Coup d' Etat In Turkey Dominates Headlines

6:14

6:15

For those who are wondering what is going on in Turkey, let me give you a  brief primer.  Since the 1920's, Turkey has been a secular democracy, a first in an Islamic country.  Ataturk, father Turk, westernized Turkey after WW I, banning the fez, the veil, the head scarf, and Latinizing the Turkish alphabet. Thus, Turkey was a democracy, with a clear division between mosque and state. The military, however, considered itself guardian of the democracy and occasionally took over if the government veered too far  to the left or right.  When we lived in Turkey, there were battles at the universities between leftists (Communists) and rightists( Islamicists), often shootings, and two or three times, the military stepped in and established martial law.

Turkey prospered during the 1980's and 1990's with a more stable government and lots of money from the Middle East.  Around 2000, Recep Erdogan was freely elected as Prime Minster.  Over the past 16 years, he has slowly moved the country towards an Islamic State, derogating Ataturk and his secularism.  Most of my friends feared for what Turkey was happening to democracy back in 2009 when we visited. They sensed the change, a limiting of human rights, especially for journalists and women.  So this coup is no surprise in that most of the middle class, the educated, want a secular state while the underclass, the masses from the Eastern part of Turkey, support Erdogan and are happy with a move towards an Islamic state.  So, that's a brief and most likely inaccurate analysis of Turkey. Neither the Generals (very conservative) nor Erdogan (an Islamicist) is good news for Turkey.  The possibility of a Civil War is growing as I listen to the news.  I fear for my friends, teammates, former students, and colleagues.

This morning it sounds as if the coup has been defeated, the tragic results, hundreds dead, thousands imprisoned.  It's still not clear who is in charge and I have already read conspiracy theories that suggest the coup was orchestrated by Erdogan to consolidate his power. Silly. Or by Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish imam and Muslim cleric, founder of the Gulen Movement.  Interestingly, Gulen, once an ally of Erdogan, fled to the US in 2001, fearing imprisonment in Turkey.  He has lived in the Poconos, in Pennsylvania since then yet his influence is still obvious in Turkey, as he has many followers.

I fear Erdogan (elected to Prime Minster in 2003, President in 2014) will use this coup attempt  to further consolidate his power and limit the freedoms guaranteed by democracy.

Anyways, it's a peaceful, partly cloudy morning here at the lake and a deliciously cool 60º.  It's fairly quiet on the lake for a Saturday, the only sounds, those of purple martin parents, anxiously parenting their babies. The next couple of days should remain somewhat cool, the highs in the 70's, the Chautauqua weather we love.

Yesterday, a Friday, began with coffee, news of the terrible terrorists attack in Nice, France and the prosaic watering of the lawn, my early morning task in this arid area.  Evie was busy early, organizing the cupboards, pantries, etc, a result of her excitement over having a new refrigerator.  She was happy to be busy, so she encouraged me to go for a bike ride in Bemus.  I attempted to put my bike in my new Subaru but it did not quite fit, so I put it in my Pilot and drove off and parked it at the bridge and pedaled into Bemus, down Lakeside Drive to Long Point Park, through the park and back. Bemus was hopping for an early morning and a CLA crew had a barge piled high with weeds that have accumulated and started to smell along the shoreline.  This is a real problem in Bemus and for the entire east side of the lake.  It's going to take constant vigilance and work to rid areas of the rotting weeds.  It was a easy bike ride,  a nice breeze to keep me cool and as usual, I was the only one riding or walking the trails in Long Point State Park.  I stopped for a cup of coffee at Wired and recognized the barista, a state champion cross country runner from the local school, Maple Grove.  I asked her about the team's training and she said they meet every morning at 8:15, at the top of Lakeside Drive, for a workout.  My granddaughter, Hayden, is coming for a week and she said she would be welcome to run with them if she liked.  How neat.

When I got home, the kitchen was a mess, as Evie was making her eggplant appetizers, which involves lots of baking and frying of breaded, stuffed eggplant.  She neither wanted nor needed my help, so I did what I do best: cut weeds.  I worked in the water for an hour, staying cool before coming in for lunch, a tuna sandwich and another episode of Dicte.  The rest of the afternoon was easy and leisurely for both of us.  Evie quickly cleaned up the kitchen and was on the dock by 1:00, to enjoy the sun and water, and play with our neighbors' grandchildren who seem to migrate to our swimming area when she's on the dock.  I did some reading, napped and joined her on the dock until cocktail hour, around 5:30.  We enjoyed a special cheddar cheese, crackers, pistachios, and endamame along with a Manhattan or two, listening to the terrible news from Turkey.  We had an easy dinner of leftover chicken curry, watched some TV, then took a break from the news to kayak around 8:30, as it was a fine early evening on the lake.  We went to bed with the same feelings  of sadness we had the previous night, after the terror attacks in Nice.  And we wonder if it's now our turn, again, as the Republican Convention starts on Monday, in Cleveland, where everything seems to be banned except for the carrying of a gun.  What an absurdity.