Kapadokya Turkish Restaurant Brooklyn Heights NY

I have recently moved to New York from Texas. After our arrival on last sunday, our dearest friends Brad and Andrea have taken us to Kapadokya Restaurant in Brooklyn Heights.

They had a Father's Day Special at Kapadokya. Choice of appetizer, main dish, and a dessert, for a great value of $20.00 per person.

I have ordered Turkish Lentil Soup and as main dish, iskender. Iskender (doner) is known as gyro in the US. It was much better than I was expecting. But the lentil soup was excellent. Our desert was of course baklava, but unfortunately I was disappointed with it.

Kapadokya is located on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights, and has a nice street view, and they also have a padio available for outdoor dining.

I will certainly visit Kapadokya many more times, and write more about my experiences.

Kapadokya Turkish Restaurant
142 Montague St
Brooklyn, NY 11201-3516
(718) 875-2211

Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace is certainly the most important historical site to be visited in Istanbul. It is one of the most frequently visited museums of Europe and is the most visited one in Turkey. The Palace served as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 400 years between the 15th and 19th centuries. Its principal parts were finished in 1478, then altered and enlarged by new additions in the reign of each succeeding sultan. The Palace was abandoned in 1855 when Sultan Abdülmecit I, 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, moved to the new Palace of Dolmabahçe. In 1924, it was turned into a museum upon the orders of Atatürk.

Topkapi Palace is a complex of buildings spread out over one of the seven hills of Istanbul. It consists of courtyards serving different purposes which are separated from each other by monumental gates. Pavilions, each used for different purpose, surround these courtyards. The total area of the Palace is twice the area of Vatican and half of Monaco in size.

Besides being the official residence of the Sultan, the Topkapi Palace served as the headquarters of the government. It also housed the state treasury and the archives. The mint, as well as the highest educational institution were located on the Palace grounds.

On exhibitions are the imperial collections of crystal, silver and Chinese porcelain; imperial handmade costumes worn by the sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the treasury; the richest collection of clocks in the world; the sacred relics of Islam including the swords of Muhammed, his bow and his mantle; priceless collection of miniatures and many other priceless objects. One of the largest diamonds in the world, the Spoonseller Diamond, is displayed in a special showcase in the hall. The rooms are exquisitely decorated and tiled.

Thoughts of an Australian about Turkish Hospitality and Anzac

It was my great delight to be able to spend 3 years in Turkey and I have come home leaving a little of my heart there with the wonderful friends I made.

As an Australian I had mostly heard about Turkey because of our link with Gallipoli (Gelibolu). Every year here on the 25th April, in all our towns and cities, we celebrate ANZAC day. That stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. That was the day our soldiers landed on Turkish soil in 1915, the aim being to finally take Istanbul. However the conflict was a disaster for us but a victory for Turkey.

So why do we remember it as a National day? In 1901 Australia had become a federation or union of seven States but still did not think as one nation. The Gallipoli campaign was the first time Australians came together as one, so even though the campaign itself was a failure, it fired the Australian spirit of mateship and togetherness.

It was only after being in Turkey that I also came to know that it was an important time in the life of your great leader Kemal Ataturk, who was to be so important after the war to bring Turkey to a Republic and prevent it being divided and later as its President to make many sweeping changes.

Now I knew why Ataturk's photograph was in my classroom and his statues so prominent everywhere in Turkey!

I was very pleased to visit Galipoli and was amazed at the small area where so many men lost their lives.To stand with feet in the calm pebble and look back up at the escarpments and gullies. To stand high on Chunuk Bar and look out to sea helped me realise what a hopeless task our men faced, much due to leadership bungles and how important for Turkey to save.

It seemed peaceful to me now, yet somehow special, as if the land itself knows that many brave men died there, and it is special.It was interesting to see how close the lines were and easy to imagine soldiers tossing food, and sometimes grenades, to each other!

I was especially aware of how well the whole area was cared for by Turkey. The day I went workmen were busily repairing damage done to the lawns by many visitors on Anzac day. All the memorials were tidy and great respect shown. Similar words were on all graves. War is sad in any language isnt it?

The monument which really moved me, was the sandstone wall where Ataturk's words were written to Australian mothers, who had gone there in 1934, to see where their sons had died. They were beautiful words and brought tears to my eyes and must have been great comfort to those women. I have copied them, and when I give my talks to groups about Turkey I always read them, and they evoke deep emotion.

Because of those words I changed my idea about one of the stories we had always been told here in Australia.

When it became obvious that no headway was being made to capture the area and it was decided to evacuate, our soldiers set up guns in such a way, with water and string that every now and then a gun would fire. This was supposed to make the Turks think soldiers were still there. They also put bags on the wharves to keep down noise. And so they left without losing any men.

However, my Turkish guide said that of course they knew the enemy was going but they had orders from their leaders to let the brave and courageous men leave! The war had been won and they had no further fight with them.

Having read Ataturk's words,I now believe that is the more likely version of how it really was. The war had been won and to fight further was unnecessary. So thank you!! It showed enormous strength of character to think in such a way.

I do hope that arrangements and changes will be made so that ANZAC days in the future do not result in the area being harmed by so many people at the one time.

Most Turks knew about Gelibolu and it opened many doors of friendship for me. In shops when I said I was Australian they would exclaim 'Gelibolu" and immediately show warm hospitality, which meant big smiles and a wonderful hot drink of cay!

It is good to know ,that out of loss and pain, friendships can be forged and I am proud to be able to call Turkish people my friends.

Jean Ison
NSW Sydney Australia

Turkish Prime Minister Visits White House

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is on a visit to the US with a large delegation and the aim of putting Turkish-American relations back on track. He met with US President George W. Bush for the purpose at the White House on Wednesday, June 8.

The two leaders made statements at the Oval Office and emphasized the "strategic" relation between US and Turkey. Erdogan said they have common point of view regarding a solution in Cyprus and the fight against the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist organization. Bush put US Secretary of State Condollezza Rice in charge of the issue of direct flights to Ercan Airport in Turkish Cyprus when the subject was brought to the agenda.

Since Turkey and the US share an "important strategic relation", President Bush said, they talked about a wide range of issues during the talks. He thanked Erdogan for his "strong support" of the Broader Middle East Initiative. Democracy in Turkey is a significant example for the people in the Middle East the US President praised. As for Turkey's leading role in Afghanistan, he praised Erdogan, "I appreciate you leadership." From the Palestinian conflict to the economy, the leaders talked about many subjects, Bush said. The Turkish Prime Minister assured in return that solidarity between the two countries will continue in the future as in the past. Satisfied with the meeting, Bush said it was a very rich and important conversation.

The Turkish party conveyed to the White House that Turkey has transformed into a country of stability and security and is open to new investments. Following the meeting with Bush, Erdogan made comments to Turkish reporters. He enumerated the topics of the talks as: Cyprus, Broader Middle East Project, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Afghanistan issue, PKK, Syria, Iraq, Iran, European Union (EU), freedoms, human rights, supremacy of law, minorities in Turkey security and the war on terror. He said both parties are of the same opinion regaring PKK and the US share

Turkey's concerns in the subject. "We are exchanging information and intelligence with the US," he said, "but it's not enough."

Elsewhere, when the White House Spokesperson Scott McClellan asked about the US view on PKK, he responded that the US regards this network as a terrorist organization and the issue came to the agenda during Bush-Erdogan meeting. According to the Spokesperson, Bush spoke of the difficulties Americans face in Iraq.

"We are working on solving these," added McClellan emphasizing the obejctive of the meeting is "to revive strategic partnership."

Erdogan responded to concerns of anti-Americanism in Turkey that it is rightist and leftist marginal groups are trying to keep the issue alive by applying the same picture over and over again. Erdogan stressed that administrations should act beyond emotions; therefore, the Turkish government is taking positive action against anti-Americanism.

As for the Broader Middle East Project, Erdogan said visits to Syria, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia are the steps taken in this direction and he will visit Lebanon upon his return. "Turkey continues with the works of reforms, speeding up democratic process and preventive measures against terror." For Syria causing tension between US and Turkey lately, Prime Minister elaborated: "Syria is our neighbor and we have a 800 km border with them. We talked about how we will bring Syria to our own line of action. They talked with our President [Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer] about troop withdrawal from Lebanon. They said, 'we will pull them out' and they did."

Source: ZamanOnline