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Izmir, Turkey
Today, for the 1st time, I visited Turkey, an ambivalent nation torn between East and West, between past and present, secular and conservative religious. Once one of the most powerful empires in the Western World (spanning Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, and North and East Africa), Turkey was reduced to a small country for fighting with Germany after WWI. Today 70% of Turkish citizens wish to join the EU. They have appealed several times for membership, which would make it the 1st Muslim EU nation.
I awoke feeling queezy and felt it unwise to take my planned group tour to Ephesus. After remaining on board ship to rest awhile, I decided to venture into Turkey by myself. Surely I had not come all this way to miss a visit to Turkey—sick or well!
I must admit I had mixed emotions about exploring a Muslim nation as a woman, alone. I was quickly reminded of how secular this Sunni Muslim county is as a strolled through cosmopolitan Izmir.
I took a taxi to Konak where I roamed through the bazaar. My impression was: male-dominated but the young woman were hip and progressive. The shops were trendy, reminded me of similar commercial districts in European cities. I heard Alicia Keyes and Michael Jackson blaring from the shops.
Next, I sat in the pigeon-filled, park of the clock tower. I watched the passers-by. From Dads with sons, to flocks of school girls, to older men drinking (and some were pouring) coffee, to head-covered, body-covered older women, to gypsies begging. I felt like a fly on the wall and a part of at the same time. I bet only my photo-taking suggested I was not from there.
The Turksh flag is prominently displayed everywhere.
At prayer time, a voice called worshippers to prayer from the minaret.
As with most places I visit outside the US, here too, I saw Mc Donald’s, Burger King, KFC, and Starbucks.
I felt this countries identity crises as I sat in the park. I could see clearly how its personae is divided between east and west, past and present, secular and religious. I look forward to my next visit to the Muslim world In two days, we will arrive in Egypt.
Update: A tornado killed people in Turkey and specifically in Izmir 6 days after I was there.
Here is an article written by a journalist with limited written English-language skills:
December 19 Tornado fear
Harsh wind turned into a tornado in the city of Izmir. Tornado threw away the security cottage of a settlement unit. It crashed to Mustafa Kose who is a shepherd and was working around the environment in which the bad event occurred.
Kose died and the security guard injured.
The Asian Sea overflowed in Izmir becaused of the tornado and the heavy rain and blocked routes between villages.
An estimated 600 residents of the village expressed their fear while two minute that tornado continued.
