Silk brings hope for the future in Turkey

High above Antakya city, in Hatay, Turkey, is the Duman family's silk workshop. This area was an important point on China's historic silk route.

The family's been producing silk here for a long time now. Emel Duman rediscovered the traditional method of production. It uses the silk cocoons – the worms' homes – only after the adult has flown away. That means the animals don't die and the product can be called 'peace silk'.

Emel Duman: "When I found out more about how silk is made, I realised that our elders, who sold silk cocoons, kept some and that at the end of the process, these were transformed into butterflies. Our elders, who wasted nothing and respected nature, used these cocoon remains to make clothes and sheets. So I said to myself that I should also produce in this way, without harming the silkworms, by letting them become butterflies."

After February's enormous earthquake, when 50,000 people lost their lives, the Dumans began helping others. They were made homeless and had to move into their workplace, together with 100 other people who'd also lost their homes.

The Dumans were worried about beginning silk production once more. The company, which runs as a cooperative, previously employed 70 people. Many of them were women who worked from home, but only seven restarted.

Emel Duman: "After the earthquake, for two months we couldn't think about ourselves at all. All we could think about was how to help others, that we were alive and that it was our duty. After two months, we asked ourselves what we could do here in our production and above all, we received a lot of supportive calls, from people who wanted us to get back on our feet and get back to work and who wanted to place orders with us."

Before the earthquake, the region was proud of its 3,000 silk and textile businesses, which employed 350,000. Emel was helped by the International Organisation for Migration, which sent Syrian refugees to work there.

And now, Emel's requested a special status for their product as the 'peace silk of Hatay'. This will make it more valuable.

This beautiful craft is a sign of hope. View Less