One of the most influential Turkish poets of the 20th century, Turgut Uyar (1927 – 1985), portrays the societal and cultural evolution of the period through his poem ‘Terziler Geldiler’ [The Tailors Came], by depicting the changes a city undergoes with the arrival of tailors. When I first read this poem, it conveyed insights and an internal perspective on Turkey’s modern history with a clarity that surpassed dozens of history books. The tailors emerge as symbols of modernization and industrial progress, and through this process, they narrate the inner turmoil, alienation, and losses that people experience. The title of my project is ‘The Tailors Have Gone,’ which narrates the post-tailor era. It captures Turkey’s gradual departure from the modernism project and the void left by abandoned neoliberal policies, failing to replace the severed ties with global capitalism. The photographs are taken with a peculiar sentiment, a blend of fear and sorrow, reflecting the worsening economic conditions and their impact on individuals and environments. 

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This project also aligns with my personal story. It coincides with the period when I started taking photographs, which was also when my family’s restaurant went bankrupt due to changing economic conditions, and all our financial savings were depleted.  In that period of emptiness, penniless and aimless, I found solace in roaming the streets with an old digital camera. That’s when I noticed the tailors have gone. No one sings laments for the "horse that is now dead", nor are there any horse-like garments stitched in its stead by the tailors, for the tailors have gone.