English Hidden behind a pair of heavy black curtains on the underground floor of a bar in Kadiköy district, a group of no more than 30 people—both men and women—drink, chat and socialize for the first time in almost a year. These are only a few of the more than 500 members of Istanbul’s highly secret but rising BDSM community.
The light in the room is dim, but the voices are loud, sometimes overcoming the remixed international pop songs that play on the speakers. Smaller groups of people are gathered around different tables, passionately discussing BDSM. These meetings are called BDSM munches, where “masters” and “slaves” get to know each other under the same roof.
