I'm not sure if I'm doing this in the correct DC style, but by far the most disturbing thing that occurred this past week was Erdogan of Turkey appearing to order his guards to beat the snot out of peaceful protesters. That's bad enough, except that it didn't occur in Istanbul. This happened in Washington D.C..Apparently, we've responded by the very intimidating move of summoning the Turkish Ambassador. I would've liked something a little more forceful, especially from Mr. "America First". https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/18/erdogan-bodyguards-clash-protesters-dc-lawmakers-respond [video=youtube;8V1trmIEaIo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V1trmIEaIo[/video]
The amount of drug deals we've made with a historically treacherous nation in return for Incirlik and control of the Bosphorus is pretty sad. Let alone that the sultan is the primary lifeline to ISIS.
A few years ago I realized Istanbul is a place I'd really like to visit, but I'm not sure that it's going to happen anytime soon
This situation is pretty crazy. Those videos of a bodyguard leaning into the car Erdogan was in, then seconds later, seeing other bodyguards sprinting toward the protestors followed by Erdogan standing beside the car watching it all are damning.
He is a thug who wants a caliphate with him at the helm. He is the anti-Attaturk. His people probably have diplomatic immunity. However, I would find out who they are and kick their arse out of our country and do it in the most public fashion. I would tell Turd-o-wan that we dont allow that crap in our country.
I went in 2012. Was great. I think you'd be perfectly safe in Istanbul, but would stay in that vicinity.
Persona Non Grata their asses and demand an official apology and reparations for those attacked by these goons.
It seems like it's changed even in just 5 years. You're probably right but I'm probably just going to wait on that one.
Culturally, Istanbul is Europe and is mostly liberals (nobody get their panties in a bunch, everyone on this forum is liberal by the standards of the muslim world and that is all I mean). Women don't even cover their heads for the most part and synagogues sit right next to mosques with no issue. When you head East and away from the coasts, things change quite a bit. Muslim conservatism has a twinge of xenophobia in line with horror movies, though some of the people are still polite and pull out Turkish tea for you... unless you are traveling with a woman not in muslim dress. I don't want to make the people sound unfriendly, because that isn't exactly the issue. The issue is that they view you like a backwoods Tennessee good ole boy would react to meeting Ru Paul. A white western Christ-o-morph (I made that up just now) pushes a lot of programmed cultural buttons. I got dirty looks for writing with my left hand out near the Georgia border. There is also a long list of topics not to bring up if you don't want to risk arrest or a run for the consulate: religious conversion, kurds, PKK, Armenians, Armenian genocide, Attaturk's amazing eyebrows, Turkish politics generally, German politics, how bad Turkey is at soccer despite loving it, how seemingly homo-erotic Turkish wrestling is, body hair issues, Greece, etc, etc, etc. The list goes on. Be careful what you talk about, this wasn't a free country for non-Turks at any time, and it isn't even free for them now. That being said, the ancient history, Christian and Islamic history, landscape, and cultures are all fascinating. There are actually over 100 ethnicities native to Turkey. "Turkish" is the catch-all, much like "American." I don't think you necessarily need to avoid the place. It might be more accurate to think of it as a window that is closing. Turkey was the lone Islamic democratic republic, and I don't think there are any/many examples of countries coming back from losing it, especially when a religion is involved.
They better be glad Steven Seagal wasn't one of the protesters or this could have ended badly for the bodyguards.
