Karin Pinter, Writer

As the countless minarets saluted me from their vantage points among the neighbourhoods of Istanbul, before our flight from Paris landed promptly late in the afternoon, it appears as though I have landed in Turkey during a time of cumulative political tensions.

As I watched news that I could hardly understand except for the translations provided by my friend and the few Turkish words I have managed to memorise so far, I could see proud waves of red flags taking over An?tkabir (the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk) in protest against the re-ignited issue of the head scarf from a more religious-oriented government. Sensitivities run deep here, with great divides between public opinion for secular and religious policy, and ultimately way of life.

I am enamoured so far by the little I have seen or read of Turkey from a more historical and perhaps nostalgic perspective. It feels like a pivotal stepping stone between Europe as we have known it for a very long time, and the Middle East. A part of the Mediterranean that I have never explored, and yet which could step so easily from one side to another. And by sides I am not necessarily referring to religious aspects that we are made so aware of today, rather those that seem to define whether a country is to be considered ‘safe’ or not. Whilst I wait to see what the coming week that I am here will offer, I have already been cautioned regarding theft etc. and could not help but feel stubborn defiance against casting any shadows over my first visit. It is sad to think of the social stigmas that still prevail, true or not, in such countries.

On a less political note, anybody who has ever driven in Spain will feel comforted by the fact that Turkish drivers share the same passion for owning the roads, if not more…

More later from this roving reporter.