Unguided Blog

Possibly the sole organisation for people who have different (with respect to our very normal society) sexual preferences like gays, lesbians etc, has been shutdown by the court on the grounds of:

• protection of the family as an institution
• violation of Civil Code stating no immoral organisation can be founded
• failure to mention the meaning of “lambda” in Turkish in the official name of the organisation.

Honestly, I do not know what to say but “gloomy days ahead!” or something similar, but since we started, let us analyse our exponentially improving democracy in Turkey a little bit in the light of this court decision.

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I occasionally come across this question in travel forums and the similar: “How can I go to Sabiha Gokcen Airport from Istanbul International (Ataturk) Airport?” As there is no direct shuttle available, people who like to travel without a tourism company and with a tight budget usually want to learn if there is an economic way. Well, yes, there is.

A little geography first. Istanbul Airport is the main international air gateway for Turkey and situated on the almost far western edge of Istanbul, at the European side as the locals call it. Whereas the recently built Sabiha Gokcen is on the far eastern edge, at the Asian side, mostly used for domestic flights and some charters. The following is not only the cheapest but also maybe the fastest way if you strike rush hour traffic. It is convenient, relaxed and air-conditioned all the way.

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Sometimes it is really getting difficult to hold on to reality. I wonder if I’m the only one to take notice of this masquerade. If it was not for Fravia’s [fravia.com] and +ORC’s (no link available, but once upon a time some claimed to have found the mysterious +ORC site) [aone.net.au] past lessons, I would probably go and see a psychiatrist. Maybe I still should.

You must have heard Pippa Bacca’s story that ended tragically in Gebze, Turkey. She was a good soul who decided to tour the world on foot, to draw attention to peace and humanity’s intrinsic good qualities. She decided to hike all the way up to Israel in a wedding dress.

Not being a big fan of TV or mainstream newspapers I only became aware of the event when it showed up in my rss feed. Intrigued by the sad story, I decided to read everything that was written in the Turkish media before her arrival and after her death. It was then when my sorrow first turned to anger, then to resentment; I wish I had read the news before her murder.

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In the name of following a balanced and less biased view, contrary to what they did to forests in Belek, Antalya, the government did the right thing to protect the sharks (lat. Carcharnius Plumbeus) by closing the Boncuk Bay in Marmaris, Mugla to all. Boncuk Bay is the only place in northern hemisphere where these lovely animals lay their eggs (the second one being in South America).

After giving them a ticket of approximately 15000 usd for renewal of toilets without permission, the authorities have shut down the only facility in the bay. The facility had 3 (three) rooms and a camping area and has been in service for 30 years.

I am aware that our beloved government seems like a pioneer of democracy in the eyes of the many, so I will not comment any further on the procedure. Renewal of toilets without permission, eh? One wonders if the visiting scientists, marine biologists, staff of environmental agencies etc will ever need a place to stay. Perhaps a better, more modern facility is required to ensure the safety of sharks, who knows? Think about it. A theme park of sharks that does not harm humans (they do not)! Instead of a family run business with three rooms, an amusement hotel run by a professional management perhaps? A group of wise people who know when and how to renovate toilets?

But a few things in the story are really amusing. For example let us read what the Governer of Mugla Dr. Ahmet Altiparmak said when asked to comment:

I learned the closing of the facility from the DHA reporter (yeah, that’s why the press is sooo important). I am investigating…

I am, too.

I promised to give the link to the virtual gallery of Istanbul Puppet Festival. Since I moved the events/news to the blog section, the updates will be made here. For those interested, the on-line photo stream of the puppet festival is now available.

Among the participating countries, namely Cambodia, China, Thailand, India, Indonesia, I have found particularly Indonesian entries most interesting, although it is really difficult to choose. Well, it was not a contest anyway. I am sure that you will like them all.

I am a bit disappointed for not finding all of the entries in the photo stream, but the organizers only uploaded the photos belonging to the “shadow theater” division. I would really like to see pictures of especially Burjubas Puppet Group of Fabianne Villareal from Argentina or Stefan Libardi’s Theater Im Ohrensessel (they adapted Grimm Brothers’ fantastic story of Iron Hans - Der Eisenhans) online.