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Inside Iran on eve of nuclear deal
Inside Iran on eve of nuclear deal
Inside Iran on eve of nuclear deal
Hürriyet correspondent Çınar Oskay and senior photojournalist Sebati Karakurt visited cities and villages across Iran before the June 30 deadline for the nuclear deal between Tehran and the six world powers.
Inside Iran on eve of nuclear deal
For most of their journey through Iran, Oskay and Karakurt were escorted by a young government official, Amir. Occasionally, however, they managed to sneak into clandestine late night parties with prohibited Western music, such as Michael Jackson, and alcoholic drinks.
Inside Iran on eve of nuclear deal
"If I continue to hang out with you, they will execute me by stoning and my parents will be forced to pay for the stones," a local woman at one house party said.
Inside Iran on eve of nuclear deal
They interviewed young people, artists and businessmen, as well as high-ranking officials including Masoud Soltanifar, Iran's vice president and its head of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization. In a brief phone conversation, the internationally award-winning Iranian director Jafar Panahi was reticent and told them he "can only speak with his movies."
Inside Iran on eve of nuclear deal
The two correspondents drove from the poshest neighborhoods of Tehran to the poorest villages on the shores of the Caspian Sea, where many still die due to a lack of hospitals.
Inside Iran on eve of nuclear deal
Hürriyet journalists found themselves lost on dangerous mountain roads riddle with broken cars at night; in fact, Karakurt took up smoking cigarettes again after a 12-year break out of stress. At one point, they were threatened by an Iranian who called himself a "crocodile."
Inside Iran on eve of nuclear deal
Comparing the two cultures, the Turks find themselves asking: "How did we end up so Westernized?" One night, Oskay and Karakurt were not allowed to check in at a hotel together. With nowhere else to go, a local named Farhad fixed them an apartment for daily rent where they were supposed to stay with two men from Hong Kong. These two men turned out to be Indian sailors.
Inside Iran on eve of nuclear deal
"You look a bit European," one Indian sailor said disapprovingly. "How could your ship carry goods from Hong Kong and Iran despite international sanctions?" the reporters responded. "We do not understand English," the sailor replied sarcastically in English.
Inside Iran on eve of nuclear deal
Turkey's "soft power" can be seen in Iran, where Turkish TV dramas and Turkish music have become hugely popular. In one village, the locals begged for the host of a popular Turkish quiz show to say "hello to all Iranians" in the next episode.
Inside Iran on eve of nuclear deal
Ultimately, with all of its paradoxes, Oskay and Karakurt say they fell in love with the country and its people, who "offer a rose at the end of every cul-de-sac."
Inside Iran on eve of nuclear deal
All photos from this journey through Iran, as well as interviews including one with a maestro who was called to return to Iran by President Hasan Rouhani after 40 years in exile, will be published by Hürriyet throughout next week. Report: Çınar Oskay (R) - Photos: Sebati Karakurt (L)
Inside Iran on eve of nuclear deal
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