TURKEY AGUSUT 2013 -2- MUGLA: ITS COAST, ITS CULTURE, ITS FOOD, ALL SPECTACULAR

MUGLA: ITS COAST, ITS CULTURE, ITS FOOD, ALL SPECTACULAR

7.30.2013

First day of the two-day conference in Mugla. It is great that a community task force consisting of the governor of Mugla province, the district attorney, law enforcement, social services, relevant university staff and the Mugla branch of the National Institute of Legal Medicine is very interested in creating an acute sexual assault response center in Mugla. The morning is dedicated to discussing the victim and perpetrator profiles, rather the lack of such and helping all attendees understand that sexual assault is a crime, no matter what the surrounding circumstances may be, it is a display of violence and a means for power control.

I am happy to share with the audience that even in the USA, until lately, it was believed, just as is the case in Turkey that well-behaved, decent females would not be sexually assaulted. I invite everybody to understand that as much as it is female's responsibility and right to keep herself safe, it is also and more so male's responsibility to hear and understand the word "No!" or "stop!" whatever a female might have done before that. I can see it is uncomfortable for the male members of the audience, some of whom are religious conservatives, to hear this.  As I declare "There is no scientific evidence that 'once a male is aroused he cannot stop, thus, provocative female is responsible for rape!'. As long as a man can stop when his child wakes up in the middle of the night while having sex with his wife, so must he be able to stop when a woman, any woman including his wife tells him to stop." I observe many men move uncomfortably in their chairs: Do they feel I have invaded their bedroom? Who knows… I also see, though, satisfied sparkles in the eyes of all the women in the auditorium, even those who are covered.

Later on, we deliver lectures to convince the audience on the need to organize services available through individual agencies in such a way that victims of sexual assault can be managed in a humane and scientific manner. Looking at the majority of the audience constantly taking notes, I can tell what we share with them is needed and hits the target. After a full day of general professional awareness building for sexual assault today, tomorrow we will focus on working with the leaders and trainers-to-become for the agencies that are the core partners of the task force. We hope, the trainees and participants will leave this conference with a plan on the next steps and will become the engine of the entire movement after we leave. 

SAKAR OVERLOOK TERRACE 

                             Only a portion of what I was able to see

Once the professional aspect of our day is over, our hosts take all the instructors to Sakar Seyir Terasi (Sakar Overlook Terrace), Sakar being the name of the pass from Mugla down to Gokova.  It is breathtaking, spectacular, mind boggling as my dear friend Nukhet would call the experience. The entire Gokova Bay stretches before our eyes like a tame beauty, with her arms and legs reaching into the heart of the land as deep, piercing inlets and coves. From such a distance, with no ripples or waves visible, it feels as if the Aegean and its surroundings are a still-life painting. The water evaporating over the surface of the entire bay is hanging over the sea like a veil as it gradually fades toward the tops of the hills surrounding the bay.

I walk away from the chatter of our group and stroll all along the terrace for an arc of 240 degrees or so and savor the surreal serenity of the bay and the surrounding delta for half an hour. When I return to the group, it is Turkish coffee time. After I am done with my cup, I turn it upside down in its saucer for my hostess to read my fortune! In Turkish culture, we like to say, "Don't believe in fortune reading, nor live without it." Even scientists are cut some slack to exercise their cultural upbringing from time to time, just for fun. What is most significant in what she tells me, and she tells me very little of any relevance (what else would I expect, she doesn't know anything about me on a personal level) is that “What you have wished for is going to come true” (just because, the coffee grounds is so thick, it stuck to the saucer after waiting for some time)... That is good enough for me, we laugh.

Finally, the crew heads to a dinner, sponsored by the British consulate in one of the resort towns that will bring together all the key players of the task force including one of the local representatives, who represents Mugla in the central parliament. The dinner is held in one of the old, authentic coffee shops in this particular area of Mugla. Apparently, Karabaglar (Black vineyards), as this place is known as is established in a low land valley. Due to its valley structure, there is a constant insensible draft and it is cooler in the summer than Mugla itself. As a result of this fact, people historically built homes on their farmland in this region to move to during the hot summer months. Each family built, at the entrance of their acreage, in front of their homes, a large patio, where they spread tables and chairs under natural awnings, created by trees and grape vines, and other climbing bushes. Although they called these patios coffee shops or "kir kahvesi", in the old days, these shops had no commercial meaning since their sole purpose was to allow socialization of the families, who cultivated the land during the day and came together in the evening to drink and chat and sing and play musical instruments.  

One of the Kir Kahvesis in Karabaglar, Mugla

As tourism started playing with the authenticity ideas, Karabaglar has become a recreational, fun place to go to for many decades in Mugla region. The decedents of the native families, who did not want the agriculture aspect of Karabaglar but loved the “Kir Kahvesi” aspect of it, turned their homes and patios and front yards into true cafes and restaurants and started businesses as the family did where we will have a lovely dinner.  This restaurant is one of those old coffee shops converted into an open air country restaurant, not very fancy, but as pleasant as it can be. I am sure, they have also expanded the space used to host guests. And the food: it is to die for. After an exquisite lentil soup, multiple dishes of mezes (vegetable based appetizers) are served followed with a slowly (over 5-6 hours) baked lamb shank dish served with rice and topped with tahini helva and fruit. 16 hours of work is finally over at 11 pm. I am exhausted, but satisfied, I can now collapse to bed and will sleep soundly with the touch of my jet lag.