Latest From Evin İlyasoğlu ACG 66: A Book-Length Interview with Ali Darmar

Music critic, author, and academic Evin İlyasoğlu has added another title to her prolific bibliography of over twenty books. Her latest work, İki Alem Arasında Ali Darmar (Ali Darmar: Between Two Worlds, Remzi Kitabevi), is a book-length interview with her longtime friend, the composer and educator Ali Darmar.

The project was initially sparked by Darmar’s suggestion that İlyasoğlu write his biography. The collaboration evolved into a dynamic dialogue, with the pair meeting via Zoom for two hours every day. İlyasoğlu credits Darmar’s rigorous discipline—the same rigor he demands of his piano students—with ensuring the seamless completion of the book. For readers looking for a unique perspective, the final chapter on parapsychology offers a particularly fascinating window into Darmar’s life and world.

USGD Presents “Forty Years of Remembrance” Award to Nuran Terzioğlu ACG 65

As part of ART SHOW 2026, the International Association of Art Galleries (USGD) presented its newly established “Forty Years of Remembrance” Award (Kırk Yıllık Hatır Ödülü) to prominent gallerist and art manager Nuran Terzioğlu, making her the first-ever recipient of this honor.

Terzioğlu has long been a foundational figure in the development of Türkiye’s contemporary art ecosystem, particularly through her gallery Apel. She was selected for the award in recognition of her lifelong dedication to fostering artistic production, her commitment to building enduring relationships with artists, and her significant contributions to elevating the institutional visibility of contemporary art throughout her career.

Gülin Yenigün Yücel RC 88 Advocates Women’s Entrepreneurship

She witnesses tangible social impact.

Gülin Yenigün Yücel serves on the Board of KAGİDER (Turkish Women Entrepreneurs Association), an organization dedicated to advancing women’s entrepreneurship and strengthening women’s economic and social participation.

An active member since 2009, Yücel currently leads KAGİDER’s Circular Economy Committee, contributes to EU-level advocacy for women entrepreneurs, and coordinates preparations for COP31. Reflecting on her work, she notes: “I have been involved in international and EUwide initiatives focused on won the development of, the Equal Rights in the Workplace Certification program, and youth empowerment projects.”

Yücel credits Robert College with shaping her commitment to civic engagement. “RC’s strong emphasis on civic responsibility, critical thinking, and social awareness made it natural for me to see social impact as part of my life rather than something separate from my career,” she says. Through the school’s diverse community, student clubs, and volunteering opportunities, she was introduced to issues such as inequality, gender justice, and environmental sustainability, gaining both the motivation and confidence to engage in NGO work later in life.

What she finds most rewarding is witnessing tangible social impact. According to KAGİDER’s Social Return on Investment (SROI) and qualitative impact study covering 2020–2025, every 1 TL invested in the organization’s projects generates an average of 4.80 TL in social value. This impact benefits women entrepreneurs through increased skills, income, and confidence, while supporting families, creating jobs, strengthening local economies, and advancing gender equality across society

Cüneyt Ülsever RA 70 Pens a Thriller

The novel features a serial killer who is also an RC Alumnus.

Journalist, economist, and prolific author Cüneyt Ülsever’s latest book Ben Bir Seri Katilim ( I am a Serial Killer, Kırmızı Kedi Yayınları) is a thriller featuring a striking character: a serial killer who is both a mathematical genius and an RC alumnus. When RCQ asked Ülsever why he chose to make the character a graduate of his own alma mater, he jokingly replied, “I chose RC because I know it thoroughly.”

Ülsever developed a love of reading and theater at an early age thanks to his highly encouraging mother. He wrote his first story in third grade 3. However, he chose to study economics, even though he says he would have preferred to study comparative literature.

Ülsever’s favorite writers are Yaşar Kemal, Yahya Kemal Beyatlı, and Nazım Hikmet: “I believe Yahya Kemal and Nazım Hikmet are the true masters of the Turkish language. I am in awe of the way they command words.”

Ülsever believes there is no formula for becoming a writer and that the first requirement is simply to want it. For members of the RC community who aspire to write, he recommends reading extensively and writing regularly: “It is important to develop discipline and to write every day.”

Reflecting on his student years, Ülsever remembers his elective literature class with Mrs. Wilson fondly: “I learned a great deal from her. She often hosted the entire class in her garden and encouraged us to debate ideas. We were taught not to memorize information, but to question it constantly, and to understand that everything can be debated.”

Gündüz Vassaf RA 64 Ponders the Philosophy of Daily Life

Vassaf offers a novel approach to uncertainty.

Psychologist and writer Gündüz Vassaf has released a new book: Günlük Yaşam Felsefesi: Şimdiye Övgü (Philosophy of Daily Life: In Praise of the Present, Tuhaf Yayınları). The work is a book-length interview conducted by Duru Uslu over the course of a year.

In this new volume, Vassaf continues his signature critique of “normalized” ways of living. Elaborating on the book’s themes in a recent  Hürriyet  interview with Uygar Taylan, Vassaf encourages readers to embrace the unpredictable: “Following World War II, humanity began living in a strictly ordered manner. Today, however, those traditional senses of belonging no longer work. Some populists still promote the nationstate model of 200 years ago, but uncertainty is the fundamental rule of nature. Life is inherently uncertain. Instead of trying to impose order onto the unknown, we need to learn to enjoy the uncertainty.”

 

A New Book on Vasıf Kortun RC 78 Released in English and Turkish

The publications offer a rich history of the institutions shaping contemporary art in Türkiye.

Vasıf Kortun is a defining figure in the contemporary Turkish art world. Among his many achievements are his roles as the founding director and curator of pivotal cultural institutions, including the Istanbul Contemporary Art Project, Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center, and Salt. Nerden Geldik Buraya: Vasıf Kortun’u Okumak (How Did We Get Here: Reading Vasıf Kortun) were published by Salt/Garanti Kültür A.Ş. and Robinson Crusoe 389 and Salt/Garanti Kültür A.Ş. and Archive Books. They are built around an extensive interview conducted by Sezin Romi, Salt’s Senior Librarian and Archivist between August 2024 and July 2025. The books serve as both a documentation of institutional history and a multi-layered exploration of Türkiye’s cultural milieu. Expanding upon Kortun’s 2017 talk, “Questions on Institutions”—delivered as his tenure at Salt came to a close—the publication opens up a vital discussion on the past, present, and future of art spaces. Known for challenging traditional museum norms, creating space for experimental practices, advocating for decolonial perspectives, and championing collaborative, lateral work methods, Kortun’s lifelong dedication to the arts receives a timely deep dive in these pages.

More details on the books are available at saltonline.org

Hikmet Hükümenoğlu RC 89 Pens Follow-up to His First Crime Novel

Hükümenoğlu plans to complete the series into a trilogy.

Hikmet Hükümenoğlu published Sonra Gözler Görür (And Then The Eyes See, İthaki Yayınları) in 2024, and it is now turning into a Netflix series. Fresh on the heels of this success, he published the followup novel Bu Dünyada Yaşamak (Living in This World, İthaki Yayınları) with the same cast of characters.

Hükümenoğlu says that he was drawn to crime fiction because it allows him to explore the darker side of human psychology in a compact and entertaining form: “The genre also creates space to examine the political and social history of the country naturally through the story, without becoming preachy or didactic.” Hükümenoğlu is also an avid crime fiction reader: “Tana French is probably my favorite contemporary crime writer because of the psychological depth in her novels.” The roots of this habit can be traced to his RC years: “The RC library had a treasure trove of Agatha Christie books, and discovering the “Choose Your Own Adventure” series there was a huge breakthrough for me as a young reader because it made reading feel interactive and exciting.”

For the fans of this series, there is good news. Hükümenoğlu plans to complete a trilogy: “I plan for it to become a trilogy, although I’m not sure yet when I’ll return to it. Right now I’m also working on other projects, but I definitely see more stories in this world and with these characters.”

 

Sami Kariyo RC 77 Supports the Biodiversity of the Seas

A gigantic ‘ghost net’ was recently extracted from the Marmara Sea.

The Deniz Yaşamını Koruma Derneği (DYKD, Marine Life Conservation Society) joined forces with the Kariyo & Ababay Vakfı (KAV, Kariyo & Ababay Foundation) in the shared goal of protecting the sea’s ecosystem. One of their recent works garnered a lot of attention in media.

DYKD, in association with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, launched a mobile app called Mavi Atlas (Blue Atlas) in 2025. Citizens can upload information about the species, depth, and location of marine life, and therefore can contribute to the mapping of biodiversity in Türkiye. Citizens can also report problems, such as ‘ghost nets.’

Ghost nets refer to a situation where defunct fishing gear—including nets, lines, longlines, and pots that have been accidentally lost, swept away by storms, or intentionally discarded by fishermen—remains on the sea floor and continues to trap and kill marine life indefinitely.

The first such report of ghost nets came from Heybeliada, and the second came from near Marmara Island in the Marmara Sea. The net was astoundingly huge; it could cover the Çamlıca Tower completely.

An initial exploration study with divers and underwater cameras revealed that the nets were trapped in rocky areas and crevices. It was observed that while the nets were tightly wrapped around rocks in some sections, in others, they drifted along the seabed with the current, turning into a virtually invisible trap. Many marine animals that were still alive were rescued and released back into their habitats.

Meticulous work of this scale is only made possible by the dedication of patrons who champion these causes— individuals like Sami Kariyo.

 

Tiyatrokare Receives the First Haldun Dormen Award

Haldun Dormen RC 49 was one of the earliest supporters of Nedim Saban RC 86.

TiyatroKare founded by Nedim Saban RC 86 won the inaugural Haldun Dormen Award in the 27th Yapı Kredi Afife Theater Awards. Established this year to honor the late doyen of Turkish theater, Haldun Dormen RC 49, the award was presented to Tiyatrokare for its staging of D.L. Coburn’s Konken Partisi  (The Gin Game). Saban interpreted the play through the lens of post-COVID loneliness, particularly among the aging population, while injecting a sense of hope: “The play takes place in a nursing home. In the 1980s, such institutions were seen as places of abandonment. I wanted to take a different approach and show them as a positive aspect of modern life. I take my theater students to these homes on World Theater Day to visit former artists. Especially after COVID, the management told us these visits were more effective than medicine.”

Saban and his theater company have received numerous awards over the years, but this one, given in Dormen’s name for the best comedy of the year, has a particularly significant place in Saban’s heart: “After I graduated from NYU, Haldun Abi invited me over. He wanted to try new things, so I proposed an angry play by Joe Orton about sexual liberation. It became an instant success but also drew major backlash. Haldun Abi, known for saying “you can do it, darling,” this time said “you couldn’t do it darling.” However, he continued to support me when I founded Tiyatrokare. I always sought his advice on scripts, asking if a play would be a hit. He would laugh and say, ‘If I knew that, I’d be a billionaire.’ I always looked up to him, not only for his successes but also because of his ability to laugh off his failures. Very few people Türkiye can self-criticize like that. His courage, intelligence and realism have always been my roadmap. This award propels me to continue my 34-year-long journey with Tiyatrokare. I am also intimidated a little by the prospect of doing better, but even if I don’t, I have learned to laugh it off. Which is as important as the award itself.

 

 

Salim Erol Uluğ RC ENG 54

The Robert College community mourns the passing of Prof. Dr. Salim Erol Uluğ, who passed away peacefully at his home in Istanbul on February 8, 2026, with his wife of 61 years and one of his daughters by his side.

Born in Ankara, he completed his secondary education at TED Ankara College before graduating from Robert College’s Department of Civil Engineering in 1954. He went on to earn his master’s degree from Stanford University and his doctorate in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Imperial College London in 1967. Prof. Ulug began his career in California and, upon returning to Türkiye, contributed to the design and implementation of reinforced concrete structures. In 1962, he joined the faculty of Middle East Technical University (METU). In 1973, he was entrusted with establishing the Department of Environmental Engineering, serving as its founding head and playing a key role in its development. He also contributed to TÜBİTAK’s Environmental Research Group. Following his retirement from METU, he continued teaching and later founded the Civil Engineering Department at Atılım University, where he served as founding head until 2007.

Fluent in English and German, Prof. Uluğ remained active as a consultant, researcher, and mentor, contributing to international projects, supervising numerous theses, and publishing widely. His work was recognized with multiple awards in science and education. He will be remembered for his integrity, quiet strength, and kindness, as well as his devotion to his family.