"A Letter From Turkey
by Richard S. Ehrlich
All Photos © copyright by Richard S. Ehrlich
ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Some restaurants and places for tourists, including this grilled food outlet at the Eminonu port of Istanbul, adorn staff with a fez to create a bit of exoticism.
ISTANBUL, Turkey -- The cylindrical 'fez' hat, with its dangling black tassel, provokes feelings of resentment, humiliation and grim memories of repression among many proud, nationalistic Turks.
Another traditional symbol of Turkey, the white-robed Whirling Dervishes and their 700-year-old mystical Sufi brand of Islam, conjure up different responses, evoking a confused mix of suspicion and admiration."
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