The “P” in Postane

The “P” in Postane is also the chemical symbol for phosphorus, an element known for glowing in the dark.

We live in an era of deep uncertainty—marked by climate change, social fractures, economic instability, rapid technological shifts, the erosion of human rights, and escalating conflicts. And the burden of these challenges is not shared equally.

So, how do we find our way in such darkness? Can the spaces that bring us together, the people we stand with, and the ideas that inspire us serve as our guide, like the glow-in-the-dark stars that once dotted our childhood bedroom ceilings?

For this first issue of Post Box, we’d like to share a quote from Mariame Kaba that reflects the spirit guiding this and future editions:

With this discipline in mind:

• At Postane Cafe, we serve only fair and trustworthy food.

• At Things with Stories, we feature products from social enterprises.

• At Postane Production, we create video and audio content to share stories of hope.

• At Postane Office, we work alongside organizations dedicated to social good.

• At Postane Hall, we host events for NGOs, communities, and social enterprises.

• At Postane Garden, we go beyond sustainability and focus on regeneration by harvesting rainwater, composting, and growing our own seeds with our volunteers.

• Through Postane Programs, we contribute to social innovation with projects on urban heritage, social economy, and environmental justice.

The “P” in Postane has a small empty space in its design—a subtle invitation. To plant a seed, to fold yeast into dough, to write a new page, to breathe life into our space… A reminder that some gaps are meant to be filled together.

May this newsletter shine like glow-in-the-dark stars at night.

With solidarity,
Yaşar Adnan Adanalı
Director, Postane

It’s clear that the food system needs to change. In an era when social trust is shaken and inflation is hitting hardest in the food sector, we can no longer trust what’s on the shelf or our plate.

At Postane, we see food as the most direct way to strengthen the bonds between city and countryside, producer and consumer, people and nature, and diverse cultures. These connections are the lifeblood of our space. That’s why, in the Food Justice Community, we come together with people who produce healthy, ecological, and fair food. And at Postane Cafe, we only source food from people we have a personal connection with.

At the heart of our Food Justice Policy is social procurement , and we’re proud to say we achieve this 90% of the time. We believe that rebuilding trust in food starts with stronger relationships, which is why we share food packages sourced directly from producers with our community and neighbors every week.

Postane Food Updates

🥬 As of 2025, Postane Cafe offers fresh produce, greens packages, and jarred meze! With the Piyalepaşa Greens Package, you can support the historic Piyalepaşa Garden while adding more variety to your table. In addition to produce packages from Gözde’nin Çiftliği and Akasya Tarım, you’ll also find fresh fruits and vegetables available daily. Follow the Postane Weekly Fair Food Calendar for updates.

🍅 New menu item: Vegan Menemen – Have you tried it yet?
🥙 Most popular dish: Falafel Bowl

Together, let’s keep building a powerful food justice movement.

💛 Postane Heritage Collection keeps growing! Now in the shop: an exclusive linocut print by multidisciplinary artist Ezgi Aysever from Antakya.

🧶 Suff Cappadocia, a women-led initiative, gives discarded wool new life through creative craftsmanship. Their latest piece, the Felt Evil Eye Keychain—a handcrafted charm that doubles as a keychain, made from all-natural materials—is now available at our shop.

Restocked in February

📍Sapanca - Otama Kırkpınar’s natural cosmetics
📍İstanbul - Ceyda Oskay’s multi-purpose notebooks made from textile waste and banana fibers
📍Ankara - Eldoku’s hand-printed fabric pouches
📍İstanbul - Sweaters from Destekar
📍Bursa - Şeker Hanım’s artisanal breakfast sauces
📍İzmir -  Cold-pressed olive oil from Bir Umut Çiftlik

That’s all from a February filled with the scent of soap and essential oils. See you next month!

Throughout 2024, Postane Production continued to be a hub for artists, activists, and creatives working on social issues. Here are some highlights:

📺 Common Heritage & Circular Textile Project – A collaboration between Dutch and Turkish design students on creating new textile products through upcycling.

📺 🎧 Blood, Sweat & Tears – Kreşendo’s 8-episode series, moderated by Ezgi Karadayı, discusses the challenges of the music industry. Available on Spotify & YouTube.

🎧 Rümeysa Boz’s podcast series Creative Collaborations continues in 2025.

🎧 Laylu and I, a podcast where Evrim Sümer shares her parenting experiences, is now live.

🎧 TEFF TALKS, a podcast series exploring Turkey-Europe relations, and the education, art, and science podcast SPARKCast-ed, produced by YTÜ SPARK Club, were both recorded at Postane.

This February, Postane hosted 5 NGOs, 1 university, 1 civil platform, and 1 artist for socially impactful events.

221 visitors from Turkey, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium discussed topics such as justice, urban gardening, housing rights, cooperatives, art for healing, and academia.

Through the Postane Social Impact Credit (SEK), we supported artist Şerivan Tutuş’s intuitive painting workshop. Centered around the question “Where Does a Human Belong?,” the workshop allowed even those who had never painted before to uncover their inner artist. The unifying power of art gave us hope.

Want to host an event at Postane? Contact us at [email protected] or fill in the application form.

Since 2021, Postane Garden has been demonstrating and promoting the possibility of urban food production while sharing low-carbon and eco-friendly farming techniques with its visitors and volunteers. To cultivate plants that thrive in their environment, we carefully preserve and propagate our own seeds, practice companion planting, and sow a variety of flowers loved by birds and insects to enhance biodiversity in the city.

Despite the snowfall in February, we entered a busy period and began sowing seeds for the new season. In March, we’ll continue harvesting cold-hardy vegetables like salad greens, kale, and swiss chard, while expanding our seedling beds.

🌱 See you next month as spring starts to show.

Meet Yekpare

Part of the Postane community since 2021, Yekpare works to support, strengthen, and expand social entrepreneurship through creativity and the social economy. It organizes group programs, workshops, and gatherings to foster creative connections among social enterprises and changemakers, while also developing tools and resources to strengthen community ties and ensure the growth and sustainability of the ecosystem.

In November 2024, The Bonds Between Us took place at Postane, bringing together individuals dedicated to social change. Discussions explored creative connections, digital well-being, social trust, hope-based communication, intergenerational bonds with the Earth, and urban gardening.

📌 Stay updated on Yekpare’s latest events and programs via Linkedin, Instagram, and the Yekpare Newsletter. For inquiries: [email protected].

Quick Updates

Center for Spatial Justice (Mekanda Adalet Derneği - MAD) has published a new report titled “Housing Cooperatives in Turkey: Limitations, Opportunities, and Recommendations,” written by Emrah Altınok. The report explores housing cooperatives as a solidarity-based model in response to the housing crisis. It examines the current state, challenges, and potential of housing cooperatives in Turkey while offering solutions centered around housing as a fundamental right.

On the second anniversary of the February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, researchers Dr. Bediz Yılmaz and Evren Yıldırım released a guidebook titled “Living Parks: A First Step in Rebuilding Life After Disasters,” published by BAYETAV. This study explores how urban parks can be transformed into ecologically sustainable, disaster-resilient spaces that strengthen community solidarity and post-disaster recovery. Focusing on the Zeytun Park project in Antakya, the guide suggests that parks should serve not only as recreational areas but also as safe havens that provide essential resources in times of crisis. It highlights the importance of integrating ecological design principles—including water, energy, food, and waste management infrastructure—to equip local communities with ecological skills and enhance social resilience.

In February, Kreşendo held a series of Needs Assessment Workshops as part of its Spaces That Bring Us Together project, which focuses on the spatial design and cultural programming of public spaces. Conducted in partnership with the municipalities of Ataşehir, Şişli, and Maltepe, the workshops were facilitated by Roof Coliving. The goal was to develop accessible and inclusive solutions for cultural activities held in municipal cultural centers, parks, squares, and markets. Contributors from Postane and the Center for Spatial Justice (MAD) also shared their insights and recommendations. The project is part of IKSV’s Ortaklaşa: Culture, Dialogue, and Support Program, funded by the European Union.

Through Postane Programs, we develop innovative projects on urban heritage, support cultural and environmental initiatives, expand the food justice ecosystem, and implement model practices in the social economy.

🟠 Since the February 6 earthquakes, we’ve worked alongside changemakers in the affected regions. Through the Earthquake Solidarity Program, we have mobilized over 10 million TL in support.

📖 Our book, “Postane: The Archeology of a Building,” which sold out after its launch during European Heritage Days, will be available again in March at Postane.

💡 To increase accessibility to Postane’s services, we introduced the Social Impact Credit (SEK)—an innovative pay-it-forward model that ensures measurable and sustainable financing for our suspended service system.

🌱 On March 15, we will gather at Postane for the Food Justice Community Seed Gathering. Stay tuned for details!

From Solidarity to Community: The Earthquake Solidarity Program in its Second Year

Since February 2023, the Earthquake Solidarity Program, facilitated by Postane with the support of the Allianz Foundation, has evolved into a strong and resilient community. Over the past year, the nine civil society organizations and local initiatives we have worked with have now formed the Earthquake Solidarity Community, creating a shared memory and a lasting network of support.

One of the most significant outcomes of this journey has been Seva, a documentary produced by Postane and directed by Nesime Karateke. On the second anniversary of the earthquake, we gathered with our community in Antakya for a series of screenings. The first two took place at the Antakya Culture and Arts Bazaar, followed by screenings at the Samandağ Cultural Center and Güneş College. At these screenings, we came together with audiences to share stories—stories where grief found expression, solidarity became strength, and the resilience of a city and its people was told through a lens of healing.

At 4:17 AM on February 6, we gathered in Yunus Emre Park for a remembrance ceremony where the Hatay Academy Symphony Orchestra performed laments in tribute to those we lost. Together, we mourned, embraced, and released bay leaves into the Asi River.

As we move into 2025, we are excited to announce the continuation of the Earthquake Solidarity Program. In the coming year, we will focus on network-building, communication support, project grants, and retreat programs, to ensure that our solidarity remains sustainable and impactful. Together, with hope, we will continue to nurture the seeds of life. 

Social Impact Credit: A New Path to Solidarity

At Postane, we are introducing an innovative solidarity model for individuals, NGOs, and social enterprises aiming to create social and environmental impact: the Social Impact Credit (SEK).

SEK is a suspended service system that helps social actors with limited financial resources access space, technical support, and expertise, enabling them to bring their projects to life. By strengthening solidarity, this model enhances interactions between communities while contributing to the sustainability of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem.

This year, SEK supports a diverse range of individuals and organizations, from artists and community activists to cooperatives and social entrepreneurs. More than just a service platform, SEK encourages socially impactful collaborations by fostering a strong network of supporters and beneficiaries.

If you would like to benefit from Postane’s offerings through SEK or contribute as a supporter, feel free to contact us at [email protected] or fill in the application form.

In this issue, we asked the Postane community: What should we watch? What should we read? Here are some recommendations:

📖 Doppelganger – Naomi Klein
A thought-provoking read for those interested in the impact of the digital world on individuals and society. In an era of conspiracy theories and misinformation, Klein raises compelling questions about identity shifts and parallel realities, offering a valuable guide to understanding today’s world.

📖 Meditations - Marcus Aurelius
A cornerstone of Stoic philosophy, this collection of writings provides timeless lessons on human nature, patience, and wisdom.

🎥 Like Stars on Earth (Every Child is Special)
An emotional and inspiring film by Aamir Khan, exploring how understanding, patience, and empathy can profoundly change a child’s life.

📩 Want to share your thoughts?
Your feedback matters. How was your meal at Postane Cafe? What was the highlight of your time in the building, and what could be improved? What kinds of programs would you like to see at Postane?

If you’d like to share your observations, suggestions, or ideas, you can reach us through Instagram, [email protected], or +90 530 590 15 17 on WhatsApp.