Seasonal agricultural workers are an instrumental yet overlooked part of the labor force sustaining Türkiye’s food system. Each year, 3 – 5 million of them travel across the country, with two-thirds facing persistent barriers to clean water amid harsh conditions. This means that approximately five percent of Turkey’s population experiences difficulties in accessing fresh water for six months.
In Ankara alone, over 20,000 workers settle from May to October in tent areas across districts like Ayaş, Bala, Beypazarı, Kahramankazan, Polatlı, Sincan and Şereflikoçhisar. In Şereflikoçhisar, for example, 6,098 people including 3,555 children live in 736 tents without access to fresh water. (2019 data)
These numbers are likely even higher today.
This crisis leads to dehydration, hygiene issues, infections, and serious sanitation issues. Women and girls face menstrual hygiene challenges, privacy concerns and safety risks.
Access to fresh water is one of the most urgent and universal challenges of our time, yet its impact on seasonal agricultural workers has remained largely invisible. Freshwater scarcity has been examined from many angles, but rarely through the lived experiences of the people who produce the food that sustains our societies. These workers are at the heart of our food system; without them, agricultural production would face serious disruption. If their access to fresh water continues to deteriorate, the consequences will extend far beyond individual hardship, endangering food security, public health, and the sustainability of agricultural labor itself and, ultimately, compromising society’s own ability to access agricultural products.
For me, this project is not only a photographic document but also a form of advocacy. It is an opportunity to highlight a critical, overlooked dimension of freshwater scarcity and to contribute to broader conversations about equity, resilience, and the right to basic resources.
This project is the result of six months of fieldwork, involving a process of staying as a guest for three nights, sleeping there, sharing meals, and engaging with the community in the tent city where I work as a photographer. This approach has allowed me to build stronger connections with the residents and gain a deeper understanding of their challenges.
I believe that a photo edit should align with the geography being portrayed and the general character of the people within the project. When this harmony is achieved, the narrative power of the images increases, complementing the photographs taken. This geography is primarily defined by harsh light, where contrast is much more pronounced as a result. It’s not just the light; the people’s characters in this region are also vivid and contrasting. Their emotions are intense, fluctuating, and expressed boldly, much like the identities and political climate of this geography. Therefore, I believe photo edits should reflect this spirit, and I have edited them accordingly.
