With thy body I thee honor!

A few days ago, in a fit of intellectual wanting, I was flicking through the TED Talks website. I viewed some great lectures, most of which went like a Turkish airlines flight coming onto land, i.e over my head. Then up popped one by Mustafa Aykol, a well respected journalist for the Turkish Hurriyet Daily news. In his well presented and articulated oratory at Warwick University in England, he hypothesized that most of the things we associate with Islam are in fact tribal traditions and not connected with Islam at all, the wearing of headscarves and polygamy were some examples he conveyed.  It was a most enlightening talk, much appreciated by those gathered who warmly gave him a rousing round of applause at the end. Even myself was most impressed and definitely he gave me something to think about. Although, there was one area he mentioned so briefly if you had sneezed you would probably have missed it. Honor killings, again were something that had it’s roots solely in the traditions of tribes and not in the Koran according to Mr Aykol. 

Now, I mention this as this week, saw another horrific murder of a woman in Turkey by the crime known as “Honor killing” – was there ever such a perfect oxymoron as this? Dilek Duyuş a 34 year old woman was murdered by four men, including her ex-husband . Immediately all arrested the husband declared, obviously with a sense of pride “my honor is restored’. The question is where does this man’s “honor” come from? Does it, as Mr Aykol suggest come from a deep rooted past tribal tradition or as some believe from the man’s indoctrination into his faith.

Honor killings – murder would seem a more appropriate verb, are of course not a modern phenomenon. For those that remember their Shakespeare will remember the Bard’s tragedy Titus Andronicus. Set in the time of the Roman Empire, Lavina, the hero's daughter had been raped and mutilated, and Andronicus contemplated her "honor" killing.

Titus: Was it well done of rash Virginius
To slay his daughter with his own right hand
Because she was enforced, stained and
deflowered?
Saturninus: It was, Andronicus...
Because the girl should not survive her shame

With this Lavina’s fate was sealed.

The origin of honor killings and the control of women is evidenced throughout history in the culture and tradition of many regions. Roman law gave complete control to the men of the family for both their children and wives. Under these laws, the lives of children and wives were at the sole discretion of the men in their family. Ancient Roman Law also established historical roots of honor killings through the law stating that women found guilty of adultery could be killed by their husband in whatever manner the husband desired. In ancient Rome, being raped was seen as dishonorable to the point of destroying a woman's life and reputation, and honor killing was supposed to be a "merciful" act.^[In ancient Greece also, the lives of women were dictated by their husbands as women were considered socially below males. So, with this it would seem that the “honor by killing” date back to even before the Faith of Islam was born. Which in turn would seem that Mustafa Aykol’s reasoning that this most wicked of crimes is not an Islamic problem but a world and tribal one.

Instinctively though, the obvious flaw in Mr Aykot’s rational is the time frame on which he works on. The traditional tribalism of ancient Rome and Greece fell by the wayside and with it the act. Picking up the baton Islam, although no obvious scripture in the Koran supports the crime, seems to have ran with it and continues to this day. The parasitic evil of honor killings jumped onto it’s  back, unfortunately it is a parasite that Islam does not seem to want to scratch off and silently allows it to live deep inside it’s culture and fester accordingly.  In modern times according to statistics by Berkley University in 2010 titled, The Modern Face of Honor Killing: Factors, Legal Issues, and Policy Recommendation, 93% of all honor based murders are committed in the Islamic world. Mr Aykol may have a point that the crime has it’s roots in tribal societies, however the branches are now fully grown in the lands of his  faith – and to be ignored at the peril of the life’s of thousands of woman throughout the world. 

One can rightly understand Mr Aykol’s need to want to protect his faith in any negative portrayal. Surely though, that protection has to stop when woman are being murdered throughout that faith and throughout the Islamic world.  One does not need to look further then Mr Aykol’s own country to see the scale of the problem. According to the last governmental statistics in 2007, State Minister Nimet Çubukçu's  revealed that the number of "honor killings" in Turkey in the five years previous. In that time span 1,806 women died from murders committed by their families who believe their daughters,wifes, sisters had somehow disrespected the family honor. Another 5,375 committed suicide in the same time frame. These numbers show that one woman dies from an honor killing each day. A truly shocking number! Mr Çubukçu's, solution for these wicked crimes?  Opening “courses” for woman throughout Turkey. Wouldn’t it have been better if the courses were directed at the male gender?

Until recently, under Turkish law honour killers could get a reduced sentence claiming provocation. However, four years ago, as part of Turkey's campaign to join the European Union, it introduced a mandatory life sentence for the crime. But the change in the law hasn't reduced the killings. Instead it appears to have given rise to a sinister new twist. That of forced suicides of woman seen to have stained their honor thus saving a male family member the hassle of killing and the hassle of a life sentence. The city of Batman for example, has seen a distinct rise of female suicide since the new law was introduced.

Turkish woman are starting to fight back though. Using the International day for women, in the past couple of years demonstrations have taken place in some of the larger cities in the country. In Ankara, 2000 marched last year decrying the acts that have been committed against their own gender. Sadly though, the marches do not seem to extend to some of the more Eastern cities where the core of the problem would seem to be. Alas, it is when the male species of the country join alongside them, that is when change may slowly be seen

.

What really can be done though to stop the rivers of female blood flowing day by day, month by month and year by year? Hopefully something better than what was once suggested by Iraqi Accord Front MP Hashim al-Taee. Who in 2008 incredulously suggested.

“A woman might be asked to practice prostitution for money than be killed for her honor. Economic solutions are needed - not legal ones.”

While one can congratulate the Turkish government for increasing the jail time for the murderer, it also must address the motivations behind honor killing, it also must address the consequences of the practice, as well as the circumstances which perpetuate it. The creation of more shelters for woman in danger threatened with an honor killing will provide protection for potential victims.

Other helpful facilities that governments could provide include juvenile-detention- educational centers where under-age perpetrators can be educated about the practice’s implications on legal and human rights. Educational institutions should include in their curriculums a mandatory segment on religion, which explains that honor killing is not condoned by but, in fact, goes against religious values. In addition, Turkish penal code should order the state to mandatorily and permanently take custody over any minors in the care of an honor killing’s defendant. Such a policy could deter future generations from learning and practicing the same custom of murder as their care givers.

Finishing back where I started, Mustafa Aykol, is true that honor murders are not an Islamic creation, in fact nor a creation of any of the Abrahamic faiths. However, Turkey is not a tribe anymore, it is a country.  A country that strives to show to the world it is new, modern and progressive. It is also a country with a Prime Minister who Mr Aykol openly supports in his articles in the Turkish and World press. A Prime Minister who In 2010, talking to invited representatives of women's organizations at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul  confessed: "I don't believe in equality between men and women.". A Prime Minister, that Mustafa Aykol supports who in 2011 on International Women's Day, whilst  discussing violence against women and statistics stating that so-called honor killings had increased 14-fold in Turkey from 2002 to 2009 declared “ it was only because more murders were being reported, and that there are basically few acts of violence against women”.  When a male role model, that a vast number of Turkish males follow, speaks with such flippancy at crimes against the women of Turkey, is there really any hope?

Unfortunately, the name of Dilek Duyuş, the poor unfortunate woman, murdered in the name of honor this week, is destined to just be another statistic. A faceless number buried deep under the ground just as the appalling crime that stole her soul is being done.

Westy

“…..I have been all over the world and…”

The room was first class, clean, spacious and warm. Food, plentiful and gratifying. Staff, kindness and helpful personified. So sat in my hotel room overlooking the graceful and winding Yesilirmak river in Amasya, I felt compelled to share my judgment on this lovely family run hotel. So, what better place to avail the travelling world of my thoughts then the mecca for the world’s wayfarers , the website tripadvisor.com. On sending my post under the hotel’s name, I decided to check and see what others had experienced in this wonderful place. The first one on the list, not two weeks before me had written:

“ This hotel could best be described as an advertisement on how NOT to run a hotel. The food is mostly inedible and when I wanted to complain, the manager was never around and the staff’s English virtually zero. My stay in Amasya has been ruined because of this place"….definitely do not stay here”

I sat in wonderment of how someone just two weeks before me had viewed the same hotel in such total contrast to my own. The next posting on the list:

“ Here is a gem of a hotel, my stay in Amasya was enhanced staying here. I can not fault the staff and me and my husband, who is disabled, decided to eat in the hotel every evening as the food on offer was out of this world. First class hotel ”

So it continued, it seemed for every positive posting the laws of balance threw in one of discourse.  Of course, we all have different requirements, different standards of living and different attitudes to people and ultimately different opinions on what is classed as satisfactory and not. However the contrast in opinions based on this hotel was distinctly black and white!

Now, I have a passing interest in the hotel trade. My dear wife is a Front office manager in one of the multitude of five star resorts along the beautiful Antalya coastline. With this in mind, the contrasting reports on the Amasya hotel should not have taken me by surprise. In the summer months, not a week goes by when my poor wife is forced to answer an accusation by a guest who on return to their country had decided to seek compensation on some grievance experienced in her hotel. Interestingly, the majority of the complainants never raise an issue whilst undergoing their" “holiday from hell” but wait until their return home to vent their anger!

Take for example the summer of 2012. These are genuine complaints by guest received at her hotel, word for word.

“ We were informed by the brochure that the average daytime temperature in Antalya in July was 34.6 degrees. During the two weeks of our stay, on checking with the local meteorological office website, the average daytime temperature for the fourteen days was 39.7 degrees. Thus making it impossible for us to leave the air conditioned room”  - Franz Klein, Cologne

“ On squeezing the oranges in the breakfast hall using the machine provided we discovered the orange juice was not fresh!” – Olga Alexopoulo, St Petersburg  

“ Being a family run hotel me and my husband were amazed to see to see so many bikini clad woman, which made trips to the beach and pool uncomfortable for our children”  - Saif Hamad, Oman

“ I purchased a pair of Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses from the boutique situated in your hotel for 25 lira (approx 18 dollars) on returning home I have since discovered that the said sunglasses were in fact fake and a cheap imitation “ – Wolfgang Richter, Munich

“ My family came to the ****** Hotel along with Sister’s family. On comparing my one bedroom suite  we discovered it was a lot smaller than my sister’s two bedroom suite”  - Amanda Thorp, Sutton

“On using the hairdryer in our room, it was set to such a high temperature that my daughter had to undergo expensive  hospital treatment for burns to her hair when we returned to Moldova” – Domanica Cemerton, Chisinau

Amusing I think you will agree, however it has to be pointed out that these are not some throwaway lines on a website that most people, if they are intelligent enough, take with a pinch of salt. These are taken from official complaints that the hotel had to deal with on a legal level. They are costly, time consuming and damaging!. A few months ago, I was talking about this issue with my wife’s boss, the hotel manager, over a coffee. A likable, highly intelligent and experienced man with over 25 years experience in the tourist industry. He explained that in his hotel/resort that the percentage of guest that complain works out at less than 4%. “Seems, such a small amount in a resort that has upwards of 1500 holiday makers a week staying in the Summer season” I offered to him. He agreed, however went on to tell me that this 4%, cost in the region of 80,000 US dollars a year in legal cost, translation cost, and time taken by hotel staff to deal with these crazy complaints – although was honest enough to explain that some guest had genuine cause to complain!

Continuing with the tripadvisor.com website, I decided to look up some other hotels that I had stayed at in recent years. Some hotels that had been excellent, some that had been adequate and some that had been not so great. However none that I had ever felt such a degree of discomfort as to ever publicly complain.  Smilingly, I was happy to see the the well worn phrase “ …..this is the worst hotel I have ever stayed in” plastered in criticism on various hotels. The prelude to this sentence is of course always “ I have stayed in hotels all over the world and…..”. I just love it when someone writes that! I visualize that the persons “all over the world” equates to once being forced into an overnight stay at a Travelodge of the M6 after their Ford Fiesta broke down on the way back from a Take That concert at the Manchester Arena! Their second “world travel adventure” probably being , Julie’s Hen night In Dublin and staying in a Bed and Breakfast run by a lovely Irish lady called Mrs Donelly!. Not so much Phileas Fogg but Phyllis Bog standard!


To balance the scales, one would love to see a website set up by Hoteliers the world over entitled guestadvisor.com. Great summaries of guest could be shared the world over baring entry into any hotel they step foot in! One can only imagine with joy at some of the entries:

GUEST NAME: Mikael Zblovaninch
COUNTRY of BIRTH: Bulgaria
HOTEL:  Black Eagle Hotel, Fethiye
DATE: 2.06.2012 – 16.06.2012
COMMENTS:

This tiresome individual stayed in our hotel during the dates above. Unfortunately it seemed that the gentleman has some type of allergy to water, thus it seems, making it unable for him to shower or wash during his stay with us. This allergy did not extend to all liquid post items though as proved by his ability to consume Vodka and cola from dawn to dusk. His inability to use the lavatory in the room still baffles us, unfortunately in his vodka induced slumber he seems to have  mistakenly understood that his bed was for urinating in – much to the discomfort of the chambermaids who had to endure changing urine soaked sheets day in and day out! I would not allow this man to stay in a Cattery let alone a hotel!

GUEST NAME: Trevor (our kid) McNally and family
COUNTRY of BIRTH: Liverpool, England
HOTEL:  Hotel California, Palma, Mallorca
DATE: 7.09.2012 – 21.09.2012
COMMENTS:

 Mr McNally, and his family, wife and seven children stayed with us recently. In all my years as a hotelier I have never witnessed such chaos caused by one family. I am writing this one week after their stay and have had to close the hotel to enable emergency redecoration of the premises. Taking the “all inclusive” concept to the maximum, the McNally family decided to attempt to drink the hotel dry of every alcoholic beverage held in our hotel. Unfortunately this included the children right down to seven year old “Kenny junior” who then on joining the child’s area removed the other guest children’s private property with menaces and at knifepoint!. The McNally family are a living and walking advert as to why contraceptional drugs should be induced at birth to some specimens of humankind!.

To counteract this seemingly need to voice and bemoan at the slightest thing that some guest seem obliged to do – usually with photographic evidence.,my wife’s hotel recently made a startling observation. It transpired that guest who had experienced a lack of respect or a problem checking in on arrival would in all likelihood hate everything about the hotel from that moment on.  Take for example a German guest that arrived last year. On arrival he was confronted with thirty other guest checking in and out at the same time. Forced to wait his turn, he unfortunately had to wait slightly longer than one would want to – 15 minutes to be precise! After 15 minutes his camera came out to take a photo of the queue in front of him, and from that moment on his Sony point and shoot never left his hand. The whole two weeks of this man’s Summer holiday, that had cost him and his wife over 2000 Euros, was spent on the hunt for any annoyance, hitch and disagreement he could discover.

On his return to his homeland he filed a court case against the hotel in a thirty – yes thirty, page document which included over one hundred indiscretions. From the minor “the “<” symbol of the volume button on the TV remote control had worn away to the major “there was a main sewer pipe running from the hotel beach into the sea where human excrement spewed into those swimming around”. All with photographic evidence. Of the hundred complaints he had raised only two were seen to be legitimate by the court. In fact, on inspection,the sewer that he had so carefully photographed transpired to be a water pipe that took spring water, good enough to consume, from the mountains behind the hotel into the sea and fully 700 meters away on a public beach!

The man had made one very big error though, in his wisdom he had decided to log every single complaint on a public travel website, similar to tripadvisor with all his photographic evidence. As I write this, the owners have counter filed a defamation and libel case against the man – and are expecting to win! Who can blame them and I for one hope they do.

How a German guest saw the hotel beach!

The reality!

The complaints do not always arrive by legal notice though. Sometimes they are instant and face to face with the hotel staff themselves. In the years my wife has worked in the hotel industry, she has been called every name that you could ever imagine. Along with being threatened with extreme violence. Then an occasion witnessed by my own eyes, had to stand patiently and unflinching as some vodka soaked Ukrainian woman screamed into her face “ I will make sure you are fired for this, you uneducated woman”.  This coming the day after my wife had had to witness the brains of a Russian woman splattered all over the tiled floor of the hotel swimming pool, who had decided that she would end her life by diving head first from five floors up! I better point out my wife is fully educated with a degree in tourism management and speaks four languages…and obviously has the patient of a saint!

Why do people make such an effort to seek out trouble and complain though?. I guess every person living on this planet wants to become stronger, more resourceful and if possible superior to others. People have varying ways of doing things, some people do it by making extraordinary achievements others do it by putting people down while a third group does it by complaining. Maybe in the hotel environment it is paradoxically a way to hide their own self worth. Witnessing others all around enjoying themselves, interacting with others fills them with a self pitying realization that they do not have the social and personal skills to simply enjoy . Their reaction is to fill that lack of self worth with their ability to complain. People can be divided into two main groups, the first are the ones who keep complaining and blaming the world for their mistakes while the second are the ones who take responsibility for anything that happens in their lives. Thankfully the majority of humankind are in the later!

So, if anyone reads this who is thinking of holidaying in the beautiful country of Turkey – or anywhere else comes to that. Before you show discontent at that waiter or waitress who has bought you the wrong drink in a “couldn’t care less” manor, keep this in your mind before showing your anger by complaining. The cost of your two weeks holiday is probably the equivalent of six months salary to that waiter or waitress! Before venting your anger at reception because your air condition is not cold enough, think that the poor receptionist maybe in the middle of an eighteen hour shift! Before, you decide to throw a complaint that room service has forgotten to remove your dirty towels, think that the woman maybe has been working for twelve hours and still has to find time to feed her children when she arrives home!

Just one last thing, for any German readers, do not take it to heart regarding the example of the German guest and his Sony. My wife happily tells me that the vast majority of German guest are polite, warm, friendly and respectful . They worse nationality for complaints is in fact closer to home and is.............well I will let you guess!

Happy Holidays

Westy

The ongoing tradition of Midnight Express!

This week I downloaded the Oscar winning film Argo, Yes I do know downloading films is immoral and technically stealing  However I once paid 20 pounds for me and a girlfriend to watch the painfully awful "blockbuster" Waterworld, so Hollywood was in my debt!

For those that do not know Argo, it tells the story of how six Americans were smuggled out of Iran after the 1979 Islamic revolution. The pretense "Based on a true story" is tagged at the beginning of the film, which always sets the alarm bells ringing. My suspicions were confirmed after watching the film. The tag line should have read " Based on a true story, where some people have been added, characters changed, the true story deviates at nearly every scene and the Americans will come out as heroes .” Remember the film U-571, the thrilling story where the Americans captured the enigma coding machine? - actually it was the British and the Polish forces!. Who can forget "Saving Private Ryan", where effectively it is presented that the D-Day landings in Normandy were a solely American affair. Well, Argo doesn't let you down and continues in that wonderful Hollywood tradition history of re-writing history.

Argo Trailer

As the six Americans go on the run around Tehran looking for a safe house to escape the hoards of Iranian revolutionaries, the film cuts to a CIA office in the Pentagon and the line " Brits turned them away" is thrown to the audience. With that line you can hear the popcorn eating, Pepsi swigging movie going public of the USA thinking as one " Those damn Brits after all we did for them in the Second World War"

The truth of course is very different, as back in 1979, British diplomats put their life's in immense danger assisting the six to a safe house in a British compound. As the CIA officer Antonio Mendez, who helped to mount the eventual rescue, recalls in his book, Argo: ‘The British were kind hosts, and offered them a house of their own, fed them a warm meal, even prepared cocktails.’ Slightly different then from “the Brits turned them away”!  Why should we care though, it's just a film! Well a film now, but the worrying fact is that in later years it is not beyond the realms of probability that it will be  considered by students as the definitive history of the events .

As the credits rolled I was amazed to observe that parts of the movie were filmed in Turkey. Amazed because if any country knows the dangers of falsifying true fact for Hollywood's financial gain then it is the beautiful country I reside in now!

Way back in 1978 another Oscar winning film was taking the world by storm. Midnight Express was another Hollywood “Based on a true story” epic that grossed 35 million dollars in the USA alone! The film based on the autobiographic  book of the same name, follows the story of Billy Hayes. Hayes, an American, was imprisoned in Turkey in 1970 whilst attempting to smuggle two kilos of hashish through Turkish customs. Sentenced firstly to four years his sentenced is then raised to thirty years on appeal by the Turkish prosecution department. After five years, whilst imprisoned on an island prison, Hayes escapes by boat and makes it to Greece!

The wording in the trailer speaks volumes

 

Any foreigner that resides in Turkey or any foreigner that has stepped foot on Turkish soil on holiday or business would no doubt have been teased “ Wouldn’t go to Turkey – I saw Midnight Express” usually followed with a snigger and a sharp intake of breath! The reason for this is that Midnight Express is not so much a film but a full blown cultural assignation of a whole nation!. Turks are depicted as violent, immoral, venal, psychopathic and debased. It's understandable to portray violent, dangerous criminals in such an unflattering light, but the film extended this negative ethos to the judiciary, the courts and civil servants and any Turk within the films grasp. Indeed, Midnight Express appeared to indict the entire Turkish nation as hopelessly corrupt, grotesque and “evil. Hollywood has long used certain ethnic group as “villains” – depending upon current events and political trends, Arabs, Mexicans, American-Indians, Germans and Japanese, among others, have fulfilled this role (usually by actors whose own ethnicity did not match the parts they played). However none had as much affect on a nation as Midnight Express had on the Turkish Republic.

Now, one would have to be hopelessly naïve to suggest that the Turkish judiciary system was perfect then or even now come to that or that the Turkish prison system is or was a bed of roses. Which prison service is?. However, the story “based on a true story” sets out , without any fear of libel, to eradicate any positive feeling the world may have had at that time. Although after the 1974 Turkish invasion or peace force, depending which side of the fence you face, the World did not look at Turkey favorably . In fact, in 1978 America issued an arms embargo on Turkey. With this in mind, maybe this is why the director Alan Parker and David Putnam the producer , held no qualms in showing Turkey in this grotesque way.

If the film crawled in 35 million dollars in the USA, I would consider that a drop in the ocean to the financial loss in tourism over the years due to the portrayal of  Turkey in the film. In 1980, the Turkish tourism industry reported a drop of 90% in American tourist visiting the Turkish republic. That’s a lot of dollars!. One can only guess at how many dollars have been lost by companies choosing to not invest in that “ evil” country ! The affect though is not just financial, Turkish citizens the world over were painted with the “Midnight” brush – not to be trusted and uneducated! The xenophobic nature of the film, shows Turks as inhospitable uncaring people who would cheat on their own Grandmother to gain an advantage. For those of us that has enjoyed Turkish hospitality it is a sad and disgusting insult!

However, what about the man at the center of all this, Billy Hayes.  Hayes, was just twenty two years old in 1970, a real live Billy the Kid. Young, naïve and immensely stupid. In those illiberal days of 1970, hashish was still seen as a highly dangerous drug and guaranteed to ruin societies if it was allowed to escalate. No more so than in Turkey, although a politically secular country it still held strong Islamic views . One can only question Hayes’s thought process to think he could smuggle two kilograms of drugs through Turkish customs and if caught to only gain a light sentence . He only needed to check his own country, where sentences of 15-20 years imprisonment were common back in the early 70’s for the very offence he committed.

After the films release then a new Billy emerged – Billy the Hero!. After the twisted morality of Midnight Express was screened, Hayes, the American drug smuggler. became a kind of “noble hero” held up having survived against the violence and corruption of the Turks or any society that didn’t fit into American foreign policy at the time . Harping back to Argo, is it just a coincidence that a film that portrays Iranians in such a negative way is released at a time when American / Iranian relations is at such a low ebb?.

After the release, Hayes became the darling of the talk shows, wheeled around the studios of the USA, on display as the man who went through hell and survived. The fact that he attempted to smuggle two kilograms of drugs was secondary to the tales of survival from that hideous place! Billy Hayes is not so much a person these days as a company. The estimated book sales of the original book run into the millions. Further added with the release last year of “Midnight return” As I type this Mr Hayes is in my own country, touring the WH Smiths and Waterstones churning out the endless tales, all based on lies. Incredibly, also touring the UK now is, I kidded you not, “ Midnight Express – The ballet”! The old adage “Crime doesn’t pay” obviously doesn’t extend to Mr Hayes, where crime and falsehoods pay well, very well!

The last Billy though, could well be named after the classic Keith Waterhouse book -  Billy Liar!. After the storm that Midnight Express caused had died down and probably after the cash from his book and film rights had started to wane, Hayes went on a campaign of “ I am disgusted at how the film portrayed Turkey”!. At this stage of his ongoing drama, he decided that he was in anguish at how the Turkish Republic and it’s citizens had been shown.  Full of remorse at how Parker’s movie had dehumanized Turks and a Turkey he now claimed he loved so much and how it was his wish to return and see the beautiful city of Istanbul again. Now, as Mr Hayes held the film rights wouldn’t it be slightly odd, if he never read the film script before a single shot was taken in Malta, where the film was shot, with Italian, Maltese and Greek actors with such awful Turkish that even Turks had trouble understanding them.

With this new direction of humility again Mr. Hayes sat his bottom on TV and radio talk shows across the Good ‘ol USA. Paid of course one would guess!  In a recent online interview (here) for National Geographic to promote his “The real Midnight Express” he was asked the question. “Do you have any regrets?”. The regret of before of his damage to the Turkish Republic seems to have disappeared and no mention is made of it at all. The remorse card obviously worked with Turkey, who invited Billy Hayes back to the Turkish republic in 2007 on a seven day visa. The Turks in doing this showed more restraint than most other nations on an individual that had caused so much racialist contamination on Turkey and it’s culture!. It’s with great irony that after Billy Hayes returned to the USA he directed a play entitled “ The cock and bull story”!

Hollywood films have a terrible and engaging power to influence and shape our minds even on those that regard ourselves as perceptive. Midnight Express made a lot of money for a lot of people and as with Billy Hayes it continues to do so. Ultimately that is all Hollywood really cares about. It feeds, the minds of the gullible in as a dramatic way possible. Doing so in a country that prides itself on fairness of mind and respect for others.  However as film-goers and consumers, we should realize that movies are highly biased and often designed to manipulate the audience. Movies like Midnight Express, especially those which are as well made and entertaining, can not only be harmful but most of all push us to hate nations and the people of those nations. As I guess is the case now with Argo and Iran and it’s people. Sad, very sad!

Westy

The first cut is the deepest!

Here is a good piece of advice for any male teacher that finds himself conducting a conversational class in Turkey. Never, I repeat never ask your students "So class, do you have any questions for me?".  As you stand there, in front of 10-15 pairs of eyes looking up at you, you have no idea what you are about to be asked. "How is life in England?", "What's your favourite football team?", "Do you like Turkish people", all of these are what you are smilingly anticipating. Forget it! without doubt one of the first questions thrown directly at you will be "My teacher have you been circumcised?". 

Actually, that is not the exact query. With the average student lacking the knowledge of the English noun  "circumcision",  the exact interrogatory will be " My teacher have you had sunnet?" . Sunnet being the Turkish translation for circumcision.

Now, another piece of advice if you do not know what sunnet means, ask the students "what does sunnet mean?"...and do not do like me try and be adept to understand what sunnet means and try and deduce it!. Otherwise you will end up with a rather surreal and embarrassing conversation like the one I had a few months after being here with an advanced class, with myself having little knowledge of Turkish terminology!

Student one: My teacher have you had sunnet?

The question surprised me, and the right and left side of my brain had a verbal tug of war "sunnet , food or drink, food or drink, food or drink, food or drink, sounds like sutlac (a dessert)" 

Me: Yes, I have

My response obviously met with much approval from the class as they chorused  "Mashallah hocam, Mashallah" 

Student two: Where did you have it teacher in England or Turkey?

Me: Oh, only In Turkey. I have never seen sunnet anywhere in England which is a shame as I think they would love it there!. In fact, I have been all over the world and only ever seen it in Turkey!

The students quizzically looked at each other while I offered myself a congratulatory thought on my guesstimate!

Student three: Where in Turkey did you have sunnet my teacher?

Now, I know Turks are rightly proud of their culinary offerings but I was taking back how seriously they were taking it.I picked the first restaurant that came to my mind.

Me: Kazan kebab!

It was at this stage I realised something could be afoot here, as much mumbling was taking place amongst the students and one boy at the back, who had been dozing for most of the lesson finally sat bolt upright. 

Student four: Did you have a party?

I wondered why the occasion of me eating sunnet was so important but put it down to they were practicing question formats.

Me: Oh yes, it was my wife's sisters birthday . All the family were there and we had a great time I really enjoyed it. .....I would like to have it again!

Now, the whole class were sat on the edge of their seats, all with knowing smiles . I was a lamb to the slaughter ...and they knew it!

Four students together: How did you have sunnet teacher?

It was too late, I had to uphold the dessert line and go with it!

Me:  a knife ....

The students stopped laughing and maybe I had accidentally grasped the meaning of the word; sunnet

Me:.......and spoon!

I was done for as the before quiet well mannered group became a like a pack of hyenas collapsing into hysterics around me!

The bell saved me! After they had all picked themselves of the floor they slowly crawled out of the room in tears. Speechless I stood there in total confusion. As I watched them go, I noticed the only girl of the class still sat in her place near the back. She had hardly said a word all lesson and by her clothing knew she was from a very conservative family She stood and approached me, head down. In one hand holding an open well thumbed dictionary.She handed it to me with head still down, as to not catch my eye. One word was highlighted in pink florescent pen.   

sünnet ,-ti Islam 1. the Sunna (the sayings and doings of the Prophet Muhammad, which form a basis for much of Islamic law). 2. ritual circumcision. __ derisi foreskin. __ düğünü circumcision feast. __ ehli

Seeing the "C" word, I handed the dictionary back to her and locked my hands around the back of my head in my embarrassment  and stupidity. "it's ok teacher, thanks to you I have learnt a new English word today" she voiced as she opened the classroom door to leave.... "So have I" I thought "so have I"!

Little did I know that the "C" word would come back periodically to haunt and taunt me.

Now, it's not for me within these pages to throw out my judgement on circumcision although I can understand why Turks do undertake in the practice as they usually won't touch anything unless it has 20% off !. It just amazes me how often the usually shy, mild mannered Turks openly ask me about it. It's as if my genitalia have become the one of the great mysteries of the world! Not quite, "is there life on other planets?" but stuck between  Stonehenge and who really shot JFK!

 I was once sat with a Turkish friend who openly asked me "have you had it done?"..after giving him the answer I was then bombarded with the benefits of having a few sq cm of skin removed!. "it will lesson your chance of cancer"  was one benefit. Now, not wanting to lessen the awfulness of cancer, however. I have never heard of cancer of the foreskin! Another benefit offered was "it can stop infection or abscesses". I would imagine showering everyday would do the job just as well ! "it can improve the sexual satisfaction for you and your partner", so can a penis extension but I am not interested in that either! " You can have it done by laser these days", "Oh wonderful" I thought "  "I need some laser eye surgery soon maybe they can do it all as a job lot".

You're going to do what!

A couple of years ago, me and my wife were invited to the sunnet party of the five son of a friend of ours. A lovely little boy called Ahmet. I have to say it was an enlightening experience. His parents are more on the liberal side of society and in all probability had had their son circumcised because it's the "thing to do". The day was a beautiful hot Antalya one, and as we arrived it seemed the whole neighborhood had set up camp in their garden . A small band were playing and my eyes lit up when I saw a bottle of raki on each table. This definitely was not going to be a religious occasions.

As it is with these gatherings in Turkey, the woman have a tendency to group together, to gossip and to get approval of the new outfit they had brought just for the occasion. " Oh Elif, I love that dress", " Your hair looks wonderful Zuhal" seemed to be the standard praises. The men then all gathered together around the table, talking about work and to swap stories of their sunnet parties! I sat in genuine  amusement and interest as they related their sunnet events. However Ahmet was nowhere to be seen!

After about an hour of the raki kicking in, dancing started and it really took on the look of a family wedding. Suddenly it was announced amongst the men "Ahmet is ready" and we could all go and see him. With glasses of raki in hand, we all took an orderly queue that snaked up the stairs. Just like a long line of boys waiting to urinate at a house party!. After a while my little group finally reached the door of Ahmet's bedroom. "is he not well?" I enquired. His Uncle answered " oh he's fine just he only had the sunnet a few hours ago"!. We were  then summoned to enter the room by his Grandfather.

I am not sure what I was expecting, however I was not expecting a five year old boy, legs a kimbo showing of the surgeons handiwork !. "mashallah" seemed the traditional response from all around me. " feck me that looks sore" was mine! Poor Ahmet, still traumatized by the events of the hours before, lay with grimaced smile as all and sundry shuffled past whilst checking the poor boys badly bruised todger. Just like a mass crowd slowly going past a dead head of state laying in wake.

What was a nice sight though was the growing amount of bank notes in Turkish lira and dollars that adorned his sunnet jacket. Luckily my wife had forewarned me about this so I had a nice brand new crisp note to pin to him. The raki has fully taken affect now and as I pinned it I pronounced " I guess this is what is called PAY CUT"....the joke was lost on them but kept me amused for hours!

Anyway, please heed my advice when in a conversational lesson and if someone ever mentions the word sunnet to you then "cut" them off mid sentence!! You will save yourself a whole lot of hassle!

Westy

Driving on the wrong side of insanity!

A few weeks ago, me and the good lady spent a few wonderful days in the enchanting Anatolian town of Amasya. For those that haven't been, I advise you to pay a visit, such an amazing place.

After breakfast on our first day we decided to take a walk along the banks of the beautiful Yesilirmak River. Having to cross the road, we stood by the kerb and waited for the long train like line of traffic to pass. Then an incident, so shocking happened as to leave me speechless and in need of emergency care!. A car slowed down, stopped and waved us across the road!. Now, for anyone that has experienced Turkish traffic then you will understand my consternation at this act of manners by a driver in Turkey. In short, it is about as regular as constipation!

After my wife had pulled me away from kissing the feet of the driver in question, we continued on our way and put it down to a lapse in driver concentration and perhaps his heal became caught in the break pedal. However, no!, it was a regular thing!. Most times as we crossed the road to go anywhere, the oncoming vehicle would with due consideration slow down and wave us across! After, when I thought about it, I concluded that it was actually quite sad to be shocked at the actions of Amasya's drivers.

Turkey as most know is a dangerous place to partake in road travel. Although having travelled in all corners of the globe and having driven in places like Thailand and the challenging six lane highways of the USA, I still refuse to savor the experience in Turkey. Although I usually travel by public transport, some would argue it is worse. On a recent bus journey from Antalya to Ankara, I witnessed, within the first hour of the seven hour journey the driver: smoke, talk on his telephone, remove his jacket and drink a coffee. All while transporting his full load of human cargo to the capital. So relaxed was he, I left my seat to scrutinize the dashboard for the automatic pilot button!

After personally witnessing a tragic amount of road traffic accidents in the years I have been here, I  suspected that Turkey had to have the worse road traffic rates in the world. The reality though is that it doesn't even come close to winning that most unwanted of accolades. Results released by the World Health Ranking website (see link) records that in the latest figures published for the year 2011, per 100,000 citizens there were nine deaths annually in Turkey.   A number that seems amazingly low. By comparison the UK recorded 4.8 deaths by 100,00.  Turkey it concludes is a safer place to drive then such places as Belgium, Russia, New Zealand and amazingly the USA, which records 13.9 deaths per 100,000! 

Nonetheless though, as Mark Twain so rightly expressed " facts are stubborn but statistics are more pliable". The nine deaths per 100,000 actually equate to the real life figure of  over 2500, men, woman and children who tragically lost their life's in a road traffic accident during 2011. Now to put that in context, the cataclysmic 2011 Van earthquake resulted in the recorded deaths of 604 poor souls. 

After perusing over a publication tiled "traffic accident statistics" ( published by the Turkish directorate for public safety, a publication in English as well as Turkish (see link), I can inform you of this

1). Any Tuesday in March is the safest time to travel in Turkey!. 

2) Any Saturday in July is the most  dangerous time to travel in Turkey!

3). The number of actual road traffic accidents has almost doubled since 2002! (although death and injury show a slight decreases)

Now, I know what you are thinking, " for Christ sake Westy you need to get out more"!

There is of course a very serious side to all this though. I am sure those that have resided in Turkey have on one or more occasion heard the expression " life is cheap here". They actually couldn't be more wrong! The sad loss of life of someone in a road traffic accident is paid for in the grief experienced by husbands, wifes, children, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters all across this beautiful land.

Unfortunately, I speak from experience. My family sadly experienced this indescribable grief when my eldest sister was killed in a road traffic accident. She was sixteen years old. The cloak of sadness and loss never ever leaves you. The act of having to go to a mortuary to identify the body of his first born child has haunted my Father ever since. Believe me never was a saying so untrue as the "life is cheap" one! 

So, what makes the usual polite, caring and respectful Turk slide into a driver seat and display all the hallmarks of a homicidal maniac!. It goes without question traffic education is obviously lacking. It is only in recent years that driving lessons and test where actually taken in real live traffic. Before, they were conducted  on specially made tracks just like the ones that your school would take you to pass your cycling proficiency badge!. However, the education has to come from the Government who seem to be oblivious to the human slaughter that happens on it's roads daily!.In eleven years I have still to witness one public information film to promote public awareness on road safety. 

Returning to my earlier story of the mild mannered drivers of Amasya. Whilst there, we remarked to a taxi driver how calm the traffic driving was in his town compared to other places in Turkey. He informed us that the local Belidiye Baskan, effectively the mayor, had embarked on a long campaign on improving road safety in the area. Organizing strict punishments for any public official not obeying traffic rules and evoking taxi licenses for taxi drivers not using seat belts or caught using mobile phones. He then pointed to the abundance of " seat belts save lifes" posters all over the town. Education works!  

The Mayor of Amasya - leading by example

However, is there something even more worrying that is the root cause?. 

Turkey is mostly a devoted Islamic nation, even though some may show the hallmarks of not practicing their faith, you will have to go a long way to find someone who denounces it. Now, I maybe being slightly controversial here, yet I personally wonder if this has an effect on driving standards within Turkey.

"Allah Korusun" is something you will see often in the front of buses, on the side and front of lorries and sometimes on the back of a car. Roughly translated it translates as " may God protect". Is it beyond the realms of  possibility that some drivers literally drive a vehicle under the conviction that no matter what, God will protect them?. One could also say under a conviction that whatever happens the hand of God will determine what will happen on the journey and the driver has no real control. If this is true then it is a serious and traumatizing thought!. 

One wonders if they were stood on top of a minuet at the local mosque with "Allah Korusun" imprinted on the wings and in the style of Icarus, jump. All the while believing that "God will protect". They wouldn't of course, however they maybe be putting their believe and trust in God, to drive without any due care or attention to themselves or others. As is the way though in a lot of cases, they survive but an innocent bystander loses their life!

I look on in stupefaction at a parent that is so attentive to their child, running to the nearest doctor at the slightest fever. A parent who protects their child and like a good parent ensures they eat well, wear accordingly to the weather as to not get a chill. Then will happily sit the child in the front seat of their car without a seat belt and drive moronically. 

Oh well, one final statistic, whilst I have been typing this, statistically somewhere in Turkey two more people have lost their life's in an RTA! Whoever they were, I hope they rest in peace and I will spare a thought for the pain their loved ones will be going though in the long sorrow filled days and years ahead.

Drive safely!

Westy

Turkish traffic accident statistics publication

World Traffic accident figures for 2011

Organ for sale, one careful owner - Can be delivered!

Sat with a Turkish friend of mine enjoying a traditional Turkish breakfast, some years ago. I explained that I had to go to an area of the city to do some work. " Uff be very careful "he uttered with wide open dark eyes and then finished the sentence in a near whisper " ...organ mafia". Now, as my mind was more on my stomach then what he had said, his words passed over me.  However, whilst I was on my way home his words came back to me.  Did he say organ mafia? I pondered..what the hell would the underworld of Turkey be getting out of dealing with contraband Bontempi  and Yamaha organs. The type that your younger sister used to get for Christmas. Then for the next month drive the house crazy as she only knew the opening keys to Twinkle Twinkle Little star! Maybe they were using it as a torture instrument just as she had done. Alas, I went to the area and not an organ was to be seen anywhere.

Roll on a couple of years, I was conducting an English conversation lesson with a group of mature students. The subject matter of the lesson was " Crime and it's reasons". I threw out to the students " What type of crimes are committed in your city?". . I scribbled their accented and expected replies onto the board with my red marker as crimes were barked out to me from all corners of the classroom .  Theft, muggings, prostitution, stealing cars, fraud, burglary,....organ mafia!". I swiftly turned to face the woman who had nonchalantly said the last one  "sorry did you say organ mafia"? I questioned. She looked at me as if I was slightly moronic. Then continued and told me a story that set me like stone on the spot. 

Somebody she once knew had one day been shopping at a local shopping centre. As she left and returned to her car, she was approached by an affable young man selling perfumes out of a bag. Raising a napkin to her face he asked her to smell this one particular new perfume that had just been released onto the market, which she happily did. She woke up later, in a strange bed, in indescribable pain. On the wall in front of her was a large printed sign on which was written.

" Do not move! You have undergone a major operation and had a kidney removed. A mobile phone is next to you, call someone to help you and the address is......."

The student continued to explain that it had happened a lot in the city and was a serious problem. Listening to  her story, I first looked on in a state of bewilderment, and then as her story unfolded, in total amusement and I could hardly contain my smile at her obviously crazy anecdote. My smile was wiped away though, as I perused the room and  saw ten heads all nodding in agreement with the woman ! I then enquired as to if these obviously gruesome crimes were so common how I had never seen one report in the media regarding them " Oh Michael teacher, they won't report so as not to scare the tourist away"!.  I let it pass and put it down to some of the abundance of other urban myths that I had encountered since living in Turkey.

A few weeks ago, I was in Trabzon in the North of Turkey. Enjoying a beautiful meal of Akçaabat kofte and rice with some friends from the local area. I politely said what a beautiful area it was and seemed so peaceful ".Agh yes Mike but be careful walking back to the hotel avoid the dock area organ mafia are in operation".Having the memory of the student's story in my head I didn't press the matter any further.  However, later as I lay in bed. I vowed I to discover the unvarnished truth of the matter.

Now we need to make a distinction here! 

Reports of people alleviating poverty by financially donating their "spare" kidney is a growing market and widely reported. Although Turkey has seen economic growth in the last few years, there is still an abundance of unfortunate people living way below the poverty line. In August 2011,  The Turkish Zaman newspaper (see links) reported on the arrest of twenty people, including six doctors. The arrest came about after a Facebook page was set up called " Organ Mafia". Perusing the abundance of viable victims on Facebook, Citizens from the lower social scale and with all probability showing their address to be in the poverty stricken areas of Istanbul were targeted and offered 15,000 Lira (approx 5,500 sterling).to "donate" a kidney . Be that as it may, after a seven month undercover operation into two hundred and three hospitals throughout Turkey, only one was discovered to be involved in accepting the "donated" kidneys.

Again in 2011, Press TV (see links) ,the Iranian "media", some would say propaganda wing, of the Islamic republic of Iran, ran a report on further instances in the illegal trade of kidneys within Turkey. It reported that seventy six illegal operations had been carried out within sixteen months. Although, no report of this can be found in the Turkish media. It also states that according to the Turkish legal code, donations of human organs can only be donated by blood relatives or by a spouse. If true, then it would be shockingly naive of the Turkish medical profession. With one code of law, they are willingly assisting in the death of thousands of dialysis patients. As I said though, the report was conducted by the Iranian press TV, a media outlet not best known for factual information. 

The problem seems to move back even earlier, in 2009 the Haberturk Turkish newspaper, reported that in the Western village of Kilacik, that forty people had been arrested in the scandal of selling their organs for trafficking. With one family happily expressing that that four member of their family had "donated".

Nonetheless, however immoral and illegal these practises are they do not quite equate to having a body part stolen, as in the story of my English student earlier. The kidneys reported on above, were surgically removed in a hospital,well one hopes so, and proper medical treatment seems to have been administered. So, where do these stories of "kidney kidnapping" come from?

One possible starting point could be back in 1999. It was then that the the Western region of Turkey was devastated by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake which resulted in the deaths of an estimated 25,000 people. As shocking as the disaster was what was more disturbing were late reports that came out from the ruins of the town of Golcuk, one of the worst hit areas. 

Bulent Ecevit, the then Turkish Prime Minister, ordered an immediate investigation into wide scale reports of organs being removed from the recently deceased.  The UK newspaper The Guardian, (see link), reported that although details were sketchy, and uses eye witnesses accounts of "unnamed" Doctors, the situation obviously had aroused such an element of suspicion to warrant a governmental enquiry. Unfortunately, although I have not researched intensively, the results of that enquiry are unable to be found. One does hope though, that if there was any truth or evidence to these distressing reports that they would have been acted on and reported on in the press.

Another avenue, where the chronicle of "kidney kidnapping" comes into play is something equally tragic and equally disturbing. In recent years, there has been a marked increase of missing children within Turkey. A report published in 2010 held the number to be an alarming 1700.With every reported story in the media of a missing child, it seems the words " organ mafia" will be wrapped into the article somewhere. Although, no factual evidence exist that the children are abducted for the purpose of removing bodily organs, there is also no evidence that co-exist to say that isn't the case.

In recent times, one of the saddest incidents of child abduction in Turkey happened in the central Anatolian city of kayseri. Three children of one family between the ages of six and eleven went missing while collecting sweets from neighbours to celebrated the end of Ramadam. The search was intensive for weeks, but to no avail. It was as if the children had disappeared into thin air. The usual labelling of " organ mafia" became synonymous with the story. This intensified when a year later a prisoner serving a life sentence, wrote to the Hurriyet newspaper detailing how he was part of a group who had taken the children for their organs and then had thrown their bodies into the Euphrates River. However in 2011 tragically the three bodies of the children were discovered in an area of the city and immediately arrested a man for their abduction and subsequent murder. Their internal organs were intact. 

So, was it true, the story of my student and other reports about people having their organs stolen. The more I look into this gruesome crime, the more I doubt it. However, Turkey is no different than any other country. Even with it's heavy leanings towards Islam, it still has every type of misfit and criminal known to mankind, so definitely it is not something to be dismissed completely. Although, if a man ever approaches me and ask me to try his faked version of Calvin Klein, then I will ensure to inform you. Although I could be a couple of pounds lighter!

Westy

Zamam report in 2011

Press TV report November 2011

Guardian report 1999