Turkey Bans Istanbul Gay Pride Parade

That is 1 ex patriot Brit living in Mersin who will have to shave off his village People moustache!!

You wouldn't mean head would you? -----------sigh.

Why can't we use his proper name? fucking childish !!

On a serious note, Turkey does seem to be becoming an increasingly dangerous place to live.
And they asprire to be part of the EU.
Not sure I would even want to holiday there.

Angry Andy wrote:On a serious note, Turkey does seem to be becoming an increasingly dangerous place to live.
And they asprire to be part of the EU.
Not sute I would even want to holiday there.

It's always been that way, just under the surface. Turkey wants to be western, but it's people are Muslim and have no use for the infidels. I spent a lot of time there when I lived and worked in the MED. You could feel it.

nicko wrote:Why can't we use his proper name?    fucking childish  !!

I know. I think TD,YK should be asked if he minds being called by his other name which begins with "D".

Raggamuffin wrote:

nicko wrote:Why can't we use his proper name?    fucking childish  !!

I know. I think TD,YK should be asked if he minds being called by his other name which begins with "D".

You mean Dean?  I don't think he minds it.  It's a lot more respectful than "head".  I don't know where that came from, but I think his real name is fine and perfectly OK. His site name is too long for use when you are tying.

Original Quill wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

I know. I think TD,YK should be asked if he minds being called by his other name which begins with "D".

You mean Dean?  I don't think he minds it.  It's a lot more respectful than "head".  I don't know where that came from, but I think his real name is fine and perfectly OK.

I think that some people struggle with the name he uses on this forum.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

You mean Dean?  I don't think he minds it.  It's a lot more respectful than "head".  I don't know where that came from, but I think his real name is fine and perfectly OK.

I think that some people struggle with the name he uses on this forum.

It's too long when you are typing and quickly answering. I use code a lot when responding, and when I have to type in a long name it's disruptive to my rhythm.

Original Quill wrote:

Angry Andy wrote:On a serious note, Turkey does seem to be becoming an increasingly dangerous place to live.
And they asprire to be part of the EU.
Not sute I would even want to holiday there.

It's always been that way, just under the surface.  Turkey wants to be western, but it's people are Muslim and have no use for the infidels.  I spent a lot of time there when I lived and worked in the MED.  You could feel it.

They used to be more western, just as once Iran did, with girls walking around in Mini Skirts. Those who fear religious control being replaced by secularism, have gained control and power. In time Islam will wain as Christianity did and the people will take back control from those religious. In may take a few decades, but in time it will happen.

Original Quill wrote:

Angry Andy wrote:On a serious note, Turkey does seem to be becoming an increasingly dangerous place to live.
And they asprire to be part of the EU.
Not sute I would even want to holiday there.

It's always been that way, just under the surface.  Turkey wants to be western, but it's people are Muslim and have no use for the infidels.  I spent a lot of time there when I lived and worked in the MED.  You could feel it .

See now, I'm not picking a hole in your argument or disbelieving your sentence, but if Tommy had said what you had, some posters would have jumped all over him and said he was labelling the whole of the Muslim community as racist against others.

I'm just saying.

eddie wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

It's always been that way, just under the surface.  Turkey wants to be western, but it's people are Muslim and have no use for the infidels.  I spent a lot of time there when I lived and worked in the MED.  You could feel it .

See now, I'm not picking a hole in your argument or disbelieving your sentence, but if Tommy had said what you had, some posters would have jumped all over him and said he was labelling the whole of the Muslim community as racist against others.

I'm just saying.

Yes...I can't deny it.  That was my experience with Turkey...and Iran as well.  They want to be modern in a European way, but as soon as you transgress any of their cultural mores...wham.

One time in Tehran I was dating a Polish girl.  I went up to my hotel room to get a raincoat, and when I returned the desk clerk lectured me for leaving a woman alone in the lobby.  

They are strict.  But I've never denied it.  My point has always been, it's ethnocentric to criticize them on the basis of western standards, particularly in their own country.  They are what they are...who are we to judge them?

But all of this about them in their own countries, has naught to do with our own bigotry against Muslims.  The Trump travel ban.  The hatred you hear on this site toward Pakistanis.  It all is gratuitous and has nothing to do with their culture in their own respective countries.  It's all about Muslims in the UK or the US.

I quite agree. I stayed in the Maldives for six months back in 2000 (the island was washed away nearly by the tsunami of later years) and they were strict Muslim. I lived and worked among them but I adhered to their rules and I found I had no problems at all.

eddie wrote:I quite agree. I stayed in the Maldives for six months back in 2000 (the island was washed away nearly by the tsunami of later years) and they were strict Muslim. I lived and worked among them but I adhered to their rules and I found I had no problems at all.

I've visited Turkey countless times over the years, and been to Istanbul more than once. I never ever got the vibe that they were intolerant of 'infidels'. Same in Egypt. In Cairo, we were travelling round via taxi and spotted a baladi wedding, stopped to watch. The family invited us to join them. We ate their food and danced with them. They didn't seem bothered we were white Westerners. In fact, Muslim people are incredibly hospitable on the whole. France, however, was a totally different experience. I found Parisians to be hostile and very unfriendly.

HoratioTarr wrote:

eddie wrote:I quite agree. I stayed in the Maldives for six months back in 2000 (the island was washed away nearly by the tsunami of later years) and they were strict Muslim. I lived and worked among them but I adhered to their rules and I found I had no problems at all.

I've visited Turkey countless times over the years, and been to Istanbul more than once.   I never ever got the vibe that they were intolerant of 'infidels'.    Same in Egypt.   In Cairo, we were travelling round via taxi and spotted a baladi wedding, stopped to watch. The family invited us to join them.  We ate their food and danced with them.   They didn't seem bothered we were white Westerners.  In fact, Muslim people are incredibly hospitable on the whole.   France, however, was a totally different experience.  I found Parisians to be hostile and very unfriendly.

I was warned before I went to Paris that I would not be welcomed unless I spoke French, and even then probably just tolerated.

Well I went, had a phrase book with key words and most oft used sentences like..."Dry white wine please...how much is that...thank you very much...do you speak English...that sort of thing.
I absolutely loved it and felt welcomed by everyone.... one taxi driver even offered a free fare if I spent the time of the ride perfecting his English.

Syl wrote:

HoratioTarr wrote:

I've visited Turkey countless times over the years, and been to Istanbul more than once.   I never ever got the vibe that they were intolerant of 'infidels'.    Same in Egypt.   In Cairo, we were travelling round via taxi and spotted a baladi wedding, stopped to watch. The family invited us to join them.  We ate their food and danced with them.   They didn't seem bothered we were white Westerners.  In fact, Muslim people are incredibly hospitable on the whole.   France, however, was a totally different experience.  I found Parisians to be hostile and very unfriendly.

I was warned before I went to Paris that I would not be welcomed unless I spoke French, and even then probably just tolerated.

Well I went, had a phrase book with key words and most oft used sentences like..."Dry white wine please...how much is that...thank you very much...do you speak English...that sort of thing.
I absolutely loved it and felt welcomed by everyone.... one taxi driver even offered a free fare if I spent the time of the ride perfecting his English.  

You know the one restaurant we went in that was friendly? A Muslim one.

Oddly, one of the finest French restaurants I ever went to, was in Turkey. Go figure.

But you've got to get beyond the tourist façade and get into their world before you find real people with real attitudes. The people in hotels, restaurants, public transit, and attractions have had the inner attitude trained away. Probably that desk clerk in Tehran was holding in what he really wanted to say.

I have found Muslim countries welcoming too. Among the friendliest people. However, I hold no illusions that if I ever visited Egypt again, this time with my boyfriend, that we'd have to pretend to be friends only to avoid trouble. I won't pretend there are major problems in some Muslim societies, there are. And my respect for generally homophobic cultures will always have limits.

On the other hand, I'm fairly sure some in Istanbul were aware of our relationship and we were always treated well there. There is sadly however a back sliding toward religious barbarity in Turkey, spearheaded by Erdogan. They banned teaching evolution, now this. Sad to see Attaturk's modern secular nation be shredded by their new would-be dictator.