From Life Itself: Turkey, Istanbul, and a Neighborhood in the Age of Erdoğan

The program begins at 7:00 PM. Arrive at 6:00 PM to connect over bites and beverages.

What happens to democracy when political power begins to reshape the everyday lives of ordinary people?

Join the World Affairs Council and the Turkish Cultural Center for a timely conversation with acclaimed journalist and author Suzy Hansen about her new book, From Life Itself: Turkey, Istanbul, and a Neighborhood in the Age of Erdoğan.

Drawing on years of reporting and relationships in Istanbul's Karagümrük neighborhood, Hansen offers an intimate portrait of a community navigating profound political and social change. Through the lives of its residents, she explores how authoritarianism, nationalism, migration, and shifting identities shape not only a country's political future, but also the relationships, aspirations, and daily experiences of its people.

As democratic institutions face growing pressures around the world, Turkey's experience offers an important perspective on questions that extend far beyond its borders: How does democratic erosion unfold in everyday life? How do communities respond to political uncertainty? And what can their experiences teach us about the future of democracy, including here in the United States?

Moderated by educator and journalist Mila Sanina, this conversation is part of the Council's Civic Futures Series, which brings global perspectives to the challenges and possibilities facing democracy today.

• Gain a deeper understanding of Turkey's political and social transformation under President Erdoğan and what it reveals about the challenges facing democracies worldwide.
• Explore how authoritarianism, nationalism, and political polarization shape everyday life, relationships, and communities.
• Learn how ordinary people navigate political uncertainty, shifting identities, and the erosion of democratic norms and institutions.
• Consider what Turkey's experience can teach us about democratic resilience, civic engagement, and the future of democracy here at home.
• Engage directly with author Suzy Hansen in a conversation moderated by journalist Mila Sanina, followed by audience Q&A.

About the Author

Suzy Hansen is an acclaimed journalist and author whose work explores politics, culture, identity, and America's relationship with the wider world. Her first book, Notes on a Foreign Country: An American Abroad in a Post-American World, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction. Her latest book, From Life Itself, examines contemporary Turkey through the experiences of residents of an Istanbul neighborhood.

About the Moderator

An independent journalist and educator, Mila Sanina spent 20 years delivering and supporting journalism in Pennsylvania and abroad. Mila currently serves as the head of the department of journalism at Pennsylvania State University. She also leads the international reporting course and teaches classes on reporting, multimedia storytelling and entrepreneurial journalism.

Before joining Penn State in 2022, Mila led the expansion of the nonprofit newsroom, Pittsburgh’s Public Source. Before then, she worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PBS Newshour and CNN International. A native of Kazakhstan, Mila started reporting in Central Asia.

This event is presented by the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh in partnership with the Turkish Cultural Center Pittsburgh.

About Civic Futures

Civic Futures is a yearlong series exploring how democratic societies endure in a time of global pressure and domestic division. Through global perspectives and local dialogue, the series brings together experts and community members to examine the forces shaping democracy and the role we all play in sustaining it.

This program is supported, in part, by the Heinz Endowments.