Turkish Images

Turkish Bread and Pide

noreply@blogger.com (Turkish Images) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 15:17:00 +0000

Turkish bread is nothing short of paradise to your taste buds! Whenever friends come to see us, one of the first things they want to do (apart from purchasing Efes Pilsen!) is go to the nearest little market or bakery and get some fresh bread. It's just so warm, crusty on the outside, hollow-sounding, soft-centred, light...the perfect bread. We're not being biased here. It's that good!

Before we actually published the first post on this blog, we used to discuss what we would write about and Turkish bread has been on the list from that time. But, it's taken till now to do 'The Turkish Bread Post.' Why? Because it had to be the right time; a time when bread was in the forefront of our minds.

A good Turkish bakery should only have a few loaves in the window. the rest should be bought before they get there!

Turkey is full of local bakeries. Find yourself a good bakery in your local area and
your"I'm cutting back on bread" willpower will be tested forever! Freshly baked bread, throughout the day...Across the top row in the photo above, you can see your average Turkish loaf. Whenever we say we've been for a half-bread (yarım ekmek), whether it be fish in bread on Popeye's boat, a döner kebab or a Şampiyon kokoreç, picture one of those loaves cut in half across the middle. That's your yarım ekmek!

This warm, Ramazan pide bread was sold before we left the shop.

But we said we wanted to do this post when bread was at the forefront of our minds. Today, we've walked a little further to our favourite local bakery - rather than to our nearest one - because at the moment, it's Ramazan. We knew there would be a queue as this bakery is really popular and it was just before sunset...

Most people bought large Ramazan pide breads. We bought a small one, just for 2.

...and just before sunset, during Ramazan in Turkey, is Turkish-Ramazan-pide-bread buying time. Local bakeries are almost unbearably hot; fans whirring, ovens packed with round, criss-crossed doughy lumps which transform into divine freshly-baked-bread smells. The queues lengthen as sunset approaches and the bakery owners - probably hungry themselves - serve everyone at breakneck speed. No time for small talk now. Choose your loaf, get it wrapped in paper (you don't want it to sweat because it's still warm), pay your lira and leave the building. 'Next please!' The sunset waits for no one!

The most amazing bread oven we've ever seen - but the photo doesn't show you that.

I wish the bakery was lighter so I could have taken a better photo to show you this scene properly. We have seen some big Turkish ovens in our time but tonight, we were amazed at how many Ramazan pide breads we could see, glowing and baking in this oven. So deep and a beautiful sight!

Of course, we don't do Iftar (the meal people eat after sundown during Ramazan) so why were we at the bakery this evening, joining the clamour for fresh pide bread? Well, it's Barry's potato and aubergine jalfrezi for tea tonight. This bread is perfect for tearing and sharing - even if it's just the two of us!

Just a quick tip:

Turkish bread is baked without preservatives so it tends to go soft and chewy after just a few hours. If this happens to you and you don't fancy toast instead, stick it in the oven on around 150 degrees for about 5 minutes and you'll get that 'just-baked' texture back.

original post: http://www.turkeysforlife.com/2011/08/turkish-food-turkish-bread-ramazan.html

Today's Turkey: "Synthesis of Islam and liberalism?

noreply@blogger.com (Turkish Images) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:16:00 +0000

Piety And Pluralism

Liberal democracy can grow on Muslim soil if neither Islamists nor secular strongmen are allowed to mix religion with politics.

By MATTHEW KAMINSKI

Modern Turkey dazzles the eye and addles the mind. With growth in double digits and shiny new buildings everywhere, the old "sick man of Europe" looks more like a Eurasian China—though with minarets, an aggressive media and free elections. The man who oversaw this rebirth, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, began his political career from within Turkey's Islamist movement. He won a third term in June in a landslide, campaigning with an iPad in one hand and prayer beads in the other. In recent years he has sidelined the powerful Turkish military and sought to loosen decades-old restrictions on traditional Muslim dress. Some of his opponents are in jail on treason charges. Critics call him a dictator and an Islamist. His supporters credit him with the country's economic miracle and its new openness to democratic principles.

So which is it? To find an answer, a good place to start is Mustafa Akyol's "Islam Without Extremes." A columnist for English-language papers in Turkey, Mr. Akyol offers a delightfully original take on Turkey and on the prospects for liberal democracy in the broader Islamic Middle East. Throughout the 20th century, Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries were offered a choice between secular and religious authoritarianism. What the Muslim world needs, he says, is a "synthesis of Islam and liberalism." Today's Turkey comes
closest to that ideal.

Mr. Akyol, a pious Muslim and a classical liberal, begins his case by proposing a serious rereading of the Quran. "The idea of freedom—in the theological, political, or economic sense—was not unknown in classical Islamdom, as some have claimed," Mr. Akyol writes. He notes that the Quran, compiled in the seventh century, broke with the traditions of its time and place—by mandating protections for property, appealing to the judgment of reason and promoting the idea of a rule of law (as opposed to rule by the whim of despots). Taking inspiration from the separation of church and state in the American constitution, Mr. Akyol suggests that a liberal democracy can be built on Muslim soil as long as neither Islamists nor secular strongmen are allowed to mix religion with politics.

Mr. Akyol offers a historical narrative that shows how, within Islam, an idea of freedom was lost over time. Islam was once the world's "supercivilization," a leader in science and the arts as well as a great military and economic power. Arguments over what brought it low have raged for centuries. Mr. Akyol blames the triumph of "the culture of the desert" in the Middle Ages. In the language of our day, the Muslim world lost its competitive edge.

In its early phases, Mr. Akyol says, Islam was a religion "driven by merchants and their rational, vibrant and cosmopolitan mindset." But ultimately "the more powerful classes of the Orient—the landlords, the soldiers and the peasants—became dominant, and a less rational and more static mindset began to shape the religion. The more trade declined, the more the Muslim mind stagnated." Applying this historical lesson today, Mr. Akyol claims that "socioeconomic progress in Muslim societies" may change Islam itself—leading to progress in "religious attitudes, ideas, and even doctrines."

In any culture, an open society and a free economy are the foundation stones of liberalism. In the Muslim world, Turkey's experience is most instructive. As the Ottoman Empire crumbled, the founder of the modern republic, Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938) took inspiration for his republican secularism—to the liberals' regret—from France's rigidlaïcité, which put religion under the aegis of the state. His centralized government and statist economic ideas came from Bismarck's Germany. Atatürk was the last century's least bloody and probably most successful social engineer. After his death, Kemalism remained locked in place for decades. Turkey was beset by coups and economic crises. By the 1980s it had reached a point of stagnation, if not crisis.

The hero of Mr. Akyol's story is Turgut Özal, who dominated Turkish politics for a decade until his untimely death in 1993. Unashamed of his faith, he was the first modern Turkish leader to make the pilgrimage to Mecca. He had lived in the West and had worked in business, and he understood free markets. Özal gave Turkey the "gift of capitalism," in Mr. Akyol's words. As the economy opened to the world, so did Turkish society and politics. A new entrepreneurial class emerged in the country's conservative heartland to challenge the secular establishment in Istanbul and Ankara. In the 1990s, as an old and corrupt political guard ruined the economy, Mr. Erdogan emerged as a fresh talent. His popularity as mayor of Istanbul was tied largely to his ability to deliver city services.

As prime minister, Mr. Erdogan has built on the Özal legacy. Early on he won over conservative business owners as well as many secular Turks. Though the leaders of the country's military, loyal to the Kemalist creed, made their dislike of Mr. Erdogan clear, most voters ignored them—not because they harbored a secret desire for Shariah law but because a young, dynamic society was eager to see a durable democracy take hold.

The hurdle before Turkey today isn't the temptation of political Islam but the repressive legacy in the country's political culture and institutions, including the judiciary and security services. Past supporters of Mr. Erdogan, like Mr. Akyol, criticize the prime minister's increasingly authoritarian actions and pronouncements. But even if Mr. Erdogan wanted to grab Turkey by the throat and turn it into Iran-lite, the country has probably become too pluralistic, vibrant and messy for him (or anyone else) to succeed. Turkey's experience may be hard to replicate in the Arab world after this year's popular uprisings. Yet Turkey offers a useful corrective to the fatalistic view that liberal democracy and Islam are destined to be enemies.

Mr. Kaminski is a member of The Wall Street Journal's editorial board.

American expats: Turkey doesn’t need EU

noreply@blogger.com (Turkish Images) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:55:00 +0000

As negotiations for Turkey’s EU bid drag on into their the sixth year, American expats told Sunday’s Zaman that they do not see EU accession in the near future.

American expats also argued, however, that with its economy forging ahead, Turkey does not actually need to join the club. As non-Europeans and non-Turks, Americans have an interesting third-party role. Where Americans in general may not have any “skin in the game” of Turkey’s EU bid, Americans living in Turkey not only interact with Turks everyday but also are members of the society. No polls or studies on the public opinion of foreigners now living in Turkey exist; therefore, Sunday’s Zaman sat down with a few American expats who work for a multinational or international group to chat about current Turkey-EU affairs. When Harvard University graduate Gillian Morris first came to Turkey in 2007, she said she full-heartedly believed Turkey would be the EU’s 28th member. Morris, an economic analyst at an international consultancy firm, said, “I was very optimistic, perhaps slightly naïve then.” Like Morris, Kathy Hamilton, who moved to Turkey from Texas in 1998, said that she was at first very positive about Turkey’s accession to the EU. “When I first moved here, I thought that Turkey’s EU bid was a good idea economically and politically so that Turkey would remain more aligned with the West, at least in the eyes of the West,” said Hamilton, an editor and speechwriter for museums and multinational corporations. A third American expat, however, who wishes to remain unnamed because of his position in a high-profile business group, said he has been against Turkey’s EU accession from the start. “Europe can be a great model for Turkey on a number of issues -- from public planning to basic infrastructure to workers’ rights -- and should be. But Turkey doesn’t need EU membership for that,” he said. Another expat, a graduate from Hanover College in Indiana, said that Turkey would be better off if it focused on its internal issues. “With basic needs secured, why bother with the EU?” he said. Morris said that she is not surprised that Turkey’s leadership has not made any progression on negotiations in the last year. In fact, she compares Turkey’s relationship with the EU to a jilted lover. “It’s natural. After someone says over and over again, ‘We are not interested,’ it makes sense when the person getting slapped finally says, ‘Well, I’m not interested, either’.” But Turkey is not begging for the EU’s love, as is becoming increasingly evident in Turkey’s growing impatience with stalled talks on Cyprus. Reiterating a warning by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gave a sort of ultimatum to the EU and Greek Cyprus: “If the Greek side takes over the EU presidency in 2012 without a solution to the Cyprus issue, I say clearly that Turkey’s relations with the EU will be completely frozen,” he said. The game has changed, according to Morris. “The EU kept saying ‘no,’ but now finds itself in its current economic predicament while Turkey’s economy remains strong,” she said. Morris said that being a part of the EU would have been more important years ago. “When Turkey was a poorer country, it definitely would have been beneficial to be a member of the EU, economically speaking,” she said. But Morris agrees that being a member of the EU would still be advantageous for Turkey. Similarly, the Hanover College graduate points to a conversation he had with an İstanbul taxi driver as an example of how many Turks still believe EU membership to be beneficial. He said the cab driver was frustrated because he had been cut off by a car driving in reverse through an intersection. The American expat recalled the cab driver’s words: “I don’t care who it is, the EU, the US, NATO, the GCC [The Cooperation Council For The Arab States of The Gulf], China -- I just want someone to fix this nonsense so we can have a functional society.” The expat found this list telling. “I think that many people feel outside intervention is necessary in order to achieve basic things, like being able to cross the street safely,” he said. Hamilton, on the other hand, said she does not think EU membership has much to offer Turkey. In fact, she said she thinks being outside the EU is an advantage right now with the economic problems plaguing Europe. Hamilton said that Turkey’s unique, rich culture is another reason to shy away from EU membership. “After traveling through some EU and non-EU countries in the region, I feel that over time, much of the national character gets lost in the numerous EU-imposed regulations,” Hamilton said. Morris and the Hanover College graduate acknowledged Turkey’s room-for-growth areas -- the Kurdish issue, minority rights and Cyprus -- but Morris also said she thinks part of the problem is the unfortunate prevalence of Islamophobia in the EU. Hamilton also said that she has heard many Turks voice the same concern. The American expats said that, in the end, they are at least doubtful of Turkey becoming a club member anytime soon. But Morris noted that Turkey’s accession would be advantageous for the EU nations as well. Turkey may not fit the EU cookie-cutter mold, but the EU needs to change, Morris said. “I think the EU with Turkey would be a more robust, interesting and diverse EU,” she said. Contrasting these Americans expats’ views of Turkey’s accession to that of a European expat reaffirmed the findings of a public opinion poll released in March. According to “Transatlantic Trends: Leaders survey of leaders in the European Union and the United States,” American leaders and the American public are more likely to have a favorable view of Turkey than Europeans. The European public was less enthusiastic about the idea of Turkey joining the EU, with only 22 percent thinking it would be a good thing, according to the poll. Of the American public, 40 percent thought the same. Close to 38 percent of Turks said Turkish accession to the EU would be a good thing -- down from 73 percent in 2004. UK expat Thomas Bacon’s opinion on Turkey’s EU bid differs greatly from that of the American expats who interviewed with Sunday’s Zaman, but he said that makes sense. Bacon, who received his master’s in international relations from Bristol University and wrote his dissertation on Turkey’s EU bid, said he is not surprised by Americans’ confident support for Turkey’s accession. “Americans say, ‘Of course Turkey should be accepted into the EU,’” Bacon stated. “And they can say that. After all, they don’t foot the bill.” In his dissertation Bacon analyzed the accession from both the Turkish and the EU’s point of view, finding that it would fundamentally alter, though in a positive way, the relationship between the two entities. Though he said he cannot say whether the EU is a “Christian club,” Bacon did say that Christianity is a fundamental element in European history. Bacon did share at least one thing with the American expats -- his optimism for Turkey’s accession has also waned since he moved here. “I was more positive two years ago,” Bacon said. “But the more I have seen, the more I think it [Turkey’s EU accession] is not going to happen any time soon. …Maybe in 10 years, if it happens.”

Simon Anholt on Turkey’s nation brand

noreply@blogger.com (Turkish Images) — Wed, 04 May 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Some weeks ago we reported about the Branding Bulgaria conference, where one of the main speakers was the reknown Simon Anholt. Now it’s the turn for neighbouring Turkey to ask the British expert for his opinion. An article by the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet follows.

Successive Turkish governments have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to promote Turkey’s image abroad, but have been unable to overcome cultural prejudices. Simon Anholt, who coined the term ‘nation branding,’ says the issue is not about marketing or communication, but concrete policies that put the nation on a respectable spot on the global map

Simon Anholt, who coined the term ‘nation brand’ (not ‘nation branding‘, as he will always make clear) in 1998, advises governments around the world on how a country can engage more productively with other countries.

Turkey spends millions of dollars every year promoting its image as a bridge between the East and the West, but a top expert in “nation branding” says it’s not about communication or promotion, but concrete policies.

Turkey ranks 33rd among 50 countries in an annual Nation Brands Index. Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, Simon Anholt, a British independent policy advisor specializing in the field of nation branding, said the Turkish government must develop policies to improve the “brand” of the nation.

Turkey has to find ways of making itself “indispensable” to other peoples through“policies, cultural relations, exports, its diaspora and its behavior in the international arena” and by ensuring that people in other countries feel “glad that Turkey exists,”Anholt said.

“Then, people will start paying attention to Turkey and be prepared to change their minds,” he told the Daily News earlier this week.

Anholt, who coined the term “nation brand” in 1998, advises governments around the world on how a country can engage more productively with other countries.

Nation branding covers a range of policy areas including economic development, public diplomacy, international relations, trade and tourism, foreign direct investment and cultural policy.

Turkey’s best chance to increase its reputation in the world is “to be the bridge between Europe and Asia, between Islam and other religions,” according to Anholt.

Anholt, who has advised more than 40 countries, regions and cities since 1996, has been conducting nation and city brands indexes in cooperation with GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications each year since 2005.

Turkey stood at 36th out of 50 countries in 2008 and rose three places in 2009. Last year, however, it fell one place to 33rd.

A wide-reaching net

The Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index includes a large-scale international study that measures perceptions of 50 countries and 50 cities each year via a survey of more than 25,000 respondents from 26 countries.

“A large number of governments use this brand index to track their international standing and monitor progress,” Anholt said.
The concept of measuring the global perception about a country consists of six main fields: exports, governance, culture and heritage, people, tourism, investment and immigration. Turkey’s best scores last year were in culture and tourism, with rankings of 26th and 28th, respectively. In the same year, Turkey ranked 29th in governance, 32nd in people, 33rd in investment and immigration and 34th in exports.

“Some of these positions are objectively lower than Turkey actually deserves,” Anholt said. “Turkey’s image [underrates] the reality, especially in terms of cultural heritage, where Turkey ranks 13th as a global average, but as low as 31st among Americans and 29th among Canadians, for example.”

More marketing not the answer
The fact that the “product” is better than the “image” does not mean that the solution is more marketing and communications, he said.
“The problem is getting people sufficiently interested in Turkey to abandon their prejudices and be prepared to change their minds,” he said.

“Image comes from policy, not from communications. The Turkish government needs to abandon the naïve and wasteful belief that national reputation can be directly manipulated through marketing communications,” he said.

Turkey should start thinking about how it can actually earn a better reputation, Anholt said. “Creating a vision for the future of the country and its role in the world with the full participation of business and civil society is the first stage.”

According to Anholt, activities to promote a country may “contribute slowly and indirectly” to forming an image. “In the case of tourism promotion, these are of course necessary. But you can’t really call this ‘nation branding’ because it has little or no direct impact on overall international perceptions of the country. It is a simple selling operation,” he said.

The reputations of countries take generations to form and generations to change, Anholt said.

“Countries are judged by what they do and what they make,” he said. “This is the reason why our work has nothing to do with marketing or public relations. It is about innovation, competitiveness, trade, international relations, sustainability, diplomacy, cultural relations and talent attraction.”

Responding to a question on Turkey’s candidacy to the European Union, Anholt said such membership would contribute greatly to nation-branding efforts, as it would be “the first step toward proving its value as a cultural bridge.”

All the countries that have joined the EU in the past few years have experienced a significant improvement in their governance scores in the Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index.

According to the nation brand index of 2010, the United States is the most admired country globally, followed by Germany and France. The United Kingdom ranks fourth, followed by Japan, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, Australia and Sweden.

Top emerging markets have been rising in the field, as well – Brazil and China showed some of the greatest rankings gains between 2009 and 2010.

www.nation-branding.info

Book review: ‘Evil Eye’ a thrilling vision of an Ottoman hero

noreply@blogger.com (Turkish Images) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:58:00 +0000

By Steve Donoghue, Sunday, April 10, The Washington Post

Raymond Chandler, who knew a thing or two about the fictional detective, famously wrote that he must be “the best man in his world and a good enough man for any world.” Consciously or not, Jason Goodwin has thoroughly absorbed that precept; his own fictional detective, Yashim, might have considered Philip Marlowe a bit uncouth (all that smoking and drinking surely show a lack of self-control), but they are cut from the same cloth when it comes to righting the wrongs of the world.

In “An Evil Eye,” Goodwin’s fourth novel, Yashim’s world is the decaying Ottoman Empire of the early 19th century. The year is 1839, and a new sultan, Abdulmecid, has replaced the old one in Istanbul. In the novel’s most atmospheric, least realized subplot, this change in monarchs occasions a corresponding change in the monarch’s harem. In an echo of Goodwin’s first book, “The Janissary Tree” (2006), the sultan’s harem also contains a mystery that will eventually involve our detective. But in “An Evil Eye,” the more immediate puzzle is posed by a dead body found on the island of Chalki in the well of the monastery. The dead man in the well is marked with a totenkopf — or skull symbol — and when Yashim is dispatched to investigate, it doesn’t take him long to surmise that the dead man might have been Russian.

Goodwin is an author of many strengths — the books in this series can be read independently of each other, and they just keep getting better — and the discovery of a Russian corpse in a Christian well in the heart of a Muslim land allows him to play to the best of those strengths: his remarkable ability to clarify the muddle of that decaying empire. “The Ottomans were not a nation [but] a caste, almost a family,” we learn. “Just as the sultan, as head of the family, maintained his pashas and his odalisques, so the Ottomans maintained their retinues in turn.” Yashim’s effort to restore some semblance of harmony to that family is made all the more complicated by the implication of Fevzi Ahmet Pasha, his old mentor in the service of the former sultan.

The complicated plot that unfolds is deftly controlled throughout, with dangers, chases, intrigues and frequent trips back to the harem. Goodwin’s prose is sharp and surprising (about that dead Russian we’re told, “His skin had wrinkled in the long immersion under water, soft and ridged like the white brains of sheep laid out for sale in the butcher’s market”), and the best part of the entertainment is none other than Yashim, a redoubtable, philosophical hero who finds himself in a dirty, battered world yet still holds out hope: “I think there is always a little gap somewhere, however hard you try to fit everything together. A small space, for something like grace, or mercy.”

There is precious little mercy in the cutthroat world Goodwin portrays here. Yashim is caught between the merciless cunning of his old teacher and the innocence of that teacher’s little daughter, between the politics of the sultanate and the equally twisted politics of the harem. The standout joy of these books is readers’ confidence that we’ve got the right hero, that the calm Yashim will prevail. “In the end,” he tells an exasperated colleague, “it isn’t about people, or sultans, or corruption. It’s about the truth.”

If there were only more such men, Chandler tells us, “the world would be a very safe place to live in.” And maybe the poor old Ottoman Empire would have lasted a bit longer if it had had more Yashims to call upon. As it is, we must hope the original has many, many more adventures.

Donoghue is managing editor of the online magazine Open Letters Monthly.

TV documentary "1821" angers nationalist Greeks

noreply@blogger.com (Turkish Images) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:40:00 +0000

A television documentary about the Greek independence struggle against the Ottomans aired by Greece’s Skai channel has angered clerics and hard core nationalists who accused the producers of being biased in favor of the Ottomans.

The eight-part documentary called 1821, the date when the Greeks insurrected against the Ottomans in Morea, today called Peloponnese, at the southern tip of the Greek mainland, aims to present an objective narrative of history. The documentary was produced and presented by the Greek writer Petros Tatsopoulos with an impressive team of international historians including William St. Clair of University of London, Thanos Veremis of Athens University and Fikret Adanir, professor of history at Istanbul’s Sabanci University.

The initial episodes also refer to the conquest of Greece by the Ottomans in the 15th Century and point out that the standard of living and amount of agricultural produce increased after the conquest that came just after a devastating epidemic of “black death.”
But the part that must have been the most disturbing for the far right circles and some clerics in Greece is when the documentary describes the initial uprising as a religious war against the Muslims in Morea that resulted in the killing of some 20,000 Muslim men, women and children during the first few weeks of the insurrection. According to the documentary, Christian peasants were incited to rebellion by priests and leaders of the rebellion like Theodoros Kolokotronis who is a national hero in Greece, by untrue rumors that the Russian Czar had occupied Constantinople and his armies were coming to liberate Orthodox Greeks from the Ottoman yoke.
The documentary also describes dramatically the bloodbath that followed the siege of Tripolitsa, the capital town of Peloponnese under the Ottomans.

Naturally, 1821 also illustrates the mass killings carried out by the Ottomans as a reprisal to the Greek rebellion, especially the slaughter of islanders of Chios, Sakiz in Turkish, just across from Izmir.

Tatsopoulos comments that only after the bloodbath of Chios interest to the Greek rebellion arose in Europe with many volunteers coming to fight for the Greek cause. According to the commentary, Chios was populated at the time by rich merchants and ship owners who had commercial representatives in the European metropolitan centers like London, Paris and Marseilles, who were instrumental in spreading the news of the massacre.

The documentary is sponsored by the National Bank of Greece that bought the majority shares of a Turkish bank in 2006. This fact is also exploited by the critics of the documentary who allege that the bias in favor of Turkey is a deliberate calculation to serve the sponsor’s interests in this country.

Tatsopoulos, the narrator of the documentary said at an interview that he was expecting some negative reaction but not to such an extent. He said most of the harsh reaction was coming from bloggers and internet sites.

“From the beginning I was expecting positive and negative reactions. But I did not expect that they were to be expressed in such a violent manner. Although the negative reactions are definitely less compared to the positive ones but when you face insults such as ‘agent on the payroll’ or ‘servant of foreigners’ or even worse…. I confess I was not expecting such violence; and not only me as a matter of fact, but none of the contributors were expecting such a thing,” Tatsopoulos said.

The chief consultant Prof. Veremis of the documentary also got his share of rancor from the rightwing LAOS party, the deputies of which asked for an explanation from the Minister of Culture Pavlos Geroulanos pointing out to what they termed as “distortion of Greek history” in the documentary. In the written demand for an explanation the LAOS deputies claimed that Veremis was pushing the idea of a confederation between Greece and Turkey.

Anthimos, the metropolite of Salonica who is known for his anti-Turkish comments also joined the critics at a Sunday sermon saying that the documentary was “a destruction of history as we knew it until today.”

The documentary “1821” is still being aired by the Skai channel in Greece while the arguments over its content are still continuing.

official website (in Greek)

Visitors of "Turkish Images" by countries, March 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Turkish Images) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:51:00 +0000

(provided by Sitemeter)

Some countries like Australia, Armenia, Italy, Iran, Egypt, Russia, Morocco, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Slovakia, Estonia, Israel,Vietnam, Bahrain, Indonesia, Poland, Estonia, Oman, Austria, Colombia and India, go under the category "Unknown"!

Egypt Isn’t Turkey

noreply@blogger.com (Turkish Images) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 16:20:00 +0000

If history is any guide, there will not be an Atatürk in Cairo.

A hundred years ago, Egyptians looked down on Turks: etrak bi itrak, ran the pun. “Turks are clods.” Egyptians had Westernized first, had a modern Army that defeated the Turks twice, and then got a huge amount of money from the tolls of the Suez Canal. Cairo had resplendent mosques and religious schools, whereas the Turks, speaking a Central Asian language the grammar of which was tortuous and the vocabulary limited to physical activities of a rudimentary nature, did not rate. Egyptian money was all over the Turkish capital, and there are still splendid buildings to mark that era.

Q. Sakamaki / Redux

A portrait of Ataturk, the founder of modern secular Turkey, hangs in a store window in Istanbul, Turkey in 2007.

How things have changed. On any measure Turkey is now so far ahead as to be out of sight—11,000 local translations of books from Western languages every year, to 300 in Egypt, for a start, but that is only a symbol. Turkey has twice Egypt’s GDP per capita, and Turkish businessmen (and women) are all over the world. Their country is also quite famously democratic—though usually you can say, as Turkish historian H. A. Karasar sets as an exam question, “Islam, politics, economics: choose two.” Istanbul, like Cairo, suffers from megalopolitan overpopulation. But in Cairo the problem is ungovernable—sewage, electricity, schools, rubbish collection. Istanbul is closer in every sense to Barcelona than to Cairo, and it is a great tribute to the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that this is so. He was Istanbul’s mayor, and was far better at the job than his predecessors, however secular and modern they claimed to be. One measure of Turkey’s uniqueness is that it is the only country between Athens and Singapore that attracts immigrants.

The “Turkish model” is now often invoked for other Muslim countries, the more so given the recent Arab crises. The essential figure is Mustafa Kemal, later called Atatürk, father of the nation. This invocation is not new: in the 1930s, as Turkey modernized, rulers from Afghanistan or Iran would come by, and others, from Egypt to Iraq, already had palaces and family in Istanbul. They came to see how Westernization was carried out. Atatürk’s symbol was simple enough: a hat, replacing turbans and fezzes. But there were other reforms, the greatest of which by far was to change the alphabet. The Turkish language has eight vowels, Arabic (a guttural language) only three, though four versions of “z.” Under the Ottoman Empire, there were only a few hundred readers for any newspaper, and of the few books printed, almost all were religious. Changing the alphabet has meant that Turks can read, even if it is only the football results. The language has been vastly coarsened as a result: I myself, with not very good Turkish, regret that wonderful old words such as gipta, meaning “envy without malice,” are no longer understood. But there we are.

Could Egypt turn democratic by the Atatürkist route? Difficult to imagine. The very first thing with which Atatürk is associated is simply national independence. At the end of the First World War, Turkey might have been partitioned between the victors or their Greek and Armenian and other Christian associates. As things were, Atatürk saw them all off and established a republic pledged to Westernization. There is nothing in the Egyptian scenario that matches these Turkish ingredients. Gamal Abdel Nasser might have been an Atatürk, but he blew it, making the wrong friends and enemies. Turkish Islam contains modernizing elements, some “brotherhoods” (tarikat) well to the fore with education, even for girls, and there are millions of Alevis, a sect so heretical in terms of gender equality and alcohol as not to count as proper Muslims at all (some are even said to be, by origin, Armenian). In the ’30s, when the reforms were launched, there was therefore not much resistance in Turkey beyond the ultrareligious Kurdish regions, and not always there either. The difference in the end is that Turkey was an empire, never a colony, whereas Egypt was taken over by the British, and dominated by Greek or other Western diasporas. It freed itself through the Army, as did Turkey with Atatürk, but the Turkish Army had both a hinterland and foreign supporters.

Not so long ago, Egypt was ruled by the Turks, and there always has been a problem: Egypt’s modernizers have come from without, pretty much since Alexander the Great. Mubarak has (with dignity) gone, but I have a suspicion that his soul will go marching on.

Norman Stone, a professor at Bilkent University in Ankara, is the author of Turkey: A Short History, to be published next month by Thames & Hudson.

Newsweek, 2.20.2011

All people are the same

noreply@blogger.com (Turkish Images) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:57:00 +0000

CHARLOTTE MCPHERSON
c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com

Stereotypes are as old as human culture itself. They always reflect ideas that groups of people hold about others who are different from them.

I remember when I first came to Turkey that the television series “Dallas” with JR was very popular. Whenever I was asked where I was from and I answered “Houston,” you could just bet “Dallas” was going to be mentioned. It seemed that us Texans were stereotyped as having a ranch and some oil. After all, Clive James in his book “Flying Visits,” a collection of travel pieces written for The Observer between 1976 and 1983, gives this impression of the entire land of America. Clive James writes: “But as always happens, no matter how often one visits America, the really overwhelming thing was the affluence. … We should always remember that when Americans talk about being in a slump, they mean a slump by their standards. For the visitor the sheer wealth of the country must remain the abiding impression.”

Perhaps you remember the film “The Ugly American,” released in the early 1960s with Marlon Brando? You are probably familiar with some of the ways white Americans are stereotyped by others around the world. This film was ahead of its time. The plot revolves around an intelligent, articulate scholar by the name of Harrison MacWhite who was appointed ambassador to a Southeast Asian country where civil war threatens peace. MacWhite sees the situation as a dichotomy between the US and communism. He is unable to accept that anti-American sentiment might in fact be a longing for self-determination and nationalism. Ignoring advice, he is determined to see the building of a road completed and tries to muscle ahead. His determination and ignorant actions prove to be costly before he realizes his mistake.

When you want to adapt to a culture, you need to be careful of stereotyping. People within a culture can have different habits. Craig Storti in his book “The Art of Crossing Culture” explains that people speak of cultural adjustment, but in fact it is not to the culture that we adjust to, but behavior.

Andy Rooney, an American writer, humorist and retired television personality, said this about his own culture on his program “A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney”:

“McDonald’s restaurants are probably a reflection of our national character. They are fast, they are efficient, they make money and they are clean. If they’re loud and crowded and if the food is wastefully wrapped, packaged, boxed and bagged, let’s face it, Americans, that’s us.”

Newcomers to Turkey are usually told that Turks eat white cheese, black olives, jam and bread for breakfast while drinking tea. Well, this is a stereotype that is changing. As you may have noticed, there is a variety of breakfast cereals now available on the market.

I think the best explanation given on the idea of individual behavior and personal variation on a cultural point that I have read is in Paul Scotts’s book “The Day of the Scorpion.” An Indian man remarks in the story that “people say she was unlike other English people.” Also taken from the book: “I do not know what they mean when they are saying that English people are not mass-produced. They do not come off a factory line all looking, speaking, thinking, acting the same. Neither do we.”

It was Confucius who said: “All people are the same. It is only their habits that are different.” When working in an international setting or living abroad, it is important to be able to distinguish between the two -- that is, culture, which is a system of beliefs and shared values of a particular group of people, and behavior, which is what we experience daily as it is manifested. Not all culture is rooted in behavior.

I love the example Storti gives about us Americans. He quotes a Turkish exchange student in “There is a Difference.” The Turkish exchange student writes: “Once we were out in a rural area in the middle of nowhere and saw an American come to a stop sign. Though he could see in both directions for miles and no traffic was coming, he still stopped!”

This is so true of drivers in the flat parts of Indiana, Oklahoma, Kansas and West Texas.

What about Turks? The common stereotype (which I know is not totally true) is that Turks never stop at stop signs.

These days, with so much globalization, it is sometimes hard to understand culture and to adapt to it. Don’t give up.

“It is culture as encountered in behavior that we must learn to live with.” Craig Storti

26 January 2011, Wednesday

Hungarians fine with Turks in EU, as long as they come on Hungarian-made buses

noreply@blogger.com (Turkish Images) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:42:00 +0000

By Erik D'Amato

In the run-up to Hungary's EU presidency earlier this month, I noticed a piece in the English-language version of leading Turkish dailyHürriyet that I thought was just a little odd. Entitled "Turkey's hopes run high for Hungary's EU term presidency", it detailed how Ankara expects Budapest to push harder to move along Turkey's EU accession application that Belgium, from which Hungary took over the rotating presidency. I was especially struck by this quote from Turkey's chief EU negotiator, Egemen Bağış:

When asked about his expectations from the Hungarian term presidency, Bağış recalled a meeting he held last year with Hungarian President Pal Schmitt. "He told me: 'Normally I do not meet with ministers. You are the first one in this category. There is a reason for this," Bağış said. "'Your ancestors who ruled our country in the past did not intervene in either our religion or our language. They approached us with tolerance.'"

So let me get this straight. France and other Western European countries that were never within a 50-day march of the Ottoman lines are openly blackballing Turkey's EU entry, but a nation that was more or less wiped off the map as an independent force by the Turks now wants them back in Europe? And to think I got all weepy when I visited the Istanbul Military Museum and saw the battle drum captured from the Hungarians at the battle of Mohács.

Of course, unlike France and some of the others actively working to keep the Turks at bay, Hungary isn't the destination for lots of Muslim immigrants. And I wouldn't say that Hungary has anything to gain by pushing back against the Turks, or otherwise getting involved in the issue, which is unlikely to be resolved before Hungary rotates back into the EU presidency in a couple of decades. Still, it does seem a little strange that there is apparently no local opposition to reopening the gates to the country's one-time Ottoman overlords.

Though I shouldn't say there is no opposition. According to nol.hu, Hungarian bus manufacturers are "outraged" that a company which was contracted (without a proper tender, naturally) to transport diplomats and members of the international press from Ferihegy airport to downtown Budapest until the end of Hungary's EU presidency is using Otokar Kent 290 LF buses, rather than supposedly superior Hungarian-made ones. Which sounds like a bad break, though as Hungarians like to say in such cases, a whole lot more was lost at Mohács.

source: http://www.politics.hu/20110131/hungarians-fine-with-turks-in-eu-as-long-as-they-come-on-hungarianmade-buses

La Turquie sur les traces de l'Empire ottoman

noreply@blogger.com (Turkish Images) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 15:26:00 +0000

L'Expansion

Par Yves-Michel Riols, envoyé spécial à Ankara et à Istanbul - publié le 26/01/2011

Dopé par sa croissance économique, le pays entend renouer avec son vaste périmètre d'influence passé, quitte à prendre ses distances avec l'Europe.

REUTERS/Fatih Saribas

L'immense mausolée d'Atatürk est perché sur les hauteurs de la capitale turque. La nuit, ses colonnes éclairées dominent l'horizon d'Ankara, conférant au monument une allure de temple antique.

Cet extravagant mausolée témoigne du culte dont continue de bénéficier le général Mustafa Kemal, dit Atatürk, "le père des Turcs", fondateur de la première république laïque dans un pays musulman, en 1923, sur les ruines de l'Empire ottoman, qui avait régné pendant cinq cents ans sur trois continents, des portes de Vienne à l'océan Indien. L'austère portrait d'Atatürk est toujours accroché dans tous les lieux publics, et aucune boutique, y compris la plus petite échoppe du bazar d'Istanbul, ne songerait à s'en passer.

La percée turque130 milliards

C'est la valeur, en dollars, des exportations turques en 2009, contre 30 milliards en 2000 (à 90 % des produits industriels).

48 %

C'est la part des exportations vers l'Union européenne en 2008, qui, pour la première fois, n'est plus la destination majoritaire.

27 %

La part des exportations turques vers le Moyen-Orient et l'Afrique du Nord a doublé entre 2000 et 2009.

Sources : Tepav, United Nations Comtrade Database.

Pourtant, la Turquie s'éloigne aujourd'hui de l'ombre tutélaire d'Atatürk pour s'inventer un nouveau destin en renouant avec son passé ottoman. C'est une profonde rupture par rapport à l'époque kémaliste, pendant laquelle le pays avait rejeté son héritage impérial, tourné le dos à ses voisins et activement privilégié un ancrage occidental. Une rupture incarnée à merveille par Ahmet Davutoglu. Le polyglotte et flamboyant ministre des Affaires étrangères ne manque pas une occasion de faire vibrer la corde ottomane. Ce n'est pas un hasard s'il a choisi Sarajevo pour y prononcer, en 2009, un discours resté célèbre. Au coeur de cette ville fondée par les Ottomans en 1461 et symbole du martyre des Bosniaques musulmans pendant la guerre dans l'ex-Yougoslavie, il a clairement enraciné les ambitions de son pays dans une continuité historique. "Comme au XVIe siècle, a-t-il dit, lorsque les Ottomans étaient au centre de la politique mondiale, nous allons faire des Balkans, du Caucase et du Moyen-Orient le nouveau centre politique du monde avec la Turquie !"

Peu importe que le propos soit démesuré. Il illustre un phénomène nouveau. Partout, du cinéma à la littérature, la période ottomane ne cesse d'être revisitée avec une curiosité renouvelée. Une tendance attisée par le gouvernement de conservateurs religieux au pouvoir depuis 2002 et par la formation dont il est l'émanation, l'AKP, le Parti de la Justice et du Développement, issu de la mouvance islamiste.

Le pouvoir exalte la nostalgie ottomane

"La nostalgie ottomane est une marque de fabrique de l'AKP, remarque Franck Debié, fin connaisseur du pays et directeur du centre de géostratégie de l'Ecole normale supérieure. Elle vise à démontrer que la Turquie peut trouver des racines plus profondes que le kémalisme, et à réhabiliter une période où le pays était au coeur de la Méditerranée, de l'Islam et du Caucase."

Ce virage s'accompagne d'un activisme diplomatique de plus en plus affirmé, au point de troubler les alliés historiques de ce pays, pilier de l'Otan durant la guerre froide, et qui aspire à rejoindre l'Union européenne.

Qu'il s'agisse de l'Iran, d'Israël ou du Soudan, les points de friction se sont multipliés ces derniers temps. L'Etat turc ne cache plus son ambition de devenir un acteur majeur dans une zone stratégique, quitte à jouer une partition discordante.

Un empire sur trois continents. Le territoire ottoman s'étendait de l'Afrique du Nord à l'Asie centrale, des Balkans au Proche-Orient.

Ce changement de ton était particulièrement frappant au moment de la crise autour de la flottille d'aide humanitaire destinée à Gaza, lorsque l'intervention des commandos israéliens s'est soldée par la mort de neuf Turcs. La Turquie n'a pas cherché à calmer le jeu. Au contraire, elle n'a pas hésité à jouer la carte de la "rue arabe", une tactique qui était jusque-là l'apanage des autocrates du Proche-Orient. L'opération a porté ses fruits. Le contraste était flagrant entre l'accueil triomphal réservé, en novembre dernier, au Liban, au Premier ministre turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, acclamé comme une star de rock, et les relations de plus en plus crispées entre la Turquie et l'Europe.

Un basculement vers l'Orient ?

Après avoir tourné le dos à l'Orient tout au long de la période kémaliste, la Turquie est-elle maintenant en train d'opérer un autre basculement en s'éloignant de l'Occident ? Pas du tout, affirme un diplomate européen en poste à Ankara. "La Turquie devient un pays décomplexé, qui prend conscience de sa force, découvre son environnement, et veut jouer, comme n'importe quel Etat, de tous ses atouts pour maximiser ses intérêts."

"La Turquie ne se voit plus seulement aux portes de l'Union européenne mais au centre d'une grande région", constate Sinan Ulgen, président du centre d'études économiques Edam.

Quoi qu'il en soit, cette montée en puissance de la Turquie n'aurait pas été possible sans le spectaculaire redressement de son économie. On est en effet très loin des années 2000, lorsque l'Etat, au bord de la banqueroute, a dû être secouru - une fois de plus - par le FMI. A l'époque, un rapprochement avec l'Union européenne paraissait être la seule perspective capable de sortir le pays du marasme. Aujourd'hui, le climat est tout autre. Depuis 2005, le produit intérieur brut par habitant a augmenté de 50 % pour atteindre 650 euros par mois, les exportations ont crû de 75 % et les investissements étrangers, moteur du décollage, ont explosé. Du coup, la croissance (7,5 % en 2010) a bondi, les finances publiques se sont assainies et le pays s'est développé à vive allure. "Contrairement à une image encore très répandue, la Turquie n'est plus le pays de l'artisanat et du textile, résume un économiste. Elle fabrique désormais des composants pour Airbus et construit la première voiture électrique de Renault."

Cette vitalité économique a profondément bouleversé la donne. Non seulement le pays est gagné par un optimisme palpable, mais cette nouvelle confiance stimule aussi d'autres ambitions. "La Turquie a changé de perspective au cours des dernières années, elle ne se voit plus seulement aux portes de l'Union européenne, mais au centre d'une grande région", relève Sinan Ulgen, ancien diplomate et président du centre d'études économiques Edam, à Istanbul.

Grâce à sa croissance, la Turquie dispose aujourd'hui de leviers qui lui permettent d'étendre son influence. Et, moins d'un siècle après la disparition de l'Empire ottoman, elle fait un retour remarqué dans son ancien périmètre.

Des chantiers des Balkans au Kazakhstan

La percée des entreprises turques dans cette zone est spectaculaire. Elles sont présentes sur tous les gros chantiers, des Balkans à l'Asie centrale en passant par le Caucase et par le Proche-Orient. Les géants du BTP (Sembol, Enka, Renaissance Construction, etc.), peu connus en Europe, construisent sur tous les fronts. Il y a de quoi faire, car la plupart des pays de ces régions sont en plein rattrapage. La quasi-totalité des nouvelles routes et tous les nouveaux aéroports, centres commerciaux et hôtels de ces contrées ont été réalisés par des Turcs. Les exemples foisonnent : l'aéroport de Tbilissi, en Géorgie, des autoroutes dans les Balkans, le port de Tripoli, en Libye, ainsi que les somptueux palais officiels du Kazakhstan.

Astana, la nouvelle capitale du Kazakhstan est devenue la vitrine du savoir-faire des entreprises turques de BTP.

Flickr/veni markovski

Au-delà de la proximité géographique et, dans certains pays, d'une parenté linguistique, les entreprises turques ont de formidables atouts. "Elles sont capables de fournir d'excellents produits compétitifs et un très bon suivi logistique à des économies paupérisées qui veulent des standards européens", constate Franck Debié.

Cette percée de la Turquie dans son voisinage n'est pas le fruit du hasard. Elle a su saisir au bond les bouleversements historiques qui se sont produits à ses frontières depuis vingt ans. Avec l'effondrement du communisme, elle a vu s'ouvrir les portes du Caucase, de l'Asie centrale et des Balkans. Depuis la deuxième guerre d'Irak, "la légitimité américaine dans la région a été ébranlée, constate Sinan Ulgen. Deux pays, la Turquie et l'Iran, profitent de ce vide pour élargir leur influence." Mais, grâce à sa démocratie, la Turquie dispose d'un atout de taille. "Elle joue un rôle de modèle au Moyen-Orient, où les systèmes arabes traditionnels sont en déclin", souligne un diplomate européen.

La diplomatie mise au service de l'économie

Cette expansion répond aussi à une stratégie délibérée, celle du "zéro problème" avec les pays proches, théorisée par Ahmet Davutoglu, le ministre des Affaires étrangères. L'objectif est de normaliser les relations - jusque-là très tendues - avec les Etats voisins pour y favoriser les échanges. "Comme il n'y a pas de vraies économies de marché dans les pays limitrophes, il faut être en bons termes avec les gouvernements en place pour décrocher des contrats publics", observe Güven Sak, le directeur du Tepav, le centre d'analyse de la puissante chambre de commerce turque.

Le gouvernement turc est aussi encouragé dans cette démarche par sa base, une nouvelle classe d'entrepreneurs, les "tigres anatoliens". Cette bourgeoisie pieuse et provinciale forme l'ossature de l'AKP au pouvoir, qui ferraille durement avec l'ancienne élite kémaliste, représentée par l'armée, les hauts fonctionnaires et les capitaines d'industrie traditionnels.

Les entrepreneurs à l'assaut des pays voisins

"Les patrons d'Anatolie ont encore du mal à s'imposer en Europe, ils poussent donc le gouvernement à leur ouvrir des marchés dans les pays voisins, où ils sont très compétitifs, note Sinan Ulgen. Du coup, cela donne un nouvel essor à la diplomatie turque, qui fait désormais de l'expansion économique une priorité."

L'homme-orchestre de cette expansion est Zafer Caglayan, le ministre du Commerce extérieur. Dans son bureau, où l'inévitable portrait d'Atatürk côtoie un maillot encadré du Galatasaray, le légendaire club de football d'Istanbul, il pétille d'assurance et incarne à merveille cette fierté retrouvée du pays. En filigrane, son message aux Européens est très clair : si vous ne voulez plus de nous, nous n'aurons bientôt plus besoin de vous ! "Pour la Turquie, le monde ne se limite pas à l'Union européenne, assène-t-il. A quatre heures d'avion, nous pouvons rejoindre 56 pays, représentant un quart de la population mondiale. Notre objectif est d'être la dixième économie du monde en 2023. Pour le reste, c'est à l'Europe de décider." A bon entendeur, salut !

Kasim Dal - Another Dissident or the End of Bulgaria's Ethnic Turkish 'Backseat' Rule?

noreply@blogger.com (Turkish Images) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:59:00 +0000

Author: Maria Guineva

Editorial | January 21, 2011, Friday

In the midst of all spying scandals raging in Bulgaria, an outrage is shaking the unshakable ethnic Turkish party DPS (Movement for Rights and Freedoms).

Can Dal make history and topple the irreplaceable Dogan, seen by many as the most sinister and conniving political personage of Bulgaria's transition period?

Over the years, many of Dogan's closest allies and party cofounders quit DPS ranks, living the leader unfazed, and, (according to his own claims), ruling the country from the backseat. Kasim Dal is, however, another story.

He is more articulate and with a much stronger personal presence compared to otherDPS leaders and particularly to Dogan. But there is much more about Dal.

In addition to Dogan, he was the only remaining original founder of the Movement among current party leaders.

Dogan and Dal met in prison while serving sentences for participating in a then illegal organization against the so-called Revival Process (the times when Todor Zhivkov's Communist regime forcefully changed ethnic Turks' Muslim names with Christian ones, causing mass exodus to neighboring Turkey).

Unlike many others in DPS, including Dogan, Dal has never been a member of the Bulgarian Communist Party; he was never involved with the Communist State Security (DS); for his 20 years in politics there has never been a scandal or slander discrediting his name and not a single party event without his presence.

Dal was the DPS moving force; the one who organized local party structures; the person securing election victories; the leader going around villages to talk to common people and attending plenary hall debates. He is known for working hard and fulfilling his promises.

Dal was also the party member in charge of dealing with ties with Turkey, the Bulgarian ethnic Turkish communities there and with the Turkish business. He is credited for bringing a major investor to the city of Targovishte (which has a large Muslim population) – the Turkish glass factory "Shishe Dzham."

Dal is the person behind the State Security Files Act, which he wrote knowing it would hit hard on many, including Dogan. He was the one from the DPS leadership to attend the funeral of Ahmed Emin when the latter, allegedly, committed suicide in the fall of 2008.

Of course, Dal is not a crystal clean hero. What he now says about Dogan and the isolation of the Movement did not come as a sudden revelation to him; he has known it for many years. Nevertheless, he still deserves praise for being the person from the party's helm to finally have the guts to officially state publically known truths – that Dogan is a DS project; that he has used politics to amass huge wealth; that he must be condemned for almost never setting foot in the Parliament during his four consecutive terms.

Dal has stated numerous times he has no intentions of splitting the party. Despite being already expelled from the DPS parliamentary group, he maintains his allegiance to the Movement.

Dal's decision may be delayed by years, but it is not too late. The DPS official reaction, combined with his resolution to lead the battle from within party ranks could be the beginning of Dogan's end. Regardless of official statements of common party supporters in small villages or those with high-ranking party positions, Dal might gather the needed support to overthrow the "undying" ethnic Turkish leader.

History has plenty of examples that no one is eternal in politics. It is enough to remember the stunned face of almighty Communist Dictator, Todor Zhivkov, when his closest allies, fellow party members and subordinates told him he had been ousted after 35 years in power.

Dogan must go and hopefully Kasim Dal will be able to achieve what many before have failed in.

There is, however, a flip side of this story - Dal's strongest card and the source of his courage, according to many, is the fact that during his official visit to Sofia in October 2010, Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, refused to meet with Ahmed Dogan and chose to talk to Dal instead. According to the latter, Erdogan explained his decision with learning about the scandals surrounding the DPS leader's wealth and his ties with DS.

It is alarming to realize that Dogan's head might finally roll mostly because of the influence and the interference of the leader of a foreign State. If Dal succeeds, would Bulgarian ethnic Turks continue to be pulled towards Turkey and to an allegiance to the Turkish State?

With Dogan gone from Bulgarian politics, parties founded on ethnic and religious basis must go too.

Because the common, honest, poor and hard-working Bulgarian Muslims who chose to stay in the country deserve something much better – they deserve to feel at home in Bulgaria and among Bulgarians.

source: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=124413

Martha Stewart Show in Istanbul

noreply@blogger.com (Turkish Images) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 15:26:00 +0000

Martha Stewart tours Istanbul, with stops at the magnificent Topkapi Palace, the Spice Market, and ancient houses of worship.

Watch the clips at Marthastewart.com: The Istanbul Show - Martha Stewart Television

Who is Martha Stewart?
Martha Helen Stewart is an American business magnate, television host, author, and magazine publisher. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising. Stewart's syndicated talk show, Martha, is broadcast throughout the world, she has written numerous bestselling books, and she is the publisher of Martha Stewart Living magazine.

"Elif Shafak's Istanbul" on CNN

noreply@blogger.com (Turkish Images) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 15:13:00 +0000

Added On October 6, 2010

Novelist Elif Shafak shows IME around her home city of Istanbul and talks about her inspiration as a writer.

Istanbul in Citi's TV commercial

noreply@blogger.com (Manof) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 17:36:00 +0000

After a man's parents transfer from Queens, NY to Istanbul, Turkey, he uses ThankYou® Points to get them the perfect 30th anniversary gift.

"Turkey's quiet revolution"

noreply@blogger.com (Manof) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:21:00 +0000

Turkey is moving closer to Europe in its democratic standards and economic governance, which should be applauded

Editorial
The Guardian, Tuesday 14 September 2010
Nothing can take place in Turkish politics these days without the opposite inference being drawn. A referendum on a package of 26 constitutional amendments won approval by a wide margin with a vote of 58% on a high turnout of 78%. The prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was undoubtedly right to claim that his reform package had gotpopular backing. And yet those who had predicted a tighter margin of victory continued to claim yesterday that the result was polarising. The amendments addressed a human rights agenda more than they did an Islamist one – they expanded the constitutional court and supreme board of judges, strengthened the rights to equality, privacy, collective bargaining and child protection, expanded the jurisdiction of the civilian court over the military one, and ended immunity from prosecution to the junta that ruled Turkey after the last coup in 1980. But still Erdogan's opponents claim that his real purpose is to exert more control over the judiciary himself. By changing the way the top courts are set up, theopposition argues that the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) aims to bring them under its control.

There is scant evidence for the fear that the AKP, once it is secure in power, could turn Turkey into a radical Islamist state and, for this reason, Erdogan's allegedly hidden agenda is always due to be enacted some way off into the future. The Turkish leader has changed his viewson the EU and Nato, both of which he opposed in speeches in the 1990s, and he thinks democracy is a means to an end, not an end in itself. But rather than seeing dark designs in a leader who is both pro-European and a moderniser, it would be fairer to judge him on what he has achieved so far.
A small revolution is taking place in a country whose history has been plagued by repression and army-backed coups, and it is happening democratically and bloodlessly. A system in which generals and judges held power, toppling four governments since 1960, is being rolled back with democratic consent. The outcome of the referendum boosted markets, as the result showed that the AKP now has good prospects in winning a third term.
Even as the EU keeps it forever at the door to accession, Turkey's foreign policy is making strides. Traditional rivals like Russia and Iran have warm words for Turkey's attempts to play the honest broker in the region, and after the flotilla incident it has both championed the cause of Palestinians besieged in Gaza and not broken off all relations with Israel. With each move, Turkey is not only moving closer in its democratic standards and economic governance to Europe, but strengthening its links in the Middle East. This should be applauded.

Turkish cookbook aims to demystify one of the world's great cuisines

noreply@blogger.com (Manof) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:00:00 +0000

By Bonnie S. Benwick

Washington Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Turkish cuisine is said to be one of four global greats, along with French, Italian and Chinese. It's colorful and healthful: the original Mediterranean diet. Turks gave the world yogurt, an impressive array of kebabs, and side dishes with ingredients most urban Americans can get their hands on.

So why don't we know it better? In May, Post food critic Tom Sietsema identified a growing Turkish food trend among Washington restaurants, but Turkish street snacks, quick lunches and bulgur-laced meals at home? Not seeing them.
Nur Ilkin and Sheilah Kaufman have their theories about why that is so; in the meantime, the longtime friends are producing cookbooks that might put Turkish food on more American tables.

Their first, "A Taste of Turkish Cuisine" (Hippocrene), was published in 2002. Their follow-up effort, "The Turkish Cookbook: Regional Recipes and Stories" (Interlink, 2010; $35), identifies the breadth and culinary nuance across Turkey's seven regions: Marmara, the Aegean, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean and the three Anatolian regions in Turkey's Asian side: Central, Eastern and Southeastern. Its 220-plus recipes are enhanced with rich context and photos of those areas.
Marmara is home to Istanbul. Its lamb kebabs taste different from those of the other regions because the animals there are pasture-fed, Ilkin discovered. Chestnuts find their way into stews, rice or bulgur and are glazed with a sweet syrup. Cooks in the Aegean use more seafood than lamb, of course, and the mild climate puts a bounty of vegetables, figs and olive oil in just about every kitchen. The Black Sea region boasts anchovies that are so good they are used even in desserts. Hazelnuts grow there; about 70 percent of the world's hazelnuts come from Turkey.
Beyond the grouper and red mullet drawn from the Mediterranean region is the surprise of the country's only banana plantations. The area's oranges, pomegranates, strawberries, sour cherries and apricots are used to make the jams for which the city of Antalya is famous. Central Anatolians stuff vegetables and leaves. Eastern Anatolians keep stores of dried fruits and grains to survive long winters, and Southeastern Anatolians are known for their baklava made with local pistachios.
In the book, Kaufman refers to Turkish cuisine as a giant, colorful mosaic. In person, the Potomac resident does not need much prompting to list half a dozen new favorites: an addictive walnut-and-red-pepper spread; the best cabbage rolls she has ever tasted, stuffed with a mixture of chestnuts, currants, pine nuts, onions and herbs; and buttered sweet plums. Ilkin is partial to a Black Sea dessert of crispy phyllo with custard at the center, and an eggplant stew with lentils: "It's a very old traditional dish from Antakya in the southeast," she says. "The combination of lentils and eggplant, onion, garlic, cumin and pomegranate molasses is a new discovery for me."
Ilkin, 63, has plenty of research material to support a vegetarian Turkish cookbook, which is what she'd like to work on next with Kaufman.
Although Kaufman, 68, has 26 cookbooks to her credit, it's clear that these particular culinary traditions have captured her heart. She first went to Turkey as an adult, on cruises with her mother. It sparked her interest in the history of the Jews in Turkey and in Sephardic cookery. During return trips, she found herself at "humongous" meals where she fell in love with the flatbread called bazlama. Last year, she spent three weeks eating her way across the country, sampling much of what her co-author had already begun to teach her.
She met Ilkin a dozen years ago. The Gaziantep native and wife of the Turkish ambassador to the United States served more than two dozen Turkish dishes at a luncheon; Kaufman knew she had met a kindred kitchen spirit. Ilkin learned family recipes from her grandmother, although she did not really cook until after she was married.
"Sheilah and I both learn so much from each other's experiences and enjoy each other's company," Ilkin says via e-mail while on vacation in Bodrum, a resort town on the Aegean Sea.
For their first collaboration, Kaufman would go to the ambassador's residence, painstakingly notate the dishes Ilkin and her staff put together and then go home and type out ingredients and directions so she could test the dishes herself. "They didn't measure things, and the directions lacked cooking times and temperatures. That made it difficult," she says. During the six-month process, Ilkin took Kaufman bargain shopping for quinces and chestnuts at Chinese markets, where those ingredients cost far less than at organic grocery chain stores.

This time around, Ilkin pulled from a decade's worth of travel across her country, collecting recipes from house cooks and elderly women. "I don't want old recipes to be lost to a fast-food generation," she says, referring to the KFC and American hamburgers gobbled up by Turkey's younger set.

She was careful to choose dishes that had not appeared in "Taste" and were unique to specific regions. After Ilkin's husband was assigned to the United Nations, the cooking and notation took three years' worth of visits between New York and Washington. Ilkin would choose a batch of soups or other related recipes, and the women would work from 9 a.m. till dinnertime. Ilkin took Kaufman to markets in Little Italy for cheeses and to Chinatown for the freshest spices, herbs and fish.
As for their theories about why Turkish food isn't more widely appreciated in this country, Kaufman says that opportunities to shop and taste are minimal for Americans who don't travel abroad. Ilkin says the Turkish community is relatively small and is dispersed throughout the States.
"Good Turkish cookbooks are either written with recipes in metrics," says Kaufman, who owns about 30 of them, "or they measure by tea glasses. Who can follow that? The ones famous Turkish chefs have done tend not to be about everyday food."
She has collected the kind of slim, spiral-bound cookbooks compiled by and distributed among American Turkish communities, but she finds the directions lacking: "I guess maybe that's because everybody already knows how to make the stuff," she says. Kaufman was delighted to crack open "Turquoise: A Chef's Travels in Turkey," by Australians Greg and Lucy Malouf (Chronicle, 2008). But the first recipe she scanned called for 700 cucumbers to make three cups of pickles. Ilkin faulted the authors for "inventing" recipes she did not recognize as authentic.
Kaufman says she appreciates the cuisine's common-man sensibility and its thrift. "Everything they make for the family is what is made for special occasions as well, she says. "They can take a pound of lamb and use it to feed eight to 10 people."
"Turkish cuisine is so rich in vegetables and grains" that can be used to stretch dishes, Ilkin says. "Cooking simple on a limited budget is no problem."
Simple can be a matter of interpretation. "Certain Turkish foods are very complicated," Kaufman says. The co-authors tried to steer clear of those, but the recipe for tarhana was too extreme - and historic - to pass up.
"It's prepared in every part of my country, from whatever is grown in the gardens," Ilkin says.
Centuries ago, the Central Anatolian Turks made tarhana, the equivalent of a powdered soup mix. They laid out a pulverized mixture of cooked tomatoes, peppers and onions on linen cloths to dry on their rooftops. It took weeks to produce but would last a family of four about a year. The resulting dried flavor pebbles could be added to simple broths or eaten straight up as savory breakfast nuggets.
Kaufman found the two-day recipe fascinating to test, with fresh and dried herbs and 20 - not a typo - cups of flour.
Ilkin says that for the end of Ramadan, which was celebrated last week, tarhana was used to create a light first-course soup that was served in many Turkish homes. Variations of tarhana mixes are sold in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar. She makes it every two years and shares it with her extended family in Turkey.

"I am going to pay $1.25 for the envelopes of dried mix at the store," Kaufman says. "Or get my dear friend to bring me some of hers."

A step towards Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Manof) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:12:00 +0000

Monday, 13 September 2010

For a country that has been seeking to join the European Union since 1962, it is regrettable that Turkey is so little known or understood in the West. Its internal politics are hard to fathom, which is why yesterday's referendum on a new constitution has excited little interest outside the country.

This is a pity, for the outcome of the vote will be an important indication of Turkey's progress from a highly centralised semi-democracy, in which the military is almost a law unto itself, to a democracy of a more recognisably European type. Today, it is difficult to try the military in civilian courts. Moreover, the generals exercise great influence over the judges, who have tended to do their bidding, outlawing any parties, either religious or separatist-inclined, that pose a threat to the military's vision of a secular state.

In the referendum put forward by the country's moderate Islamist Prime Minister, Recep Erdogan, voters are being asked, among other things, to make the military more accountable to courts and hand the power to ban parties from judges to parliament.

Mr Erdogan's opponents, just as they have done in the past, insist that there is a secret agenda behind these supposedly progressive reforms, which is to subvert the secular order that the founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk, established in the 1920s following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

Mr Erdogan is undoubtedly religious. But there is no evidence so far of concealed anti-democratic intentions. On the contrary, most of the Prime Minister's initiatives, such as talking to Kurdish separatists, have been a marked improvement on the oppressive policies espoused by his more secular predecessors.

Britain has long-supported Turkey's entry into the EU, rightly judging that the country would be a powerful asset if anchored more firmly to the West, both demographically and in security terms. Regrettably, that view has not prevailed in Europe for a range of reasons, some to do with racism and a phobia about Islam. But other objections have been well founded, based on a conviction that Europe should not lower its standards on democracy and human rights merely to accommodate Turkey's oft-announced desire to join the club.

If the referendum succeeds, some of those objections will have become redundant. Turkey will be better off internally, and will also be on much firmer ground when challenging those EU countries that want to keep the door closed to Turkish membership.

Turkey's soap opera diplomacy in Bulgaria

noreply@blogger.com (Manof) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:51:00 +0000

Soap operas from Turkey are forging trust and curiosity among residents of Bulgaria, its long-time foe.

Mistrust between Bulgarians and Turks runs deep. The Ottoman Turkish Empire ruled over Bulgaria for some 500 years. Some still look back to 1876, when Ottoman forces committed atrocities against Bulgarians, before the country's independence in 1908. Today, Matthew Brunwasser reports for PRI's The World that many Bulgarians have begun to warm to Turkey's influence because of a not-so-secret weapon: soap operas.
Turkish soap operas are hugely popular in Bulgaria today. One of the main Bulgarian channels shows Turkish soaps six and a half hours a day.

"We are bigots when it comes to Turkey," Atanas Harizanov, a resident of Perushtitsa, Bulgaria, told PRI's The World. Perushtitsa was nearly wiped out in the 1876 uprising, but even there, residents are warming to the Turkish soap operas. "They are changing the consciousness of the people of Perushtitsa, despite the deeply buried pain of the past," Harizanov said. "I don't believe that its hatred anymore. But little by little, the Turkish soap operas are building a bridge of trust and curiosity."
Bulgaria used to consider its southern neighbor backward and strictly Islamic, Brunwasser reports. The shows are changing that by showing glamorous Istanbul locations and attractive characters living modern lifestyles.
"What the soap opera is changing, it's changing perspective," according to Alexei Pamporov, a sociologist at the Open Society Institute in Sofia. "It's showing the European face of Turkey, that that they have good roads, they have good houses, they drive modern cars, they have the same passions that we have, they are not so different than us let's say."
Some Bulgarian residents have high-hopes for the effect that Turkish soap operas will have on their country. On a recent tour of Turkey, Bulgarian Vessela Tomova told The World that the shows are helping make her country more normal. Bulgaria was once isolated during the cold war, and Tomova hopes the soap operas will change that.
"If they change their view towards Turkey," Tomava said, "this means that Bulgarian people are now open to the whole world."

From PRI's The World06 September, 2010 03:09

A Series of Illustrations inspired by the Turkey 2010 Basketball World Championship

noreply@blogger.com (Manof) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:52:00 +0000

This is a project I've been working on recently. I enjoy analyzing art movements, collecting elements from these movements and developing new techniques as well as being attracted to major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup and the FIBA World Championship. I think it's at these events that people present the best part of themselves and their culture. This series of illustrations is the outcome of all these interests combined. More specifically, it focuses on the current buzz going on in Turkey - the hosts of the FIBA World Championship. Turkey is a place where East meets West, so I felt it appropriate to combine Western elements taken from Cubism and Futurism with colours that are commonly seen in Eastern structures - like turquise, pinks and variations of red.

Although these illustrations only cover athletes from Greece (my homeland) and the US (my favorite basketball team and most probably the winner of this Championship), I hope to create a set of all 32 participating countries....that might take forever, but lets see.
Hope you enjoy them!

All illustrations have been created using a personally developed technique of scripts and hacks, and of course loads of patience in Synthetik Studio Artist, the Adobe Creative Suite and the Apple Quick Time Pro platform.
A tribute to Balla, Sironi and Duchamp and the theories of Nino Di Salvatore, Bruno Munari and Rudolf Arnheim.
Illustrations that combine the Neo-Furistic Vector Technique with my passion for Mosaics and collages. American athletes created from US landmarks and Greek players made from beautiful scenes in my country.
All 6 illustrations are created to be used in huge sizes (posters, murals). In order to have an idea take a look at some close-ups.
You can download the original size of these illustrations from my Flickr photostream by visiting my Colors of Basketball 2010 set. You will have to be a registered member to download the files.

For these illustrations I have used photos of basketball players shot by Matthew Jacques, Marty Ellis, Kenn Inness, Richard Paul Kane, Hoops Photos and Klearchos Kapoutsis.All landmarks photos are legally downloaded from Shutterstock, Stock Exchange (SXC). Unfortunately it's impossible to name the hundreds of photographers whose photos are presented in the collages. Hope you understand.

All illustrations are licenced under the Creative Commons license scheme 2.0. You can download and use these digital files for your NON commercial projects but you will have to credit me. More info about the license.

Thanks for your visit and your comments.
Charis Tsevis, September 2010

BY CHARIS TSEVIS VISUAL DESIGN
Visual designer of Greek origin, Charis Tsevis is based in Athens. He serves global clients including Toyota, IKEA, Time, Fortune Wired, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal and many more.
His work has been awarded at Epica, NPSA and Ed-Awards in the US and Europe. Charis Tsevis has studied design and advertising in Athens and Milan and he now teaches Typography and Editorial Design at AKTO College, Greece. He frequently contributes to prominent publications with articles on design theory, aesthetics and cyberculture.

U2 in Istanbul: Turkey on the World's Stage

noreply@blogger.com (Manof) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:42:00 +0000

Lisa Derrick

Pop culture journalist; Writes and edits La Figa at Firedoglake.com

Posted: September 7, 2010 02:37 PM

U2's Turkish debut marks a lot of firsts: the band's first show in Turkey, their first meeting with the Turkish Prime Minister, the first rock concert ever in the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, and the first time in over Thirty years of seeing U2 perform that I have ever heard the crowd react with boos to something Bono said!

Some background-On Sept 12 the citizens of Turkey will vote on a constitutional referendum which changes the constitution set up after Turkey's military coup thirty years ago,exactly on the date of this new vote. I have spoken to dozens of Turks on the street, at the concert and afterward, who are opposed to the referendum, or at least to two major points, the changes in the judicial procedures. I haven't met anyone who is for it. One man told me:

It's sugar coating, a poison pill.

In his welcome to the crowd, after rousing opening that began with "Beautiful Day," Bono spoke about Istanbul being the 2010 European Cultural Capital. Then he mentioned walking across the Bosphorus from west to east with (State Minister and EU chief negotiator) Egemen Bağış and that's when the crowd reacted with displeasure. Bono, always in tune with his audience, turned the tide by saying:

Okay, okay! I won't mention politicians, but can't I be a tourist and walk across the bridge?

The crowd quieted and listened to the singer/stateless statesman state his case for Turkey's global Importance. And began to cheer. Bono is correct in his assessment of Turkey's emerging position on the world's stage. Think about the country's location, economy and balance of secular to religious ideology. does Turkey need the EU?

The concert, attended by 50,000( or more depending on the reporting) drew thousands from all over Europe--I shared a cab with a couple from Kiev, met fans from Prague, Australia, England and Ireland who had come just for this, and local papers pointed out a burst in tourism associated with the concert; walking around Sultanahmet today I spotted three different groups of people sporting official tour shirts from Monday's show.

To coincide Istanbul's cultural celebration, there is an exhibition called 1001 Inventions which highlights Muslim contributions to science, art, agriculture and culture as a whole during Europe's Dark Ages. The accompanying short film 1001 Inventions and the Library of Science stars Ben Kingsley; the balance of East and West is seen again with the timing of this three-month long show set up by Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque.

U2's concert was awesome, lots of surprises, designed specifically for the audience at Ataturk Stadium. You can read more and see photos here. It was truly astounding, very different from the gig in Copenhagen in August and from the Rose Bowl tour on the earlier leg. Some highlights remain, but as with every U2 show there are differences in the set lists, staging and pacing, always allowing room for spontaneity and improvisation, which is why they are the biggest and best band in the world.

"Let's Talk Turkey": Thru a traveler's eye

noreply@blogger.com (Manof) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:13:00 +0000

Lauren Barth, GLAM MEDIA BLOGS, Living editor

Saying au revoir to Paris was bittersweet. I was sad to leave the magical City of Light but eager to travel to exotic Istanbul. With my Tempur-Pedic neck pillow in tow, I hopped on a four-hour Air France flight to Turkey, excited about the built-in naptime. Not even the little kid kicking my seat or the smell of airplane foie gras (apparently it was delicious!?!) could wake me from my oblivious slumber.

Upon arrival, our friendly airport escort retrieved our luggage and led us to our town car. Within minutes, we were off to the Ceylan InterContinental Istanbul. The impressive hotel is the ideal base from which to explore the Ottoman capital’s endless historic sites, museums, restaurants, clubs, and shops. Located in Taksim, the Ceylan boasts beautiful views of the Bosphorus, Istanbul skyline, and Blue Mosque.

We walked into the elegant lobby, and the genuine staff instantly greeted us with warm smiles and outstretched arms. They took our bags and whisked us off to our respective rooms. Talk about VIP. Was this a mistake? My suite featured a sprawling living room, large bedroom, two bathrooms, and a roomy Jacuzzi overlooking the sparkling city of Istanbul. What a view! The coffee table boasted a colorfully decadent spread of goodies and sweets: macarons, baklava, and red wine. I jumped on the plush bed and marveled at my sensational surroundings. The kind people at the InterContinenal had indulged me with a Bosphorus honeymoon suite. (But I only just got engaged!) Either that or this really was a mistake. Well, I certainly wasn’t going to open my mouth. A girl could get used to this type of treatment.

After an hour of unwinding in my luxurious room and attempting to use the intimidating Jacuzzi, I went downstairs to the spa at the Ceylan InterContinental for my massage treatment. I’m used to gentle, petite masseuses, so I was taken aback by the large, muscular man who walked into the room. He had a strong touch, and at times the treatment teetered between pain and pleasure, but after an hour enduring the rubbing, kneading, and de-knotting, I felt wobbly, wonderful, and weak in the knees. I went to the spa lounge, where I had a few minutes to soothe my unsteady body in a heated chair and admire the vast view. Fortunately and unfortunately, I didn’t have the time (or, let’s be honest, the courage) to go au naturel and experience an authentic public Turkish bath. I’d have to live with that decision.

After a quick private shower and one more head dive into that delicious bed, I rejoined the group at the hotel’s City Light Bar, where we sipped champagne and enjoyed the upscale atmosphere and incredible view. After whetting our appetites, we went a short distance to the balcony at Safran Restaurant. There we got a titillating taste of all the traditional flavors that Turkey has to offer. For once my eyes were not bigger than my stomach, and I greedily feasted on every mouthwatering morsel. I could have made a meal of the puffy pita bread, spicy hummus, and savory feta cheese. The roasted eggplant was to die for, and my chicken entrée was simple and fresh. I could tell that this city had my kind of food.

I thought I couldn’t feel any happier, but then dessert was delivered to our table: an assortment of baklavas with fresh crème on top. I thought baklava was baklava. But it turns out you don’t know baklava until you’ve tasted it in Turkey. Sugary, syrupy, and layered with rich, buttery phyllo dough, these pastries were both sinful and heavenly. I was giddy, and a sudden onset of food coma was about to strike in three, two, one …

Luckily for me, I was only a few floors from my posh pad. I retired to my regal room, uncorked the complimentary cabernet, and filled the Jacuzzi with steaming hot water. I hadn’t yet discovered the history of Istanbul or witnessed the diverse culture of the city, but tonight was not about old buildings and legendary landmarks. Tonight was all about me, a bottle of wine, and the sweet suite life.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post. Be sure to wear your comfiest walking shoes. I’ll be taking you on a vicarious walking tour of Istanbul. We’ll go to Topkapi Palace and see how the sultans were spoiled silly. We’ll visit the Grand Covered Bazaar and shop till we drop for souvenirs and knickknacks. And we’ll eat…. Oh, yes, there will be eating.

I woke up Friday morning in Istanbul excited to explore the exotic Turkish city. With so much to see in such a limited time, our morning itinerary was busting at the seams with activities and adventures. I laced up my dorky sneakers and greeted the rest of the girls, who were defiantly rocking stylishly strappy sandals. I was tempted to do a quick shoe swap (blisters be damned!), but this was no time to be a sartorial superhero.

We exited the Ceylan InterContinental, and our fast-talking tour guide led us on foot through the Pera district, which is known as Little Istanbul. We walked along Beyoglu-Istiklal Street and peered into the windows of all the small shops, bars, cafes, and restaurants. I drooled over the delicate desserts on display and found myself running inside to buy boxes filled with sweet souvenirs. (Note: Turkish Delight is not as pleasant as the name would imply. It’s chalky, chewy, and the direct opposite of delightful.)

We made our way to the imposing Galata Tower, where I’m pretty sure I saw Rapunzel drop down her long blond waves. I opted for the elevator—I never did excel at the rope-climbing exercise in gym class. The panoramic view of the sprawling city from the circular balcony was picture-perfect. I was perplexed and astounded that I was standing in Europe while looking across at the Asian side of the city. How could it be that one city could exist on two continents? And is it shameful to admit I didn’t know this geographical tidbit about Turkey until I’d traveled there? I made a goal to somehow cross the invisible line (Swim? Charter a boat? Walk the bridge?) that separates Europe from Asia. I wanted to check another continent off my been-there-done-that list, and this seemed like the fastest, cheapest solution.

After a few minutes of snapping pics and striking poses, we hopped in our private van and took a drive to Topkapi Palace, the original residence of the Ottoman sultans. Beautifully majestic, the magnificent property is now home to imperial treasures, sacred Islamic relics, weapons, jewels, and museum-worthy tokens. Situated on gorgeously manicured grounds, the historic site boasts three lush lawns sprinkled with colorful flowers and lively greens.

We navigated through the sultan’s private rooms, concubine quarters, and buildings that housed his countless wives and endless children. It was a whole other world that I can’t even begin to fathom. A woman confined to the palace could go her entire life without ever laying eyes on a man other than the sultan. She could devote her life to him, serve him as a slave, and bed him as a concubine … and then she could be put to death the next day for getting knocked up! Needless to say, birth control options were few at the time, so there was a whole lot of concubine-killing going on. (Someone should really make an HBO series about this.)

Pretending to be the sultan’s safe-from-slaughter first wife was exhausting work, so after an hour of touring, I was famished. We went the short distance to Karakol Restaurant, located at the former guards’ post on Topkapi Palace. We were treated to a hearty meal of fish, lamb, hummus, and other tasty Turkish temptations. I couldn’t help but feel as spoiled as the sultan himself. A post-lunch iced coffee canceled out the two glasses of wine I had previously downed, and I felt awake and revived. What a satisfying meal!

I was thankful for the extra calories. I needed all the energy I could summon for our next awesome activity: shopping! We were off to Istanbul’s famous Grand Bazaar. The biggest souk in the world, this overwhelming shopping center boasts nearly 400 boutiques, where aggressive sellers peddle antiques, jewelry, gold, leatherwear, and souvenirs. While our guide coached us to “haggle, haggle, haggle,” I might as well have had the word “SUCKER“ tattooed on my forehead. The shop owners took one look at me with my wide-eyed innocence and muttered to themselves, “We’ve got a live one!” I found myself grossly overpaying for pashminas that would sell for $5 in New York City. Evil-eye key chains, necklaces, and mirrors were everywhere, and it didn’t take much coaxing for them to persuade me to buy charm bracelets for each of my friends at home. A traditional Turkish symbol, the evil eye is supposed to ward off negativity. Perhaps I could use one of those too.

While I would have loved to splurge on an authentic Turkish rug or an ornate glass lantern, I knew that these items wouldn’t travel well. My luggage was already bulging, and my wallet was considerably thinner thanks to my previous jaunt to Paris.

After a few hours of frantically failed bargaining, I was spent … and so was my spare cash. We retired back to the hotel, where I was able to relax a bit before dinner. Thank goodness for those sneakers—despite their ample cushioning, my feet were throbbing. And the only thing that made them feel better was the hot, soothing Jacuzzi. I could have stayed in there forever. I would have happily ordered room service and a bottle of bubbly for one, but time was a-wasting and reality was calling.

Our hungry group headed to the iconic Develi Restaurant in Samatya, the historical side of Istanbul. Specializing in the spicy cuisine of the Gaziantep region of southeastern Turkey, Develi is legendary for its kebabs. Our table was piled with samples of every imaginable dish. We ate and ate and ate, and I Ioved every gluttonous moment … now that is what I call Turkish delight.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post. It’s my last day in Istanbul, and I make it to Asia—well, technically speaking. I also rock out at the hottest Turkish nightclubs. Cue the Euro techno music …

All good things must come to an end, so I’ll try to keep my final Istanbul post short and sweet. Our last day in Turkey had a most intriguing itinerary, and I planned to enjoy every single second.

Our first stop was the famous and phenomenal Blue Mosque. With its electric-blue Iznik tiles, the historic house of worship, officially named the Sultan Ahmen Mosque, is a sensational sight. Waiting in line, we were asked to remove our shoes and cover our bare skin. Recycled shawls were provided for those wearing sleeveless tops and short bottoms, but I had done my research—I wore pants and brought a cardigan. (I’m a major germophobe, and the idea of communal clothing horrifies me. Seriously, I’m so grateful I opted for socks.)

Inside, the Blue Mosque is truly astounding. Intricate rugs, detailed decor, and ornate artwork fill the vast venue, which dates back to the early 1600s. Regardless of one’s faith, it’s impossible not to see the beauty and serenity within the four walls of this immensely spiritual space.

Across from the Blue Mosque is yet another architectural gem: Hagia Sophia. The divine structure served as a church for 916 years and a mosque for 481 years. While it was transformed into a museum in 1935, it still has a majestic vibe and ethereal air. With so much religious controversy and hatred in this world, it’s incredible to think that a church and a mosque both existed in this one perfect place.

After enjoying a delightful lunch at the trendy Topaz Restaurant, we set sail on a Bosphorus cruise. With the wind whipping my hair, I breathed in the fresh air and enjoyed the gorgeous views. We zigzagged between both shores of the Bosphorus, and I officially found myself crossing into Asian territory. The Asian side of Istanbul is much more residential. Many people work on the urban European side and commute home to Asia. (This bicontinental factoid still blows my mind.) Despite my geographical confusion, I can now quasi-accurately claim that I’ve pretty much traveled to Asia—if only for five minutes! Now that’s what I call jet-setting.

We returned to the Ceylan InterContinental for a hot minute to swap out our sensible ensembles for frilly frocks and sexy stilettos. We were hitting Istanbul’s super-smokin’Suada Club for dinner. The happening eatery and hoppin’ nightclub is set on an island smack in the middle of the Bosphorus strait between Asia and Europe, so we had to take our second boat ride of the day to get there.

The lounge like venue hosts elegant weddings and fabulous affairs, and I saw many a beautiful bride preparing to party. There’s a large pool surrounded by cushy lounge chairs for paying guests, and the bar serves up creative cocktails to well-heeled patrons. We ate a delicious fish dinner and soaked in the swanky atmosphere. (I never go to places like this in New York City. I’m just not cool enough.)

A few drinks later, we took a third private boat ride from Suada to its sister nightclub, Reina. (We’re super VIP like that.) We were immediately escorted to a table, where we sipped champagne and other vodka-based concoctions, and watched the pretty people flirt, dance, and hobnob. (So this is what people do at clubs?!?)

While the evening was far from over for most of the content clubbers, I finally came to grips with the fact that I am no rock star, and my partying days are long over. The music was giving me a headache, my feet were throbbing, and my eyes were getting heavy. I was ready for a good night’s sleep in my cozy hotel bed and perhaps one last dip in that bubbling Jacuzzi.

Leaving Turkey was bittersweet. I would miss the culture, the fabulous food, and my newfound friends. But I was looking forward to returning home and telling everyone about my spectacular trip to Istanbul (and of course, my awesome experience in Paris!). I had kept my engagement a secret and was dying to tell everyone before my loudmouthed mom spilled the beans. (Love you, Mom!) But I was most excited to reunite with my fiancé. This European trip was a magical adventure in so many ways, and I can’t wait for my next journey … I’m counting down the days till our honeymoon.

http://blogs.glam.com/glamnest/2010/08/30/let%E2%80%99s-talk-turkey-part-i/

Turkish Delight---Now is the time to visit Istanbul

noreply@blogger.com (Manof) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:21:00 +0000

By Harvey Dzodin

Istanbul is actually an extremely interesting city.(Source: Global Times/IC)

By Harvey Dzodin

BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Istanbul is by far the most exotic megacity I have ever experienced. Every time I visit this metropolis, which uniquely straddles Asia and Europe, I am always, without fail, blown away by the sounds, sights and smells of this gem mounted in its unique setting on the Bosporus strait. And as luck would have it, the best time to visit this tourist Mecca is the next few months.

Istanbul has about the same number of people as Beijing, but it is completely different. Both cities are full of history and grand archeological monuments, but they feel worlds apart.

The city's character stems from its rich history. Once part of the Roman Empire, the Emperor Constantine made it his capital, Constantinople, in 324. That Byzantine Empire lasted a thousand years. In 1453 it became the Ottoman Empire, which for several centuries encompassed much of the Middle East, North Africa and southeastern Europe. In the 20th century, Constantinople became Istanbul and the Turkish Republic was established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on October 29, 1923.

I remember when I first visited in 1997, what struck me was the special nature of the city. At the same time neither completely European nor Asian, Istanbul is an exotic mixture not to be found anywhere else on earth.

Istanbul's majestic mosques are some of the grandest places of worship on earth. The 17th-century Blue Mosque is renowned for the beautiful blue tile work adorning its walls. The Suleymaniye mosque, built a century earlier, dominates the skyline with its four minarets (or towers).

Now a museum and before that a mosque, the Hagia Sophia started off as a Christian house of worship and was the world's largest cathedral for nearly a millennium. It is thought by many to be the epitome of Byzantine architecture.

And then there were the sounds. According to tradition, worshippers are called to prayer five times a day from dawn until two hours after sunset. The call is distinctive and from the heart. Because there are so many mosques, it seems like a thousand calls punctuate the air.

The smells too have been firmly wedged somewhere between my nose and brain. The strongest ones are to be found in the Spice Ba

Another thing that Istanbul has that Beijing doesn't is an abundance of water. Water separates Europe from Asia. The Bosporus connects to the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. You can take a ferry or tour boat up the Bosporus to the Black Sea, passing many fine homes, restaurants and such monuments as the Fortress of Europe, which dates from 1452. Another leisurely trip goes to the four Princes' Islands, once a place of exile but now a traffic-free paradise of horse-drawn carriages a short boat ride from Istanbul on the Sea of Marmara.

Another must-see spot is the world-famous Topkapi Palace, the home of the sultans for much of the Ottoman Empire. My favorite part is the beautifully decorated harem. Men can go there in safety now, but in former times only eunuchs were permitted. The famous Iznik ceramics there are a memorable highlight. Close by is the sultans' collection of 2,000 exceptional pieces of Chinese porcelain, which survived the hazardous journey by ship from Chinese ports to Europe.

Istanbul is a city for shoppers. Some of the most modern and elegant shopping centers to be found anywhere are there. Call me old-fashioned, but my favorite place to shop is the Grand Bazaar opened in 1461. It has 58 covered streets and hundreds of shops. Fine carpets, antiques and jewelry are specialties. Bargaining is a must so all of us here in Beijing will feel right at home. Most merchants will offer you a Turkish coffee, tea or my favorite, apple tea, while you sit comfortably in their shop.

Living in Beijing, I appreciate the fact that Istanbul is safe. In fact, its overall crime rate is lower than that of other cities of a comparable size. Not only that but I am always made to feel welcome by the Istanbullus, who go out of their way to be hospitable and welcoming.

It is little wonder then that this year Istanbul was designated by the European Union as the European Capital of Culture. I hope you can go and experience this special place for yourself. It will certainly be a trip that you will never forget.

(Source: Global Times)

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/culture/2010-08/30/c_13469525.htm

Turkey is an ancient trade hub with a bright future

noreply@blogger.com (Manof) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 14:07:00 +0000

By Andrew Cave, Published: 9:58PM BST 14 Aug 2010, Telegraph

Turkey is increasingly attractive to small and medium-sized businesses looking to explore growth opportunities Photo: AP

This is a situation that Turkey, and Istanbul in particular, has been used to for centuries, given the nation's place on the ancient trade routes.

With Turkey opening up more to Western investment in recent years,however, the nation is increasingly attractive to small and medium-sized businesses looking to explore growth opportunities as part of the next stage of their strategy.

This is why Turkey has been selected as the second destination in the series of trade visits being organised by HSBC Bank as part of its Business Thinking initiative.

The programme, run in partnership with Telegraph Media Group, aimed at finding and rewarding innovative and different ways of approaching business, is offering 18 winning companies up to £90m of loans, which come with a financial reward of up to £200,000.

In addition, dozens of people from shortlisted companies are to be flown to networking events in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

They will meet some of the foremost management thinkers in their business fields. The Turkey visit will take place in mid-September.

Turkey is a founding member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the G20 group of major economies.

It had a growth rate averaging an annual 6.8pc from 2002 to 2007, making the nation one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

The country also has an unusually young demographic profile, with more than half of its 72m people aged below 30 and a median age of 27.

Murat Ulgen, HSBC's chief economist for Central and Eastern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, is predicting gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6pc this year and around 4.5pc in 2011, following a sharp contraction of 4.7pc in 2009.

The bank is also forecasting Turkish exports of about $115bn (£74bn) this year, a stable central bank interest rate of 7pc and a range of between 7.5pc and 8pc for the annual rate of inflation by the end of 2010.

The unemployment rate is running at 12pc, while Turkey's budget deficit is between 4pc and 4.5pc of GDP and its total external debt stock works out at about 40pc of GDP.

By the end of this year, Mr Ulgen is forecasting, the size of the Turkish economy will be $720bn, representing per capita income of about $10,000. The current exchange rate is 2.38 Turkish lira to the pound.

In past decades, Turkey has been a byword for high inflation and an unstable economy but reforms were enacted following the economic crisis of 2001 and a new currency, the Turkish new lira (later renamed once again as the Turkish lira) was launched in 2005.

Inflation was driven down to single digits, while the unemployment rate also fell and investor confidence grew.

A series of large privatisations, the stability fostered by the start of Turkey's EU accession negotiations, strong and stable growth, and structural changes in the banking, retail, and telecommunications sectors have all contributed to a rise in foreign investment.

Turkish tourism has also experienced rapid growth in the past 20 years, and constitutes an important part of the economy. In 2008, there were nearly 31m visitors to the country, contributing $22bn to Turkey's revenues.

Mr Ulgen believes that such developments meant that Turkey suffered less than many other nations in the recent global financial crisis.

"During the global recession, we were lucky," he says, "because we had a very strong banking industry.

"Unlike a lot of Europe and the US, the Turkish banking system was very strong, with high capital adequacy ratios, which was a big advantage. Turkey's recovery has been very impressive."

Turkey has a large and growing automotive industry, which produced 1.1m cars in 2008, ranking as the sixth largest producer in Europe, one place behind Britain, and the 15th largest producer in the world.

It produces more cars than Italy and is also one of the world's leading ship-building nations, ranking fourth behind China, South Korea and Japan in the numbers of ships ordered and also fourth behind Italy, the US and Canada in the number of ordered super-yachts.

Turkish brands such as BEKO and Vestel are among the largest producers of consumer electronics and home appliances in Europe.

Mr Ulgen says the best sectors for British companies to target for exports are durable and white goods manufacturers, the automotive industry, the energy sector and infrastructure projects.

At present, he says, Turkey's domestic economy is much stronger than its export economy so UK companies may be better advised to seek sales in Turkey itself, rather than look to use the country as a hub for exporting elsewhere.

Virma Sokmen, HSBC's head of corporate banking in Turkey, adds that because of its young population, Turkey is dynamic and enterprising.

However, she warns that the most successful Western companies in the country have been those, such as Unilever, Cadbury and Reckitt Benckiser, that have adapted their offerings and business practices to take account of Turkey's very strong and individual culture.

"Turkey has a very collective and common culture," she says. "Turkish people value global brands but they also want to see respect for Turkish culture.

"They will want to spend time with you and perhaps your shareholders before committing to business. They are warm and hospitable people and will want to meet over lunch or dinner and get to know who they are dealing with."

Turkey is also quite a highly-regulated environment and Ms Sokmen says that some foreign firms coming into Turkey like to do so through a partner or advisers.

"You do need to build relationships," she says, "but there are lots of business opportunities in Turkey for companies that take the time and make the effort to adapt."

The West must engage, not demonize, Turkey

noreply@blogger.com (Manof) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:25:00 +0000

In Washington and European capitals, it will be tempting to conclude that Turkey is already “lost,” that it is fated to become a rising theocracy that will work against rather than for international order. This would be a grave mistake.

By Daniel M. Kliman, Joshua W. Walker / August 3, 2010

Washington

A hundred years ago, debate raged in Europe over how to exploit the Ottoman Empire’s decline. Today, the Turkish question is turned on its head: How can the West manage an ascendant Turkey?

It can start by understanding Turkey’s position in the world. Turkey is a member of a select geopolitical club: rising democracies. This club encompasses not only Turkey, but also India, Brazil, Indonesia, and South Africa. Their emergence is a crucial – but untold – development of the 21st century.

Rising democracies

Rising democracies offer the West an opportunity to perpetuate the international order founded in the wake of the Second World War. This order enshrines principles such as freedom of the seas, the moral superiority of democracy, and the primacy of free trade. But with economic malaise in Europe and Japan, and looming fiscal constraints in the United States, new partners are needed to sustain this order. The only possible partners are the rising democracies.

Current tensions between the West and one of them – Turkey – should therefore cause concern. Although US and European relations with India, Brazil, Indonesia, and South Africa remain works-in-progress, recent developments with Turkey have few parallels elsewhere.

Turkey’s fiery rhetoric following an Israeli raid on the Gaza-bound ship Mavi Marmara in May and its decision in June to vote against additional United Nations sanctions on Iran have led the West to question Ankara’s future course. Moreover, far from subsiding, areas of disagreement appear ready to flare up at any moment. Flashpoints include the role of Hamas in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and how to respond to Iran’s nuclear program.

In European capitals and Washington, it will be tempting to conclude that Turkey is already “lost,” that it is inevitably fated to become a rising theocracy that will work against rather than for international order.

This would be a grave mistake.

Turkey's unique role

In the Middle East, the other regional heavyweights are either authoritarian allies – Egypt and Saudi Arabia – authoritarian and antagonistic toward the United States – Iran – or democratic but besieged on all sides – Israel. No other state can substitute for Turkey as a pillar of stability and democratic values.

For example, Turkey can positively influence the future of Iraq by helping to resolve long-simmering tensions over the Kurdish issue. And while disagreement exists on the means, Western powers and Turkey share the goal of a non-nuclear Iran; Ankara remains a useful interlocutor with Tehran.

Lastly, only Turkey, as a Muslim-majority state with free and fair elections, can serve as a credible beacon for democracy in the region.

The West is more than a bystander to Turkey’s domestic politics. Its rhetoric and actions powerfully reverberate inside Turkey, both for good and ill.

Demonizing Turkey will bolster the very internal forces the West fears. It will give credence to their claims that Turkey can never be part of the West and allow them to move Turkey’s foreign policy in a more extreme direction.

The right response to current strains with Turkey is therefore deeper engagement.

This is not the same as coddling. The United States and Europe have a responsibility to speak hard truths to their Middle Eastern friends and stand up for their interests when challenged – Turkey’s status as a rising democracy grants it no special exemption here.

British Prime Minister David Cameron’s recent speech in Ankara demonstrated the commitment of Turkey’s friends in the West and should kick-start the process of deeper engagement with the European Union that has been languishing since 2005.

As for the United States, deeper engagement of Turkey should include the following steps:

Action items for deeper engagement

Establish a CEO forum for US and Turkish business leaders. As Turkey’s democracy has matured, business leaders have become increasingly influential. To be effective, deeper engagement must target them.

Institute a more systematic exchange of lawmakers. Personal connections between US members of Congress and Turkish members of parliament remain superficial. Although congressional delegations visit Ankara relatively often, these are more meet and greets than serious, cumulative consultations. A regular annual exchange bringing together many of the same lawmakers will result in a more durable network.

Launch a program to immerse American officials in the Turkish government. The program could be modeled on the Mansfield Fellowship, which currently provides US federal employees with a year of Japanese language training followed by an assignment with the Japanese government.

Double the number of Fulbright exchanges with Turkey. This will enable the United States to develop a larger cadre of Turkey experts and more importantly, will serve as a down payment on a future generation of Turkish leaders with close ties to the West.

Deeper engagement is a long-term process, one that will at times be marked by short-term frustrations as Turkey fails to meet Western expectations – and vice versa. But over the long term, deeper engagement will enable the West to shape Turkey’s rise and encourage it to become a pillar of the international order.

Daniel M. Kliman, a visiting fellow at the Center for a New American Security, is completing a book on rising powers. Joshua W. Walker is a postdoctoral fellow at the Crown Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Brandeis University. As a fellow at the German Marshall Fund, he co-wrote the report “Getting to Zero: Turkey, Its Neighbors and the West.”

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