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9/1/1994 - First Thoughts -- Herodotus by Adam Smith Albion

N O FOR PUBLICATION ASA WITHOUTWRITER SCONSENT INSTITUTEOFCURRENTWORLDAFFAIRS Istanbul September MrPeter Bird Martin Executive Director Institute ofCurrentWorld Affairs 4WestWheelock Street Hanover NH03755 USA Dear Peter First thoughts Herodotus Ireturnedfromvisitingmy sisterinCanton packedupmylong inPrague inthreewhirlwind lagged andflewtoIstanbul IhopeImaybeforgiventhewaveofcultureshockwhichhitmewhengothic spires resolved themselves minarets Dragon Boats Pearl River tankers Bosphoms I first heard muezzins Thatwavehasnowstartedtosubside This Newsletter ismyfirstaccountofwhatIhavebeguntosee I confess healthy diffidence I Medieval scholars commonly began workwithanapologyforbeingunequaltothetaskathand andIamhappytofollowinthattradition I haveonlyactivelyexploredIstanbulthroughtheendofsummer theshortspace fromtheripening ofwildblackberryalongtheBosphomstothe firstap pearancethisweekofportablecharcoal stoves roastingchestnuts infrontoftheBlueMosque So Iamverywaryofcapsulejudgments insucha complicated place claiming authority prematurely I observe Butwhatsortofauthority What sortofobservations Embarkingonafellowship asgorgeous offering practicallydemanding releasefromthecathedocracy thetyrannyofdegreesandacademictrade unionism ortheconventionalwisdomofthepolicy planners alltheworldsI veknown inshort I wouldbesorrytofind Ihadconfmedmy Newsletters tonews orforeignpolicycommentary current events atall Iwasdoingthatanywayasascribeinthesunlessrooms literalandmetaphorical which fellowship plucked In world analytical objectivity often excuse taking limited worse cloak ignorance As wrote compactly ofbeing expansive andtimidlyonthepretextofbeingprudent Sowhat ismyconceptionofaNewsletter I suspectitwillbedifficult evenundesirable toholdmyselfat slengthfromwhatIdescribe Idon ifthis disavowal unwittingly opens ofAnti Memoires Perhaps forthemoment IwoulddobestbyinvokingHerodotus whoappropriatelyknewthispartofthe worldwell Until Iammoregroundedandcertainofmyselfhere Icanonlycommendavoideda picturesquemomentoragoodanecdote andpioneeredthelostart crushedbyoneofthiscentury sevil academiccredentialism ofbeinginformative andimaginative atthesametime Turkish incidentally supportsthispractice itmustbeuniqueamonglanguagesinhavingaseparatesetoftenses which imply inferential knowledge reported information which speaker fully willing tovouch accurate IfIwerewritingTurkish miswouldbeafeatureofthelinesbelow Adam Smith Albion Institute Fellow writing about Turkey regional growing importance Black Sea former Soviet Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided fellowships enable outstanding young adults outside United States write about international areas issues Endowed bythelateCharlesR Crane theInstituteisalsosupportedbycontributionsfromlike mindedindividualsand foundations BogaziiUniversity Languages Thescientologyoflanguagelearning I polishedmyTurkish language course Bogazigi Bosphorus University famous Robert Collegetmtilitsnamewaschangedin1971 Ithasbeenastopping offspotforsomanyfamousorientalists itwasfunjusttothink Iwastherewalkingthecampus whichremindedmeofPrincetonwith stone buildingsandshadyalleys Ikeptmynosetothegrindstoneandsocializedas littleaspossible Thegreat majority ofmyfellow students academics training profession All smattering Americans Therosteroftheiruniversitieswasimpressive aswastheirpolylinguality But Inotedwith regret strong concentration among theirnumbers ofOttoman historians Amongthe groupwe Islamicarthistorian ananthropologist aprofessorofpoliticalsci itistrue nevertheless Iwasparty tomorethanmyshareofhistorians talkaboutmanuscripts libraries borrowingregimes cataloguing systemsandCD ROM aswellasacouplegenuinelyexciting huntforthescroll typestories possibly apocryphal whichwouldhavelookedwell inTheNameoftheRose Thesecondandthirdlanguages weremostlyMiddleEastern Formyself afterfiveyears immersion inthe SlaviclanguagesofEastern Europe itwasanexotictreattohearsomeArabicorHebrewoverlunch orasnatchofclassicalPersian poetryquotedformybenefitandwhichindeedsounded oftendescribed likesugarmeltingonthe tongue As I though I regretted academic preponderance eastern orientation while I enjoyed Ifoundmyselfhopingthatthisgroupwasn tarepresentativecross sectionofWesternersserious aboutTurkey WithoutmeaningdisrespectfortheOttomanpast orindeedfor historians forwhom mastering Arabic Persian makes sense I began people enrolled Bogaziqi animated vigorous interest Turkey prese After since Ottoman Turkey contacts Arab countries distant often frigid It remainstobeseenwhatsortofafuture ispresagedbyYassarArafat receptionthismonthbyPrime Minister liller Relations Iran Iranian Turkish pipeline carry Turkmenistanwasannounced recently earlydays Meanwhile onemusthavesharpeyestofind studentscombiningTurkishwithRussian despitealistofeconomicinterpenetrationsandsharedor competing geographical interests Ukrainian despite Crimea remaining geopoliticalfocalpoint orwiththeobscurerlanguagesoftheBalkans foranyone Ottomanists included concernedwiththepost warreconstructionofthat sorrypeninsula IntheshorttimeI vebeeninTurkey thePresidentsofbothBulgariaandRomaniahavemade state visits Themake upofthegroupseemednot reflect multi dimensionality Surely those learning German summer Heidelberg TtibingenarenotpredominantlystudentsofFrederick IIandMart inLuther To alternative possibility English speakers difficult language Arabic under their confident their skills linguists intimidated Turkish I trust people reading silent confirmation Turkish notoriously I every sympathy forthosewhostraggledonthecourse andwasofteninneedofsuchsympathymyself Still Iwasbemused atthewaymyfellowsblewoffsteambytargetingthe structureofthecourse itself whetherthatday drills developed proper cognitive skills I confess I generally autodidact might tunewiththeirpsychologyoflanguage learning perhapsderivedfromgraduatelanguageprograms Idon onlymeanmyroommateattheuniversityhostel whowasmiffedatbeingplaced intheintermediateclass andcomplainedtestily I mjustasgoodatgrammarandexercisesastheadvancedlevel Ijustcan speak It without saying Turkish watermelon sellers outside hostel recognize these disti nctions Imeanrathertheconstant shiffingsearchbymyclassmates forabettermethodtolearn verbsorTurkishnounagglutination somethingpresumablyless fashioned andgroundedinthe latest scientifictechniques whichwouldmakethestonypathwewerealltreadingalittlesmoother I tknowifIshouldextrapolatefromthisabroaderAmericanquestforelixirsand silverbullets helpbookthatwillsetmefightorthemanagementguidethatwillfixmycompany Suffice ittosay poppsychologyachievementsofBurton Schliemann IorgaorJohnSmartMillshouldspeakfor themselves And lesttheybedismissedas freaks closertohomethe sellers intheGrandBazaarcommand ascoreoflanguagesbetweenthem whileeventhestreet urchinshoe shineboyscursemefreelyinfive poorly Bosphorus straits Population patterns Bazaars Traffic TonyGreenwoodattheAmericanResearchInstitute inTurkeygenerouslyinvitedmetohouse sitfora shorttimeinaspotoverlookingtheBosphorus Ittookaboutaweekofwatchingtogetafeelforthe straits thepaceofactivityandthevolumeofship Itisagrandshow Half dozenofthetankersI wheeling around stretch where I between Bosphorus Fatih bridges closeto200 000tons Theyareoccasionallyguidedbytugsorpilotships Ihaven tcounted butplentyare flying Russian Ukrainian colours There Crimean which passes regularly Kazakhstan II apassengerlinerofsome aswellasheavily ladenTurkishcargoboats theirdecksbarelyabovethe waterline Abattleshiphasgoneby andanaval cruiser Iknowsubmarinesareslinkingalongthe bottom All these share waterlanes regular Bosphorus ferries zippy motorboats least wetcycle thepleasurecraftmooredinthemarinaofprosperousBebek illuminatedfloatingrestaurants Bosphorus Swimming Club their mettle against murderous current The press beginning rumble about blown international dispute primarily between Turkey Russia ifTurkeyunilaterallyrevisestheMontreuxConventionof1936whichprovi forfreedomofthe straitstoallshippinginpeacetime Iaminabetterpositionnowtoappreciatetherealdangerforcollisions spills inthemiddleofIstanbul StateMinisterforMaritimeAffairs Saglarwentpublicthismonththat pleaded radar system installed Treasury pleaded amazingly stakeis 2million Ithasbeenhintedthatmoreradicalmeasures suchasTurkey staking itintoitshands toregulatetheflowofships mayfollow Itwillbeaquestiontoinvestigate forthemoment Ionlyallude problem hitting horizon IhavebeenwalkingIstanbulwiththeenergy ifnotquitethestamina ofaLyellwithhislegendary40 daywalks inordertoobservegeological strata Thepatternsofsocialstratawhich Ihavenoticed baffleme Iwasexpecting ofcourse tocrosspathswithboththeverypoorandtheveryrich Iam still takenabackbyhowmodemandveryup markettheenormousAkmerkezshoppingcomplex though opened Etiler beginning ofthe andby swanky peoplewho afford there iller economic crisis everybody The surprise areas superimposed Brixton isalongwayfromBond Street andnoonereallydestituteliveswithinwalking distanceoftheLouvre IstumbledonslumstenminutesfromtheBlueMosque spottypatternsof detached houses mixed squatters skiidar children without shoes American Consulate Anglo Ottoman splendour ofthe Pera Palace Hotel Doubtless I enlightening about Imustn tdilateonthissubject butwiththeexcusethatRomaniaiswithinthescopeofmy fellowship I resistreproducingwhatshouldbethe lastword indemystifying language learningtechniques fromMirceaEliade MyadmirablestudentJ O asksmetodayhowhecan learn sanscrit quickly I sitting every morning studying sanscrit twelve sixteen hours Long walks health included mornings evenings After months other things preferably onlyworks ealing withIndianhistoryorculture That swhatIdidmyfirstyearinCalcutta Iadd Yes J O begins It snothingtodowithme Iinterrupt Lotsofpeoplehavedoneit takefor example Indianist Italian polymath Angelo Gubematis almost forgotten today Read hismemoirsandyou seehelearnt sanscrit inasummer shuttinghimselfinavillagenearBerlin andnotcomingoutexcepttobuyfood Jumal decembrie MiddleEasterndemographics Whenfoulbackstreetsare setinablockortwofromTaksim Istiklal street itsbrightlightsandfancyshopwindows IamputonmyguardthatIstanbul shallow different Turkey hidden behind scrim Bazaars street vendors fascinating surelymake ofIstanbul Howmany ofthemmakealiving isamystery clearlytheymustbeunlicensedandnotpaytaxes sincethepolice periodicallymovethem One wonders BaronHaussmann Western rationalistwould havemade ofitall Iimaginehimwalkingatmyshoulderitchingforbulldozers Whatadif ferentworlditishere I knowthatWesternfuturologistspredictthatservices maybeevencities willnolongerbe geographically concentratedbutcometo spread outmore evenly There smooth dispersion competences specializations scattered widely while individuals become network nodes talking computer This scenarioseemedratherfarawayoneeveningas Ibrowsedalong lineoftablesofidentical hardware sellersgroupednearBeyazit Nearbywasthe streetoftennisshoeandhouseholdgadget sellers bisectingthatwasthe streetofpencil holdermen whicharoselikeamiragewhenschool startedandhas sincedisappeared andhawkersofunderwearforBmnnehilde Theirclusteringin itselfisnotthewhole story fromNewYorktoHongKongelectronicsshops inparticularseemtohaveamagneticpropensityto cluster It sthemicrogeographyoftheselivelymarketstreets thenoisyinteractionsbetweenpeople which Ihavecometothinkofasthecommonman retorttomyanxious futurologistsandtotheirgloomyvistas ofatomizedunitslivinginhomogeneousgesellschaft somethinglikeacolle ctiveversionofDrJohnson I refute lustily dismissed Berkeley elaborate metaphysics kicking football Thereisnobetterwaytobrowseorstartchats Ontheotherhand itisatime consumingwaytoshop One sacrificestheWest sspeedandefficiency Iknowsomepeopledeliberatelycometolessdeveloped countries inthebeliefthattheywillfind lifeconductedmorehumanely closertothepaceatwhichhuman intercourse proceeded average years Myfrustrations getting things beenlessromantic Togiveonlyoneexample IwasstymiedwhenIneededanewadaptorforaparticular Americanbubblejetprinter Noshophadoneorknewwheretogo The singlelargecomputermart Spektmmdidn sellthem FurthermoretherehasbeennoneweditionoftheIstanbultelephonebookfor abouteightyears Withoutatelephonebook orareliabletelephoneinformationservice itwashardtofind thedistributor IbaulkedattelephoningarepresentativeinAmerica whichmeantsurrender Whatwas mostmaddeningwasthateveryonewassure itcouldbefoundinIstanbul keptasking Onedaya postercaughtmyeyeatabus advertisinganupcomingcomputerfairattheHilton Onlythere weeklater didIdiscoverthedistributorIneeded Becom itwasturnedout althoughevenatthefairI asking stall stall Total search weeks Clearly balancing claims ofsoulless efficiencyandahumanepaceoflifewillbeathemetopreoccupymeinTurkeyforawhileto especially outside Istanbul It saveryoral personalizedculturehere saidGiinKutofBogazi iUniversity laughingatmystory You always asking andtalking people relying directions written instructions That great secret driving Istanbul The traffic terrifying until learn ignore rules signs waiting signals other drivers What going communicatedbypersonaleyecontactfromdrivertodriver It sthesameprinciplecabbiesuseinNew York whichiswhyTurksfeelathomedrivinginNewYork Itwasmyturntolaugh atwhatIimaginedhemean tasapleasantconceit ThenonceIwasridingacity busonthetwo laneroadwhichhugstheBosphoms Europeanshore Sittingatthefront athirteen oldpassengerreckonedhewasgoingthewrongway Hebegandiscussing itwiththedriverwhonodded sympathetically Asabus intheoppositelanewasabouttopass ourdrivercaughttheeyeoftheotherand without raising hands wheel communicated whole story glance ajerk ofthechinbecausebothbussescametoascreechinghaltparallelontheroad Carsbeganhonkingonboth sides someone shouted passengers lookedup vaguely their newspapers The child scampered waved crossed around other which opened busses moved Turkish complexes Demirel Hungary lmigrs Bulgaria WhyhavemanyoftheTurks IhavemetreferredtoaTurkish inferioritycomplex anationalsenseof insecuritytowardstheoutsideworld Iamonlyscratchingthesurfaceonthis Respectedintellectuals fromMuratBeigetomembersofBogazii sWesternized 61iteh avenotedthestraggleofTurkstoprove themselves especiallytotheWest IhaveyettomeetaTurkish Islamic intellectual saveSerifMardin briefly tohearwhethertheyjudgethe situation similarly Onceonthelookoutforthistendency Ihave caught glimpses newspaper finding moral support quoting British tabloid support Turkey fightagainst separatists orinanother reportinggratefullythatTurkeywasapopularspot American tourists things about Probablythis isthesharpestexampleIhavefound OrhanPamuk sBeyazKale TheWhiteCastle saidtobethebest sellingTurkishnovelofalltime Ithasmnthrough12editionssince1985 Nevertheless theendorsementschosenforthebackcoverareexclusivelyforeign Theblurb reads TheWhiteCastle extraordinary interest enthusiasm Europe America It quote positive noticesfromTheNewYorkTimesBookReview TheIndependent FrankfiarterAllgemeine Itisratheras ifGoreVidal spublishersreliedfortheiraccoladeson goodreferencesintheTurkishliteraryreviews I triedtoconsiderwhat ishappeningwhenacountry criticsandcommentatorsareeschewedastoo ortooparochial ormaybejustlacking innamerecognitionamongtheirownaudiences andmarketing ramsinsteadtothehardcurrencyofforeignfiat Itwouldbedifferentifthiswerean economicsorscience textbook IamverysorryifTurksfeeltheymustlookabroadtohavetheirartistictastesconfirmed literatureormusicorpainting Ex PresidentOzal spentmostofthe spushingTurkeyWestwards trying mainstream European economy surely international marketplace could arbiter ofthe Turkish creative imagination Therewasevensupposedtobe reflectedgloryforMrs illerinbeingseen incompanywithHenry Kissinger Iwouldhavethought itwouldbetheotherwayroundbynow shehostedabanquetinhis honour month This considered front material In however evening backfired forher Herdecisiontowear herdaringlybrightmake upandexpansivegoodmoodwere etailed television newspapers tabloids Unfortunately turned luckofpartyingonadaywhentheKurdish separatistPKKkilled stateteachers attheopeningof school Tunceli Turkey The dailies turned Mrs iller caught sporting gladragswhileinnocentpublic servantsweredying ACumhurriyel columnistjuxtaposedthe stories effect He listedtheteachers names agesandbirthplaces remindingus inthesamebreathofthe banquetandthecolourofMrs iller clothes Byimplicationthe blond femaleprimeminister beingaccusednotonlyofpoliticalhelplessnessbutofmoralnegligence Ithoughtthiswasmelodrama worthyofAuden FalloftheRomanEmpire wheretheunconcerned 61ite inthe capitalaredescribed socializing gaily while agents pursue Absconding defaulters through The sewers provincialtowns But inamoregeneralwaytheepisodetapped intoanaggingquestionthat isalways lurking under surface which seems uestion essentially coming together allfalling apart Onthe fiscal austerity upcoming Customs Union EU Central Asia other urban slums secularism under hammer unitary Republic threatened Here isaquestiontobelooked intowhile Iamhere It clearthatTurkshaveanothersetofcomplexes thistimewiththeirsourcenotsomuchinsideTurkey asoutside WiththehistoryofOttomanconquestfreshinthemindsofmanyex subjectpeoples Turks seemtoexpecttheirneighboursnottoacceptthem Igotatasteofahowagestureofreconciliationgoesa longwaywhenTurkishPresidentSiileymanDemirel visitedHungary Thetelevisionnewsshowedhim unveiling statue ofSultan Siileyman Magnificent erectedby Hungarian government Szigetvar wheretheOttomansdefeatedtheHungariansin1566 Imissedthesignificance butmyfriends Kuts noticed andmycarpet seller friend Divanyolu noticed local kebabgi talked about Hungarians their history Siileyman still enemy reviled shared Among Europeanswhomthe Ottomans conquered Hungarians regarded unique gained kudos thereby Iheardmoreabout itatateaandnarghile water gardenbytheDolmabaheMosque shadedby planetreesnearthewater Ihadsatdownincompanywithfourmiddle agedmeninjackets capsand moustaches Theyheldtheirpipeslimplylikejazzmenwith clarinets suckingandblowingthroughthe waterandchattinginquiettones theylookedlikeoldnarghilemasters Ithappenedtheywerebornin KurdzhaliandPazadzhik inotherwords6migr6TurksfromsoutheasternBulgaria Theylaughedasthey showedmehowto chomp mouthpiece togetherwe enjoyed least three ofthe traditional fourpleasuresofnarghilesmoking veAyse thatis tongs acomer Ayse tongstomanipulatetheemberswhich ignitethetobacco oakto startagood acomertoenjoya reclusive private smoke Ayse making narghile smoking unspecified As chatted sorrowful consensus national coming terms witnessed Hungary possible Bulgaria Bulgaria advanced democratic Hungary CertainlytheywereappreciativeandimpressedthegovernmentinBudapestcouldgetawaywith erecting statue Turkey meanwhile geographically close Bulgaria memories Ottoman conquest rankled I gathered Turkish minority million people potential fifth column perpetual irritant nationalists I repeated conversation about Demirel times among Bulgarian Turks living Istanbul districtsofKiitik ekmece BayrampasaandAvcilar Mosttalkshappenedoverendless shotsofrose colouredteainthetulip shapedglassesTurkeyisfamousfor IheardmorepraiseforHungary forward lookingness hopelessness Bulgarian public opinion would change ofheart about Turkeytheex enemy Awhite collarworkerintieand shirt sleevesrememberedthevirulentanti Turkish campaigns Bulgaria after Slavicize Turkish names Whenit should bonded Turks averageBulgarianstogetheragainstacommonenemy thecommunistregime itdeepenedanimosities Why BecauseBulgariansareallnationalistswhosupportedourpersecution Hebithislipmiserably I likeBulgaria IsupportedBulgariauntiltheychangedmyname Heemigratedwithhisparents Elsewhereamanmyage tryingouthisbrokenEnglishonme describedasimplevignetteofprejudice He sixwhenhisfamilymovedfromavillage intheRodopimountainsto Sofia Thechildren inthe neighbourhoodaskedhimwhohewas Hetoldthem OnlearningthathewasaTurk allranhometofind knives Why Iexclaimed Hethoughtforamoment Tocomeandcutme Ithink His friend sitting recalled military service between which madeto endure before being permittedtoemigrate oddly Accordingtohim sinceTurkey hourinvasionofCyprus Bulgarian drill sergeantshadbeenchargedwithwarni ngthatTurkeymightlaunchablitzkrieginvasion againstthemtooatanytime ThusalineconnectingTurkishmilitarismfromthe fallofConstantinopleto theinvasionofCyprus explicitlydrawn remindingeveryonethatTurkey isbynatureanexpansionist occupying power The chain across theMoskva Since claim might slander Bulgarian military invoke Herodotus again I intend toclearoutofIstanbulsoonandlookforwardtojudgingmatters inBulgariaandelsewherewithmyown IfIcouldseeunmediatedsomeoftheactionsdrivingeventsforwardinTurkey Iwouldbehappy indeed eventoexcisefrommyvocabularythecnttan andywordsofthesocialsciences issue orientation influence developments whichareatbestvagueshorthand andatworstmisleading euphemisms forsomething somethingexistingandhappeninginthe realworld Oncemymuch respectedmedievalRussianhistoryprofessortookmetolunchtohelpme sortoutsome problemsIwashavingconceptualizingthesubject IwantedtowriteatermpaperontheriseofMoscow buthis lectureonthesubjec thadconfusedme Forone thing Moscowflourishedbecauseitssituationallowed ittocommandtheconfluenceofriversnecessary Volga trade route patiently explained again Y I hesitated wanting antagonize butthenconfessed I tunderstandquitewhatthatmeant GoodswerepassingMoscowon ships hesaidwithafrown theMuscovitescouldskimoffatax Inexperiencedinthewaysoffivertraffic I musteredthecouragetoaskagain Please howexactlydoyoumean Well hesaid ifyoureallywant togetdownto IsupposefirsttheMuscoviteswouldthrowachainacrosstheMoskvafiver Thenthey wouldpile intorowboatsandboardthevessel They dtakeouttheirswordsandpointthematthecaptain Ifhedidn tgivethemaproportionofthecargo inkindorcurrencythey dslashhisneckrightthere IfI coulddescribewhat shappeningtoTurkeywithsuchimmediacyandvividness Ibelievemyfellowship would served Received Hanover