May Day in Istanbul

Today was my day to bid goodbye to the bosphorus, I saw anger on the streets of Turkey. While mainland Europe celebrated May day, Turkey was simmering - with angry mobs braving the police - the black uniformed armed police could be seen in droves menacingly patrolling the streets. I did witness a standoff myself between the police and the people.

The taxi that I hired to go meet the Chairman of the only company playing in Immuno-suppressants, its driver was seething with anger too.

While I am not too sure about what the mobs on the streets were demanding, but my driver’s anger was directed toward Edrogan the Prime Minster. The Islamization that Edrogan is presiding upon is not going well with the Turk of Istanbul. Yes, indeed the Turk of Istanbul is very cosmopolitan, and has a distinctively different outlook from his brethren of the hinterland. He prides in the secular tag that his Islam has, unlike the Islam in other countries that overrides both personal and public lives. That suffocates and stifles all walks of life, unless you succumb to make it your own way of life.

But this modern Turk, who till a few years ago, wanted to make history by becoming the first and only muslim ethnicity entering the European Union, feels threatened about losing the liberal muslim identity that he has do diligently built.