These Photos Remind Us There Is No Winning in War

Furkan Temir is a photographer living and creating in war zones of the Middle East. Knowing he couldn’t stand idly by while stories of those he knew turned to headlines, he began capturing the ruin, tragedy, and glimmers of hope that lay all around him.

His stunning images from a series titled, “Louder Than Bombs” remind us that war is not something to be won.

“I was 17 when I picked up my camera for the first time. Rebels were coming to the border of my home, Turkey, and I decided to go to Syria and capture what was happening. How could I stand by while this was happening?

We are losing truth. It is up to us, the artists, to keep it. We are the holders of the honesty of this world, and we alone can hold a mirror to society and push them to change. Awareness brings change; acceptance brings progress.”

“I was born in the middle east — I am very close to that situation. I am very close to what is happening in my land, and I want to show people what is happening. I need them to understand.

I don’t want to capture what’s happening, I want to capture their emotions. I want to show how we feel to be trapped this way.”

“Most people stand idly by when faced with conflict because they are afraid of being ‘too political’. That’s not a luxury most of us have.I captured these images to find out how I feel — I shared these images to show how we feel.”

“I don’t see myself as a photojournalist or an art photographer. I am a storyteller. Sometimes there isn’t an obvious story — there is one around you, you just have to create it. Find the problem, believe in the solution, create a conversation.”

“People connect with each other. We can’t help it. But we don’t need to empathize with war, we need to feel raw and want it far away. I want people to feel the truth, the emotion, the tragedy — that understanding will bring us closer to peace.”