Republic Day in Turkey

And we're back...
I write quickly as I have no idea when my blog will again be blocked, but for today we are live!

Today we'll be discussing Turkish 4th of July! So there we were hoping to go see our friend last night when out of the blue Turkish 4th of July fell on us like a cart fully of disgruntled chickens.

They closed roads leading everywhere in every direction. Immediately we were stranded. So when in Rome...but we weren't in Rome we were in Istanbul, we did our best to blend in but failed miserably. It's hard to look like you belong when you don't know the patriotic songs and such. I tried to sing along with the American national anthem, no dice. The streets were completely flooded with excited revelers. It was literally difficult to walk 10 feet without being whacked with a Turkish flag.

As with any holiday the occasion brought out the entrepreneur in everyone. There were almost more places to buy paraphernalia than there were people. It was like seething sea of red and commerce that lapped upon the sidewalks and culminated at the main park near our house.
As we walked every 500 meters there was a huge television screen blaring patriotic music. Unfortunately for us they had the volume turned up loud enough for those to hear who were actually around for the founding of the Republic (1923). Sadly there are only 3 patriotic songs so we had to listen to them ad nauseum as we walked. At one point everyone stopped to recite what seemed like a pledge of allegiance: shown below.
We waded through the crowds until we finally emerged at the park. There was a bus decorated with lights and banners. On top there was a man chanting patriotic rhetoric into a microphone. The crowd became as thick as 3-day-old oatmeal as they chanted along in a kind of call-and-answer style. We had think pretty thin to push through.

Finally we emerged into the park where the fireworks show began. There in the middle of the park not 20 feet from passers by they launched the fireworks. All that separated us from the launch site was a flimsy plastic police line. This would not happen in the US.

We watched, as you can see below, for a few minutes but the sound grew deafening so we headed (finally) back home.


One more cultural experience in the bank. Hope you all are well.

The Death of the Joof?

"How can it be?" say I listlessly as I type to myself. Can this really be happening? Yes it is happening. So some of you may know that youtube.com is banned in Turkey. No one has a good explanation why but rest assured it does not work here. I have stood by using proxy sites to view youtube. I was annoyed yes but it didn't affect me directly.

Now here I sit typing to you through a proxy server. Yes that's right blogger.com joins the ranks of the censored many here in Turkey. "Justice" here comes swiftly with IP blocker written on it's lapel. Not 2 days after the decision are we blocked and censored. Here is the official notice: (Oh I can't upload it because I'm writing to you through a proxy...Damn)

Censorship of the internet is easy in Turkey because ONE COMPANY controls all access. Once the small Right Wing court located in the distant southwest corner of Turkey in a town called Diyarbakir, decides to ban something they can instantly with one phone call (or email assuming that it hasn't been banned as well).

Things are getting worse here. Once a secularized Republic, Turkey is quickly slipping into a dangerous oligarchy. As an American, I hold freedom of speech as one of man's most sacred rights. Apparently Turks don't share this sentiment. I don't need to mention (but I'm going to) the parallels with Iraq war propaganda in the US or the stifling of German media during WWII.

Now we get to the meat. This is religiously based. A GOVERNMENT ORDER IN THIS COUNTRY IS RELIGIOUSLY BASED. Now if you know anything about Turkey you know that it is unique in the world being a country that primarily practices Islam but does not allow it in Politics. Secular government. Religious public. That used to be the story. Not anymore.

"It is suspected that the reason for this has something to do with Adnan Oktar, by some considered the leading Muslim advocate for creationism, who has in the past managed to get Wordpress, Google Groups, as well as Richard Dawkins’ website."
-source http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/25/bloggercom-banned-in-turkey/

For more about Adnan Oktar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harun_Yahya

So this is the new state of affairs here in Turkey. Kinda crazy. So for now I will try to write what I can and hold on. I no longer will be able to add photographs or videos though I may find a way around this. Until then. It's been quite fun blogging with you all. Please let me know how you are.
D