Ataturk Cultural Center, Taksim Square (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Ataturk Cultural Center, Taksim Square (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Gezi Park (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Gezi Park (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Gezi Park (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Gezi Park (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Taksim Square (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Taksim Square (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Tezevision (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Tezevision (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Turkey

Gezi Park

June 2013 • Erdem and I met two summers ago when I was subletting a stifling-hot apartment near Altiyol and he was working as a simitci, selling buns and cold water from a cart (mostly he was giving directions to lost passersby). He barely knew how to speak English and was determined to get better at it, so we grew into a nice friendship over the summer. Erdem studied journalism at university and worked a long winter in the shipping department of a bookseller so he could buy himself a good digital camera. He joined in the recent protests at Gezi Park and Taksim Square and caught a tear-gas canister in the head. A haiku-like email assured he's okay.

Ataturk Cultural Center, Taksim Square (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Ataturk Cultural Center, Taksim Square (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Gezi Park (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Gezi Park (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Gezi Park (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Gezi Park (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Photo by Erdem Evcil

Taksim Square (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Taksim Square (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Tezevision (photo by Erdem Evcil)

Taksim Square (photo by Erdem Evcil)