This past semester, my international criminal justice systems class went to Turkey and met with Turkish police and government officials. The idea was to see the principles we studied in class enacted in the real world. We visited several of the larger cities, most notably Kahramanmaraş, Istanbul, and Ankara, the capital. In addition to attending various seminars on the measures that the Turkish police force has taken to combat all types of crime, we saw many of the most famous historical and geographic sites of the country.
We first visited Kahramanmaraş, which is not considered to be one of the main tourist destinations of Turkey but is certainly growing rapidly and is expected to be one of the three biggest cities in the country within the next few years. While there, we met both the governor and the mayor and were able to listen to many officers from different sectors of the police force. Much of this discussion was centered on the police response to terrorist threats, which is a serious problem in Turkey. (Several major terrorist organizations, most notably the PKK, operate in the country.) We were given a unique opportunity to better understand how their government and police force operates.
We then visited Ankara, the capital and administrative center of Turkey, and met officers whose duties spanned the entire country. We were also able to see much of how the government interacts with the people. Because national elections took place just a couple weeks after we left, our visit coincided with the most important part of the campaigning season. As such, we were able to see how these campaigns are conducted in Turkey. The political advertisements were even more ubiquitous than they are in America, especially in the capital city. Almost every building had huge banners flying from it advertising their chosen candidate, and the streets were all lined with political signs. From what we could see, it is very apparent that the Turkish people take great pride in their government and are very willing to be participants in it.
The Turkish people’s pride in their government was evidenced by their views - which at times seemed to border on veneration - of Ataturk, the founder of their modern government. Every government building we saw, and most of the private buildings, had at least one painting or statue of Ataturk - and most had more. We were warned before we left that it is actually a criminal offense to ridicule the founding father. There is also a very large monument in Ankara that houses Ataturk’s body, equipped with honor guard, a museum about his life and accomplishments and a closed-circuit camera that continually views his corpse. The only comparison I can come up with for Americans would be the way George Washington is generally portrayed, but even this representation comes nowhere near to the esteem with which Ataturk is regarded to the Turks.
Our final stop in Turkey was to Istanbul, the largest city and cultural and historical center of the country.My first impression was that it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with a vast cityscape dotted by the towering minarets of mosques. In Istanbul, we visited many of the important cultural centers, including the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. Here we were able to reinforce our opinion on Turkish culture. The first thing we noticed was the hospitality of the Turkish people. Every person we visited was quick to offer us gifts, food and drink. We were constantly surprised by how generous and courteous every person we met was; from the police officials to the vendors at the bazaars there was not a single person who treated us poorly in any way. As great as Turkey was for its sites, food and the things we learned from our hosts, the best part of the entire experience was getting to interact with the people and experiencing Turkish culture.
In fact, I enjoyed Turkey so much that I am currently planning a study abroad program in Istanbul for several weeks after the conclusion of our China trip over the summer; I am also intending to later pursue a Fulbright Scholarship for Turkey after I graduate from Louisville. I would certainly recommend a trip to Turkey for anyone considering it.
We first visited Kahramanmaraş, which is not considered to be one of the main tourist destinations of Turkey but is certainly growing rapidly and is expected to be one of the three biggest cities in the country within the next few years. While there, we met both the governor and the mayor and were able to listen to many officers from different sectors of the police force. Much of this discussion was centered on the police response to terrorist threats, which is a serious problem in Turkey. (Several major terrorist organizations, most notably the PKK, operate in the country.) We were given a unique opportunity to better understand how their government and police force operates.
We then visited Ankara, the capital and administrative center of Turkey, and met officers whose duties spanned the entire country. We were also able to see much of how the government interacts with the people. Because national elections took place just a couple weeks after we left, our visit coincided with the most important part of the campaigning season. As such, we were able to see how these campaigns are conducted in Turkey. The political advertisements were even more ubiquitous than they are in America, especially in the capital city. Almost every building had huge banners flying from it advertising their chosen candidate, and the streets were all lined with political signs. From what we could see, it is very apparent that the Turkish people take great pride in their government and are very willing to be participants in it.
The Turkish people’s pride in their government was evidenced by their views - which at times seemed to border on veneration - of Ataturk, the founder of their modern government. Every government building we saw, and most of the private buildings, had at least one painting or statue of Ataturk - and most had more. We were warned before we left that it is actually a criminal offense to ridicule the founding father. There is also a very large monument in Ankara that houses Ataturk’s body, equipped with honor guard, a museum about his life and accomplishments and a closed-circuit camera that continually views his corpse. The only comparison I can come up with for Americans would be the way George Washington is generally portrayed, but even this representation comes nowhere near to the esteem with which Ataturk is regarded to the Turks.
Our final stop in Turkey was to Istanbul, the largest city and cultural and historical center of the country.My first impression was that it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with a vast cityscape dotted by the towering minarets of mosques. In Istanbul, we visited many of the important cultural centers, including the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. Here we were able to reinforce our opinion on Turkish culture. The first thing we noticed was the hospitality of the Turkish people. Every person we visited was quick to offer us gifts, food and drink. We were constantly surprised by how generous and courteous every person we met was; from the police officials to the vendors at the bazaars there was not a single person who treated us poorly in any way. As great as Turkey was for its sites, food and the things we learned from our hosts, the best part of the entire experience was getting to interact with the people and experiencing Turkish culture.
In fact, I enjoyed Turkey so much that I am currently planning a study abroad program in Istanbul for several weeks after the conclusion of our China trip over the summer; I am also intending to later pursue a Fulbright Scholarship for Turkey after I graduate from Louisville. I would certainly recommend a trip to Turkey for anyone considering it.