, Chief of Production:
"We create the sweet with water and sugar. We boil the water and sugar at a certain temperature and then we spread it out on the marble tables. We then cool the product to mould it into different shapes."
37. Close up sugar mass being moulded into ball
38. Mid shot employee stretching sugar
39. Close up sugar being stretched
40. Mid shot man throwing sugar in ribbons in order to stretch it
41. Close up sugar being thrown
42. Mid shot white lemon-flavoured sugar mix being folded into orange sugar mix
43. Sugar being shaped into long strands and being cut off
44. Mid shot employee catching sugar strands and lining them up to harden
45. Close up sugar strands being lined up to harden
46. Mid shot employee cutting hardened sugar strands with scissors
47. Close up hardened sugar strands being cut into finished Akide candies
48. Set up shot Engin Akin
49. SOUNDBITE (English) Engin Akin, Food Writer:
"If they were happy with the sultan and if they were happy with the viziers, with the management let's say, they would have their Akide in their own sacks and they would give each person, like the viziers separately and the other viziers, and sultan, a sack of Akide."
50. Pan of jars with various Akide
51. Close up pineapple-flavoured Akide in jar
52. Close up strawberry-flavoured Akide in jar
53. Mid shot people walking around Spice Bazaar
54. Tilt down stall selling sweets and spices at Spice Bazaar
55. Close up Turkish delight
"Probably when it was offered by a Turkish person, if he (foreigner) asked what it was called, he probably said 'well this is from Turkey, it's Turkish' and so that it was so delightful to eat, we'll call it Turkish delight."
57. Pan Spice market to stall selling sweets
58. Close up walnut Turkish delight
59. SOUNDBITE (English) Sally Lennon, Voxpop:
"We've decided we like the pistachio flavour the best."
60. SOUNDBITE (English) Janni Steegenja, Voxpop:
"We tried them before but we don't like it, it's too sweet."
61. Mid shot display of Turkish delights
62. Pan of Turkish delights
Turkish delight - or Lokum - has been produced in Turkey since the fifteenth century.
Now a staple of the tourist trade, Turkish Delight is still being handmade in one of Istanbul's oldest sweet shops.
Dive into the colourful and fragrant world of Turkish sweets.
Turkish Delight blasts the taste buds with its soft, chewy texture and flavours like rose, honey, pistachio and walnut.
But now new flavours and combinations are coming onto the market.
Haci Bekir, one of the oldest Turkish delight shops in Istanbul, has been developing their range of lokum ( Turkish Delight) over the centuries.
Owner, Hande Celalyan, says they have started to infuse the sweet cubes with cinnamon, mint and even stuffing them with cream.
"We have the range with the spices which is new, with cinnamon, ginger and cloves and all sorts of nuts are in our products and most of the fruits," she says.
They recently launched a double lokum, with flavours of mint and lemon, rose and lemon or ginger and lemon.
Lokum prices range from 16TK ($10 US Dollars) for one kilogramme of 'sade' (plain lokum) to 40TK ($25 US Dollars) for cevizli sucuk (walnut lokum).
The best selling Turkish Delights are plain and pistachio.
Haci Bekir has been producing lokum since 1777 - and its been a family business ever since.
These days Haci Bekir is one of the most famous Turkish Delight shops, with many branches around Istanbul, including the original premises.
In the 18th century, founder Bekir Effendi opened a small sweet shop in the heart of Istanbul, now known as the Old City.
Here, he sold Turkish Delight and Akide, hard boiled candies.
Over the centuries, the lokum recipe has evolved a great deal.
Whereas Bekir Effendi used honey and grape molasses to sweeten the products, the arrival of refined sugar replaced these ingredients.
The most significant change happened to the texture of Turkish Delight, when starch came to replace flour in the candies.
"The magic of Turkish delight is actually the starch because it is responsible for the elasticity, for the good structure of the product," explains Celalyan.
But how is Turkish delight actually made?
A look at Haci Bekir's factory on the outskirts of Istanbul shows that there is still a great deal of manual labour going into the Turkish delights.
The Turkish delight mixture of sugar, water, starch and flavouring is being mixed in a copper pot.
Here, we can witness the production of cevizli sucuk, a walnut type of lokum that looks like a sausage.
Once the Turkish delight mix is ready, factory employees dip strings of walnuts into the mix.
After a couple of coatings, the 'sausages' are being hung to dry for two days.
"It's made in form of sausages like you see. The half walnuts are on a string and they are dipped into Turkish delight and they hand then for two days to set and then they are cut by hand, even today," says Celalyan.
Once dried, the 'sausages' are being rolled in icing sugar and are cut up into single portions.
Seyfi Yilmaz, the oldest employee in the Haci Bekir Factory, has been making Turkish delight for 57 years.
"For me lokum (Turkish delight) is the greatest sweet on the planet. Some people say that Turkish delights will make you gain weight. Not at all, for me sweets burn fat. I recommend them for everybody," he says.
In the room next door, a sugar and water mix is bubbling.
Here they're making Akide, Turkish hard-boiled candy.
Once the sugar mix is boiling, it is taken off the heat and poured over a marble table.
Mehmet Ozgen, the chief of production at Haci Bekir, explains the process.
"We create the sweet with water and sugar. We boil the water and sugar at a certain temperature and then we spread it out on the marble tables. We then cool the product to mould it into different shapes," he says.
Whilst the sugar is cooling down, the candy mix is being folded and stretched.
Here they are rolling a lemon-flavoured filling into plain sugar.
The sugar mass is then being pulled into ribbons, cut off and left to harden for a couple of minutes.
Once hardened, the Akide is cut with help of scissors.
Haci Bekir produces 12 flavours of Akide, including lemon, rose, pineapple and strawberry.
Food writer Engin Akin explains that the story behind Akide dates back to the Ottoman empire.
The hard candies were distributed by the Jannisary corps during the ulufe (the three-monthly ceremony marking payment), and symbolised the loyalty and contentment of the soldiers.
"If they were happy with the sultan and if they were happy with the viziers, with the management let's say, they would have their Akide in their own sacks and they would give each person, like the viziers separately and the other viziers and sultan a sack of Akide," says Akin.
Lokum dates back to the 15th century, but was only introduced to the West in the 19th century.
There are many speculations as to how the name Turkish delight came about.
Akin says it was probably created by a foreigner who didn't know it was called lokum.
"Probably when it was offered by a Turkish person, if he (foreigner) asked what it was called, he probably said 'well this is from Turkey, it's Turkish' and so that it was so delightful to eat, we'll call it Turkish delight," she says.
Istanbul's Spice Market is boosting with stalls selling Turkish delight.
Tourists from all around the world fall for the soft and colourful sweets.
Sally Lennon says she has tried many different lokums, but has one favourite.
"We've decided we like the pistachio flavour the best," she says.
Janni Steegenja says she doesn't like lokum.
"We tried them before but we don't like it, it's too sweet," she says.
Akide have to be consumed freshly (within one month).
A sealed box of Turkish delight keeps fresh for a year, once opened consume within one month.
Spices and condiments manufacturing , Nonfiction , Food manufacturing , Food, beverage and tobacco products manufacturing , Consumer product manufacturing , Consumer products and services , Industries , Business , Food, beverage and tobacco products manufacturing , Agriculture, food and beverage manufacturing , Books and literature , Entertainment , Arts and entertainment
dba4bc3c89b929938ae7b574d747c42b
MEEX Turkey Syrian Business
Visa regulations affecting Syrian businesses in Turkey
New regulations implemented at the beginning of 2016 for Syrians visiting Turkey are having a negative impact on businesses run by Syrians whose main customers are fellow newcomers.
Syrian chefs are rolling out dough and baking delicious Syrian pizza called "safiha" at Saruja restaurant, which opened its doors in January.
The eatery is located in Aksaray neighbourhood, known in Istanbul as "Little Syria" for the high number of refugees opening businesses here.
The business is not going badly, but the new regulations have deterred the Syrian owner from opening a second outlet. Much like other businesses in the area, a good deal of revenue comes from Syrians visiting their relatives in Turkey and newcomers from the border.
In January, Turkey implemented visa restrictions for Syrians and other Arab nationals entering the country by air or sea as part of its efforts to curb the flow of migrants to the country.
Although the regulation does not apply for those entering by land, the border with the war-torn country has been closed since the beginning of 2015.
Since 2011 Turkey has received nearly three million Syrians out of a total of almost five million refugees, according to UNCHR figures.
About half a million Syrians live in Istanbul, Turkey's financial hub.
But visas are scarcely being issued.
Saruja's owner Bilal Khalaf left his country in 2012 to relocate in Dubai, and in mid-2014 moved to Turkey.
The 39 year-old decided to open this restaurant together with a partner at the beginning of this year.
He says the new visa policy has not only an economical impact, but also psychological:
"The social effect is bigger than the economical one, that is my personal opinion. A lot of my employees who are working with me are distanced from their wives or husbands because of the visa issue, and for all of this period since the new visa laws came into action haven't seen their families, their children."
Lawyer Wassim Kassab Bashi has been helping thousands of Syrians to register legally in Turkey since he opened his legal services company in 2014 in Aksaray.
Turkey doesn't give refugee status to nationals other than Europeans, so the Syrians are living here under a temporary guest system.
In addition to the visa regulation and the closing of the border, a new law for residence permits requires Syrians to apply from a Turkish consulate abroad, a trip that many of them cannot afford.
So many of the residence permits that are being processed are from Syrians and other Arabs already living abroad, but the approval is slow and so far only a few of them have been successful.
Wassim Kassab Bashi, a lawyer from Damascus and owner of legal services company Vatan Unlimited, moved to Turkey in 2012.
He says that compared to last year, his company has processed far fewer residence permits for Syrians and other Arab nationalities.
"Our company processed in 2015 through our three offices in Istanbul around 150,000 residence permits for foreign citizens from Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Syria and some other nationalities. But now we're almost in October 2016 and we have only delivered 1,200 or 1,500 residence permits," he says.
Under this administrative situation, other businesses cashing in on new comers are also experiencing a negative impact.
This is the case for vocational training companies teaching Syrians skills such as IT, languages and business.
Ahmad Yassin from Banyas moved to Istanbul in 2014 and opened his International Training Academy in 2015, where Syrians learn computer skills, management and media.
According to company figures, a year ago they used to have a hundred students per month, but the figure has decreased.
"The negative effect (on our business) is no more than 20 per cent, although it is not very big it is affecting the business cycle in Istanbul, no matter what sector," says Yassin.
Even the lawyer Kassab Bashi is suffering the negative impact of the new regulations. As Syrian customers decrease, he has had to adjust to the new situation and focus more on Turkish sectors. And that has meant cutting the number of Syrian lawyers in his company.
Istanbul - 29 September 2016
1. Mid of two Syrian chefs cooking Syrian "pizza" called "safiha"
2. Close of chef's hands cooking "safiha" and putting it into oven
3. Tilt-up of chef rolling dough
4. Mid of Syrian chef cooking kebabs
5. Close of kebabs
6. Close of kebab with pitta bread on it and chef cooking in background
7. Mid of two customers inside Syrian restaurant
8. Close up to salad and "safiha"
9. Mid of Syrian family eating in restaurant
10. Wide of restaurant and owner Bilal Khalaf greeting customers
11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Bilal Khalaf, owner of Syrian restaurant Saruja, from Damascus:
"We have been economically affected a lot by the visa law. For example, me in my restaurant I have been affected by the absence of Syrians and specially the Syrians who are living in Saudi Arabia and UAE. But according to what I've noticed, the social effect is bigger than the economical one, that is my personal opinion. A lot of my employees who are working with me are distanced from their wives or husbands because of the visa issue, and for all of this period since the new visa laws came into action haven't seen their families, their children."
12. Wide of people walking on the streets of Fatih district in Istanbul
13. Mid of people walking in Fatih
14. Mid of entrance to legal services business in Fatih district
15. Wide of legal services owner Wassim Kassab Bashi talking to a customer
16. Close of Turkish flag with Kassab Bashi in the background
17. Close of Kassab Bashi's hands
18. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Wassim Kassab Bashi, lawyer from Damascus and owner of legal services company Vatan Unlimited:
"For example, our company processed in 2015 through our three offices in Istanbul around 150,000 residence permits for foreign citizens from Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Syria and some other nationalities. But now we're almost in October 2016 and we have only delivered 1,200 or 1,500 residence permits."
19. Wide of Turkish flags on a street in Fatih district
20. Pan from right to left of Syrian refugees attending computer training
21. Close up of teacher explaining internet lesson
22. Mid of two Syrian students
23. Close of hand writing in a notepad
24. Wide of International Training Academy manager Ahmad Yassin chatting with one of his teachers
25. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmad Yassin, General Manager of International Training Academy:
"Of course the people who are entering and exiting Istanbul were giving a big added value to the economical and financial cycle for business in Istanbul. But this has been strongly and negatively affected by the visa law. After that, our market target has become only the (Arab) communities who are currently living in Istanbul. Their budget for spending is related to their income that changes from one day to another. But little by little (their budget) has stabilised, and the situation has completely been stopped at this point. The negative effect (on our business) is no more than 20 per cent, although it is not very big it is affecting the business cycle in Istanbul, no matter what sector."
26. Wide of people walking on the street
27. Wide of Bashi in his office
28. Close of Bashi
"(Last year) we were eight Syrian and two Turkish lawyers working in our office. But now we are increasing the number of Turks and decreasing the Syrians in order to make a balance, as we knew that those who are (applying for visa) from Saudi Arabia are coming, from Sudan are coming, from Lebanon are coming, but after a long time. So we raised the number of Turks to three and decreased the number of Syrians (lawyers) to three."
30. Various of minaret of Piri Mehmet Pasha mosque in Fatih district at sunset
Political refugees , Restaurant operators , Travel laws and regulations , Corporate legal affairs , Restaurants , Legal services , European Mass Migration Crisis , Chefs , General news , Political refugees , Human welfare , Social issues , Social affairs , Food services , Consumer services , Consumer products and services , Business , Government regulations , Government and politics , Corporate news , Food and drink , Lifestyle , Professional services , Events
2340b7e8e420f11ff154316eb03e1073
MEEX Turkey Syrians Trump Reax
Syrians fear for nation after Trump result
Donald Trump , Bashar Assad
President-elect Donald Trump's Middle East policy remains unclear.
Syrian refugees are generally not sure what to expect for their country, but are pessimistic about the effect Mr. Trump's election will have on Syria and the wider Middle East.
Syrians living in Istanbul believe the victory of Donald Trump in the US elections signals a tough time ahead for their war-torn country.
Many Syrians living in the district of Aksaray, now known as Little Syria because of the number of citizens coming from the neighbouring country, feel that Trump will not be supportive of the opposition fighting against President Bashar Assad.
Suliman Alabyad is a 26 year old engineer from Homs who moved to Turkey and now survives selling traditional dishes of his hometown Homs in his restaurant.
Like many other Syrians, he is busy with the daily struggle to make a living and didn't follow the elections at all until he learned that Trump was the winner.
Now he thinks Mr. Trump's comments about Syria during his campaign point to a change in American foreign policy, with support moving from the opposition to the regime.
"When I heard Trump won the elections I started to have some hope. Then I found out that he is pro-regime, he doesn't like Arabs, doesn't want to help Arabs. He thinks Assad is the right one to lead the country, that Assad is a good president and that he would be able to control the situation. So I don't expect any good action coming from his (Trump) side," Suliman Alabyad says.
More than three million Syrians have fled to Turkey since the beginning of the conflict in 2011, and half a million live in Istanbul.
Wasim Barikhan is one of them. The 28 year-old engineer opened a hairdressers in Istanbul in 2012.
As a businessman, he thinks Trump will look for economic success during his term, but he is afraid the elected US president does not have enough international experience to deal with the complexity of the Syrian conflict.
Almost half a million Syrians have been killed during the conflict, which has been in a stalemate for several years, with US, European and Gulf countries supporting opposition rebels and Russia and Iran backing the Assad regime.
At the same time, all factions claim to be fighting terrorists from the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS).
Syrians in Istanbul like to buy their traditional baklava in this shop in the Aksaray neighbourhood owned by Abdullah Bilshie, a 40 year-old from Aleppo who opened this business in 2013.
He also didn't follow the elections closely, and can only hope for the best.
Analyst Sinan Hatahet believes Trump is inexperienced for the complexity of the Syrian conflict. He expects a withdrawal of American support for opposition rebels.
"During his campaign he made promises only to focus on ISIS and this very simple view of the very complex situation in Syria for Trump means that he needs to let the Russians and Assad take charge of fighting ISIS," says Hatahet.
During his campaign, Mr. Trump hinted that he wanted to establish stronger ties with Russia to fight the Islamic State (IS) together.
Istanbul, Turkey – 17 November 2016
1. Mid of Suliman Alabyad in his Syrian restaurant behind counter and waiter
2. Close of a Syrian traditional chickpeas dish
3. Mid of Alabyad with one of his customers
4. Mid of pictures of Istanbul and Homs hanging on a wall
5. Close of Alabyad
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Suliman Alabyad, 26 year old restaurant owner from Homs:
"People came to be and told me Trump had won. When I heard Trump won the elections I started to have some hope. Then I found out that he is pro-regime, he doesn't like Arabs, doesn't want to help Arabs. He thinks Assad is the right one to lead the country, that Assad is a good president and that he would be able to control the situation. So I don't expect any good action coming from his (Trump) side."
7. Wide of a mosque in Aksaray neighbourhood in Istanbul
8. Wide of street in Aksaray neighbourhood
9. Wide of people in Aksaray neighbourhood crossing the street
10. Wide of crossing point in Aksaray neighbourhood
11. Low angle of old city wall in Fatih district and cat passing by
12. Mid of hairdresser Wasim Barikhan
13. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Wasim Barikhan, 28 year old engineer and hairdresser owner:
"About the Syrian conflict I don't think he (Trump) will be better than all the previous presidents, because they build themselves up on the misfortunes of others. For them (Americans) the Arab states are nothing - of course it is the opposite. If he has economic success he will succeed politically. But I don't think he will be politically successful as a president. I wish the best for all the Arabs."
14. Mid of people passing by in Aksaray neighbourhood
15. Wide of a mosque in Aksaray
16. Wide of people passing by
17. Tilt up of staff working in Syrian baklava shop
18. Close of hands covering baklava
19. Close of baklava
20. Mid of baklava shop owner Abdullah Bilshie
21. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdullah Bilshie, Baklava shop owner:
"Actually I don't know anything about him (Trump). I just recently heard about him through the media. I hope he will be a good president for the Arab and Islamic world."
22. Mid of customers on a coffee terrace
23. Wide of coffee terrace
24. Wide of a minaret
Istanbul, Turkey - 18 November 2016
25. Mid of Syrian analyst Sinan Hatahet working in his office
26. Close of Hatahet
27. SOUNDBITE (English) Sinan Hatahet, Syria and Middle East analyst:
"During his campaign he made promises only to focus on ISIS and this very simple view of the very complex situation in Syria for Trump means that he needs to let the Russians and Assad take charge of fighting ISIS."
28. Various of analyst Hatahet working in his office
"He (Trump) is not going to join Russia or not going to you know encourage them or pat them on the back as much as he won't intervene into stopping them or into channelling their forces in the right direction, which is helping the Syrian people definitely in getting rid of ISIS but also helping the Syrian people achieve a transitional… a transition towards democracy. So this is what we should be expecting from United States in general as a global power, not only from Mr Trump."
30. Various of a Mosque in Topkapi neighbourhood in Istanbul
2016 United States government transition , Government transitions , Presidential elections , 2016 United States presidential election , United States government transition , Restaurant operators , War and unrest , Hair care , Events , National governments , Government and politics , National elections , Elections , United States presidential election , Food services , Consumer services , Consumer products and services , Business , General news , Personal care , Beauty and fashion , Lifestyle
United States government, Syria government, Islamic State group
2aa377bfc6464ff385b4c59bfc5f3d23
Turkey Bookstore
Refugee founds bookstore for fellow Syrians
A bookstore in Istanbul founded by a Syrian refugee last year is becoming increasingly popular with the Syrians living in Turkey.
The majority of them decided to settle down in Turkey, after fleeing violence at home, rather than embarking on a perilous journey to Western Europe.
The shelves in the store are filled with Arabic books flown in from Lebanon.
There are about 2.7 million Syrian refugees currently living in Turkey.
Istanbul alone hosts at least 366,000 Syrians, according to The International Rescue Committee.
And among them is the store's founder, 42-year-old Samer al-Kadri, who saw it a good enough reason to open Pages bookstore last July.
Many Syrians come to the store, that is set over three floors, not only to buy books, but also to study, work, read and have a coffee.
Al-Kadri says that Syrians often find their new lives in Turkey very difficult due to the language barrier as well as lack of job opportunities and laws that would protect foreign workers' rights.
One day he hopes to return home, that's why he picked Syria's northern neighbour as his temporary new home.
The are four Syrians working in Pages, and among them Ola Suleiman, who fled her home country three years ago.
She also said that more needs to be done to help Syrians that sought refuge abroad.
Arabic books might help to ease the pain of being away from home for some, Suleiman said.
When asked about the EU's deal with Turkey over migrants, which goes into effect on Monday, al-Kadri was very sceptical it would stem the flow of migrants into Europe.
The EU-Turkey deal stipulates that those who reach the shores of Greece unlawfully will be turned back to Turkey unless they qualify for asylum.
It also sets out that for every Syrian returned, another Syrian in Turkey will be relocated to a European country.
The deal aims to break the lucrative smuggling operations now in Turkey.
But al-Kadri says that a refugee will always try to reach Europe, seeking safety. "He will find a thousand ways."
Istanbul - 31 March 2016
1. Syrian refugee Ola Suleiman, who works in Pages bookstore, taking book from shelf
2. Interior of Pages bookstore
3. Various of Arabic books inside the bookstore
4. Various of bookstore owner Samer al-Kadri working on his laptop inside the bookstore
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Samer al-Kadri, 42, owner of Pages bookstore:
"We decided to do this because the Syrian community has become very large here and they needed this. And at the same time to act as a bridge between us and the Turks."
6. Exterior of Pages bookstore
7. Pages bookstore logo
8. People reading and working inside the bookstore
9. Various of Syrian girl reading book
10. Man working on his laptop
11. Al-Kadri talking to customers inside the bookstore
12. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Samer al-Kadri, 42, owner of Pages bookstore:
"For example, we don't have the right to work, permission to work. We don't have, education is somewhat difficult. Language. The issue of language has made it difficult for Syrians to really integrate into the society."
13. Man working inside the bookstore
14. Al-Kadri working inside the bookstore
"In my opinion, this isn't a solution that will stop the flow of refugees (the EU's deal with Turkey over Syrian refugees). This might be a short-term solution. A refugee will reach Europe. He will find a thousand ways."
16. Various of Suleiman working, registering books
17. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ola Suleiman, Syrian refugee working in Pages bookstore:
"Now, as refugees in Turkey, our situation is okay but there is a need for more help, there is a need for more job opportunities. It requires laws to protect workers. For example, I worked for three years without any health insurance, without any contract."
18. Various of woman packing books for customer
"Books are a missing part of our a life. As an Arabic reader, I read during my studies. I would have liked to keep on reading but the war that happened in Syria and the crisis that is still going on, forced us to leave everything behind in our homes."
20. Interior of bookstore
21. Various of Faiz Dakhil, 35, Syrian refugee reading book inside store
22. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Faiz Dakhil,35, Syrian refugee:
"Maybe it makes us feel at home, irrespective of it being a bookstore, but especially because it is a bookstore. But if we had an Arabic cultural centre, an Arabic cultural centre in Istanbul, it would be more all-encompassing and would include everyone."
23. Syrian flag inside the bookstore
Political refugees , European Mass Migration Crisis , Bookstore operators , Workers' rights , Cultural preservation , General news , Political refugees , Human welfare , Social issues , Social affairs , Events , Book retail , Retail industry , Retail and wholesale , Consumer services , Consumer products and services , Industries , Business , Human rights and civil liberties , Workers' rights , Labor issues , Cultures
c034b70662290954ef5829fae787c25d
MEEX Turkey Syria Cooking
Tourists pay to eat dinner and hear stories from refugees
Syrians in Turkey are using food to tell their stories to foreigners.
A new project is inviting tourists to have dinner with the refugees and hear about their experiences.
Nahed is preparing a traditional Syrian-Palestinian dish.
It's the kind of food her family would eat: there is meat, aubergine, fruit, tomato and cashews in this recipe.
But the people who will be enjoying this food later are not her relatives - in fact they are foreign strangers.
Nahed has been cooking a meal for a group of tourists who will pay to eat the food and hear stories from Syrian refugees living in Turkey.
She fled her country in 2014 after moving from Damascus to Aleppo and then moving to different refugee camps.
Nahed is going to be receive 150 Turkish Lira (50 US dollars) for the meals she has cooked.
"Cooking for tourists brings me enough money to feed my family for one week," she says.
The tourists are on their way to the Olive Tree Association for dinner.
This is a new initiative started by local NGO Small Projects Istanbul (SPI)
It's partnered with an Australian tour operator to provide these meals to tourists who want to experience something a little different.
The events take place roughly once a week.
And with 2.5 million Syrian refugees now living in Turkey, SPI co-director Chris McLaren says the meals are "putting a human face on this issue".
Six tourists attend each meal and pay 50 US dollars each for the experience.
The proceeds go to the Syrian chefs as well as SPI, which is teaching Turkish, English and other activities to Syrian children and running a workshop for Syrian women.
But this is about more than raising money.
The meals also help break stereotypes.
"Refugees are represented in a pretty one-dimensional way, you know. We see kids without shoes on the streets and that's a very, very, that's a very real thing," says McLaren.
"But also we have our guys here who are university educated professionals. And they, I mean, they've been displaced obviously. And they don't fit the typical refugee image."
Most of the tourists come from the United States, Canada and Australia.
Matthew Davis is a 22 year-old MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) student from Florida.
"This tour seemed like an excellent opportunity to learn more about people's experiences within Syria, people's experiences adapting to life within Turkey," he says.
The project has been running since April.
1. Tilt up of Nahed (no surname given), Syrian-Palestinian refugee, dishing up food
2. Various of Nahed dishing upfood
3. Nahed carrying food
4. Tilt up from dish to Nahed
5. Close of cashews in Syrian food
6. Various of Nahed at dining table
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Nahed (no surname given), Syrian-Palestinian refugee:
"Cooking for tourists brings me enough money to feed my family for one week."
8. Tourists and Syrians walking towards the Olive Tree Association, part of Small Projects Istanbul NGO centre, to have dinner
9. Mid of tourists and Syrians entering centre
10. Low shot of feet
11. Chris McLaren, co-director of Small Projects Istanbul NGO, shaking hands with tourists
12. Tourists sitting down for dinner
13. Close of food being served
14. Various of people at dining table
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Chris McLaren, co-director of Small Projects Istanbul NGO:
"This is a weekly, roughly weekly, tour dinner where we partner with an organisation called Urban Adventures, and so people who want to see another side of the city, people who also want to have an opportunity to really, to be able to sit down and literally break bread with Syrians. This is a great opportunity for them to come and to meet some people. I mean it is putting a human face on this issue."
16. Wide of Nahed going inside the NGO centre with food with her daughter
17. Wide of Nahed's daughter going inside NGO centre
18. Various of women preparing bread
19. Wide of Syrians and tourists having dinner
"Refugees are represented in a pretty one-dimensional way, you know. We see kids without shoes on the streets and that's a very, very, that's a very real thing. But also we have our guys here who are university educated professionals. And they, I mean, they've been displaced obviously. And they don't fit the typical refugee image."
21. Tilt up from hands to face of a Syrian having dinner with tourists
22. Mid of Syrian having a conversation with American tourist Matthew Davis
23. SOUNDBITE (English) Matthew Davis, American tourist:
"In United States, so we read a lot about what is going on in Syria and the Syrian civil war, and we hear a lot about the Syrian refugee migration through Turkey into Europe. And this tour seemed like an excellent opportunity to learn more about people's experiences within Syria, people's experiences adapting to life within Turkey, within Istanbul specifically, which is a topic of interest because of the differing perspectives we hear about how Syrian migrants are being welcomed inside the country, how they are adapting, the humanitarian aspects of it."
24. Various of tourists and Syrians having dinner
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Wealthy owners can be reluctant to give a price for these museum pieces, but Isik says that