Autumn is here

We are already nearly 3 weeks into September and they seem to have flown by.   The weather is pleasanter – I have actually been chilly when I have been walking the dogs in the morning!  I also know it’s autumn because I have seen some of the birds that pass through on their migration.  Bee-eaters are one which I found about a few years ago and now look out for in Spring and Autumn.  They are very pretty, but also have a distinctive whistling sort of song which is usually the first thing I notice.  I have just read up about them and found they are European bee-eaters that go to Africa for winter, they only catch bees (and some other insects) as they fly and they hit and rub them on the ground to get rid of the sting!

The last week has been a holiday in Turkey and there were quite a few Turkish families in Fethiye but most of them have left now as schools finally start back – after 13 weeks – tomorrow.  Kaan will be back at school tomorrow; Emre is not going back up to university in Ankara until next weekend.  He has some money and is trying to find a car so that he is more mobile up there but the prices of second hand cars are so ridiculous here – a 2000 model (ie. 16 year old) Fiat Palio hatchback is going for about 10,000 TL - £2,600!

On the subject of cars, the authorities have, for some unknown reason, stopped the charge for on-the-street parking in Fethiye, with the result that everyone drives in and it is IMPOSSIBLE to find a parking space.  Worse still, because the actual parking spaces are full with cars that stay there all day as their owners work in town, anyone who wants to pop in to one of the shops on the main street double parks so there is only one lane left for traffic and you can’t even DRIVE round town.  They need a solution because it really is a nightmare; thankfully I hardly need to go into town any more as we have everything we need in Calis!

At Poppy, we have been busy; to help make up for the poor season we are renting some of the apartments to university students for the winter.  Most of them have moved in over the last few days with a couple of rooms still to come.  I bought some portable canvas wardrobes and metal beds from an internet site and Kaan has been busy putting them together.  In true Ikea style, the instructions are a rather hard to follow and there is always a screw left over – but he has done a good job!

Poppy helping Kaan!

And finally, Kaan and I had a day in Kalkan visiting my sister and brother-in-law who have rented a villa there.  The views are spectacular, but the fact that the villa was free for this peak time when they booked in May – and that the lovely hotel they usually stay at closed for the season in June – show that Kalkan is suffering as much if not more than Fethiye.

Victory Day

Last Tuesday (30^th August) was Victory Day in Turkey, commemorating the last major battle of the Turkish War of Independence.  This period of history, as the Ottoman Empire dissolved and the Turkish Republic was established, is something most of us know little about - though Britain actually played a major role in it!  So here is a ‘potted history’.

The Ottoman Empire sided with Germany in World War I and following its defeat signed an armistice agreement with the Allied forces of Britain, France and Italy that allowed them control of a few strategic positions and the right to occupy “in case of disorder”.  They promptly moved in and occupied large parts of its remaining territories, including Istanbul (then Constantinople), the eastern areas and the Southern front.  They also supported Greece in its invasion of Izmir. 

Ataturk, whose picture you see in every office and on every bank note and who was already a distinguished soldier, established the Turkish National Movement with his colleagues and led the resistance to the occupation.  Although he went on to become the first president of the new republic, it is for his role in saving the ‘Motherland’ from invaders that he is most revered!

After more than 3 years occupation, on August 30 1922, the Greek military was beaten by the Turkish forces.  By the way, in response to Turkey’s attempts to restore rule in the Allied-occupied territories, the British Prime Minister at the time, David Lloyd George, called for Britain to go to war with Turkey in September 1922.  Thankfully, France and Italy and even the British military were against it and a negotiated settlement was agreed that gave Turkey the territory it wanted.  Lloyd George’s mishandling of the situation led to his political downfall.

1921 Ataturk inspecting soldiers

Back at Poppy apartments, we had a good Turkish night this week.  The belly dancer was assisted by a lovely group of girls.....

.. and the musicians – fresh from playing at a marriage proposal (she said yes apparently) – played some traditional music.

There was another marriage proposal on the boat we went on yesterday – it seems to be catching!  The captain wanted to surprise his girlfriend so he had a big banner made that basically popped the question and got the boys on the neighbouring boat to unfurl it while she was swimming in the sea.  She also said yes – I wonder if he would have driven off and left her there otherwise?

And that’s the other news – I had Monday off and went to the beach (first time this year) and was on a mini boat trip on Saturday afternoon.  It’s almost like a holiday!  Got to grab it while I can – there is another Eid holiday next week so there will lots of Turkish guests around, as well as all the September regulars and the boys will be disappearing off to school/uni in the middle of the month and then I will be on my own again: chef, receptionist, barmaid, waitress and pool boy?!  

News from the front

So, the ‘big stuff’ first.  There have been no new developments in the state of the country.  There is still a feeling that America and Europe do not understand the threat that the Gulenist network posed and are therefore critical of the mass shedding of teachers, civil servants, judges etc.  However, James Jeffrey, former US ambassador to Ankara, said recently in an interview:

“The Gülen movement has some infiltration at the least in the military that I am aware of. They of course had extreme infiltration into the police and judiciary earlier.... It is very clear that a significant segment of the bureaucracy in Turkey were infiltrated and had their allegiance to a movement, not a state. That of course is absolutely unacceptable and extremely dangerous. It is highly likely that it led to the [attempted] coup.”

Another birthday cake - Happy Birthday Talia!

What is the latest down in Calis?  Well, the phone hasn’t stopped ringing today – which might be partly due the fact that we finally remembered to plug it in (sorry all of you who have tried to call – it has been plugged in to the credit card machine for the last month!).  Turkish people are holidaying again – civil servants have had their leave reinstated and others are feeling confident that things have returned to normal.

Nostalgia - busy pool in 2010

Emre has been busy too – we have a cunning plan to fill the hotel with students from the university in winter (Fethiye is home to some of the faculties of Mugla university).  We did it about twelve years ago and it was a disaster: they had no money and couldn’t pay their rent half the time (no grants or even loans over here!) and they left the rooms in quite a state.  But this time we are better prepared – with rental contracts and deposits – so Emre has been at their ‘freshers’ week’ signing people up.

It feels good to have a few more guests in but I have been looking through old photos - pictures of the pool full of people, of Turkish nights and barbecues for 40 guests and 12 people in one car to go go-carting (see the Poppy Apart Hotel facebook page) – and hoping that tourism recovers quickly. 

A lively Turkish night - 2003

Happy 21st Emre!

As Turkey puts the attempted coup behind it there is, as I said in my last post, a feeling that this cloud may have a silver lining.  There is widespread agreement that the ‘Gulenists’ (followers of the Islamist cleric living in America) were responsible not only for the events of 15^th July but for other major political upheavals over the last few years.   Turkish people are full of ‘conspiracy theories’ (many don’t believe that the moon landings actually took place), but it seems that this time they were actually correct.

As a result, there is an acceptance of the huge number of people being sacked from their jobs and the thousands being imprisoned, though of course it is hoped that the charges against them are genuine and it is not being used as an excuse to get rid of opposition.

There is disappointment that foreign powers and media do not seem to understand the scale of the Gulenist infiltration of institutions and are therefore sceptical of the need for the current ‘cleansing’, and a feeling that in general the response by the international community to this crisis in Turkey has been "feeble" (Mustafa Akyol, Hurriyet Daily News).

News from closer to home....Poppy has had a good couple of weeks with some great guests keeping Kaan and I busy in the kitchen and keeping Emre up at night.  Generally, though, it is still quiet in Calis and August looks fairly grim.  Usually we would fill any empty rooms with Turkish guests but since all civil servants have had their leave cancelled for now, there are far fewer of those about too.

Emre celebrated his 21^st birthday on Tuesday; he was 2 when we opened the hotel and has had every birthday since there, with games in the garden, pool parties and even one year a troupe of dancers.  This year, as he is a little big for party games, I printed a lot of pictures of him and put them up round the bar and Kaan and I made a red velvet cake (first time – verdict: very yummy).   We also made 2 cakes on Sunday for some other birthday boys – see below.

 Emre went out in the evening with his friends and obviously had a good time, though he was complaining of a cold the next day!  Here are a few pictures of him through the years, which might look familiar to some of you...

Positive signs

A lot of people are understandably worried about recent events in Turkey and there has been a lot written in the British press, some of which is incorrect or at best vague.  There was indeed an attempted coup on 15 July but it was carried out by a relatively limited group within the military and was quickly overwhelmed by the majority who opposed them. 

The government believes the plot was led by supporters of Fetullah Gulen, an Islamist scholar who lives in the US but has remained active in Turkey through his network of schools and universities and his large following. Incidentally, until a few years ago the ruling AK party and Gulen were allies!

Now, afraid that he is controlling things from afar via a “parallel state” consisting of his followers, they have removed 50,000 people they believe to be “Gulenists” from their jobs in education, the judiciary and other areas.

Last Wednesday a state of emergency (SofE) was passed by the government with the stated aim of restoring democracy.  While a SofE can be declared by any country in response to a major threat – France introduced one following the Paris bombs and has just extended it to January 2017 – the specific areas covered may vary.  So what does the SofE in Turkey cover and how will it affect expats and holiday-makers?

The president and the deputy PM have said that the SoE will be exclusively used to repair the damage of the coup attempt to the Turkish system and they aim to reach their targets within “45-50 days”.  The state of emergency declared in Turkey includes increased rights to search people, vehicles and property, an extension of the police detention period, censorship of media and the right to close businesses.

The President has stated that this situation will not affect the lives of everyday citizens and it is even less likely to affect any foreign citizens here.  The only thing that residents should make sure to do is carry some form of ID (note: this has always been compulsory for Turkish citizens).  This can be a passport, a right to reside or e-visa, or a good colour photo copy.

There have been some positive elements to come out of the turmoil.  The anti-coup protesters who took to the streets even before the Presidents’ call for action came from all classes and political groups. Similarly there have been signs of reconciliation between the Government and opposition.  When the opposition CHP announced its intention to hold yesterday’s pro-democracy rally, the Government supported the move and even extended free public transport.  It helps to remember that Turkey is going to be doing its best now to improve its image and regain the confidence of foreign visitors and foreign investors and that means making people here feel relaxed and welcome!

Turkey deserves better

I was going to write a happy blog about the lovely time Kaan and I had in England – but recent events are too significant to be ignored.  I will write about the serious stuff now and save our holiday stories for next time.

What happened on Friday night/Saturday in Turkey is a tragic sign of how divided this lovely country has become.  There are all sorts of theories about who actually initiated the ‘attempted coup’ (including one that suggests it was the work of the President himself – Turkish people love all conspiracy theories) but regardless of who is right, the fact is that it has strengthened his position and pushed competing elements of society further apart.  It achieved nothing and, honestly, never stood a chance of achieving anything.

What we need is something or someone who can bring society back together and get the country back on track; after all, very recently it was a high performer on the world scene.  Consider these figures:

·         Turkey’s world trade total increased from $82 billion in 2000 to $389 billion in 2012.

·         Foreign Direct Investment in Turkey jumped from $1.8 billion in 2003 to $16 billion in 2012

·         Following the outbreak of the Arab Spring, Barack Obama telephoned Turkish PM Erdogan more than any other world leader except Cameron  (all Soner Cagaptay “The Rise of Turkey”)

And now?  The economy is stalling, investment has of course fallen and we are the pariah of the world.  One of our lovely guests sent me a mail checking how we were and put my exact feelings into words:  “Turkey deserves better”.

However, I can reassure you all that as far as Poppy and Calis are concerned, life continues fairly unchanged.  The sun is still hot, the pool is still sparkling and that first sip of Efes still tastes as good.  There have been no signs of the trouble elsewhere, though one of the guests thought they heard a tank rolling past – it turned out to be the rubbish lorry!  The pound, which fell due to all the shenanigans in the UK to about 3.7 is now back to about 4TL. The only difference is that there are more empty sunbeds than usual at this time of year – both at Poppy and on the beach.

A lot of people have been, understandably, put off by events so everywhere is quiet.  Thanks to our regulars and a few intrepid first-timers, we are doing better than some but the situation wasn’t helped by the demise last week of LowCost Travel Group.  They owe us for guests from last October and this May and June but it could have been worse; until April this year they hadn’t paid any of last summer’s money.

Happily, most of the guests who have lost their bookings are now contacting me directly to re-book their accommodation, which just shows us Brits are not easily put off!

That’s probably enough rambling for one day.  As there are no relevant pictures to accompany the above, here is a picture of the garden at Poppy to contrast with the previous picture – hasn’t it all grown well (especially my vegetable patch at the end from which  the tortoises have been banned!)

Poppy update

It’s the last day of May and the weather finally feels like summer is here, though Calis is sadly very quiet.  The annual craft fair was on last Sunday and there were some lovely things, but I don’t think business was as brisk as it has been in previous years just because of the reduced number of tourists.

New improved garden - with canna lilies in flower

This month has been alright for us and June is quite busy from the second week on.  It’s a good job it hasn’t been too mad as I have failed miserably at finding any staff and for a large part of the time it’s me – not just in the kitchen and reception as usual but also in the bar, cleaning the pool, watering the garden….!

Grass after 2 weeks

The garden is coming on nicely.  The brickwork around the new drainage channel is finished.  I had some students from the university staying and one of them is studying landscape gardening so I got him to sew the grass seed which has come up amazingly well.  And my flowers are all doing nicely – since I banished the tortoises to the back corner of the garden!  Not before one of them had laid eggs though – see the picture.  They were bigger than I expected and very round and white.  I have put something over them so hopefully we won’t dig them up (she buried them right in the middle of where I want my vegetable patch!) but whether they hatch apparently depends on heat and humidity and can take anything from 8-11 weeks.

tortoise babies!

Emre has been up and down to Ankara, had his last exam yesterday and is driving back with a friend (via Istanbul – not exactly the direct route!) tonight.  Kaan has another two weeks of school for which he is begging me to get a doctor’s report or write a formal request so he doesn’t have to go in.  Actually, as all their exams are finished, the teachers don’t turn up half the time so I don’t think it will make much difference and he is missing the last few days of term as we are going to England.

So…I have been looking for a lady to do my job while I am away but so far have had no luck at all.  I know the wages here aren’t great but some of the British people living out here complain that they can’t find a job that isn’t 15 hours a day in summer and here I am, happy for someone to work 4 hours a day and take time off if they have visitors but it seems there is no one.  Anyone want a job?!

The cleanest pool in Calis!