These get all mixed up in my head…
-
Recent Posts
Confusing…
birinci.ikinci.üçüncü.dördüncü.beşinci.
el-primero.el-segundo.el-tercero.el-cuarto.el-quinto.
一番目。二番目。三番目。四番目。五番目。
first.second.third.fourth.fifth.
The Turkish National Anthem
İstiklal Marşı (ee-steek-lol marsh-uh), meaning the Anthem of Independence.
Korkma, sönmez bu şafaklarda yüzen al sancak;
Sönmeden yurdumun üstünde tüten en son ocak.
O benim milletimin yıldızıdır, parlayacak;
O benimdir, o benim milletimindir ancak.
Çatma, kurban olayım çehreni ey nazlı hilal!
Kahraman ırkıma bir gül! ne bu şiddet bu celal?
Sana olmaz dökülen kanlarımız sonra helal,
Hakkıdır, Hak’ka tapan, milletimin istiklal!
(Fear not, the crimson flag, waving in these dawns will never fade
Before the last hearth that is burning in my nation vanishes.
That is my nation’s star, it will shine;
That is mine, it belongs solely to my nation.
Oh coy crescent do not frown for I am ready to sacrifice myself for you!
Please smile upon my heroic nation, why that anger, why that rage?
If you frown, our blood shed for you will not be worthy.
Freedom is the right of my nation who worships God and seeks what is right.)
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged english, istiklal marşı, lyrics, Turkish, turkish national anthem
Leave a comment
Discoveries
Turkey has the 17th largest economy and a significant cultural influence in the world.
(Current LIRA per USD: 1.51)
- It is developing quickly, at about 6% per year, thanks to high agricultural output and growing auto and electronics industries, meaning it should be in the top 10 or 12 before mid-century.
(George Friedman: the next 100 years) - It has people, 77 million of them, half of which are under 29.
(total population also #17 in global rank) - Military, service mandatory for 20-year-old men, generally 1 to 2 years worth.
Active military personnel: 514,000. (#9 globally) - Total Land Area #37 Globally (783,562 km. sq); Arable land: 29.81%.
- And although GDP is low ($12,000/year), the cultural heritage of the Ottoman Empire remains to push Turkey along; Turks work hard and are generally proud of their country.
- Some cultural contributions : Kebab, baklava, rugs/textiles, hookah pipes, figs, nazar, belly dancing, copper/metal pots, Ataturk, Istanbul/Bosphorus, Hagia Sophia, Cleopatra’s vacation spot, Turkish Van cat and Kangal dog, Turkish tea, Turkish coffee, whirling dervishes, dolma (grape leaves with rice), yogurt, Maras ice cream, and arguably the strongest secular democracy stemming from any majority Muslim country.
Turkish is spoken by more than 83 million people worldwide, making it one of the top 20 most widely spoken languages. And, over 2 million Turkish speakers live and work abroad — many in Germany and Poland, but there are also significant Turkish-speaking populations in 28 other countries.
While it is a Muslim country, it tends to be the most moderate of them all; head-scarves and beards are not allowed amongst government employees — that means me! Not that I would grow a beard or anything! … Gotcha! Hah, I meant I’d never wear a headscarf, of course! : )
Almost one fifth of “Turks” are Kurdish.
Turkey has a solid 8 neighbors, of which I plan to visit as many as possible:
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Syria – I’ve just been to Syria so far.
Come on down and visit sometime!
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Adana, culture, democracy, discoveries, economy, Kurds, military, Muslim, Turkey, Turkish
Leave a comment