My favorite source for English-language news about Turkey is
Hurriyet Daily News. Although their editorials often come across as naive and pedantic and their sports coverage is comparable to CBS, they typically have a handle on happenings across Turkey worth promoting.
For example:
I was fortunate enough to see U2 last Monday. Shockingly, Bono had a lot of political things to say, mostly involving complicated names I'd never heard of (and speaking for the Turkish names involved- horribly mispronounced as well- even Prime Minster Erdoğan). Anyway, I was glad that Hürriyet evidently had a reporter on the case who was able
to decipher all the obscure references. Bono even wrote the paper
a letter after the show.
When I noticed at Istanbul's
Forum shopping mall that an
H&M was coming soon (much to my pseudo-hipster excitement)- I wasn't surprised when I discovered Hurriyet had already run
a feature about the trendy-but-affordable Swedish fashion retailer.
Also, the best Türk Kahvesi I've yet to have drunk is from Mandabatmaz, which is tucked away on a tiny alley off Istiklal Caddesi. How did I discover this gem? The Hürriyet sponsored food blog
Istanbul Eats.
So thank you Hürriyet, that I can stay informed about contemporary events in my country of residence with only an elementary understanding of Turkish. That being said, don't be afraid to work on your sports coverage.
Today I went to the Mısır Çarşısı with my photographer/guitar teacher friend Numan, where I bought a cezve and some freshly ground Türk kahvesi. Numan asked me to pose on the steps of the famous Yeni Camii (New Mosque), which was pretty cool and scenic until I got attacked by a flock of Hitchcockian pigeons. 