Jennifer Hattam
@jenhattam.bsky.social
Freelance journalist in Istanbul covering enviro, social, urban issues + art/culture/food/travel: https://www.jenniferhattam.com
(You may know me as TheTurkishLife on Twitter)
Subscribe to my arts+culture newsletter: https://istanbuletcetera.substack.com
(You may know me as TheTurkishLife on Twitter)
Subscribe to my arts+culture newsletter: https://istanbuletcetera.substack.com
Pinned
Jennifer Hattam
Freelance journalist in Istanbul covering culture, environment, social issues, and urban spaces
www.jenniferhattam.com
📣 I'm actively looking for new journalism assignments, writing or editing gigs, or other work that uses my communications skills, ideally to make positive social, cultural, or environmental impact. Check out what I do and hit me up if you have projects that might be a match! www.jenniferhattam.com
“Hundreds of women are recorded every year as having taken their lives by ‘throwing themselves from a high place’. Their grieving families say these figures conceal cases where women did not jump but were pushed.” Important report by @ruthmichaelson.com @berileski.bsky.social on femicides in Turkey
‘There’s no way my daughter would have jumped’: why are so many Turkish women falling to their deaths?
‘There’s no way my daughter would have jumped’: why are so many Turkish women falling to their deaths?
Every year in Turkey, hundreds of women are recorded as having taken their lives by ‘throwing themselves from a high place’. But many grieving families maintain that investigators are missing the full story
www.theguardian.com
January 31, 2026 at 5:08 PM
“Hundreds of women are recorded every year as having taken their lives by ‘throwing themselves from a high place’. Their grieving families say these figures conceal cases where women did not jump but were pushed.” Important report by @ruthmichaelson.com @berileski.bsky.social on femicides in Turkey
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
Run to see Jafar Panahi's latest film "It was just an accident" or Simple Accident. Secretly filmed in Iran. Such poignant themes today about the human desire for revenge and reconciliation, the complexity of human emotions, the reverberations of torture/PTSD, and the resilience of ordinary people.
January 29, 2026 at 11:06 AM
Run to see Jafar Panahi's latest film "It was just an accident" or Simple Accident. Secretly filmed in Iran. Such poignant themes today about the human desire for revenge and reconciliation, the complexity of human emotions, the reverberations of torture/PTSD, and the resilience of ordinary people.
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
The MAGA movement moved from "we shouldn't fight Russia's imperial aggression" to "we should mimic Russia's imperial aggression" with startling alacrity.
1/ Trump Administration officials have reportedly held several secret meetings with Canadian separatists, who are seeking US$500 billion to bankroll their efforts. It suggests that the Administration is interested in breaking up Canada and absorbing the remnants. ⬇️
January 29, 2026 at 11:13 AM
The MAGA movement moved from "we shouldn't fight Russia's imperial aggression" to "we should mimic Russia's imperial aggression" with startling alacrity.
Congrats @meganeaves.com this looks like a great read!
🎉📘📣Out today: NIGHTFARING: IN SEARCH OF THE DISAPPEARING DARKNESS. Travel memoir, science & history, this book is my years-long deep dive into the night & darkness, journeying around the world, from England to Japan & the Himalaya.
📷: Bettymaya Foott www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Nightf...
📷: Bettymaya Foott www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Nightf...
January 29, 2026 at 11:39 AM
Congrats @meganeaves.com this looks like a great read!
"The state or state-backed perpetrators of violence blame victims for their own deaths... to collateralize & dehumanize political opponents... [with] special rage directed at those committed to documenting the violence." @borzou.bsky.social on ICE, the IDF & Iran
borzou.substack.com/p/why-ice-th...
borzou.substack.com/p/why-ice-th...
Why ICE, The IDF, & Iran Murder With Glee
Whether in America or Mideast, a fascistic will to power is driving the killing.
borzou.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:24 AM
"The state or state-backed perpetrators of violence blame victims for their own deaths... to collateralize & dehumanize political opponents... [with] special rage directed at those committed to documenting the violence." @borzou.bsky.social on ICE, the IDF & Iran
borzou.substack.com/p/why-ice-th...
borzou.substack.com/p/why-ice-th...
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
Maher Tarabishi, who has been detained by ICE since October, was the primary caretaker of his disabled adult child, Wael.
On Jan. 23, Wael died from complications related to Pompe disease, a rare genetic condition.
ICE has now denied Maher’s request to attend his funeral, his attorney says.
On Jan. 23, Wael died from complications related to Pompe disease, a rare genetic condition.
ICE has now denied Maher’s request to attend his funeral, his attorney says.
ICE Denies Detainee's Request to Attend His Son's Funeral, Attorney Says
Maher Tarabishi was the primary caretaker of his son, Wael Tarabishi, 30, who died on Friday, Jan. 23, from complications related to Pompe disease.
people.com
January 27, 2026 at 11:49 PM
Maher Tarabishi, who has been detained by ICE since October, was the primary caretaker of his disabled adult child, Wael.
On Jan. 23, Wael died from complications related to Pompe disease, a rare genetic condition.
ICE has now denied Maher’s request to attend his funeral, his attorney says.
On Jan. 23, Wael died from complications related to Pompe disease, a rare genetic condition.
ICE has now denied Maher’s request to attend his funeral, his attorney says.
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
The article shows how “hypernormalization” describes a society that knows its systems are failing yet carries on as if everything is normal, producing deep dissonance and paralysis.
Systems are crumbling – but daily life continues. The dissonance is real
If everything feels broken but strangely normal, the Soviet-era concept of hypernormalization can help
www.theguardian.com
January 25, 2026 at 7:46 AM
The article shows how “hypernormalization” describes a society that knows its systems are failing yet carries on as if everything is normal, producing deep dissonance and paralysis.
Protesters opposing government actions, journalists reporting news that the powers that be would rather not have exposed — “terrorists” one and all. Anyone with experience with authoritarian regimes has seen this before.
NEW:
Within minutes of Alex Pretti being shot and killed, the Trump administration began rewriting the narrative, labelling the victim as a "lunatic" and a "terrorist" contradicting all available evidence
www.wired.com/story/the-in...
Within minutes of Alex Pretti being shot and killed, the Trump administration began rewriting the narrative, labelling the victim as a "lunatic" and a "terrorist" contradicting all available evidence
www.wired.com/story/the-in...
The Instant Smear Campaign Against Border Patrol Shooting Victim Alex Pretti
Within minutes of the shooting, the Trump administration and right-wing influencers began disparaged the man shot by a federal immigration officer on Saturday in Minneapolis.
www.wired.com
January 26, 2026 at 6:44 PM
Protesters opposing government actions, journalists reporting news that the powers that be would rather not have exposed — “terrorists” one and all. Anyone with experience with authoritarian regimes has seen this before.
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
My @washingtonpost.com colleagues worked round the clock this weekend to expose the truth of what's happening in Minneapolis and bring urgent weather news to millions facing dangerous cold and snow.
If you value this work, tell Jeff Bezos to #SaveThePost
www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
If you value this work, tell Jeff Bezos to #SaveThePost
www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
Federal agent secured gun from Minn. man before fatal shooting, videos show
A Washington Post analysis of videos sheds light on the encounter that left 37-year-old Alex Pretti dead.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 26, 2026 at 4:15 PM
My @washingtonpost.com colleagues worked round the clock this weekend to expose the truth of what's happening in Minneapolis and bring urgent weather news to millions facing dangerous cold and snow.
If you value this work, tell Jeff Bezos to #SaveThePost
www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
If you value this work, tell Jeff Bezos to #SaveThePost
www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
Huge thanks to everyone who has supported @globalvoices.org! You have helped to keep us going during this extremely difficult time for media organizations, human rights, & non-profits of any kind!
We are still trying to get back up to full capacity, so please help if you can.
We are still trying to get back up to full capacity, so please help if you can.
Donate · Global Voices
Support freedom of expression for everyone, everywhere, by donating to Global Voices.
globalvoices.org
January 26, 2026 at 11:55 AM
Huge thanks to everyone who has supported @globalvoices.org! You have helped to keep us going during this extremely difficult time for media organizations, human rights, & non-profits of any kind!
We are still trying to get back up to full capacity, so please help if you can.
We are still trying to get back up to full capacity, so please help if you can.
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
One thing that strikes me is how, in contrast to all the alpha male posturing of Trump and his coterie, or the ICE agents in their combat gear, real courage in the face of real danger is being demonstrated by a bunch of old ladies, nurses, and other assorted citizens on the streets of Minneapolis.
January 25, 2026 at 10:24 PM
One thing that strikes me is how, in contrast to all the alpha male posturing of Trump and his coterie, or the ICE agents in their combat gear, real courage in the face of real danger is being demonstrated by a bunch of old ladies, nurses, and other assorted citizens on the streets of Minneapolis.
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
NEW:
Within minutes of Alex Pretti being shot and killed, the Trump administration began rewriting the narrative, labelling the victim as a "lunatic" and a "terrorist" contradicting all available evidence
www.wired.com/story/the-in...
Within minutes of Alex Pretti being shot and killed, the Trump administration began rewriting the narrative, labelling the victim as a "lunatic" and a "terrorist" contradicting all available evidence
www.wired.com/story/the-in...
The Instant Smear Campaign Against Border Patrol Shooting Victim Alex Pretti
Within minutes of the shooting, the Trump administration and right-wing influencers began disparaged the man shot by a federal immigration officer on Saturday in Minneapolis.
www.wired.com
January 25, 2026 at 12:44 AM
NEW:
Within minutes of Alex Pretti being shot and killed, the Trump administration began rewriting the narrative, labelling the victim as a "lunatic" and a "terrorist" contradicting all available evidence
www.wired.com/story/the-in...
Within minutes of Alex Pretti being shot and killed, the Trump administration began rewriting the narrative, labelling the victim as a "lunatic" and a "terrorist" contradicting all available evidence
www.wired.com/story/the-in...
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
Journalists covering pro-Kurdish protests detained in Turkey cpj.org?p=555884
Journalists covering pro-Kurdish protests detained in Turkey - Committee to Protect Journalists
Istanbul, January 22, 2026—Turkish authorities must release all journalists detained in recent days across Turkey and allow them to cover political rallies and protests unobstructed, the Committee to ...
cpj.org
January 22, 2026 at 5:08 PM
Journalists covering pro-Kurdish protests detained in Turkey cpj.org?p=555884
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
Many people on both sides of the Turkey-PKK conflict remain unconvinced by the peace process.
They often have contradictory ideas of what has happened and the way forward—regardless of the outcome of ongoing clashes in Syria.
@daniel-b-thorpe.bsky.social reports from Diyarbakır:
They often have contradictory ideas of what has happened and the way forward—regardless of the outcome of ongoing clashes in Syria.
@daniel-b-thorpe.bsky.social reports from Diyarbakır:
The trust deficit: Why the PKK peace talks are stalling in Turkey
DIYARBAKIR—The signs of conflict are visible in Diyarbakır, the regional capital of the Kurdish-majority southeast of Turkey.
www.turkeyrecap.com
January 20, 2026 at 5:41 PM
Many people on both sides of the Turkey-PKK conflict remain unconvinced by the peace process.
They often have contradictory ideas of what has happened and the way forward—regardless of the outcome of ongoing clashes in Syria.
@daniel-b-thorpe.bsky.social reports from Diyarbakır:
They often have contradictory ideas of what has happened and the way forward—regardless of the outcome of ongoing clashes in Syria.
@daniel-b-thorpe.bsky.social reports from Diyarbakır:
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
FMA welcomes the news that journalist Raphael Boukandoura has been released from custody this evening following legal objections filed by @mlsaturkey.org.
The pending deportation from Turkey of French journalist Raphaël Boukandoura threatens to set a disturbing precedent for press freedom. Our full statement: fmaturkey.org/raphael-bouk...
January 21, 2026 at 7:05 PM
FMA welcomes the news that journalist Raphael Boukandoura has been released from custody this evening following legal objections filed by @mlsaturkey.org.
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
The pending deportation from Turkey of French journalist Raphaël Boukandoura threatens to set a disturbing precedent for press freedom. Our full statement: fmaturkey.org/raphael-bouk...
January 21, 2026 at 10:29 AM
The pending deportation from Turkey of French journalist Raphaël Boukandoura threatens to set a disturbing precedent for press freedom. Our full statement: fmaturkey.org/raphael-bouk...
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
The pending deportation from Turkey of French journalist Raphaël Boukandoura threatens to set a disturbing precedent for press freedom. Our full statement: fmaturkey.org/raphael-bouk...
FMA statement on the detention and possible deportation of French journalist Raphaël Boukandoura – Foreign Media Association Turkey
fmaturkey.org
January 21, 2026 at 10:16 AM
The pending deportation from Turkey of French journalist Raphaël Boukandoura threatens to set a disturbing precedent for press freedom. Our full statement: fmaturkey.org/raphael-bouk...
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
RSF’s Erol Önderoğlu: “It is unacceptable that French journalist Raphaël Boukandoura faces risk of deportation after being taken into custody while reporting on protests in Sarıgazi, Istanbul. Boukandoura is not a protestor and cannot be treated as a criminal. This grave injustice must be reversed.”
RSF’den Erol Önderoğlu: İstanbul Sarıgazi’deki eylemi haberleştirmek isterken gözaltına alınan gazeteci Raphaël Boukandoura’nın sınırdışı edilme riskiyle karşı karşıya kalması kabul edilemez. Boukandoura eylemci olmadığı gibi gazeteciye suçlu muamelesi yapılamaz. Bu ağır haksızlıktan dönülmelidir.
January 20, 2026 at 12:14 PM
RSF’s Erol Önderoğlu: “It is unacceptable that French journalist Raphaël Boukandoura faces risk of deportation after being taken into custody while reporting on protests in Sarıgazi, Istanbul. Boukandoura is not a protestor and cannot be treated as a criminal. This grave injustice must be reversed.”
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
#Turkey: Murdered in 2007, justice for #HrantDink remains denied. In 2025, charges against seven suspects were dismissed due to the statute of limitations. The full chain of responsibility has never been exposed.
We call on authorities to end impunity and deliver full justice.
We call on authorities to end impunity and deliver full justice.
January 19, 2026 at 9:04 AM
#Turkey: Murdered in 2007, justice for #HrantDink remains denied. In 2025, charges against seven suspects were dismissed due to the statute of limitations. The full chain of responsibility has never been exposed.
We call on authorities to end impunity and deliver full justice.
We call on authorities to end impunity and deliver full justice.
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
Palestine? Barely shows up on my feed anymore and, friends, *I mostly follow Middle East experts*
My students tell me the same is true on Tiktok (which I don't have)
Needless to say, the shit you were outraged about 6 months ago is mostly continuing
www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/...
My students tell me the same is true on Tiktok (which I don't have)
Needless to say, the shit you were outraged about 6 months ago is mostly continuing
www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/...
Palestinian child shot dead by Israeli troops in occupied West Bank
Rights group says Palestinian children are 'increasingly targets' as Israeli military and settler violence soars.
www.aljazeera.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:54 PM
Palestine? Barely shows up on my feed anymore and, friends, *I mostly follow Middle East experts*
My students tell me the same is true on Tiktok (which I don't have)
Needless to say, the shit you were outraged about 6 months ago is mostly continuing
www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/...
My students tell me the same is true on Tiktok (which I don't have)
Needless to say, the shit you were outraged about 6 months ago is mostly continuing
www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/...
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
People killed protesting aren't numbers - they have names and stories. They had lives. Here are some of those killed in recent days in Iran
www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/20...
www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/20...
Sculptors, students and sportsmen: Who are the protesters killed in Iran? | The National
Teenagers among hundreds of dead as unrest rages across the country
www.thenationalnews.com
January 13, 2026 at 4:49 PM
People killed protesting aren't numbers - they have names and stories. They had lives. Here are some of those killed in recent days in Iran
www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/20...
www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/20...
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
In my mostly non-expert opinion, 2026 will be a challenge for American democracy unlike any we have encountered before.
The Trump Administration knows it is going to get pummeled in the midterms.
It has, in my view, a two pronged approach for addressing this.
The Trump Administration knows it is going to get pummeled in the midterms.
It has, in my view, a two pronged approach for addressing this.
January 12, 2026 at 2:04 PM
In my mostly non-expert opinion, 2026 will be a challenge for American democracy unlike any we have encountered before.
The Trump Administration knows it is going to get pummeled in the midterms.
It has, in my view, a two pronged approach for addressing this.
The Trump Administration knows it is going to get pummeled in the midterms.
It has, in my view, a two pronged approach for addressing this.
Mixing Pop Art and politics, fiction and reality, and humor and heart, artist Halil Altındere has been a provocative presence on the Turkish art scene since the 1990s. My latest for Art Basel: www.artbasel.com/stories/turk...
Halil Altındere and the thin line between art and life
Mixing Pop Art and politics, fiction and reality, and humor and heart, the artist has been a provocative presence on the Turkish art scene since the (...)
www.artbasel.com
January 12, 2026 at 1:33 PM
Mixing Pop Art and politics, fiction and reality, and humor and heart, artist Halil Altındere has been a provocative presence on the Turkish art scene since the 1990s. My latest for Art Basel: www.artbasel.com/stories/turk...
Reposted by Jennifer Hattam
“I’m not locked in a studio painting, I’m doing work related to the period and the geography I’m living in, and sometimes artists can predict things before they happen” @jenhattam.bsky.social on one of Turkey’s most interesting contemporary artists. www.artbasel.com/stories/turk...
Halil Altındere and the thin line between art and life
Mixing Pop Art and politics, fiction and reality, and humor and heart, the artist has been a provocative presence on the Turkish art scene since the (...)
www.artbasel.com
January 11, 2026 at 7:47 AM
“I’m not locked in a studio painting, I’m doing work related to the period and the geography I’m living in, and sometimes artists can predict things before they happen” @jenhattam.bsky.social on one of Turkey’s most interesting contemporary artists. www.artbasel.com/stories/turk...