Police was all around me throughout my life. I was born to a policeman father. Later on, as a journalism student who rigorously questioned what lies behind the obvious, I felt the everlasting shadow of police. Once I graduated, I found myself reporting in the middle of riots, strikes and social unrest. Police was there too, but not so friendly.

I am very much convinced that my fait is sealed with police.

This was proven right again once I took some time off from journalism. As I started working for the 11th Turkish President, Mr. Abdullah Gul, I was surrounded by policemen/women. There were no office hours and these dedicated individuals were working 24/7 as personal security details to the President. During five years I spent with Mr. Gul, I had to the opportunity to get to know people in the close protection squad better. I photographed them as they served.

I remember vividly spending hours thinking how one risks his/her own life for somebody else. I witnessed them calculate every possibility as meticulously as a mathematician and act responsively. Small details that most of us missed always caught their eye. I admit, I admired how they worked.

At the outset, it must be stated that VIP protection in Turkey operates with an unwritten code although there are broad guidelines on how to perform. There is still room for further improvement. It is my observation that protection details operate in line with the character of the VIP himself. The photographs in this album attest to this fact. You will therefore notice calm more than action in these pictures, i.e. common sense professional wisdom more than reaction.

I was aiming for a broader project in the beginning. Yet endless shakedowns in Turkey led me to have a more boutique collection. This is a limited edition for mature eyes. I took these photos but they belong to all keen followers of documentary style photographs.

Mehmet Demirci

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