Turkey’s Senkaya Bus

A local bus driving through mountains reveals the remote lives, communities and environments of eastern Turkey.

For eastern Turkey’s remote mountainous villagers, an all-weather bus service is a lifeline.

The minibus service operates even when temperatures drop to minus 35 degrees Celsius (-31 degrees Fahrenheit). Despite the treacherous roads, regular passengers journey to the nearest town, Senkaya. This trip allows a tight-knit group of friends to banter, bond and discuss their challenging lives.

This remote bus service also reveals local environmental change. There has been a reduction in snowfall which used to help keep the soil fertile, but now the frozen-solid ground has become harder to farm, threatening livelihoods here.

In Turkey’s Senkaya Bus, we get an insight into communities, cultures and environmental change in eastern Turkey.