Talk about talking cold turkey

What can anyone say about the new political dilemma developing in Turkey without wondering if the fat lad over the pond hasn’t actually lost it?

While wondering about the humanity if not the sanity of the world’s most powerful clown, er man, we might well dwell on the much-aired political slogan of ‘our’ special relationship.

To let, if not exactly encourage, a neighbour of ours to virtually sacrifice another is one horror.

Inhuman decision

But to hear the ‘leader’ declare that he couldn’t care less about the huge loss of life, just as long as his own voters weren’t put at risk, shows something utterly that's rather new to most of us.

negative in western politics

Then to read that the world’s most powerful, well, goat announced the inhuman decision via, of all things, social media, has to make people who care wonder about our brave new world.

The ugly news transported me back to my first view of that magical land.

I was an inquisitive young hitch-hiker learning about, discovering the world.

After India and Pakistan, Afghanistan was certainly quite an eye-opener, then followed mysterious Iran, and over the border into and across Turkey.

Quite an eye-opener

Fellow travellers mostly from Australia warned me about their old first world war adversary. Be very, very careful.

There were bands, people with placards, uniforms a plenty, and certainly no shortage of firearms carried by soldiers strutting to the very unusual almost three-four beat of Turkish marching music. The sound, even so, did have a vaguely Western accent, and then a few banners in approximate English appeared.

Of course, that had me continually watching one’s back, as well as we can. And yet in spite of caution and suspicion, that very strange, enchanting country just about won me over.

Beware pickpockets and men with daggers seemed to be the more popular warnings. And definitely to avoid big state demonstrations.

I was keen to try a genuine Turkish bath. … Continues on the blogs for my ocean adventuring book, Sailing to Purgatory at
 http://sailingtopurgatory.com/index.php/feeds/455-talk-about-talking-cold-turkey