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In this video, Ayse explains the similarities of coexisting opposites in Turkey and New York.
Turkey lies in the middle of the East and West, moving backwards and forwards in modernity at the same time. Similarly, New York is a clash or rich and poor, new and old architecture.
Living amongst opposites inspires a new form of unified thinking. Republican vs. Democrat, funny vs. boring, tall vs. short, and US vs. Turkey, pit us against each other. While opposites highlight our differences the objective is to rise above sidedness all together.
Diversity is bigger than aversion. It’s only when you understand both sides can you make the biggest difference.
Turkey, At The Crossroads
There’s incredibly controlled tension in Turkey, a quiescent clash of civilizations between Ottoman and European empires, East and West, Islam and Christianity, and modernity versus traditional ways of life.
The three cities I visited in Turkey each had their own unique way of life.
Ankara is a city five hours East of Istanbul. Ankara is the capital of Turkey and like DC is the host of multiple colleges. It is here where we visited Ataturk’s Memorial (Anitkabir), which looks much like the Lincoln Memorial. Like Lincoln, Ataturk saved and rebuilt the nation.
Ataturk was a visionary, modernizing it for the 21st Century. Ataturk is a god in Turkey, an omnipresent image on signs, billboards, and statues that constantly remind the Turks to continue his vision.
Elmalik is a small village of 90 people, mostly relatives. The town has its own mosque, coffee shop, livestock, and crops. It even has its own unique dance. Elmalik is a flashback to life a century ago before automobiles and of course, the Internet. The villagers work hard, consuming only what they produce. It’s a gentle reminder that we have to be grateful for what we have.
Eregli is a steel town on the Black Sea, 2 hours northeast of Istanbul. My wife grew up in Eregli surrounded by seagulls, fresh fish, ships, and the cave where Hercules is known to have killed the three-headed dog Cerberus. In addition to the expanded family and never-ending servings of Borek, there are two specific things that I’ll never forget about Eregli.
The first is the military. Eregli is a critical industrial harbor, one that Turkey protects carefully to stave off the potential for Russian interference which sits across the other side of the Black Sea. The battle for resources is something Americans rarely feel as a remote island with major distance between competitive powers. Eregli is right at the heart of economic and military attention.
My wife used to live in a different part of Eregli now occupied by conservatives. The area felt like a scene from Iraq, with women in black veils head to toe and kids running around unruly on rocky streets. I felt slightly scared but more curious.
The second lasting memory of my trip to Eregli is the woman that refused to shake my hand. I accepted her behavior but also became frustrated with her lack of compassion and ignorance. Unfortunately, there are many others in Turkey that think the same way. It’s for this reason Turkey is stuck between the past and future.
Instanbul is a clash of civilizations. It’s the archetype of world order, where cultures stand out and get equally embraced. The pluralism in this city goes back to the precedent set by Ataturk to move into modernity. He converted Hagia Sophia into a museum to celebrate all walks of life.
Hagia Sophia is the antithesis to religious war, perhaps the world’s apotheosis of global unity. The Turkish Airlines motto “Globally yours” isn’t so far fetched after all.
The energy, crowds, and pace in Istanbul is just like New York. Just stroll through Istiklal at midnight. Istanbul is the only city in the world that walks backward and forward at the same time, balancing tradition with the future. It’s at the heart of world order, where all cultures and beliefs intertwine.
The 10-hour flight from JFK to Istanbul isn’t so bad if you leave at midnight and sleep 80% of the time.
I didn’t get as much reading as I would’ve liked but I got enough sleep to carry me over the dawn of jet lag.
After a five hour drive I’m now in Ankara, Turkey’s capital with plans to get the download on Ataturk and attend the castle for both viewing and our first Anniversary dinner.
My initial impressions of Turkey are the same for every foreign country I visit, a deep influence of American culture mostly in the form of food, beverages, and entertainment. Apparently there’s 3 Starbucks near me now.
There’s much to explore on a full day one here. More to come tomorrow. Stay tuned.
I’m off to Turkey for a week so I’ll be blogging sporadically, wherever there’s a WIFI Internet connection.
I plan on learning a lot on this trip, not only about my wife’s family but also about the deep history of Turkey, Atatürk, and the interesting mix of Turkish life between East and West.
I’ll be going to three cities: Istanbul, Ankara, and Eregli on the Black Sea. Instagram will be my co-pilot.
