Silent Afghanistan

Köktentürk is a photographer who has lived in Paris, France for a long time but she is currently working and living in Istanbul. She mostly worked in the Middle Eastern-Central Asia region, for countries such as Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Burkina Faso, and Mali. Köktentürk has created photo projects for many years on social problems, outliers, all minorities, pain, and issues related to the street and war victims.

From her selected projects;

The “Silent Afghanistan” project carried out by the “Photographers Without Borders” was exhibited at the Işık Gallery in Nişantaşı and the photo-book was published.

The “Do you know Hasankeyf?” project carried out by the “Photographers Without Borders” was exhibited in 2010 at the Rezan Has Museum & the photo-book was published.

The “I’m cross, I’m not playing” project showing the pictures of before, during, and after demolition of Tarlabaşı in Istanbul was exhibited in 2014 at the Rezan Has Museum & the photo-book was published.

The “Wakhan Dam-el-Dunya” project carried out by the team was exhibited in 2015 at the Işık Gallery in Nisantasi & the photo-book was published.

In 2015 she worked together with Mustafa Bilge Satkın on a collaborative photography exhibition called “Burqa I Buzkashi” at BLOK art space, Istanbul. Her series from this exhibition was also exhibited in the Turkish Embassy in Kabul. Her last project “Give Him Back To Me Voodoo”, consisting of the photographs she took in Burkina Faso and dedicated to Leila Aloui -a photographer killed in Ougadougou- was exhibited in BLOK art space in 2019. Her ongoing project is Mali and the manuscripts of Timbouktou.

In recent years, particularly in Afghanistan, she produced awareness projects on the impact of the post-war period on people. Also, she works with many international medical aid organizations. Also, she is a writer for many different publications, and writes on art, history, and cultural research in different cities. She is currently working and living in Istanbul, Turkey.