“I’m quite close, I hear it; I cannot explain it.”
Everyone trying to express their love for Ankara pauses at some point. The feeling itself is clear, but as one tries to articulate it, something escapes. This state is perhaps the most honest definition of being from Ankara: “it cannot be explained, it must be experienced.”
We discussed this with 40 people from Ankara at the tenth Kırkikindi gathering we organized in April 2026. We tried to define what it means to be from Ankara, questioned our own sense of being from Ankara, and sometimes found ourselves in contradiction.
Neither Istanbul Nor Anatolia
One of the biggest obstacles to explaining Ankara is having to constantly compare it to other places. It’s what Istanbul isn’t, what Anatolia isn’t quite, a city reduced to the functionality of a capital. This negative definition consumes identity more than it fosters it.
An identity that defines itself solely through the absence of another, no matter how strong it appears, is fragile. Being from Ankara needs to establish its own success metrics, its own language, its own narrative. Without this, many stories and values will always remain in the shadows.
Ankara has a unique character. For instance, its venues might seem unappealing from the outside but offer an unexpected richness, an understated depth that exists without being displayed.
Being from Ankara While Working
Perhaps the most tangible manifestation of being from Ankara is its way of doing business. There’s a distinct cautiousness in Ankara’s business culture. When encountering a new idea or a new person, instead of immediately taking action, there's a long process of observation and evaluation. A recognition, measurement, and trustworthiness test is applied. This is a characteristic of a provincial town or the gravitas of being the state capital.
Contradictorily, Ankara yearns for innovation. When something new is encountered, there's sometimes excessive excitement, an attempt to achieve everything within that new possibility. But behind this excitement, a consistent mechanism of ownership isn't always found. Innovation is fully accepted only when it becomes old. This is also a characteristic of a provincial town.
The most unique manifestation of being from Ankara in its business culture is to speak little, do much. Against the digital age's pressure for visibility, the reflex in Ankara to prefer shaping the world from behind the scenes is still strong. Maturing the work before promoting it, living invisibility not as a failure but as a chosen stance. This is unique, unrelated to provincialism.
People from Ankara have a stubborn streak, a capacity to persistently uphold a value regardless of popular trends. The majority live by a kind of code based on long-term consistency rather than short-term gain. Especially for those working in social entrepreneurship and social good, this resilience is an invaluable resource. This is also a unique characteristic.
The Bonds We Form with the Unexplainable and Experiential
"Ankara cannot be explained, it must be experienced," they say. This saying, originally a sign of depth, is about to turn into a kind of surrender. How will a culture that chooses to be invisible in the moment it is experienced transmit its richness to future generations?
The beauty of connecting with Ankara is not a conventional beauty. It’s a beauty that comes from striving to be worthy of something and someone, rooted in its origins. A beauty born from the collective responsibility felt towards a future not yet fully realized. Those who have lived in this city for a long time know that responsibility isn't chosen; it chooses you.
This is where the Bağ Koleksiyonu comes in. To make Ankara's unspoken layers visible, to explain it correctly rather than speaking little, to present what Ankara's hands and minds have produced with the voice they deserve. This collection is as much a claim as it is a product series. Being from Ankara can be explained. And it can be explained beautifully.
People from Ankara, who insist on remaining in a distilled depth, living with a sense of responsibility for a future that has not yet arrived, are perhaps Ankara's most unique contribution to the world. We are here for an attempt to recognize, name, and embrace this contribution.