Amberin Zaman on why she writes

Al-Monitor Staff

Mar 4, 2015

A Turkish riot policeman uses tear gas as people protest against the destruction of trees in a park brought about by a pedestrian project, in Taksim Square in central Istanbul in this May 28, 2013 file photo.

Osman Orsal: I was covering protests in Istanbul which began as a demonstration against government plans to demolish a small park in central Taksim square but evolved into one the biggest anti-government protests in over a decade.

I was standing between the protesters and the police as the police b — A Turkish riot policeman uses tear gas as people protest against the destruction of trees in a park brought about by a pedestrian project, in Taksim Square in central Istanbul, May 28, 2013. Al-Monitor's Amberin Zaman makes it her mission to tell the stories of women who endure suffering with dignity and strength throughout the Middle East. — REUTERS/Osman Orsal

عربي
עִברִית
Türkçe
فارسی

Amberin Zaman has been writing for Al-Monitor since February 2013. She is an Istanbul-based writer who has covered Turkey for The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Daily Telegraph and Voice of America. A frequent commentator on Turkish television, she is currently Turkey correspondent for The Economist, a position she has held since 1999. She is a regular contributor to the German Marshall Fund of the United States' "On Turkey" series. She has also written columns for major Turkish newspapers. Her areas of specialization include Turkish foreign policy, the Kurds and Turkish-Armenian reconciliation.

Al-Monitor: Why did you decide to become a journalist?