Some Thoughts

I awoke today with the deep satisfaction of knowing that I would have most of the day free.  Even though this trip has had daily fun and adventure, we have been busy much of the time, and it would have been nice to have had a day to ourselves, at least for those of us not taking classes today.  Members of our group have been and will be taking various classes these last few days, covering such areas as Turkish music, cuisine, and art.  My classes were scheduled to begin tomorrow.  In the morning group session, however, I learned that we could have our Turkish hamam (bath) class today in the afternoon.  Those of us that had signed up discussed our options and decided that today would be a good day.

And so the day suddenly had plans.  We did not have enough time to go anywhere far, so we decided to take the day to relax.  Matt, Hew, Jon, and I decided to have lunch at a pleasant little eatery by the Çemberlitaş tram station.  We realized that much of the trip has revolved around the glorious food here in Istanbul.  Some days it seems that our morning goal is to find a good place to have lunch and our afternoon goal is to find an even better place for dinner.  It is almost miraculous that we have not yet perished of overconsumption.  Matt had an afternoon class, so Hew, Jon, and I took the tram to Kabataş, the end of the line.  It was a fun, spontaneous excursion.  Once we arrived, we found the stadium where Beşiktaş, one of the local football teams, plays.  We also found an impressive Ottoman palace and spent a while walking along the waterfront, enjoying the view across the Bosphorus.

Of note, we also saw something we considered amazing.  There was a fairly old man strolling down the sidewalk, followed closely by a pack of fairly large dogs.  The dogs did not appear to have specific owners or homes, but they faithfully followed this man, crossing the street with him and sitting when he wanted to rest.  It was a picture-worthy site, yet none of us had our cameras with us. In an attempt to better describe what we saw, I decided to do a Google image-search of “dog pack following guy” and insert the first image that came up.  Here is the result: 

Confound it...

On our way back, a large sign hanging off the side of a building caught my attention.  The sign, which had writing in several languages, appeared to accuse Israel of terrorism, adding that the country would by “very, very sad.”  It is easy to get lost in the historical and “touristic” aspects of Turkey, to forget that it is a country undergoing significant changes and causing some degree of tension in the geopolitical region.  The news over the last few days of Turkey’s deteriorating relationship with Israel has not been promising. There has been significant political sparring and diplomatic maneuvering, with some military muscle-flexing thrown in for effect.  It is an interesting and somewhat intimidating situation, as the country seems openly hostile to things relating to Israel.  Yet, the social unease is not limited to international affairs; there appears to be a great deal of concern within the Turkish population about the future of the nation.  Over the last few days, I have met people who have said that the best future for Turkey lies with Erdoğan’s government, and I have met people who have said that the best future lies with the government’s departure.  I have heard of people describing their pleasure in working with Jews, and I have heard of people describing how it would be a pleasure to pick a fight with Jews. 

Turkey is truly a cosmopolitan state, but one seeking to establish uniformity within its population.  It is a country ripe with nationalism and proud of its cultural heritage and history.  This was most evident at the grand Ataturk Mausoleum in Ankara and the attached museum for the War of Independence.  The history of the country is itself almost legendary.  The Turkish way of life was not simply won in war, it was bought through the blood of martyrs, paid by the lives of young men who died facing the enemy, their hands still clutching the Turkish flag.  As an outsider, I cannot help but see the rampant propaganda permeating through the exhibits.  Yet, to much of the Turkish population, this is the story of Turkey, as it has been for nearly the last century.  Now, however, as Turkey expands its influence and develops its position on the world stage, it must come to terms with its true identity, recognizing both the good and the bad.  In essence, the new Turkey that is emerging is changing the ways in which the Turkish people live and think.  Changes are occurring rapidly, and though many of the changes may be positive, people will oppose deviations from the status quo. I do not know what the future of Turkey will be, but it will be interesting to follow the country’s journey through modernity.

 

The longer one spends in Turkey, it seems, the more one comes to appreciate the country and, most importantly, the people. Ali came with us to the hamam and helped us understand the significance of Turkish baths (the whole experience was interesting and relaxing).  Later, some of us joined him and his family at his office for some tea and friendly conversation.  He mentioned that though we may want to return home now, it will only take a few days away from Turkey before we start missing it.  I think he may be right.  I will be glad to go home and I have much that I have to do, but my experience here has been entertaining, educational, and enlightening. I will try to make the most out of the next few days.  There is still much to see, and even more to learn.