The Start of a Journalism Career
Kohnoord began her career in journalism by translating articles, the first of which was about Turkey’s political leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Her early work appeared in Hamshahri newspaper, a prominent daily in Iran. Her first published article covered Erdoğan’s rise to political prominence and his role in Turkey’s elections. Kohnoord’s journalistic approach was marked by in-depth political analysis and a nuanced understanding of Turkish-Iranian relations.
At the same time, she also worked as an auditor’s assistant, balancing her full-time job with her budding journalism career. Kohnoord’s dedication to journalism was such that she would prepare her articles late into the night and submit them to the newspaper by courier early the next morning.
The Rise of Nafiseh Kohnoord in Persian Media
After her work in Hamshahri, Kohnoord’s career quickly gained momentum. She was supposed to join Salam newspaper, but before she could, the publication was banned. Instead, she continued working for Hamshahri, writing about Turkey and regional politics. During this time, Kohnoord conducted her first exclusive interview with Abdullah Gul, who was Turkey’s interim prime minister at the time, visiting Tehran to discuss the Iraq war. This interview helped establish her as a significant voice in Middle Eastern political reporting.
