20 Years After the U.S. Invasion of Iraq
In 2003, I was a 24-year-old photojournalist, inexperienced in war but determined to document history as it unfolded. As someone from Turkey, I was deeply opposed to a war happening right next to us. Yet, nothing could have prepared me for the realities I witnessed. The Iraq War became my greatest teacher—offering lessons that no book ever could.
Two decades later, I revisited my archive and uncovered these unpublished images. They are not just photographs; they are fragments of memory, frozen in time. The war that reshaped the world still lingers in the lives of those who lived through it.
In the years that followed the invasion, an estimated 151,000 to over a million Iraqis lost their lives. More than 100,000 of them were civilians—innocent people caught in the crossfire of war, insurgency, and civil conflict. And the devastation didn’t end when the initial war did. The 2013–2017 Iraq War, a direct consequence of the invasion, claimed at least 155,000 more lives and displaced over 3.3 million people.
This exhibition is not just about the past; it is a reflection on the present. Twenty years later, what has truly changed?
The exhibition will run from February 24, 2025 through April 5, 2025. There will be a reception on March 2nd from 2:00pm - 4:00pm.
About Mehmet Demirci
Mehmet Demirci (born in 1978) grew up in Turkey. His passion for journalism began in middle school when he pursued this career path. After graduating from the Journalism Department of Ege University in Turkey in 2000, he started working on news portfolios and photo interviews for various media institutions, newspapers, and magazines between 2001 and 2006. During this time, he covered many significant events in the Middle East region, documenting crucial historical occurrences such as the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the Israel-Palestine conflict, the civil war in Sudan, and the devastating Kashmir earthquake in 2005.
In 2007, Demirci decided to further his career in the United States and settled in New York. He had the opportunity to cover the 2008 American elections, which resulted in Barack Obama becoming the first African American president. Additionally, he was among the few photojournalists from Turkey to gain access to Guantanamo prison, a site that was at the center of international controversy due to the detention and processing of individuals by the Guantanamo military commissions. In 2010, Demirci was one of twelve foreign journalists selected by the New York Press Association for a 10-month journalism program focused on the American education system, during which he produced numerous articles and radio news pieces on the topic. The following year, he participated in the International Journalism Exchange Program and worked for the German newspaper Die Tageszeitung for two months as part of the program.
He had the privilege of serving as the chief photographer for the 11th President of the Republic of Turkey, Abdullah Gül, from 2012 to 2016. During this time, he documented his daily activities at the office, abroad, and in his personal life. Also, he led a team of thirteen people, organizing all visual documentation of the Presidency, which was distributed to government offices, the press, and other institutions.
After the term of President Abdullah Gül ended in 2014, Demirci began working on a book project. Following a year of preparation and editing, he published the first-ever presidency book in Turkey, titled “A Protocol-990 Days with the President.” From 2014 to 2016, he served as the press person while conducting visual content for the 11th Presidency. During these years, he also worked for the President Abdullah Gül Museum and Library, Turkey’s first presidency museum.
Recently, he published his second book, “Bodyguards,” which was released in 2022. He is preparing a third book for this fall.
Mehmet Demirci is board member Eyes on Main Street Photo Festival in Wilson and founder member NC Photographer Coffee Club.
