Aylin Kaplan

(Journalist from Turkey, JiR in 2023/24)

“Journalism is a highly challenging profession due to the demands of the job, even in the absence of any concrete danger. Even those of us who do not work under conditions of concrete threat/danger unfortunately experience this too. Especially if you are a journalist working in politically and socially conflicted/crisis-stricken regions, this challenging position is multiplied even more. I applied to ECPMF’s JiR programme when I was in such a challenging position. The time I spent in Leipzig was a period in which I felt good in many ways. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this environment, especially the ECPMF team, to whom I am grateful one by one. Leipzig was a city that offered me a deep breathing space, especially via its public spaces and libraries. The Journalists-in-Residence programme is a real support for traumatised journalists working in dangerous environments. It is hard to describe the beauty of feeling that support on my shoulder.”

Photos: Andreas Lamm