"Scream out as much as you want, rant and rave: We destroyed it" said Erdogan after the demolition of the AKM (Ataturk Cultural Center), during the Gezi Park protests. There is way too much to be said about Taksim, and I won’t get into the details of previous attacks, the pressure from the police, local mafia, rising alcohol and rent taxes, or the opening of government-friendly bars, teahouses, and associations with very suspicious timing.

Before anything else, Taksim was where my parents had secret dates with my grandparents, where I got drunk for the first time, where I went to a queer party, and where I did my first protests. It’s not just a "touristy place" where you can buy baklava and take pictures of the old tram with gigantic Nikon lenses. For us, even going out in Taksim is an act of defiance for the non-aligned population.

So this mix is an ode to these memories. It is a playlist of songs that we listen to in Taksim meyhanes with rakı, mezzes, and cigarettes. It is my own homemade remedy to get through politically hard times, especially when I am away.