Exploring the culture, history, and cuisine of Turkey through the eyes of not-just-another-tourist
52 Places to Go in 2015 - NYTimes.com. Click the link above to see the list, descriptions, and beautiful photos! It is no surprise to me that Philadelphia, PA is on the list. But I never expected to see it as Number 3!!! Two places on my bucket list of places to go before I... Continue Reading →
GET OUT AND VOTE! Today is election day in Turkey. The Prime Minister is not up for re-election, but his party is. The three largest cities are Istanbul (over 14 million), Ankara (about 5 million) and Izmir (about 3.5 million). Below is some reading from Turkish & International newspapers on the subject: Turkey Politicians Make... Continue Reading →
It was very early in the protests when I realized that no one was actually voicing their opinion. They weren't clearly stating what they wanted. Obviously, much like Occupy Wall St., it was hard to do. The protests were growing around the country, but there was no clear leader. No one to make demands. One... Continue Reading →
I was in Istanbul when it all started. I was safely tucked away on an island, and really didn't know what was going on. Friends started to share translations of news reports and videos. At the time, I was amazed by it all. I didn't have a full comprehension, I probably still don't. But when... Continue Reading →
You must be wondering why I never wrote about the protests here on my blog. The beginning of the protests directly coincided with a job offer here in Ankara. This offer came as quite a surprise, and I had decided it was something I really wanted to do. And so began the long process of... Continue Reading →
In the news in Turkey is the Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay with his anti-Semitic public comments. I have lived here over three years now. I don't usually get into the depth of conversations, for lack of Turkish skills, that would make me aware of racism here. Unfortunately, I do have one "friend" who in the... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, a suicide bomber attacked the American Embassy in Ankara. He killed one of his own people, a Turkish citizen who worked as a guard. What the fuck?! The man simply went to work one day and died because of some a-hole's radical political views. The man lost his life, because he needed to feed... Continue Reading →
This Message came directly from the U.S. Embassy today: Please be advised that explosions have been confirmed in front of Embassy Ankara. U.S. citizens are advised to not visit the Consulates in Istanbul, Adana or the Embassy in Ankara until further notice. We will update this message to U.S. citizens on our webpage when we... Continue Reading →
Please read the following story from the Hurriyet Daily News. If you are in Istanbul and see this woman, please contact the police immediately. AMERICAS - Family heading to Turkey to seek missing NY woman.
After yesterday's post, Foreign cell phone registration in Turkey, the following information was shared by one of my reader's, Jeremy. I noticed this posted in the local tax office here in Istanbul and so snapped a picture to save it for the future. So hopefully that helps provide at least a partial answer. My experience... Continue Reading →
There have been many questions about Turkey's new law on cell phone registration. In a recent article at Today's Zaman, Berk Cektir attempts to explain it: According to a new law, you must now pay a TL 100 registration fee on all cell phones purchased abroad and brought into Turkey. . . It is... Continue Reading →
Very interesting newscast and article from NPR: Turkey is disputing a new report that names it as the world's leading jailer of journalists, with scores behind bars — ahead of Iran, China and other authoritarian states. Click here to read or listen to the entire story. The link to the report is in Turkish and English.
So let me get this straight. Turkey is going to allow corporations from other parts of the world to go into your computer and snoop around to see if you have downloaded any music or movies. Meanwhile the options to buy music and DVDs are very limited and expensive here. Hey, I would love to... Continue Reading →
Musings of a Philadelphia lawyer - who married a Turk, quit her day job, and set out for adventure!
-by Terry Henson Kaymak
Adventures in Ankara 