Turkey on the Move

People are constantly on the move in this country and these territories. Some are after a living, some a new identity, and some a better life. Some move because they have to, others for the fun of it. People who ride crowded vans from Eastern Turkey to the Black Sea coast in summer in order to harvest hazelnuts, people who travel from Moldova to Ankara in search of a job. People sentenced to death in Iran for their life style and preferences, people who flee the metropolises to find peace in coast towns. New generations “returning” after the great migrations that took place on this soil. The seemingly endless bustle in the big cities. Turkey is in perpetual motion.

“Turkey on the Move” was shot on location in various districts of Istanbul and in Van, Mardin, Alanya, Bodrum, Beypazarı, Akçakoca in Turkey; Burgas in Bulgaria; Cologne and Castrop-Rauxel and Germany;  in a time span between September 2007 and May 2008.  

Two episodes were screened for a test audience on 5th April 2008 at the French Cultural Center in Istanbul.

The documentary series consisting of seven parts of approximately 36 min. duration each, was broadcast weekly in NTV on Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. and Sundays at 7:10 p.m. between 2nd July and 24th August 2008. The seven parts were repeated in September due to popular demand. 

The Turkey Representation of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung Association sponsored this project. Producer NTV is one of Turkey’s major TV networks, focussing on news, documentary and culture.