![A street vendor sells Turkish flags at Eminonu district in Istanbul, Turkey, July 18, 2016. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis/File Photo - RTSIV9F](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2016/07/RTSIV9F.jpg/RTSIV9F.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=28NjzViD)
Mel Plant is a freelance reporter based in Istanbul and London, where she is a student of Arabic and Turkish at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies. She served as editor-in-chief of SOAS' student newspaper from 2015 to 2016 and her articles have been featured in Agos and Souciant. She regularly posts about Turkey, Syria and Kurds on Twitter: @meleppo
![A street vendor sells Turkish flags at Eminonu district in Istanbul, Turkey, July 18, 2016. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis/File Photo - RTSIV9F](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2016/07/RTSIV9F.jpg/RTSIV9F.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=28NjzViD)