The Atatürk

It surprised us when we arrived in Türkiye to see just how many flags and pictures of the Atatürk there are everywhere. This morning in Bergama, Alice nips out with the rubbish, just after a siren has sounded, and on the way back notices all the people in the street standing silent and to attention. This evening, in the city of Manisa, our bedroom overlooks a school playground; at 6pm all the kids gather outside to receive prizes and then sing the national anthem. We do some research. Today is the anniversary of the death of the Atatürk, the man who turned Türkiye into a secular republic. Just before we arrived, Türkiye celebrated 100 years of being a republic. Now we understand.

The weather is not great so we book another warmshowers night, this time with Soykan in Turgutlu. He returned to his home town to farm family olive trees. He speaks perfect english thanks to time living and working in the US and UK. It’s really nice to chat and eat together with this delightful and generous man.Read more