Tomorrow is our last day in Istanbul, and I'm slowly saying good-bye to the city. My last wet burger from the corner vendor, last time to see some of our new friends, my last day exploring the side streets off Istiklal. I've really come to love this country's work hard, play hard attitude, wonderful hospitality and kindness, and rich, fascinating history.
I'm pretty sure I'll find my way back to Turkey, so this isn't so much a good-bye as a see you later. I do wonder if the city I'll return to in five or ten years will be the same one I've come to love over the last few weeks.
A common message through our lectures is how quickly things change in Turkey. As a crossing point between the East and West, the country is constantly being pulled in different directions. This appears in the growth of popularity of Starbucks and nargile cafes. Although both coffee and water pipes have a long history in Turkey and both venues are intended for enjoying time with friends, the experiences are distinctly Western and Eastern. Another example of the shifting sands of culture in Turkey is a growing identity as a Turkish nation. I also surprised to hear that the Turkish flags that have been so ubiquitous through the country were actually side-effect of the growth in nationalism over the last decade.
With the push and pull that Turkey is constantly experiencing, I wonder how much the country will change before I'm able to make my way back here. Will it be a part of the European Union and become increasingly democratized? Will Islam take a greater role in public life and, if so, what will that look like? Will the growing sense of ethnicity lead to greater tensions or will tensions be defused and a peace found with the Kurds?
I suppose that as long as my Turkish friends are able to live good lives, the back and forth swing doesn't matter much. The things I love about Turkey will still be there, even if the currency is Euros instead of Lira.
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