For a Taste of Four Cultures on Two Contınents
Sep 19th, 2016, 12:12 PM
#24
Fra_Diavola & bilbourgler, Thanks.
A new profile picture of grandson taken today, at 17 months old.
I am safe because they have not started on the dregs so far. However, the purge is expanding.
Here are some recent tweets :
#Turkish leader says he represents the people, Gov. employee says he's the State. The rest are subjects, grazers, wild life & cannon fodder.
#Turkish gov release amount of ammunition used & targets destroyed in #Turkey & #Syria, but not their cost to the #taxpayer or to conscience
The unchallenged supremacy of #Turkish #Islamist party among less priviledged is due to ability to provide false feeling of power to them.
New group of 100K #refugees to #EU to be trained teachers, academics & professionals culled by #Turkish president as witches/untouchables
A new profile picture of grandson taken today, at 17 months old.
I am safe because they have not started on the dregs so far. However, the purge is expanding.
Here are some recent tweets :
#Turkish leader says he represents the people, Gov. employee says he's the State. The rest are subjects, grazers, wild life & cannon fodder.
#Turkish gov release amount of ammunition used & targets destroyed in #Turkey & #Syria, but not their cost to the #taxpayer or to conscience
The unchallenged supremacy of #Turkish #Islamist party among less priviledged is due to ability to provide false feeling of power to them.
New group of 100K #refugees to #EU to be trained teachers, academics & professionals culled by #Turkish president as witches/untouchables
Sep 20th, 2016, 01:53 AM
#27
What used to be a nice park with lots of trees and the best views of Istanbul, is now an Islamist bastion where a full size replica of the Blue Mosque is rising.
Every once in a while, for a few minutes at night, we can even appreciate seeing the new Sultan represented in its inability to eclipse the moon:
A new #Istanbul. &Moon rising behind Blue Mosque imitation under construction on highest Istanbul hill, #Camlica. pic.twitter.com/CfdmFGmcTh
Every once in a while, for a few minutes at night, we can even appreciate seeing the new Sultan represented in its inability to eclipse the moon:
A new #Istanbul. &Moon rising behind Blue Mosque imitation under construction on highest Istanbul hill, #Camlica. pic.twitter.com/CfdmFGmcTh
Sep 21st, 2016, 05:33 PM
#29
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,088
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I enjoyed an amazing trip to your country last March and it really saddens me how things have/are rapidly changing. Turks are by far some of the warmest and friendliest people that I've encountered throughout my travels.
Best wishes to you and the lovely people of Turkey.
jdc
Best wishes to you and the lovely people of Turkey.
jdc
Sep 22nd, 2016, 08:53 AM
#30
By the way, the Four Cultures in the title are :
- Anatolian (phoenician, Assyrian, Hittite, Phrygian, Karian, Lydian, Armenian, Kurdish.......)
- Balkan (Celtic, Serbian, Macedonian, Albanian, Romanian....)
- Turkic ( Central Asian )
- Caucasian & Iranian ( Persian, Median, Georgian....)
- Anatolian (phoenician, Assyrian, Hittite, Phrygian, Karian, Lydian, Armenian, Kurdish.......)
- Balkan (Celtic, Serbian, Macedonian, Albanian, Romanian....)
- Turkic ( Central Asian )
- Caucasian & Iranian ( Persian, Median, Georgian....)
Sep 22nd, 2016, 08:59 AM
#31
On homophobia in Turkey :
The current government and its followers are declared homophobes.
Most of the Islamist clergy and their teachings are homophobic.
Istanbul is the least homophobic city; especially, Taksim, Istiklal, Galata, Cihangir, Nisantasi, Sisli, Tesvikiye, Bebek, Ortakoy, Kurucesme, Yenikoy districts are fine.
Most of the Western and Southern resorts are also fine. Olu Deniz, Fethiye, Kalkan, Kas and Alacati are all fine.
The current government and its followers are declared homophobes.
Most of the Islamist clergy and their teachings are homophobic.
Istanbul is the least homophobic city; especially, Taksim, Istiklal, Galata, Cihangir, Nisantasi, Sisli, Tesvikiye, Bebek, Ortakoy, Kurucesme, Yenikoy districts are fine.
Most of the Western and Southern resorts are also fine. Olu Deniz, Fethiye, Kalkan, Kas and Alacati are all fine.
Sep 25th, 2016, 02:09 PM
#33
We came across a tiny boutique hotel on Goksu stream at Anadolu Hisar. It seemed lovely with a porch on the stream and a number of cafes and restaurants on either side, all situated in restored Ottoman wooden house. The street behind and the hinterland is also old, old Istanbul. http://otelhuseyinbey.com/
One can walk to Anadoluhisar ferry landing and take a commuter ferry to the historic peninsula in the morning and return with one in the evening or make use of the small criss-cross ferry that stops at four landings each in Europe and Asia, making a tour every 90 minutes or so, during the day. There is also bus/dolmus to Uskudar.
This is also a very friendly location with no government buildings, malls or shopping centers, Just some neighborhood stores and established residents.
Do not try to cross the Third Bridge because you will have to rent a car for the hundred and fifty kilometre drive or pay a fortune to the taxi. You can see it from the standard long Bosphorus tour, or by taking a taxi from Rumeli Kavagi, the last ferry stop on the European side, to visit the rundown fishing village of Garipce, which has four quaint restaurants.
One can walk to Anadoluhisar ferry landing and take a commuter ferry to the historic peninsula in the morning and return with one in the evening or make use of the small criss-cross ferry that stops at four landings each in Europe and Asia, making a tour every 90 minutes or so, during the day. There is also bus/dolmus to Uskudar.
This is also a very friendly location with no government buildings, malls or shopping centers, Just some neighborhood stores and established residents.
Do not try to cross the Third Bridge because you will have to rent a car for the hundred and fifty kilometre drive or pay a fortune to the taxi. You can see it from the standard long Bosphorus tour, or by taking a taxi from Rumeli Kavagi, the last ferry stop on the European side, to visit the rundown fishing village of Garipce, which has four quaint restaurants.
Oct 28th, 2016, 02:05 AM
#34
Nothing new in Turkey except for more hate speeches by the Islamist government leaders against other Moslem sects and Kurds as well as all opposing and criticizing people, parties, NGOs and media.
Yesterday they started to arrest duly elected very popular mayors of mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir with no reason given and banned them from seeing a lawyer for five days.
They closed down 23 universities, 140 or so high schools, converted possibly 500 high schools to religious schools, kicked out at least 25,000 elementary and secondary education teachers.
Suddenly became good friends with Putin.
The president and his minions openly support Trump.
The security forces say they are discovering and arresting or exterminating ISIS cells and suicide bombers every week or so.
They are also urging all their supporters to arm themselves and making it easier to get firearm licenses for them.
We should expect a constitutional patch allowing a presidential system of politics but without any balance of powers within a few months and then a plebiscite/referandum to have it accepted by the people by nezt Summer, followed by new elections to have the current president elected as supreme leade and commander in charge of all human resources, defense, foreign affairs, internal security, judiciary, local governments, international trade, economy, central bank, budget, housing, infrastructure and education.
Tourism revenue is down by more than 50%, despite new Russian groups being allowed to come by Putin.
Real unemployment possibly doubled by the hundreds of thousands who are now seen as unemployable by the government. This includes all children and adult family members of everyone who were actually or falsely accused of being an FG supporter.
Take this as a warning for the United States which also has a tradition of "eye for an eye" type of revengistic personal values and penal system. Once you allow the judiciary to follow these values, misery, civil strife and violence ensues, leading to chaos. The twentyfirst century values should not be as barbaric as Trump and his huge supporting group proclaim.
So far, there is nothing against tourists in istanbul, Cappadocia and Western Turkey. Although the State Department issues some alerts for certain days and certain locations, these are not typical touristic sites.
I will post warnings or alerts very quickly if I hear of or foresee anything.
Yesterday they started to arrest duly elected very popular mayors of mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir with no reason given and banned them from seeing a lawyer for five days.
They closed down 23 universities, 140 or so high schools, converted possibly 500 high schools to religious schools, kicked out at least 25,000 elementary and secondary education teachers.
Suddenly became good friends with Putin.
The president and his minions openly support Trump.
The security forces say they are discovering and arresting or exterminating ISIS cells and suicide bombers every week or so.
They are also urging all their supporters to arm themselves and making it easier to get firearm licenses for them.
We should expect a constitutional patch allowing a presidential system of politics but without any balance of powers within a few months and then a plebiscite/referandum to have it accepted by the people by nezt Summer, followed by new elections to have the current president elected as supreme leade and commander in charge of all human resources, defense, foreign affairs, internal security, judiciary, local governments, international trade, economy, central bank, budget, housing, infrastructure and education.
Tourism revenue is down by more than 50%, despite new Russian groups being allowed to come by Putin.
Real unemployment possibly doubled by the hundreds of thousands who are now seen as unemployable by the government. This includes all children and adult family members of everyone who were actually or falsely accused of being an FG supporter.
Take this as a warning for the United States which also has a tradition of "eye for an eye" type of revengistic personal values and penal system. Once you allow the judiciary to follow these values, misery, civil strife and violence ensues, leading to chaos. The twentyfirst century values should not be as barbaric as Trump and his huge supporting group proclaim.
So far, there is nothing against tourists in istanbul, Cappadocia and Western Turkey. Although the State Department issues some alerts for certain days and certain locations, these are not typical touristic sites.
I will post warnings or alerts very quickly if I hear of or foresee anything.
Oct 28th, 2016, 02:12 AM
#35
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 49,560
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you, OC. My husband and I are talking about a trip to Greece, Croatia, and Turkey next spring, and while we wouldn't necessarily be put off by these updates, it does make one think. We are not apprehensive tourists, but it's good to know what is going on. Sorry for the state of affairs there, though.
Oct 28th, 2016, 03:58 AM
#36
It is almost as if the lessons of 1935 have been forgotten. Populist democracy, driven but subdivision of the state into the enemy and the good, bolstered by control of the media is the path to danger.
You can list the countries that go this way. Chin up.
You can list the countries that go this way. Chin up.
Oct 28th, 2016, 07:49 AM
#38
Thank you all for the empathy.
St.Cirq, If we are here (Eser till April 1 and I till May 12) we will try to make your visit as safe and memorable as we can.
Our Chicago daughter is expecting a baby girl around end of April. Eser is planning a very long stay there. I will keep guard, take grandson for tall tale sessions about common folk such as Odysseus, Julius Caesar, Socrates, Sextus Empiricus, Voltaire, King Arthur, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Jonathan Swift, Lewis Carroll, Eugene Ionesco et al. at parks and care for the cats 45 days first and then another month. I will even have to keep Father-in-Law happy during that time.
Here are a few recent tweets:
Modern barbarians are intelligence agencies,politicians,war promoters & suppliers,fanatics,separatists & their followers with low IQ levels
19h19 hours ago
Are there any who are aware that the next #BarbarianInvasion of #Europe has begun. Invaders have mostly arrived, infiltrated & established.
Oct 27
Living in a period of history of a country when #satire is taken as #satyre & #irony as a bad #taste in the mouth & elsewhere, is ancestral.
St.Cirq, If we are here (Eser till April 1 and I till May 12) we will try to make your visit as safe and memorable as we can.
Our Chicago daughter is expecting a baby girl around end of April. Eser is planning a very long stay there. I will keep guard, take grandson for tall tale sessions about common folk such as Odysseus, Julius Caesar, Socrates, Sextus Empiricus, Voltaire, King Arthur, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Jonathan Swift, Lewis Carroll, Eugene Ionesco et al. at parks and care for the cats 45 days first and then another month. I will even have to keep Father-in-Law happy during that time.
Here are a few recent tweets:
Modern barbarians are intelligence agencies,politicians,war promoters & suppliers,fanatics,separatists & their followers with low IQ levels
19h19 hours ago
Are there any who are aware that the next #BarbarianInvasion of #Europe has begun. Invaders have mostly arrived, infiltrated & established.
Oct 27
Living in a period of history of a country when #satire is taken as #satyre & #irony as a bad #taste in the mouth & elsewhere, is ancestral.
