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SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA WEEK
Curiosities and wonders of Turkey
BY GABRIEL MOLINA
TURKEY, known in ancient times as Anatolia or Asia
Minor, is a legendary, mysterious and exotic
country; in a word, fascinating. Because Anatolia,
the birthplace of the fabulous King Midas, was the
origin of the names of many famous cities such as
Philadelphia, Paris, Troy, and even the continent of
Europe itself. Alexander the Great cut the famous
Gordian knot near Ankara, the current capital of
Turkey. Julius Cesar spoke his famous words, “I
came, I saw, I conquered,” near Ankara as well, in
the year 47 BC.
Two
of the Seven Wonders of the World were in Anatolia:
the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus and the Mausoleum
in Halicarnasus (Bodrum).
In
was in Anatolia that Hittite culture developed, a
contemporary of that of Egypt during the Bronze Age.
That geographical area was the principal location of
early Christianity, and the Book of Genesis places
the Garden of Eden there. The author of the cruel
assassination attempt against the recently deceased
Pope John Paul II was the mysterious Turk Ali Agca,
who has been in prison for more than 20 years and
now claims to have repented. Mount Ararat, where
Noah’s Ark was anchored, is in Anatolia. Saint
Nicholas, the ineffable Santa Claus, was in life the
Bishop of Myra in Demre, Turkey.
In
that country, one may find people who speak an
ancient form of Spanish, because Sultan Beyazit II
dispatched the Ottoman Empire navy to ship to Turkey
the Jewish community that had been expelled from
Spain in 1492. What could have been his reasons?
In
Turkey’s largest cities, Ankara and Istanbul, the
Cuba Friendship Society recently organized a
Solidarity with Cuba Week. The two countries are
viewing each other with growing sympathy
A
LITTLE PIECE OF HISTORY
Historically, Anatolia has borne witness to
confrontations between ancient peoples such as the
Hattites, Hittites, Phrygians, Gauls, Romans,
Byzantines, Seleucids and Ottomans; while certain
conquerors such as Alexander the Great and Tamerlane
established or tried to establish their empires
there. The Ottoman Empire dominated the largest
portion of the world for more than 400 years.
In
the 20th century, after World War I, Ankara – then a
small village – became a center of Turkish
resistance against the British and the French.
Victorious on the battlefield, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk,
the leader of the resistance, transformed the
sultanate into a republic, with Ankara as the
capital instead of Istanbul. He initiated a national
revolution in 1923 and implemented a series of
reforms that accelerated the country’s
modernization. Atatürk means “father of the Turks.”
As
an external symbol of those changes, Atatürk banned
the fez for men and the veil for women, as well as
the famous flat-topped conical hats typical to the
Turks. Today, Muslim women’s attire is once again a
controversial topic after the current government
lifted the ban on the veil’s use – to the alarm of
many, who fear that it will become obligatory, as it
is in other Muslim countries. Ninety-nine percent of
Turkey’s 70 million people are Muslim.
Kemal was educated in military academies and was an
army officer under the Ottoman Empire. During World
War I (1914-1918), he attained the rank of
lieutenant colonel in the infantry, and his great
accomplishment was the victory against the British,
French, Italian and Greek troops – among other
battles – in the defense of Gallipoli and during the
siege of Istanbul, rescued in 1922.
Because of Kemal’s ideas and his popularity, the
Ottoman Empire saw him as a dangerous element. In
effect, he committed himself to changing the
country, projecting it toward the transformation of
the ruins of the Empire. The Republic was
established on October 29, 1923. Atatürk was its
first president and he died on November 10, 1938 in
the Palace of Dolmabahce.
The
founder is recognized for having initiated great
reforms in Turkey, some of them extraordinarily
important, such as changing the Arab alphabet for
the Latin one; the founding of a secular or lay
state (the separation of church and state); the
introduction of new civil laws, inspired by the
Swiss; the abolition of polygamy; the replacement of
the Arabic calendar by the Gregorian one; the right
of women to vote and be elected long before many
Western countries, and the designation of Sunday as
a day of weekly rest.
Today, the capital of Turkey is a modern city of 3.5
million people – small when compared to Istanbul and
its 11 million-plus inhabitants.
After checking in at the small central hotel of
Turdkiye Bellediyeler Birligi (Union of Turkish
Municipalities) on Selanik, Cadessi, No. 57, the
Cuban delegation’s first contact with the city was
with its ancient castle in the hills of its lovely
old quarter, which retains its ancient flavor with
the restoration of many traditional Turkish
buildings currently housing people, businesses, art
galleries and restaurants. This downtown area is
surrounded by the ancient hisar or citadel,
whose foundations were laid by the Gauls on a rise
of lava, completed by the Romans, Byzantines and
Seleucids.
Alongside the gates of the citadel is the Museum of
Anatolian Civilizations. The Cuban visitors, defying
the nearly below-zero temperatures, enjoyed a lesson
on ancient history.
The
most Oriental characteristic of Ankara and all of
this Euro-Asiatic country is, perhaps, the profusion
of mosques with their high, slender minarets, which
may be appreciated in the city as one walks up and
down the steep alleyways replete with small antique
shops. In the bazaars and elsewhere, keen polyglot
traders offer copper objects, rugs, embroidery,
traditional furniture and clothes, a multitude of
stands selling dried fruit, spices and other typical
items appropriate to the sport of haggling enjoyed
by the majority of the tourists that visit the
country every year; last year no less than 17.5
million.
In
the center of Ankara, in a fourth-floor Cuban club –
always full, especially at night – Trova
singer Manuel Suárez Argudín has “Cubanized” Ankara
nights – more than the Havana Club rum – to the
delight of those in attendance, and in the days that
followed, he did the same with students from the
Middle East Technical University and the Social
Science Department of the University of Ankara. The
delegation contributed unexpected and extremely
valuable vocal support in the form of the
artistically enthusiastic talents of Iván Barberis
and Gladis Hernández, representatives of the Cuban
Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) and
the Center for World Economic Studies, respectively.
FROM BYZANTIUM TO ISTANBUL, VIA CONSTANTINOPLE
The
legendary Istanbul was the most powerful center of
the eastern Roman Empire after Rome’s decline. It
was then known as Byzantium, and would later be
called Constantinople.
Istanbul is the only city in the world that divides
two continents: Asia and Europe. For hundreds of
years, it has been the site of bloody battles and
rebellions for power.
Like
ancient Rome, it was a city built on seven hills.
In
its location in the extreme northeast of the
country, some 450 km from Ankara, one may walk
through its coastal streets and enjoy the view of
the geological strait that separates the European
and Asian sides of Istanbul – the Bosphorus, which
connects the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea.
Taksim is Istanbul’s main business center, located –
if there is no traffic jam – about 30 or 40 minutes
from the impressive airport. Of course, in such a
large and ancient city, there are many other
business centers, some so crowded with people on
regular days that one has to virtually force one’s
way down the sidewalk. The majority of residents
live on the Asian side of Istanbul and work on the
European side. Two bridges connect the two sides of
the city, but it is recommendable to avoid them
during the rush hour. It is more refreshing to cross
via the spacious and abundant boats that traverse
the Bosphorus or sail around for a view of wonderful
palaces.
Turkish cooking is in line with its venerable
culture – rich and very diverse. Turkish recipes
pass on from generation to generation. In Ankara, we
were able to enjoy very Asian breakfasts: bread,
olives, tomatoes, boiled eggs, butter or fresh
cream, jellies, white cheese and honey accompanied
by black tea or Turkish coffee (consumed with the
dregs). In Istanbul, however, the breakfasts at the
also centric Sidonia Hotel were more European, with
a Swedish-style buffet.
In
fast-food type restaurants, you may look at and ask
for typical Turkish dishes even if you don’t speak
the language. English is quite widespread, but there
is not always someone available who speaks it.
In
Turkey, you can eat fried eggplant with meat,
spinach with yogurt, meat dipped in yogurt with a
base of thin Asian bread and shish kebab with
skewered veal, chicken or beef – never with pork,
repudiated as it is in Arab countries, because of
religious reasons as advised by Mohammed.
The
doner kebab – which means “turning meat,”
because it is layered meat that turns as it cooks –
is a typical and delicious typical Turkish dish that
has invaded the rest of Europe, especially Germany
and France. It may be eaten with fried potatoes and
salad or in a sandwich.
For
their alcoholic beverages, Turks prefer raki,
made with anise, served in tall glasses with water
and ice, like in the south of France. Beer is the
second favorite.
From
day one, we saw around us the very typical original
Turkish amulet used against the evil eye, popular
all over the country. It is blue and looks like an
eye, and may be bought in any bazaar or small
souvenir shop. Women use it in bracelets, earrings
and necklaces; it is also popular on key chains or
hung in the house, office or car, and even on
children’s clothing.
The
Turkish name for this amulet is boncuk nazar.
It is made of glass or synthetic material and comes
in all sizes, but the most popular are 3-4 cm.
“CUBA
YES! YANKEES NO!”
During the Solidarity Week, the delegation met with
parliamentarians and had press conferences with
newspaper and television journalists, especially
regarding the five Cuban patriots imprisoned in the
United States, headed by Roberto González, the
brother of René, one of the Five. The delegation
also went to film showings, concerts, gatherings
with students and workers, photo exhibits.
Agreements were made, such as one to publish
Granma International in Turkish, and one between
the Communist Youth League of Cuba and the Youth
League of the Party of Justice and Development (the
governing party), signed by Dámara López and Mesut
Balli, to support the World Festival of Students and
Youth to be organized in Caracas.
The
climax was a mass event that featured 4,000 voices
chanting “Cuba yes! Yankees no!” In the words of
Ozlem Sen, president of the Friendship Society,
Ambassador Ernesto Gómez Abascal and Abelardo
Curbelo, head of the European section of the Party’s
International Relations Department it was evident
what it is that unites us and the desire to support
Cuba.
The
week of solidarity with Cuba left the door open to
continue strengthening the ties between these two
countries fighting to attain respect for their
independence.
CREDIT OF 10 MILLION
With
no apparent relationship to the solidarity events, a
few days later Raúl de la Nuez, the Cuban minister
of foreign trade, traveled to Ankara to take part in
the 6th Session of the Joint Commission between the
two countries. When the discussions were over, he
signed a protocol with Cemil Cicek, the Turkish
minister of justice, to facilitate increased
economic and trade relations. For the first time, it
was agreed to grant Cuba a bank credit of $10
million that will enable the latter to buy Turkish
goods under advantageous conditions and contribute
to the development of commercial exchange between
the two countries. Likewise, a document of
understanding was signed with respect to
agricultural cooperation.
And
on Thursday, April 7, Ankara Governor Kemal Onal was
declared an Illustrious Visitor by Juan Contino
Aslán, president of the of People's Power Provincial
Assembly in the Cuban capital.
Onal
stated that he learned about the cultural,
scientific and tourist institutions that would be
the objects of cooperation and exchange between
Havana and Ankara, along with transportation and
education issues.
Ambassador Ernesto Gómez Abascal had told us of the
“growing sentiment of friendship toward the Cuban
people.” Attorney Ozlem Sen, president of the
Friendship Society, reaffirmed that, saying, “The
Turkish people, even those who do not know very much
about you, love and respect Cuba for its positions
and political declarations, for the leadership of
Fidel and Che. Among many other reasons, because the
Turks are against the Bush government’s policy
toward Turkey.” We were able to see that for
ourselves.
A recent survey by the BBC in London revealed that
“opposition in the world to Mr. Bush is stronger
than anti-Americanism in general,” and that Turkey
is the country with the most unfavorable opinion of
the United States in all of Europe.
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