Memo: CBC is back in Turkey
The following memo was sent to CBC staff on Oct. 14, 2016, from Greg Reaume, Managing Editor, CBC News Coverage.
CBC News is back in Turkey. The temporary bureau we opened in Istanbul nearly two years ago proved so rewarding we are setting up there once again. And who better to have at the helm than correspondent Nil Koksal? Recall the edgy, important stories Nil and shooter/editor Turgut Yeter filed during their last posting to Istanbul. They demonstrated that a tiny team with talent, and ambition can carry the CBC torch into challenging, under-covered regions.
Ranging from the streets of Istanbul to the Syrian border, they produced vivid, accessible reports for all platforms. And speaking of range, there were spot news items, engaging features and full-on documentaries. Stories about Syrian street children, about attacks on Istanbul’s transgender community, about Canadians accused of helping ISIS recruiters.
These remain tumultuous times in Turkey. Since Nil and Turgut’s last posting in early 2015, the Erdogan regime has sent tanks into Syria and suppressed a military coup. If anything, the need to track developments in this volatile region is greater than ever. With this new “pop-up” bureau, we continue to execute our strategy of expanding the CBC’s foreign footprint with timely, targetted, cost-efficient investments. The Istanbul bureau will be fully operational by next week.
H.G. Watson was J-Source's managing editor from 2015 to 2018. She is a journalist based in Toronto. You can learn more about her at hgwatson.com.