18 Again

In a scene taken right out of a Zac Efron movie, at 31, I’m living in the dorms of a college campus.  Yeditepe University in Istanbul is home until Saturday.  I’m transported back to my late teens, freshly out of high school and on my way college.  The campus rests upon a hill, nestled into the forefront of a small forest.  It’s very beautiful and fitting as Yeditepe means “Seven Hills.”  Of course, Atatürk peers down upon us from an adjoining hill overlooking the campus.  Two large Turkish flags flank him.  The crimson crescent and star is everywhere.  Every.  Where.    

While on campus we’ll have several lectures about all things Turkey and then spend the last week of June exploring Istanbul.  We’re staying in the dorms and eating in the cafeterias.  I’ve never been to a college outside of the US before but this one is pretty similar to what American students experience.  My dorm room is the size of my closet at home and I’m sharing it with a roommate.   The food served in the cafeteria and is exactly what you’d think it would be but with a Turkish flare.    

It’s very strange to be living on a college campus again.  The first day I couldn’t get over it.   Twelve years after first moving into dorms, here I am again!  I don’t miss it and I don’t have any desire to repeat undergrad.  Now if I could just stop eating this Turkish version of a Snickers, I might be able to avoid my second round of “Freshman 15.”

Ata-boy Atatürk

The George Washington/Tomas Jefferson/Benjamin Franklin of Turkey is one man.  Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.  Famously and lovingly known just as Atatürk, which literally translates to “Father of the Turks.”   Mustafa Paşa (pronounced “pasha” and means General) rose through the ranks during World War 1 as a revered solider, officer and general.   Following their loss in the war, he led the charge to salvage what was left of the Ottoman Empire in the Turkish Independence War.   His vision and drive kept what we currently know as Turkey together when everyone-- Greeks, Russians, Kurds, and Armenians-- were scrambling and fighting for parts of the Ottoman Empire.

Upon the establishment of the Republic of Turkey on October 29, 1923, Atatürk was named the first president.  In the words of Stephen Kinzer from the book Crescent and Star, “According to its constitution, Turkey is a secular state with no official religion. But the truth is that Turks profess, and must profess, a highly developed faith enveloped and defining every aspect of their lives.  It is the cult of Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic and now a virtual deity.” Atatürk’s picture is found everywhere.  Perhaps the only thing you see more than the Turkish flag.  In the two schools we visited, his picture hangs in every classroom.   Statues of Atatürk stand in every city large and small.  On a hill overlooking a panorama of Ankara, Turkey’s capital, is Atatürk’s final resting place.  This homage to Turkey’s premier is a marble mausoleum, museum, and cathedral combination lined with roses and Turkish flags.  It’s stunning, magnificent, and majestic.  We had the pleasure of visiting this place and it was remarkable, a fitting tribute to the treasured leader.

After the official establishment of the Turkish Republic, Atatürk took off his military uniform once and for all.  As many leaders make the mistake of seeking additional lands or conquering troubled neighbors, Atatürk instead turned his focus to the people of his newly formed country, his ideas of secularism and “catching up” to the West.  The capital was moved from Istanbul to Ankara, close to the people whom Atatürk ruled. 

Under Atatürk’s leadership, a secular state was formed.  Islam is/was the predominate religion of Turkey but kept separate from all politics and law making.  This practice is even named after the beloved hero, Kemalism.  Beginning by abolishing the caliphate, followed by the dissolution of the Islamic courts and replacing the Muslim calendar with the European one, Atatürk made one reform after another to bring Turkey into his idea of the modern age.  The Turkish language wasn’t exempt.  Turks always had their own language but it was written with Arabic script.  Atatürk unveiled the new alphabet of Latin letters at a gala with all the country’s leading figures in attendance.   Women were given the right to vote and hold public office.  Everyone was told to take a surname.  Anything was allowed except Atatürk, one man alone held that name. 

In every photo Atatürk looks like a Hollywood movie star resembling a dashing Clark Gable.  Mustafa Kemal had light hair and striking blue eyes.  “The Turkish nations has fallen far behind the west,“ he is quoted saying, “The main aim should be to lead it to modern civilization.”  Women were encouraged to take off their headscarves and men wore fedoras.  Atatürk set the standard for dress and it was very Western. 

The protesters of today’s Turkey revere Atatürk’s ideas.  They desire the secular ways and personal freedoms he instilled when the Republic was born nearly a century ago.  The current administration is slowly taking these freedoms away (see Current Events). 

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk remains nearly unknown outside of his own country… but inside these borders there is no one greater.  No one.

Dedicated on this Father's Day to my paşa and baba (dad), Ken Drahota. 

Everywhere is Taksim, Everywhere is Resistance

Tuesday, Prime Minister Erdogan will be at our hotel….  I don’t think we’ll be there but that’s still pretty amazing.  He’s coming to Vilayetler Evi for a conference, will make a few remarks and then leave.  We can't be in the building unless we want to be sequestered or our rooms so we're headed to a mall for the afternoon following our morning at an Ankara private school.  The school is kindergarten through 12th grade.  We get to tour the facility and meet some Turkish teachers... now you're speaking my language!  At the mall we can shop, hit up the book store, sit in a cafe and work and relax a bit.  We've been on the go since we landed 8 days ago.  

Here is a brief update on the protests.  We’ve been in the countryside for most of the week and weekend but we’re hearing news from the people and still trying to follow things closely.  I would be in the thick of things but perhaps I shouldn’t get tear gassed or arrested….. just a thought.  We continue to hound Suat, our guide, for information.  Prime Minister Erdogan and his political party have gone on the defensive.  He has announced there will NOT be early elections and he’s NOT resigning.  The next elections will be held in 2014.  Under his order the police have pulled out of Taksim Square, leaving the protesters be in an “Occupy Wall Street” type manner.  In Izmir the protests have turned into a festival with fireworks and celebrations.  Here also, the police are leaving the people alone.  However, in Ankara, the police continue to intervene using tear gas and plastic bullets.  The young people of Ankara seem to have created a “game” out of inciting the police and then heading out to the local bar. 

While at the Open Air museum two days ago, we heard some people chanting from atop one of the large rock structures.  Suat immediately joined in.  We leaned they were saying in Turkish, “Everywhere is Taksim, Everywhere is Resistance.”  This is just one of the phrases recited by the protesters.  “We are the soldiers of Atatürk” is another.  Atatürk is the beloved first president of Turkey.  Under Atatürk's leadership people had many personal freedoms.  Atatürk staunchly believed in secularism and created a Turkish nation where although Islam is the main religion, it doesn't mix with politics and the goverment.  Erdogan is mixing the two and it's created the tension that lead to the current status of people in the streets protesting.  (click here for more on this)   

The movement grows daily.  Unlike the “Occupy” moment in America which it’s been compared to, this truly has the potential to make change.  We’ll know more and more during our stay, especially during our time in Istanbul and watch the progression before leaving at the end of June.  Stay tuned.  

I spoke too soon... it's now early Tuesday afternoon and we're hearing that as of 7:27 am today, the police in Istanbul have attacked the protesters and are forcefully removing them from Taksim Square.  While at the school today (which was beautiful and so welcoming to our party) we had lunch with the staff and students.  During lunch we heard the clink of silverware on the glasses.  All the students joined in and it got quite loud.  This is sign of their solidarity to the protest movement.  The teachers allowed it to continue and the noise died down after about a minute and a half.  The teachers and administrators shared with us they are part of the protests too!  After work they join the protests and demonstrate their support for the removal of Erdogan.  Erdogan's tactics of pushing his ideas on the people and essentially doing whatever he wants has isolated him from the people and caused this discourse.  Turks want Ataturk's legacy to live on with the continuation of democracy.  Now that I'm Turkish, this is what I want too!  Actually, I'm just for civil rights for all humans, even though Turkish humans are my favorite right now. 

On the Ancient Silk Road

For the second time in my life I’m traveling the Silk Road.  Saturday we struck out for Kapadokya (Cappidocia), a province in central Turkey.  We stopped along the way at Agzikarahan Kervansarayi.  A kervansarayi (or in English, caravan surai) was a stopping point along the Silk Road.  Caravans of 300+ would stop for days at a time.  In today's world we'd call it a gas station/hotel/Target combo.  It reminded me of a mini-castle.   There was nothing left of this one except the stone structure but it was pretty amazing to be standing in such an ancient place.  Not the first time on this trip I strolled through a place so ancient I couldn’t grasp the actuality of it and stood there like a senseless fool saying, “this is crazy, this amazing” over and over. 

Next stop was Tuz Gülü (Salt Lake).  Tuz Gülü is the second largest salt lake in the world.  Our group joined other tourists walking in the lake; the deepest part is only 120 cm.  The bottom of the lake is salt, not sand, and it’s not like table salt, it’s salt rocks.  Walking into the lake is like walking on gravel but we endured this texture for the experience (and free pedicure- minus the polish - after exiting the lake my feet and calves felt crazy soft!)  Turkey gets 60% of it’s salt directly from this lake, which had 33% salt saturation.

The thing I love about Turkey, excuse me, one of the many things I love about Turkey, is nothing is blocked off.  At Tuz Gülü we just marched right in.  At the museums, you can touch everything.  In Konya when Trent and I were in the midst one of our many laughing hysterics, I accidently took a laugh break on a 3,000-year-old rock.   Which just made us laugh harder at the fact that I was resting my forehead on an ancient rock…  There are many open-air museums where you walk among the ruins, artifacts, and excavations.  It’s nothing like Western preservation; everything is open and available for the people to interact with.  PLUS, there isn’t some commercialized shop at every stop.  Yes, there are markets and shops at the sites but they are all local products and local vendors.  It’s refreshing.  

Our hotel in Kapadokya is bananapants!  First off, it’s in a town called Mustafapasha.  Mustafapasha, that rolls off the tongue in such a great way.  It’s a Tuscan villa in the middle of Anatolia.  In truth, it’s Greek not Italian.  A-ma-zing!   While seeing the sites in Kapadokya, we visit an open-air museum of ancient churches and climb over, under, and in between the Fairy Chimneys.  Fairy Chimneys are volcanic formations that look just like their name.  We crawled/walked through the underground city of Kaymakli, used for protection from the Persians, not for everyday living.  It was intelligently built with a ventilation system and several rooms dedicated to making wine during their stay underground.    

On Monday we left for the Hittite capital, Hattusa.  As we drive through the Turkish countryside, the scenery is enough to bring tears to my eyes.  Literally.  I’m overwhelmed with emotions and can feel my heart swell.  Beautiful plains of vivid, buttery yellow grasses spread across the open fields while vibrant poppies line the roadside.  Low-hanging clouds rest upon stunted mountains in the distance.  We stop at one point so sheep can cross the road.  I’m in a picture right out of National Geographic.  

It's Rumi In Here

 In generosity and helping others
                           be like the river.
In compassion and grace
                            be like the sun.
In concealing others' faults
                            be like the night.
In anger and fury
                            be like the dead.
In modesty and humility
                            be like the soil.
In tolerance
                            be like the ocean.
Either appear as you are or
                            be as you appear.  

On Wednesday I walked among the ruins of the oldest settlement in Europe, Çatalhöyük (outside Konya, Turkey). 

.... and in the first church of the Roman Empire, Aya Elenia, (Sille, Turkey).  

 

Thursday we met Esin Çelebi, the 22-times-great granddaughter of Mevlânâ, known to Westerners as Rumi.   As is customary in Turkey, we were served çay while listening to her speak.  She sat along side us in a circle at the Ususlararasi Mevlânâ Vakfi (InternationalMevlânâ Fondation).   A lovely peace filled the room.  As Esin Hanim spoke in her soft, eloquent, refreshing Turkish, I was moved by her golden, calming aura.  Her words were precisely chosen as she spoke of the foundation's goal of spreading the teachings of her ancestor, Mevlânâ.  

 

Love is the cure,
for your pain will keep giving birth to more pain
until your eyes constantly exhale love
as effortlessly as your body yields its scent.                      -Mevlânâ

We then visited the museum and gravesite of Mevlânâ.   Mevlânâ (Rumi) is a bit misunderstood in Western society.  Mevlânâ Celaleddin Rumi (1207-1273) was a great Turkish and Islamic mystic.  He is part of the Sufi branch of Islam.  In order to understand Mevlânâ, one must have knowledge of Islam.  Here’s where Westerns go wrong, as I’m pretty sure every Westerner has zero familiarity with Islam.  (I almost went on a rant about this but refrained.  Applause!  My goal on this trip and in life is to constantly grow and learn.  I will be the change I want to see in the world.)  Islam is a religion based on love and peace.  An essential part of Islam is pluralism.  Pluralism is a positive attitude to diversity.  It recognizes different cultures, religious communities, and their peaceful-coexistence in a given environment.  Diversity and pluralism in Islam are as such:  in the Divine Unity there is also the unity of creation. God’s creation is one and God’s guidance is one.  The ultimate goal of creation is to worship God and manifest His glory.  Although Prophets (not just Muhammad but prophets of other religions as well) are many, their essential message is one in the same.  Islam underlines a historical continuity of divine revelation, beginning with Adam and ending with Muhammad. 

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."           -Mevlânâ 

Among his works, which cover love and tolerance, the Mesnevi is well known.   “Sema” has become one of the symbols of the Mevlevi path, or the path of Mevlânâ. Accompanied by music and systemized by certain rules, the whirling movements of “Sema” represent the human’s approaching to reality, leaving the ego though love and wisdom, his annihilation in God, and his returning again to service as a mature human being.  You may have heard of them as the Whirling Dervishes (Dervish).  I bought two books about "Rumi" and I can't wait to read them.  I want to know all there is about this man and his ways. 

Speaking of love and tolerance, Turkey’s history is chalk-full of it.  During the Ottoman Empire, which dissolved not even a century ago after WWI, the Millet System was in place.  (The Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923 after the Turkish Independence War).  The Millet system is the self-management of different religious communities according to their own laws, customs and traditions while living under Ottoman rule.  Communities of Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the Ottoman Empire experienced a high degree of equality among all the Ottoman subjects.  Each group was given full jurisdiction and autonomy for the operation and maintenance of their own social, religious and educational institutions.  All people acquired and shared the same status as full members of the State.  Jewish, Greek, and Armenian merchants dressed and acted like Muslims, belonged to the same class, and enjoyed the same rights and privileges.  Many of the skillful non-Muslim subjects took active part in the administrative services.  So there you have it: Anatolia has long been a place of thoughtful acceptance of all people. 
 
 “O son, never forget! Make the people live, so that the State lives on.” 
                       -Shaykh Edibali, the Teacher of Osman I, the Founder of the Ottoman State

With the start of the Republic of Turkey, the religious diversity of Anatolia decreased.  In fact, in 1923 a contract was signed between Greece and Turkey inciting the largest population exchange in history.  1.2 million orthodox Christians left Turkey for Greece and 500,000 Muslims migrated to Turkey.  Turkey is about 99% Muslim today.  The country’s ethnic diversity is still alive and present.  Speaking of Muslims, for the first time in my life I was in a mosque.  It was beautiful.  The men and women of our group entered together as it wasn't prayer time.  During the time of prayer, it's customary for women to enter and pray separately. 
 
As if all of this wasn’t enough excitement, I can also now say I’ve been to a Turkish bath.  Enough said. 

Friday we went on a tour of the Parliament building.   After the tour we dinned at the Parliament building.  I swore I wouldn't take pics of food like everyone else but I caved once the food was being served to me at Parliament (where normal people aren't allowed).  The first dish was artichoke, the second spinach with Turkish yogurt.  Both were exquisite. 

Our jaunts for the day (the list just keeps going) concluded with the Turkish Constitutional Court.  We were informed upon our arrival they’d hosted a delegation from Montenegro that morning… and then us in the afternoon.  Hilarious.  We don’t even compare to a delegation from another country yet we were treated like royalty!  We walked into a plush conference room where sweets, notepads, and water were awaiting us at our seats.  Mehmet Oguz Kaya, the Secretary General, shook hands with all of us and then sat at the head of the table.  He explained the philosophy of the court, joked with us, and çay was served.  After some more discussion about the workings of the Court, the servers entered again with special Turkish ice cream that was the best thing I’ve ever tasted.   It’s made from goat’s milk.  We concluded the tour with pictures sitting in the justices’ chairs and GIFTS! 

Just another day in Turkey....   

Current Events

Our tour guide for our overnight trip to Konya, Suat, was part of the protests in Ankara and shared his story with us.  First, I have to apologize for incorrectly telling everyone nothing is happening.  Something is happening.  Second, I have to say this is a big deal.  Both Suat, who was in the thick of things, and our Turkish coordinator Dr. Gökhan Çapoglu, who happens to be a former Parliament member AND economic policy professor, agree these protests could lead to change in the Turkish government.  Specifically, the removal of Prime Minister Erdogan (Erdogan).  

Suat's very memorable line was, "This all started with a tree."  The protesters, along with a Kurdish Parliament Party Parliament member, were attempting to stop the construction of a shopping mall in Taksim Park.  The polis (police, just in case you couldn't make that translation) were "containing" the protests at first but then it turned to dispersing them using plastic bullets and tear gas.  In Ankara, which is where Suat was and therefore my primary source for this information, protesters started taking scarves for their faces, and then the next night gas masks, and then the next night full suits like firemen.  Protesters then began to construct barricades against the polis and throwing the tear gas bombs back.  The protests are building.  It began in Istanbul and is now in almost all of Turkey's 81 provinces.  The movement is largely on social media since the Turkish media isn't airing coverage of the events here in Turkey. 

Dr. Gökhan gave a fascinating and incredibly relevant lecture this evening.  The topic of the lecture:  The Turkish Political System.  So fitting considering we are here at a time of social unrest and protests against the government.  We are going with Dr. Gökhan this Friday to Parliament, the Embassy, and the Constitutional Law Court (wish you were here, sis!).  I’m about to be real familiar with the Turkish government.  

Now I will attempt to relay the information we learned in a manner that is brief yet informative and will hopefully help the readers of this blog, all three of you, understand what’s going on.  I will do no justice to Dr. Gökhan and the Turkish government as I'm not a writer, scholar, or political aficionado even though I pretend to be all three.  I'm just a girl with a laptop.  Here's how Turkish Parliament works in the broadest summation of all broad summations.  (Deep breath).  There are several political parties in Turkey.  People become members of these parties.  Unlike other European parliament systems, in Turkey you do not pay dues to be a member.  Each party selects a leader.  The party leader controls the party.  If/when the party gets the majority of the vote then that party's leader is Prime Minister and controls Parliament.  The Prime Minister then enacts the laws he wants… in addition to determining the high court justices.  Aside from all of this (pause for breath), as a Parliament member of the party in power, you canNOT vote against the party leader.  Thus creating an "elected dictator."  

Here's how things get sticky (stickier?).  The leaders of these parties do not always rise to power on a shiny cloud of good morals and strong ethics.  Gasp!  In order to become leader, you need the majority of votes of the delegates in your party.  So, for example if there are 1,200 delegates in your party voting for leader, you need 601 votes.  The problem arises when an eager politician seeks to become leader and does it by any means necessary.  Bribery, not always with money such as promising people jobs or contacts, can do the trick.   Such is the case with Prime Minister Erdogan.  In summation of this paragraph, you don’t have to be educated, honest, have integrity, or well-intended ideas to become the leader of your party, which sometimes leads to a seat in the Prime Minister’s chair. 

P.M. Erdogan’s party, The Party of Justice and Development or as they’re known here:  AK Part, is more conservative than they claimed to be when they first won the election.  They promised to preserve secularism and personal freedoms, something Turkey was founded on under first president Ataturk.  But as most politicians do from time to time, Erdogan is no longer keeping the promises made at election time.  The people in the streets want the government to stay out of their business. They want the protection of their lifestyle and freedoms without censorship. Makes sense to me… 

I’ll continue to update as we’re here in Turkey during this time of what could be great change.  I’m also going to keep closer tabs on Syria as I was informed that Turkey could be directly affected by the dissolution of Syria.  Oh yes, the plot thickens.  Turkey and Syria as well as other surrounding countries have Kurdish populations.  Without a country of their own and if they lose Syria, a moment to create a Kurdish country would create some issues in Turkey.   For now I have a front row seat to history in the making.