Radio Skala Iskele

society, culture, history · EN

Clenched fists and pairs of wings. That was the origin story of Skala / İskele. A group of comrades living in the contested borderlands of Lesvos and Izmir—where the imaginary lines that define two states were drawn in the sea by patrol boats and migrant bodies—came together in pursuit of the wings hiding in clenched fists. “Skala / İskele: A Transnational Podcast Project” aims to pursue certain questions by following the trail of diversity and richness of migration 100 years ago and today. It draws inspiration from commonalities between Turkey and Greece as its name suggests. Skala in Greek and İskele in Turkish have similar meanings with various uses. From “the promenade” to “the pier”, from “the wharf” to “the musical scale”, and from “the scaffolding” to “the stairs”: both words refer to pluralistic and diverse elements of our urban livelihoods. The project aims to amplify the “everyday-resistance” practices of displaced communities in th