TNT Coronavirus Edition: Turkish Couple in New York Describe Travail

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 3 April 2020)

Turks Stranded in India click here for another TNT report 
about Turks and Covid-19 abroad.


                            Living the American Scream.

The Covid-19 pandemic is negatively affecting Turks living abroad.
Arzu Ertaş (56) and her husband İsmet Ertaş (60), who live in New
York, have come down with coronavirus. 

Arzu hanım experienced severe headaches on 7 March and her
temperature surged to 39.5 degrees (103.1 F).  The next day her
husband İsmet bey had the same symptoms, putting them both in
panic-mode as they lay helpless in bed.

The Ertaş couple, who sell kitchenware in New York, couldn't even
get themselves to a hospital nor could they seek help from friends
and risk infecting them.  Nevertheless, Turkish friends the couple
reached by phone delivered food and medicines to them during a
very uncomfortable week at home.


Singing projects even more of the virus into the air, they say...

Arzu hanım explained to Milliyet that "We went to Zülfü Livaneli's
(a Turkish singer-writer) book-signing (4 March) and about 15 people
who were there got Covid-19, including a famous journalist (Zafer
Mutlu).  My first symptoms emerged on 7 March and my husband's
the next day.  Our friends brought what we needed to our doorstep and
our doctor directed us to a local clinic.  When we went there, though,
we were surprised to learn that they couldn't test us for Covid-19 and
tested us for influenza instead."

"We were both 'negative' for influenza but gave the doctor there a
piece of our mind, telling him about the book-signing and the others
who attended and who got Covid-19.  So the clinic finally tested us
for Covid-19 and we were told to go home and stay there.  If our
temperatures exceeded 39 degrees we were told to go back to the
clinic." 

"The results for the Covid-19 tests we took on 13 March came back
'positive' on 20 March, by which time we had completed two weeks
of quarantine.  We still had coughs and lethargy, but nothing else.
But when we called the American doctor at the clinic he told us we
had to stay in quarantine for another 2 weeks, until 7 April.  He
wrote prescriptions for pain-killers and fever-reducers and sent us
home wishing us 'Godspeed'!"


                                 (Don't) Think Positive!

"Those who really helped us were our personal doctor and our friends.
We weren't put under observation nor did we get the necessary interest
(from the clinic).  If we weren't strong, healthy people we probably
wouldn't be talking to you (Milliyet) right now.  Many people in New
York haven't had Covid-19 tests done and it's hard to find the test kits,
in any event."

"Up until a week ago, Americans were behaving as if  'nothing can
happen to me' and roaming around spreading the illness.  In the U.S.
tests and treatment are free but there aren't enough tests or health
personnel.  Other than Germany, the whole of the West is being
battered by the pandemic."


                          "Round up the usual suspects."  

TNT Coronavirus Edition: Turks Stranded in India

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 1 April 2020)


                  "Take a number and wait to be called."

Because of the coronavirus crisis, Turkey has forbidden all flights
abroad.   But while most Turks in foreign countries have been
brought back to Turkey, those in India, numbering around 50, are
stranded because of canceled flights and stay-at-home restrictions.

Özgür Şendir (44), who works at an industrial facilities company in
Delhi, explained that "I came to Delhi from Istanbul on 6 March.
When I wanted to return to Turkey the flights were canceled.  From
what I have heard, police here are taking foreigners in hotels to
hospitals for tests.  The health conditions here are quite bad so if
we have to go to a hospital in India we are in jeopardy of getting
the coronavirus.  Our only wish is to get out of here as soon as
possible."


  Cow dung baths are said to be a sure way to kill the virus.

Şendir's co-worker Mehmet Zeki Kılınç (40) has chronic heart
and blood-vessel problems and his family is worried about him.
He stated that "the conditions here are terrible.  It would be much
better for me to be in Turkey now.  My medicines are about to run
out and my pain is gradually increasing.  I want to get a flight to
my country right away."

Dog-trainer Gökçen Yücekaya (35) came to India on 10 February
to train therapists.  When his work got extended he booked a flight
for the end of March but that has been canceled.  Yücekaya is
staying in a rented home in Ahmedabad.  When the stay-at-home
order was issued without warning he was bewildered and can now
only hope that something can be worked out so he can return to
Turkey.


                    Antisocial distancing is all the rage.

Ayşe Boşnak (33) came to India at the end of February for a
vacation (!) and she is staying at a hostel in Delhi now.  She had
a return ticket to Turkey for 22 March but that was canceled.
Boşnak noted that "restrictions in India are more strict than in
Turkey.  We can't leave the hostel and tomorrow my room
reservation expires.  A friend of mine here who is also stuck will
put me up at his place and the (Turkish) embassy will arrange for
a car to take me there.  I'd much rather live in quarantine in
Turkey."



                "Come out with your hands washed!"

TNT History Archives: Ottoman Army's Retreat From Palestine (1918)/Part XII

//Ed. note: Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk) was the commander of
the 7th Army, within the Yıldırım Army Group (YAG). In
in this portion of his story, Major Vecihi relates how 
Mustafa Kemal took umbrage at German high-handedness
in Palestine, amply criticized by Major Vecihi herewith.//  




Without letting even a tiny stain rest on their pure foreheads in the
great calamity that was The Great War, the Turks exhibited remarkable
administrative and military service, sacrificing their lives in defense of
the nation and exposing their bodies to anxiety and violence.  Turkey
and the Turks should know who these great men and commanders were.

During these battles a patriotic commander had to fight the war on 3
fronts - with his own superiors, with the Germans, and with the actual
enemy on the battlefront.

Sometimes, the commander-in-chief (Enver Paşa) would issue orders
at odds with the benefits of the Turkish Army and the nation and more
to the liking of Germany's admirers, even more than the Germans
themselves.  For a soldier not to implement such orders and oppose
that great office was more than difficult.  To appreciate this, it is not
enough just to be a soldier but, rather, to have actually been placed in
such a situation.



When it comes to the Germans, despite the notion of a "common goal",
they served only for the interests of Germany and not for the interests
of the Turks.  In order to lighten their load in Europe, the Germans
hoped to steer enemy armies to Turkey's battlefronts to the extent
possible, so they would instigate attacks that were sometimes timely,
sometimes not, and sometimes necessary and sometimes not. And
they had no trouble persuading the top commander (Enver Paşa),
whenever they needed to.

It was calamitous for anyone to oppose the Germans' wishes but it was
even more calamitous, for our army and nation, to agree to their every
desire.  In a particular type of activity, one had to choose between
self-preservation and the needs of the homeland.  Because the Germans
knew well who their admirers were and they had no trouble having
those who opposed them dismissed from the Ottoman Army or, at
least, having their opponents distanced from matters they considered
important.


7th Army Commander Mustafa Kemal Paşa in Damascus in
1917, second from left, with Enver Paşa and Cemal Paşa,
second and first from right, respectively. 

When General Falkenheim became the head of the YAG he had a
warchest of 6 million in gold. He was the defacto dictator of Arabia,
distributing money, wheat, robes and awards to the Bedouin chiefs,
as if to win their allegiance to the Ottoman State.  In reality, with
every move he made he aimed to sway the Arabs to Germany and the
Kaiser.

Falkenheim was able to get the best Turkish commanders to work for
him because the knew very well that Turkish commanders understood
the fighting ways of the obedient Turkish soldiers better than German
commanders did. Then, together with arranging everything according
to his own wishes, he established and began to implement a fighting
style in Palestine that could only be conducted with the German Army
in charge. 

So the Turkish Army was distressed by having to engage in constant
and meaningless assaults, advances and withdrawals that were meant
to show the Germans in a good light, at the expense of the Turks. The
first to speak up against this situation was Mustafa Kemal Paşa, the
7th Army Commander.  When his objections were ignored he resigned
and left, because it was unclear anymore whether Turkey belonged to
the Turks or to the Germans.  The Germans' arbitrary power had
reached that level.  This sentence of degradation could not be be
tolerated, so contrary was it to the manly inheritance passed down
by the Turks' forefathers.

//END of PART XII//

TNT Coronavirus Edition: Male Nurse Discrimination

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 1 April 2020)


                         Now he's nursing a grudge.

Togahan Karadaş is a nurse at Istanbul University Tıp Fakültesi
Hospital (a.k.a. Çapa Hospital).  The day before yesterday, after his
shift was over Karadaş went to his home in Alibeyköy and while
there he boarded a bus to go to do some shopping for household
needs.

Hoping to take advantage of the fact that health workers are exempt
from paying fares during the coronavirus crisis, Karadaş showed the
bus driver his ID card to prove his eligibility for free travel.

However (!), the driver said to Karadaş "a man can't be a nurse!" and
made him get off the bus.  Bewildered, Karadaş stated that "while the
world is applauding health workers, my professional honor has been
insulted!  I want authorities to take the necessary actions!"