CHRISTIAN WERNER, GERMANY
TURKEY: CIRCUMCISION RITE
Every year, about 1.5 million Turkish boys have their foreskin removed to officially become a member of their religious community German photographer Christian Werner observed that the boys feel obliged to follow this tradition. “Sünnet” is the Turkish word for this surgical procedure. Apart from wedding and military service, Sünnet is the most important event in the life of a Turkish man. Parents, relatives and friends prepare for weeks for the day when ceremonial vestment makes the boys look like princes. But after the ceremony, when the local anesthesia fades, the boy’s face and posture show his pain.
In May 2011, the German photographer was allowed to capture the work of Turkey’s most famous surgeon, Kemal Özkan. Which was by no means a matter of course for him, coming from a different cultural background.

© Christian Werner/Laif Agency
Curriculum Vitae: Christian Werner
