What is Turkland?

"Where is my home? Who decides where I belong? What do I do with the definitions imposed on my identity from outside?"

Türkland is based on the autobiographical novel by Dilşad Budak-Sarıoğlu and tells the story of a woman who tries to find herself in the midst of a multicultural identity chaos. Dilşad grows up in Germany and returns to Turkey after many years for the love of her life – the country from which she fled with her family as a small child. On her wedding day she reflects on her experiences as a migrant in Germany and re-migrant in Turkey, as well as the quirks and clichés from both cultures. The 70-minute theater play Türkland humorously deals with concepts such as migration, identity, German-Turkish history and relations.

The history of migration is only the framework, the story is actually told from an extraordinary perspective about the universal and eternal search of human beings for a sense of belonging.

Türkland is performed by Dilşad Budak-Sarıoğlu and Ilgıt Uçum. It was directed by İrem Aydın. In Turkey, the play is presented in Turkish with German surtitles; in Germany, it is performed bilingually with German and Turkish surtitles respectively.

The performance has been touring Germany and Turkey since 2017. The positive response from audience and media has made it clear that authentic stories with a personal connection win the audience's empathy and inspire reflection. Türkland does not treat social grievances with a judgy approach, but names in order to then ask:

What can individuals and societies change about how they deal with themselves and with the outside world, in order to reconcile themselves with the complex questions of identity, belonging and mutual recognition?

The play works excellently as an entry point for further discussion, because it illuminates the subject area from sometimes completely new perspectives and sensitizes the viewer to the experiences and feelings of "the other." That is why, among other things, stimulating discussion rounds with the audience are an integral part of the program after each performance.