Looks like I'm going to have a chance to join an intercultural dialogue trip to Turkey. It's sponsored by a Turkish Islamic group centered aroung the thought of a Turkish intellectual named Fethullah Gulen. Wondering if anyone has enountered this movement on the ground in Turkey and has any thoughts about it. It's a group encouraging a multicultural Turkey. I'm sure it can mean a lot of different things depending on what kind of Turk you are.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Turkey is one of the most secular and liberal Muslim countries in the ME, thanks in part to Kemal Ataturk after 1923.

Pressure to crack down on that, (ie the hijab and headscarves issues) is on the ascendancy, these days, so be careful and very aware of who you associate and what you do, and whether you advocate anything openly, as a foreigner there.

It is a beautiful country, besides Istanbul, try to get a look at Adana, Izmir, Ankara and some of the other places. The people are great, I'm told, and there are still some of the old crusader castles in the East.

Fabulous place! I envy your going there.

Don't fail to get some Raki, and bring home a couple of bottles. It's the anise flavored clear drink, that turns milky when you add water.

The Turks call it "Lion's milk". There is a reason for this.

(The Turkish answer to Ouzo that the greeks love.) IF YOU are Greek, don't advertise that.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

"May I see your passport, please?"

Yep, there's tension between the followers of Gulen and the secular Turkish nationalists. It's one of the reasons I'm interested in participating. We'll have a lot of opportunity to interact with the locals if it all materializes, which is another reason why I'm attracted to it.
I got hooked up with the group thru a female Turkish student of mine. She's studying in the US because she wears the headscarf and is forbidden from attending university in Turkey while wearing it.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I adivse against fooling around with Turkish women and drugs. I know that you wouldn't behave like that, but when back in the middle ages when we visited Istanbul on liberty, they were definite no no's.

We had a Marine on our ship who was arrested in Istanbul for fooling around with woman there. We left him behind. And drug laws out there were severe. The American Embassy was powerless to help.
Habeus Corpus? What's that?? Maybe things have changes since then (mid 60's), but why risk it.

I have no clue what it's like now. Wondering: Has Turkey gotten over the tiff caused by the Aborted Congressional insult of a few months back??

Enjoy the trip.

Midnight Express???

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Waiting for the Electrician or Someone like him.