RARE SPECIES (İstanbul, 2017)

Istanbul is undergoing a structural transformation from a former trading and workers' city to a post-industrial service metropolis. Simple workers are no longer needed. They are the victims of the Turkish government's aggressive renewal policy: under the guise of security concerns, residents are forced to leave their homes. This project is dedicated to the rare species of Istanbul, the people which are losing the fight for urban space. It shows a neighborhood that is slowly decaying, workplaces that will no longer exist and a daily life that will soon has to take place elsewhere.


“Tarlabaşı project is a prime example for this type of faulty renewal projects. One can only conclude that the Tarlabaşı Urban Renewal Project, despite its claims, was never intended to benefit the poor and ethnic minority population of the neighbourhood.”

M. L. Turanalp Uysal & N. Korostoff - Tarlabaşı, Istanbul: a case study of unsustainable urban transformation