Ber Bas

Istanbul famously stands as the bridge between Asia, Africa, and Europe, and it is at this geographical crossroads that three migrant families’ stories intersect. Far from the glorious Ottoman architecture and the glamorous Bosphorous nightlife, In Transit shows the tough life of transients stuck in Istanbul, between their war-torn or impoverished past and their imagined and elusive future. This thoroughly engaging video tracks an Iraqi Arab family, an Iraqi Kurdish family, and a Nigerian couple for a full year, witnessing their struggle to adapt to life on the margins of an unforgiving city while awaiting visas and work permits that never seem to come. In Directed by Berke Bas Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish and English with English subtitles. 50 mins. 2005

The collapse of Turkey’s currency has caused a surge in interest rates that has plunged the country's once-booming construction industry into a deep recession.

Turkey's Opposition Hopes to Capitalize on Erdogan's Woes

Ekrem Imamoglu shook Turkish politics when he won Istanbul's mayorship, ending 25 years of domination by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party. He took office less than a month ago and in that time uncovered massive overspending by city officials. Then,Turkey’s electoral board controversially ordered a rerun of the vote, and has forced Imamoglu out of the job. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.