When was the last time you looked back the first years of your working life? 

When I look back to the first years of my working life, it seems like another Age. I was only 21 when I started working as a photo journalist, on one of the biggest daily newspapers in Istanbul, Turkey. I didn't even know what I was really doing. I've been to live concerts, press meetings, interviews, social events, protests. I saw many different kind of lives and many different kind of events; from rich to poor, presidents to prostitutes, stars to humble artisans, from festivals to riots. All created a big impact on my perception of life at that young age.

Unfortunately I wasn't that wise to keep the photos from that time for my portfolio. I kept a few, but they are digitalised so badly, the quality has been lost, so unfortunately the images are horrendous. Those were the days of non-digital photography. We were using black & white negative films or dia positives. There was dark room for the black & whites, but for the dia positives, if you made a mistake on the light etc. it's done! That image then becomes useless! Photoshop and Lightroom wasn't in our lives as it is today! You should be very very cautious when taking a photo, as you can't have a look at the image display on the camera and repeat if needed. Unbelievable, isn't it?

I am now 44! When I look back to those photos from those days, it hurts, as I did'nt keep them all. I witnessed those lives with my camera. Some of them have passed away, as with time, some are as clear in my mind today as they were then! All is left behind for me is a few faded images, loaded with rawness and experience at the same time.

But still, they make me proud.

I realised that I am too focused on today. I was sharing only the recent works here and on social media. What I am today, as a photographer, it is the experience from the past. Future builds on the past, isn’t it?