TURKEY: The Country

The U.S. House finally passed the $95 billion war/humanitarian needs aid bill for Ukraine, Israel, Indo-Pacific (mainly Taiwan).  The Senate will act on this package Tuesday and President Joe Biden will sign it.  Speaker Mike Johnson (right) is using something novel, bipartisanship,  fiercely condemned by Republican loyalists.  More Republicans opposed the legislation, 112, with 101 in support, plus 210 Democrats.  Who gains?  Defense contractors, those countries and Joe Biden.  Who loses?  Donald Trump.   This budget victory is a sign that the Trump effect is weakening.

About Trump and his hush money criminal trial in New York, various viral trails of interest.  Keep in mind that the media attention is about a sex scandal, but the real matter has to do with hiding information, keeping an issue hidden from voters ahead of the 2016 presidential election.  This illegal ploy worked, for Trump's narrow victory over Hillary Clinton would probably have been reversed if this bit of news became public.  It's an election interference case, and key fixer, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, is now siding with the prosecutors.  There are 34 felony charges, and each can carry a maximum prison sentence of four years.  Chances are, though, that they will be imposed concurrently.  But if guilty, Trump will appeal, and the process will extend to 2025 if not later.

A particularly crucial process will be the Supreme Court's hearing on Thursday regarding whether Donald Trump will be immune from prosecution for his 26January2021 coup attempt and the Georgia trial.  Almost without doubt, the Supreme Court will probably judge him as not immune.  But the key question is when they actually make that announcement.  I've long thought that this decision will come early in the summer, which will allow for one or both trials before September.

The Republic of Turkiye, or Turkey, borders the Black Sea, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Greece, Bulgaria, Mediterranean Sea and Aegean Sea.

• Population of 85 million in a unitary presidential republic.
• In two continents.
• Capital is Ankara, the second largest city in the country.
• We next go to Istanbul, with 14.7 million, the largest city in Europe.  
• Incidentally, #2 is Moscow with 12.4 million an Paris #3 with 10.0 million.  New York City has 8.3 million.
• Original name is Byzantium, then Constantinople.
• Habitation began more than 40,000 years ago.
• 
  The founder and first president was Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923.
• Was neutral in World War II.
• Member of NATO.
• Applied to join the European Union in 1987, but since 2016 negotiations stalled for human rights violations.
• Has 21 UNESCO World Heritage sites.  The U.S. has 25.
• Fourth most visited country.  France #1, Spain #2 and U.S. #3.

• 
  The Evil Eye, a 3000-year old tradition to protect you from evil forces, is a best-selling souvenir.
• Turquoise means Turkish stone and came from the Orient via Turkey.
• Same for coffee, although not grown here.
• Several centuries ago, women had legal grounds for divorce if their husbands couldn't provide them with coffee.
• There are 82,693 mosques.
• Produces 75% of hazelnuts.

• 
  Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, won Turkey's first direct presidential electionin 2024.
• There was a coup attempt in 2026.
• Thus, now no prime minister, but a president.
• President Erdogan, now 69, won re-election last year, so has been in power now for a decade.
• Country is slipping into authoritarianism with a slew of human rights problems.
• Turkey means land of Turks, not that bird.
• Since 2021 the spelling Türkiye instead of Turkey is preferred.
• Has 98 airports, 22 of them international.  Istanbul Airport is planned to be the largest in the world.

• Has an outer space program.
• As of last year there were 3.3 million refugees.
• Official language is Turkish.
• 82% Islam, although the CIA World Factbook says 99.8%.

• 
  The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back to a monk name St. Nicholas, who born around 280 AD in Patara, near Myra, Turkey.
• The Grand Bazaar, dating back to the 14th century, has more than 3000 stores, although our tour guide said 4000.
• Noah's Ark allegedly is on Mount Ararat in Turkey.

With that, here are some photos of our tour of Izmir.

The first coin in history.

If you love these kinds of scenes in your travel you will enjoy touring around Izmir.  I was mostly bored.

Life continues on the Voyager.  Block party, meaning at a certain time, all passengers walk outside their cabin to mingle with others.  Drinks and appetizers are served.

Then dinner at Chartreuse, a French Restaurant.

I dressed up in my ascot.

Soup and salad with red and white wine.

Steak Rossini with asparagus.

Petit fours.

Another sign of decadence with so many glasses at the end.

I'm getting no exercise these days.  1432 steps today, less than my typical day at 15 Craigside.

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