Here are some comments from Today’s Zaman readers.
Dear Charlotte: I read your article “Turkey rising” (Oct. 29, 2010) with interest and appreciated the list of books on Turkey that you recommended. I read them all plus many others, including those that describe Turks in a pejorative manner. Bernard Lewis’ “The Emergence of Modern Turkey,” published in 1984, is also a good book, but the forerunner of many books that falsely refer to the death of Armenians during World War I as “genocide,” or, as Lewis used in his book, as a “holocaust,” which has been damaging, though he later retracted his statement. I would also like to suggest books by Mary Lee Settle. Best regards, Yüksel Oktay (Washington, NJ)
Dear Yüksel: Thank you for your comment and recommendations. You are very right about Mary Lee Settle’s book. She spent several years in southwest Turkey in the early 1970s, but in “Turkish Reflections: A Biography of a Place” she describes her return to Turkey in 1989, when she spent some months traveling around the country. Settle’s book is a mix of travelogue, with descriptions that includes some details on linguistic, cultural and religious background and about her traveling companions, her experiences and the people she meets. The author provides some good historical information, with reflections on the complex intertwining of Turkish pasts and presents. I am working through the entire list of books you sent and will share these titles with readers in time. We appreciate your input!
Dear Charlotte: Your article “Being a foreigner” was perfect. It helped me understand a foreigner’s observations and some hitches one can experience while living in Turkey. I assure you these are not only hitches that foreigners have but Turkish citizens also. That said, things are rapidly changing. This is one of the best things about globalization. I would like to see what you think has changed in comparison to the past. From: F. Akkaya
Dear F. Akkaya: We always appreciate having feedback from Today’s Zaman readers. Comments from readers and different pieces I write do reflect how things are changing. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you think Turkey has changed.
Dear Charlotte: My next trip to İstanbul will be different from my recent one. My first tour, which I enjoyed very much, was in fact two packaged tours. I was traveling in Eastern Turkey from Trabzon to Kayseri. A public bus ride from Kayseri to Ankara was a thrill for me when I saw two stewardesses on the bus serve coffee and pastries. I had never seen that before! Then my second tour began a few days later and explored the Central Anatolian areas of Turkey, starting with Sanfranbolu, Huttuşa, Amaysa, Sivas, Divriği, Kahta and around the southern coast to İstanbul. I want to return and spend time in İstanbul. Actually, I first visited Turkey when my navy ship arrived in İzmir for a few days. I bought a Russian samovar at an old bazaar, saw Ephesus for the first time, this back in the 1960s. What most surprised me was seeing all the areas of Turkey in a high growth mode -- new construction of all kinds, new highways, new dams, new high-rises sprouting up almost everywhere. Then there was downtown Sivas in the evenings, watching pedestrians doing an evening walk and finding out the town was “dry.” The hotel bar served only non-alcoholic drinks! Everyday I scan Today’s Zaman and Hürriyet Daily News for all the news about Turkey and I admit much of it leaves me thinking it is “Alice in Wonderland.” I am sure some of this impression is due to translation. I enjoy your column. From: Stephen Douglas (US)
Thanks, Stephen, for the experiences you shared and some of the differences you noticed on your visits.
Around the world, and particularly in Egypt and Tunisia, we are witnessing a congruence of what the people feel and what the government does. By expressing one’s self, it can promote popular sovereignty and may even help key issues be resolved.
Keep your comments coming. We’d love to hear why you think public opinion is important.
