Hey, Judith! Come Visit!
I just saw that Israel's cancelled the warning on travel to Turkey.
In light of the calm in Turkey and the absence of large-scale demonstrations against Israel, the National Security Council Counter-Terrorism Bureau is cancelling its 31.5.10 travel warning, which it had issued out of concern for attacks on Israelis as a result of the large-scale demonstrations that were taking place.
Okan and I interviewed a couple of guys on Istiklal Caddesi the other day for Murky in Turkey. We'd been asking random people on the street what they made of the crisis in Turkish-Israeli relations. Thus far everyone we asked had delivered themselves of grim, serious, impassioned monologues--how shameful it was that these mad Israelis had killed humanitarians who were just trying to bring bread and medicine to the starving Palestinians, why weren't the Americans more angry that they'd killed a US citizen too, that kind of thing. These kids were wearing football T-shirts, checking out the girls, obviously out enjoying themselves on a summer day. They laughed and waved us off. "Yeah, yeah. We'll make up."
They could be right, you know.
Anyway, now that the Israeli government has declared it safe to visit, I'm expecting you. Here are some nice videos that display the delights that await you upon your arrival. I shot these the other night on my way home from the gym. (I'd like to use YouTube to post them here, but, as I keep mentioning, it's banned.) As Okan always says, "Turks just wanna have fun!" It's not all zealots and freaks around here. We're still having a good time.
Parenthetically: I note that "Israelis in Turkey are still called upon to stay away from any demonstrations and avoid political arguments with local residents." Good luck with that! Has anyone in your government actually visited Turkey? If you can land here and stay out of a political argument for even five minutes, it can only be because everyone is too busy arguing about why the luggage carousel is broken.
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Re: Hey, Judith! Come Visit!
It's so tempting. I have a weird desire to walk up to people in Istanbul and say, Hi! I'm Israeli, American and Jewish! Is there anything you'd like to talk about? (Don't tell my mother I said that.)
Of course, ten seconds in your apartment with the seven cats and I'd probably spend the rest of my visit in the hospital.
Re: Hey, Judith! Come Visit!
Oh, I totally get it--that's what I do every day. (Minus the Israeli part.) And the thing is, people are always nice. Always. Not once in the entire time I've lived here has there ever been any deviation from this script:
Turk: So, where are you from?
Claire: I'm American!
Turk: How beautiful!
Turks are always, always at pains to tell me that whatever their quarrel with America or Israel, it's nothing personal. They just don't like the "governments." Americans and Israelis, we have no problem with them -- it's just that they have bad leaders! I reckon they're saying something else in private, but they're unfailingly polite and hospitable in public. Turkish hospitality to guests is a long, proud tradition and a lovely and admirable thing. I only wish they treated each other half as well as they treat their guests.
One reason the Mavi Marmara business has racked them off so much is that it's been played as, "We sent travelers to that part of the world, and they didn't give them tea--they shot them! We'd never do that! We always treat guests well!"
Seriously.