colduphere

Reports of real bullets being used outside Parliament in Ankara. Our daughter says it is hard to tell what is going on.

BigAleinstein

This seems like a battle between a government who is becoming more and more aligned with the fundamentalists that is more and more represeneting business interests against moderate independent secular Turks. This is more than trying tp maintain one of the largest squares in Istanbul.Is that right?

Fra_Diavolo

What an outrageous response to what could have been a minor incident. Does Turkish law allow for new elections to be held?


Cold, sorry to hear your daughter is in the middle of this as well.

PegS

My best to everyone in Turkey or with friends or family there. I've been watching the news reports avidly since yesterday. The creeping fundamentalism and reach of the Erdogan government worries me, so I can understand how much more worrisome it is for the young people living in Turkey. I hope everyone stays safe, nonetheless.

Pepper_von_snoot

What do members of the Koc Family think of Prime Minister Erdogan?

Across the street from the Hotel Intercontinental and next door to old Hotel Divan was a pastry shop at the corner.

Is this close to where this green park is?

We stayed at the Ritz Carlton down the hill.

Thin

sf7307

HappyTrvlr, we're supposed to be in Istanbul one week from tomorrow. We will DEFINITELY be paying attention to both otherchelebi and the State Department. We'll be in touch with Delta too.

colduphere

FD we suggested she hide out in the Canadian section of her university library. No one ever goes there.

tedgale

Otherchelebi and Colduphere: I feel very sad about these very disturbing events.

colduphere

Tedgale - our daughter will be fine as she comes home in two weeks. But she will feel awful leaving her Turkish friends behind. It looks like there may be a struggle over the next few months. She sure loves the people she has met.

annhig

OC - please keep telling us and the rest of the world the truth about what is going on in your country.

otherchelebi

Cold, we did not put up our best for her to meet. She would have loved the people she did not meet more than those she did meet.

Most libraries do not have Canadian section, and the ones which do consider it too cold and unnecessary to heat.

Thin, The Koc family are wise enough not to comment on such events. I bet most of them are out on their yachts.

Thanks Tedgale.

sf 7307 hopefully I will continue posting.

Currently, Taksim is in full celebration.
Ankara is still very bad.
Besiktas, just two kilos from Taksim is in sad shape with police having followed some people returning home from Taksim into the main shopping street and shooting pepper gas after them, leaving a large many patrons of outdoor cafes and restaurants and shoppers gagging and breathles.

We still cannot leave our home and hear some ambulance sirens. and TV showing Besiktas with a large group covered with pepper gas shouting Tayyip Resign.

Tomorrow, I have to get to the Asian side until 5 PM, with hopefully Eser accompanying me and do a new stand-up routine at the awards ceremony of the International tennis Tournament for the Twenty Seventh Year.

Problem is, I feel miserable with a slight temperature and some reflux; and possibly as bad, I have absolutely nothing prepared.
I have not even thought of a single idea because of the events of the last two days. Maybe a thin, bearded very old man in a white flowing robe will appear to me in my dream tonight and give me ideas for the ad lib routine. -

otherchelebi

Ceylan has joined a group organizing a solidarity march in Chicago and just took off after preparing some placards. She managed to get many of her American friends to come with her. Hopefully we will get some footage out of that march tomorrow.

HappyTrvlr

I'll check the Chicago Tribune and we get WGN on our cable so will look there too. This is so upsetting to hear. Thank you for your updates.

Tabernash2

Thanks for posting this information. I know your DD will be safe, cold.

We just scratched a two-week trip to Turkey/Greece for the end of October, mostly because of the weather in Greece for our second week. Now, this just reinforces our plan to skip a week in Istanbul this fall.

So sorry to hear of the violence and the trouble for the people there.

otherchelebi

Thanks Happy Trivir,

Just heard two things :

My SIL and BIL made it to their home in Besiktas after being hit by pepper gas but missing the new "agent orange" gas by a few minutes. Maybe they are running out of pepper gas after such indiscriminate use.

Orange gas is apparently more dangerous and cause more damage and usually illegal in some countries.

What about all the hulla baloo about Assad using chemical weapons on the opposition?

xyz99

OC,
Thanks for posting and keeping us informed - you and your family, as well as all other people in the troubled areas (locals and tourists) are in my thoughts. Wishing you all the best...and hope this will end soon.

We are still on for our Oct trip...but if things go like this (first Syria, now this) we will reconsider. SO sad...

Stay safe.
Cold, the same for your daughter.

HappyTrvlr

We too also hope to be able to visit Turkey as scheduled. It has been a dream of ours for many years.
Most important is the safety of the people and the country's future.
But the Turkish tourism business will taking a huge hit too.

colduphere

Thanks xyz99. She just sent us some ugly video taken from a friend's balcony. It's getting hard to look at.

lincasanova

so sad. I hope there are no more causalities

thursdaysd

Just caught up on this. I loved Istanbul, and the rest of Turkey (three visits) and am so sad to read about the violence. I hope for a good outcome....