But behind that copacetic facade, our young Turkish friends indicated, is an increasingly Islamist-leaning Erdogan, and his rightist political party, the A.K.P. After more than 75 years following the revolutionary secularization of Turkish society by President Mustafa Kemal Attaturk, the father of the Republic of Turkey, now there were disquieting signs of Taliban-like extremism -- especially regarding the presence of alcohol in the country's bustling cultural life, and the place and treatment of women. Recently from Erdogan's party, there have been open verbal attacks on the social policies of "Kemalism" and even on Attaturk himself -- especially about the revolutionary Turkish leader's tendency to drink prodigiously.
One Attaturk story that is indicative of the man's political genius: When he assumed power in 1923, there was a raging controversy over which religion should have control of the massive Hagia Sophia Mosque. It had been an Orthodox Christian (and later Roman Catholic) cathedral for centuries and the Christians wanted to restore that control. But in the 15th century, the Moslems had seized it and had maintained it as a mosque for centuries. The dispute threatened to explode into violence in the 1920s. Attaturk had to make the decision. So he defused the entire situation in 1931 by turning it into a national museum. Brilliant!
WOMEN IN TODAY'S TURKEY
Photos and other images of Attaturk are seen everywhere in contemporary Istanbul, and the Western-influenced culture celebrates that more relaxed secular lifestyle in its with-it style and its active democracy. For example, you'd be hard put to differentiate between women in Paris and women in European Istanbul. The fashions and clothes are similar, and the face and head hair are visible and trendily fashionable.
Even Turkish women who adhere to religious codes of dress are not immune to Western-style fashion influences. In a window of a high-end Islamic coat shop on the European side of Istanbul, one could see the long coats, which go demurely all the way to the ground, adorned with Western accoutrements in buttons, colors, design elements, etc. Almost flashy in religious-female circles. When visiting the more Asian part of Istanbul, women are much less colorfully dressed -- more greys, black and dark blues in their coats, hijabs and scarves covering virtually every woman's head and hair.
YOUNG TURKS' FRUSTRATIONS
The young Turks we spoke with in Istanbul and Kapadokya, many of whom have lived in or visited the United States or Paris or Munich, seemed angry, frustrated and discouraged. Some talked openly about emigrating to Western countries because of the more restrictive direction Erdogan and his A.K.P. were taking the country. They didn't see a free and active place for themselves in an increasingly conservative, constricted Islamist society.
So I wasn't surprised when the protests erupted in Turkey a few weeks ago, led in the main by young citizens resentful of the government's crackdown on alcohol-drinking (many of the demonstrators are college students and like their Effes beer) and its anti-environmental stances when favoring more building-development on land designated for use as a popular public park.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
2
2
1
