Live from Turkey!!!
 

Just wanted to let everyone know that we went ahead and went to Turkey and are enjoying every minute of it! I feel safer here than I do in the U.S. Food is great and the people are wonderful! If you have any questions, feel free to ask, although I do not know if I will get to an Internet cafe again! Thanks for everyone`s help!!!

Thanks for the post. Heading to Turkey myself in two weeks for my second visit. Can't wait to get back to the Turkish cuisine.

Thanks Belle, <BR>Could you please tell your feelings to Ann. Her message is abouth cancelling her trip to Turkey. <BR> <BR>Regards, <BR> <BR>

I cannot make a decision for anyone else, but for me, I have NO regrets traveling to Turkey. Everyone has been so gracious, and even though Turkey is near the Middle East, it seems a million miles away. There are alot of tourists here as well. It is funny you should mention the Turkish cuisine Kathy, because I have been pigging out on the great food and then yesterday I got soooo sick. (heh heh) But I am better today...I think my eyes are bigger than my stomach! By the way, security was very tight at the airport, so no worries there. We are in Anatalya today...will be in Istanbul by the end of the week. If I can, I will let everyone know what the mood in Istanbul is.

Hi Belle, are you sure you're in Turkey? We were all over this summer, and had a wonderful time, but except for Izmir, and even there I had no trouble recognizing the Middle East. Have you noticed all the Mosques or heard the call to prayer, sometimes at 4:30 in the morning. Are you not visiting the old cities in the places you're going. And the food, you can't tell middle eastern food- no pork, lots of eggplant and lamb. I don't know where you are, but Turkey seemed very Middle eastern to me.

Friends of mine were in Turkey on 9/11 (Istanbul). I was concerned about them. He's not American and he's lived all over the world, including Lebanon, but he tends to be rather outspoken. However when he got back he called and said he loved Turkey. He had a similar comment to Belle's - that it didn't seem Middle Eastern - or at least it wasn't Middle Eastern like Lebanon. We didn't get much of a chance to talk (it was long distance), so I'm really curious to talk more with him.

Mary--- <BR>Of course Turkey is Middle Eastern. But Turkey is also a part of Europe and has many more freedoms than a typical Middle Eastern country. I do not consider Turkey ýn the 'heart' of the Middle East. What I meant by the previous post is that although Turkey seems near where much of the trouble is, it does not seem like it. Your comment seems a bit patronizing, but I will overlook it since I am having a great time! Mersi!!

To Mary: I have been to Turkey 6-8 times, never counted. And while Turkey may look middle eastern compared for example to Germany, it does not look so when compared for example to Croatia. AND if you compare it to Egypt, Oman, Arab Emirates etc. it sure looks European.

Exactly Elina! Top it.

okay guys, you win! I've never been to Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia or any of the other Arab nations in the Middle East that are so fond of Americans, and I'm pretty sure I never will be. So to me Turkey seemed very exotic. I really want to go back there and I will someday. Till then I'll recall all the Mosques and Turkish hospitality, and delicious Middle Eastern food that seemed completely foreign to me. I'll remember asking in the Bazaars,"where are all the women?" I know about the recent history of Turkey and how Ataturk westernized the country almost overnight. I applaud the Turks determination to separate church (Mosques) and state. But with my limited knowledge of other Middle Eastern countries, besides Israel it seemed very Middle Eastern to me. I stand corrected.

I am delighted to stumble on to your message on the net. I have wanted to go to Istanbul (and Bursa and Ephesus)for a long time and made arrangements to go Jan 1-Jan10. The WTC etc all made me quite nervous of traveling to a muslim country at that time. I am still planning to go and hope my experiences will be similar to yours. Thanks for letting me know. Phillip

Phillip! Don´t worry, you are an individual, and as an individual person you could travel just about everywhere. My husband and I have had most of our holidays in Middle Eastern countries for the last four years. Just a few days ago he said: Oh Hell, I think I´ll have a little pause in my Middle Eastern travels. I said: Does that also include Turkey? And he said: Turkey? Of course not, Turkey has nothing to do with it.