5.Turkish Hospitality and Our Experiences

 The Turkish people harbour a deep love and respect for Indians. This sentiment is rooted in history; Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey (meaning 'The Great Turk'), and Mahatma Gandhi were very close friends. When the first Turkish bank, İş Bankası (Labour Bank), was established, Gandhiji even contributed a small donation.

Almost everyone here knows about Gandhiji. Most Turkish people have seen the movie Gandhi, and many of my students own the DVD. They frequently ask me questions about him during class. A common question is, "Why did Gandhiji choose to wear only one piece of cloth?" When I explained that he had taken a vow—that he would wear only one garment as long as so many people in his country could not afford even one outfit—the respect and admiration in their eyes were palpable.

According to most people I met, Indians (Hindustanis) are their all-time friends (Arkadash), and Pakistan is their brother country (Kardeş).

Here are two small examples of the warmth shown toward Indians.

The Bus Driver

We boarded a bus from the guesthouse heading into Adana town. Noticing my silk saree, the driver called me over and insisted I sit next to him. He then began talking to me with great enthusiasm in broken English.

"Aren't you Indian?" he asked. He explained, with great love, that he was very fond of Indians. The reason he gave was interesting: he had travelled to Mumbai for heart surgery. Middle-class people from Arab countries often travel to India for medical treatment if they cannot afford to go to Europe or America.

In no time, we became friends. He called the conductor and instructed him, "Don't take money from the professor for bus tickets." After this initial encounter, he always refused my fare whenever I rode his bus in Adana. I felt uncomfortable avoiding even the small payment and sometimes had to look for other buses to avoid him!

The Kind Stranger

Another time, I was walking around, trying to find a telephone exchange to apply for a home telephone line. Unfamiliar with the area, I stopped to ask someone which bus to take and where. A man immediately approached me.

"I'm going that way, Madam. Please come with me," he offered and joined me. Only small tempos (mini-buses) operated on that route. He took me onto one. When he reached his stop, he introduced me to the driver and made sure the driver understood that he had to drop me off right in front of the exchange.

When I got off and went to pay the fare, I was surprised to learn that he had already paid for both of us.

Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to people who treat complete strangers with such kindness and respect. We had many such experiences that showed us that goodness still exists in the human spirit.

The Nation of Millionaires (Who Don't Want Bonuses!)

The currency in Turkey is the lira. During our time there, inflation was rampant. While my salary was promised as the equivalent of the US dollar, we received it in local currency. If we did not convert the entire salary into dollars or pounds immediately on the first day of the month, we could lose fifty or a hundred dollars by the evening.

Back then, one dollar was worth 1,000,000 (one million) lira. Then, in 2005, the new lira was introduced by removing six zeros from the currency’s value. Thus, millionaires and billionaires instantly lost their status overnight.

We used to pay three million (3,000,000) lira for a kilo of apples; today, the same amount is just three new liras.

When inflation surged, efforts were made to curb it with the help of the World Bank. A representative, named Mustafa Kemal, was stationed in Ankara. The value of the lira often hinged on the amount of money borrowed at the end of each month. If the loan was delayed for any reason, the lira would suddenly devalue.

Since citizens were allowed to hold money in the bank in any currency, a small number of very wealthy individuals could deliberately devalue the lira if they chose. Though few in number, they held significant political and economic influence in Turkey.

Teachers were entitled to a ten percent bonus every year. One year, recognizing the economic crisis, the entire teaching staff wrote to the authorities, stating that they did not want a bonus that year!

One might ask, "What kind of place is this? Why would you not want a bonus?" We remembered the annual bus strike in Kerala on the eve of Onam to demand an increase in bonuses.

This Turkish action was a powerful example of conscious citizens prioritizing the progress and decline of their nation.

They don't need to be fined for littering, as in Singapore; people keep their surroundings clean voluntarily. Even the elderly make sure to throw a simple piece of paper in the dustbin. I cannot praise the Turkish people enough for keeping their country so clean. While they may not get involved in the more complex worldly affairs, most are fully aware of their duties as citizens.

.Religion, Politics, and A Little History

Mustafa Kemal Pasha, Atatürk, transformed Turkey—once known as the "Sick Man of Europe"—into a modern nation.Even today, the Turkish constitution strictly mandates the separation of religion and politics. Kemal Pasha rose to prominence as a leader following a crucial victory in World War I. He was first and foremost a military man.

To this day, the Military Council (MGK) can make critical decisions within the government. No constitutional amendment can come into effect without the approval of the MGK.

There is a law that Muslim women should not wear headscarves in offices and schools. I heard that a female member of parliament who came to the assembly wearing a headscarf lost her membership. You will not see anyone wearing a headscarf in schools or colleges.

I noticed that the children in my class often had almost the same hairstyle, which led me to investigate discreetly. Some conservative Muslim girls first wear a black headscarf, and then put a black hair cover (or top) over it. This cover made all the students appear to have the same hairstyle.

The conservative party is currently in power and is attempting to pass many laws. However, many of these are blocked by the opposition of the MGK.

Generally, Turkish Muslims are very progressive. For this reason, conservative Muslims sometimes look down upon them. It is not an unusual sight to see a rosary in one hand and a glass of beer in the other. They celebrate all Muslim festivals with fervour, including Ramadan and Eid al-Adha (Bakrid).

The day before Bakrid, the streets are washed and cleaned. The next day, you might see a slaughtered goat and a pool of blood. Everyone, including the economically middle-class, slaughters a goat for Bakrid. A group of people, playing a drum-like instrument, goes from house to house to assist in the slaughter. The meat is then distributed to everyone. I recall reading in the newspaper that there are at least a few poor people in Turkey who only eat mutton once a year, during this festival.

The main obstacle to Turkey's membership in the European Council is the violation of human rights. While there is a court system, it often takes years to bring criminals—especially political prisoners—to trial. People known as Kurds have been in prison for years.

When we were there, Kurds in prison were on a long hunger strike. They were protesting an attempt to build barracks in their prison that would prevent them from gathering. Many people died during this strike, but the police did not back down. Even those who had compassion for them were afraid to express it publicly.

.Indira Gandhi, The Greengrocer, and The Tamil Friend

 

We regularly bought produce from a nearby greengrocer. The shopkeeper was a very engaging man. When we first went there, we had a major discussion with him about Gandhi. He only knew Indira Gandhi as 'Gandhi'.

We explained to the gentleman: "Indira Gandhi has no connection to Mahatma Gandhi's family. She married a Parsi. The family name Gandhi was conveniently kept or adopted—a very clever move played by them or their well-wishers—to establish their right as successors to the Father of the Nation. Their relationship was only the political and personal affection between Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi."

He initially disagreed, but once he understood the facts, he admitted that Indira Gandhi and her family were not descendants of Mahatma Gandhi.

Little did he know that the first person who hesitated to even take Indian citizenship was another 'Gandhi' who indirectly controlled the government of India for a while.

After that, whenever my wife went to the shop alone, he would playfully tease her by calling her 'Indira Gandhi'.

One day at the shop, we met a Turkish man. One of his friends was an Indian man  , who lived nearby. He also gave me the Indian man's phone number.

As soon as we reached home, I called him. We talked for a while, and he invited us to visit his house whenever it was convenient. The next day was Sunday. When the doorbell rang and I opened the door, a tall, dark-skinned Indian man and a Turkish woman were standing there.

I welcomed them in. He was a man from Tamil Nadu. He was the first Indian I had met in Adana. The woman was the owner of the house where he lived and his co-worker. He had been in Adana for four years, working for a construction company based in Dubai. His wife and two daughters were in his hometown. He usually travels home for Diwali. Due to a lot of work-related travel, he was unable to bring them to Turkey.

Because he was a good cook, he could avoid hotel meals, and the Turkish household he lived with could also enjoy Indian food. His name was Mani. His colleague lived with her mother and grandmother.

She invited us for dinner the following day. The meal was a delicious mix of Turkish and Indian dishes. We spent almost an entire day with that loving family.

After we returned from Turkey, Mani informed me that he had been transferred to Dubai. We still keep in touch through email.