President Obama's European Tour



1.01.2009

Dr. ZEYNEL ABIDIN ERDEM
President, Erdem Holdings

Things Obama doesn't know about Turkey: The history of Turkish-American relations is longer than 60 to 70 years. It began in the 19th century and continues to this day. The first Ottoman – English dictionary, Redhouse, was printed in 1861.

The American Hospital began operating in Istanbul in 1920. In 1863, Robert College, the first American college established outside the country, was opened. After that Uskudar American, Tarsus and Izmir colleges were all established.

Istanbul was the capital of three separate historical empires: the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires.

Istanbul is a mosaic of beliefs: Muslims, Jews, Christians, Assyrians, Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants, mosques, churches. synagogues, mausoleums, graves, sacred, springs, saints' tombs, elders, saints, lodges, Alevi community centers, Koran courses... Sacrifices are cut, spells cast out and charms written; the cross is thrown into the Bosphorus. While church bells are rung, the call to prayer is sounded. At the same moment, in the holy places, the Torah, the Bible and the Holy Koran are read. The Bible is read in the churches in Greek, Latin, Armenian, Arabic and Turkish. In Turkey, there is a city in which the representatives of seven separate languages and religions live in peace - the city of Mardin. The Ottoman Empire ruled on three continents for 622 years. Turkey is a secular and democratic state that the grandchildren of the Ottomans would feel proud of. At the time of the Gulf War, Turkey opened its embrace to 500,000 Iraqi Kurdish citizens who took refuge here and were provided with, food, shelter and health services for one year.

What you need to know about Turkey Mr President

Turkey is not just misunderstood. The country is also misunderstood incorrectly. Or so goes a word game popular among Turks from all walks of life when the topic turns to how the country is perceived internationally. If the topic is history, Turks lament the fact tew foreigners know of Piri Reis, the Otoman cartographer who produced a map of South America .before the Spanish conquistadors did. If the issue is contemporary rights for women, the fact they were voting here before most of continental Europe is something we are inclined to share with visitors. Or how about the detail of the airplane factory that was exporting to Germany back in the 1930s.

So in light of a presidential visit, the Daily News decided that it would be interesting to ask a number of prominent Turks their opinion of Obamas’s visit and what they think the U.S president might not have known before his arrival Sunday night – but might be helpful now that he is an old Turkish hand. Five people were chosen from various sagments of society: İshak Alaton, Ömer Bolat, Zeynel Abidin Erdem, Salim Uslu and İlter Turan. Their opinions are as follows.