When I woke up at 4:53 this morning, it had been 10 days, 9 hours and 33 minutes since I had stepped on US soil. I had left Turkey approximately 13.5 hours before that. I left the country for many reasons – in search of a better job, a more peaceful existence, a better life.
Turkey is no longer a democracy. It is ruled by a tyrant who has been repeatedly elected by popular vote first as Prime Minister and then as President. According to reports, he did not graduate university. He warns the people against falling in with the wrong crowd – the educated.
Racist sentiments are growing against Jews and Kurds. Anti-American sentiment is also on the rise.
Post coup attempt, a witch hunt has been underway. Tens of thousands have lost their jobs, been detained and arrested. University professors. Teachers. Journalists. Lawyers and Judges. Business people. The death penalty appears to be making a grand return.You don’t want to get in his way.
And now this.
It was clear that the uneducated in America would vote for Trump and they did. No surprise. What shocks me is the number of women and minorities that voted for him. More than one was too many for me. What deeply saddens me are the people who thought it was the “Christian” thing to do. What does religion have to do with politics? And how is voting for Trump being Christian-like? You gotta be kidding me.
Donald Trump became a politician the day he entered the race. End of story. If you were hoping for something different, you are poorly mistaken. You should, instead, be praying that the rest of the world comes to terms with this. Because if they don’t, you should expect your investments to disappear, global trade to disappear, and more terrorism on American soil to appear.
Don’t expect new jobs, a better economy, tax breaks, better education, or a stupid wall. I would love for Trump to prove me wrong, but I highly doubt it. He knows nothing. He has no experience. He has no plans.
Come January, I will have no leader, no President. A man on an island.
It’s a very sad day for America and for the world. God help us all.
Adventures in Ankara 
You have put into words my every feeling this morning. I am sick to my very soul at what our future holds. I hope that I am wrong but right now all I can say is God help us all.
Take good care of yourself.
It’s a very sad day indeed. I don’t even want to call myself American. All I can say is that at least I live far, far away from everything that’s happening and the majority of my racist relatives.
So much for democracy – maybe our great leader is on the right track after all!
I left the US to move to Ankara on 11/7 and arrived here 11/8. Between the jetlag, and thus sleeping at erratic hours and the adjustment to a new environment, my brain has been more than just foggy. Thus, I keep thinking that Trump is just a bad nightmare and I am eagerly awaiting to wake up, find myself back in the US again, with another election outcome.
Welcome to Ankara. I also hope it’s all a bad dream. Good luck in Ankara and Hos Geldiniz.