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A Taliban in Istanbul
Milliyet ^
| 11/18/2001
| Ahmet Dumanli
Posted on 11/18/2001 5:05:17 PM PST by a_Turk
Translated by a_Turk from the turkish language daily newspaper Milliyet.
Journalist Ahmet Dumanli, who had been covering the war in Peshaver for the past 42 days, returned to Istanbul still donning the Taliban's traditional Pashtun garb. First he stopped in the Eyup neighborhood, where he was greeted with fervor by passers by....
I had been living with the Taliban on the border of Afghanistan for the past 42 days. And now I am back in Istanbul, still dressed as a Taliban no less...
 |
The Taliban, who after the fall of Kabul seemed to disappear from Afghanistan has surfaced in Istanbul. It slipped by the police at the Ataturk airport, and toured the neighborhoods of Taksim, Etiler, and Eyup. All joking aside, I had missed Istanbul and my people. It was not easy, I had been staying with the Taliban for the past 42 days. So now I'm back home in Istanbul. Still dressed like a Taliban, I am walking the streets. Let's see what the Turkish people think about the Taliban, and how they behave. |
Great Interest in Eyup
Our first stop is the Eyup mosque and its environs. My friend Ercan Arslan a photo journalist is following me from a distance. The fellas hanging out around the mosque were no different than what I had been getting used to for the past few weeks. They were greeting me with smiles and then whispering to each other: "What's this taliban doing here while there's a war on in Afghanistan?"
The grocer who noticed Arslan following me shooting pictures quietly warned me: "Careful bro, they're taking your picture. Before you know it they'll put it in the paper and claim to have found Usame at the Eyup mosque." We're co-religionists after all...
It's dificult to be a stranger in Istanbul. Especially finding those confused addresses... Using that excuse I aproached a police man who was wearing a flak-jacket and carrying a submachine gun. Bless him, he decided to be helpful. At that time another cop, who had just gotten off-duty, approached. "If you know the whole address," he said, "I'll take you there" without minding my garb. Af ter the tour in Eyup, while waiting for a car to take me back to the newspaper, the girls and boys who were pupils at the religious lyceum were surprised: "Look at the Taliban! He's even got an earring. What's he doing here when there's a jihad on over there?"
And the Second Tour...
| We're in one of the more sought after neighborhoods of Istanbul, namely Etiler. This time I'm working with my photo journalist buddy Yurttash Tümer. I am not getting the attention that I was enjoying in Eyup here. The inhabitants of Etiler are satisfied with staring me down from a distance. The only one who spoke to me was a pan-handler (he wants money, but the Taliban's got none.) Then a global-oriented taxi driver asked "Bro, what's the situation?" The Turkish answer did not satisfy. He drove of talking to himself. |
 |
We could not enter the Akmerkez Mall
So we got to Akmerkez. One of the best malls and gathering spots in Istanbul was packed as usual. But the people were again satisfied by just looking at me from a distance. Of course my friend Yurttash Tümer was taking pictures in close succession. This, however, did not last long, because Mall Security discovered us and would not leave us alone. We told him we were Turkish newspapermen, but they would not listen. When we couldn't convince the Akmerkez PR person either, we could not get a visa to enter the Mall. Next we decided to move on to Taxim Square. The Cultural Center was busy as usual. In short, all of Taxim is watching me. Everyone was still spying the Taliban while we were waiting for the tram. On our way down Istiklal street toward Tunel, a group of young men and women joked: "Wow, that looks like it could be Usame!"
Usame Bin Ladin has escaped!
When we reached the Galatasaray Lyceum, we were met with the interest of some of our fellow reporters and some police, who were waiting ready for the customary Saturday demonstrations. They were joking amongst each other: "Friends, let's be careful! Usame Bin Ladin has escaped from Afghanistan!"
Looking at Istanbul from the Galata bridge, I thought I'd have a few words with the fishermen. But they didn't really care. Who cares about a Taliban, they've gotto make a living....
At Eminonu by the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, even those escaping from the rain could not help but turn to stare at me. Speaking on the phone at a corner by the "New Mosque" (it was new a long long time ago) I kept hearing the usual: "Usame is here!", "Look at the Afghan, he's using the phone!", "What kind of Taliban is that!"
I really missed my country and my people...
TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
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For those who did not get it, This was a story by a Turkish journalist, who for 42 days lived amongst the Taliban and reported on the war from there. He isn't really a Taliban ok?
Crack me up.
1
posted on
11/18/2001 5:05:17 PM PST
by
a_Turk
To: Shermy; Nogbad; Turk2; LJLucido; He Rides A White Horse; Fiddlstix
ping
2
posted on
11/18/2001 5:10:28 PM PST
by
a_Turk
To: Torie; MHGinTN; hogwaller; MadHatter3175; Aric2000; Captainpaintball
ping
3
posted on
11/18/2001 5:11:02 PM PST
by
a_Turk
To: Captain Shady; WRhine; Otto von Bismark; Alpenkatze; NeonKnight; super175
ping
4
posted on
11/18/2001 5:11:36 PM PST
by
a_Turk
To: mississippi red-neck; tomahawk; TomSmedley; nkycincinnatikid; Hoplite
ping
5
posted on
11/18/2001 5:12:03 PM PST
by
a_Turk
To: Map Kernow; alethia; Bahbah; ChinaThreat; MadIvan; southland; Ernest_at_the_Beach
ping
6
posted on
11/18/2001 5:12:37 PM PST
by
a_Turk
To: Archie Bunker on steroids; piasa; river rat; No Truce With Kings; contessa machiaveli
ping
7
posted on
11/18/2001 5:13:07 PM PST
by
a_Turk
To: a_Turk
Thank you for the Ping
8
posted on
11/18/2001 5:14:33 PM PST
by
Fiddlstix
To: a_Turk
"Istanbul...not Constantinople. Blue canary on the light switch...who watches over me..." - They Might Be Giants
To: a_Turk
Thanks for the ping.
So how does a Turk tell who is a Taliban? or an Arab, etc?
Might help us here in the USA!
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
So how does a Turk tell who is a Taliban? or an Arab, etc?
Language and dress. There is no help. All we can do is keep our reflexes sharp. Terror has no religion or nationality. It's like the mob.
11
posted on
11/18/2001 5:26:08 PM PST
by
a_Turk
To: a_Turk
Well the chap seemed to have heavier going in the chicer precincts. No surprise there. Islamic fundamentalism must be the ultimate nightmare in those neighborhoods.
12
posted on
11/18/2001 5:50:01 PM PST
by
Torie
To: a_Turk
bump
13
posted on
11/18/2001 5:53:18 PM PST
by
Salman
To: a_Turk
Off topic but - who pays for the upkeep of Mecca and Medina? Is it the Saudi's or is there a titheing of some sort from all of the world's Mosques?
To: Torie
Well the chap seemed to have heavier going in the chicer precincts. No surprise there. Islamic fundamentalism must be the ultimate nightmare in those neighborhoods.
People dressed like the taliban are viewed with suspicion in those neighborhoods, but not with horror, for we all know that the dress does not make the person. Anyway, no reason to heve nightmares about fundamentalism in Turkey, as those kinds of politicians only enjoy about 20% of the vote.
It used to be against the law to campaign using religion. It also used to be illegal to dress in old fashioned nightgowns on the street. Thanks to pressure from the EU, now we have these morons to deal with.
15
posted on
11/18/2001 6:02:48 PM PST
by
a_Turk
To: FreedomSurge
Off topic but - who pays for the upkeep of Mecca and Medina?
Can't be sure, but would guess that since there is no leadership (abolished by Ataturk in the 20s) there could be no central bank per se.
16
posted on
11/18/2001 6:05:25 PM PST
by
a_Turk
To: a_Turk
Fascinating article - and good translation job, too.
I guess it's encouraging that he was not solicited by supporters wanting to assist a perceived fellow-jihadist.
17
posted on
11/18/2001 7:14:51 PM PST
by
LJLucido
To: LJLucido
I guess it's encouraging that he was not solicited by supporters wanting to assist a perceived fellow-jihadist.
HELL no. We may be crazy but we ain't stupid!
18
posted on
11/18/2001 7:20:44 PM PST
by
a_Turk
To: PoorMuttly
ping
19
posted on
11/18/2001 8:00:59 PM PST
by
a_Turk
To: a_Turk
Thanks for the ping, that was TOO funny, a Turkish candid camera!!
LOL!!
20
posted on
11/18/2001 8:18:46 PM PST
by
Aric2000
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