US & Turkey Suspend Travel Visas

There have been other incidents in Turkey as well. I remember when some U.S. sailors were on shore leave in Turkey and were surrounded and harassed without cause. The roundup of people after the attempted coup was brutal and wide scale, and people were arrested and jailed without due process for any comment or opinion. I am sad not to be able to return to Turkey, but I don't consider it a particularly safe place to be now.

There have been other incidents in Turkey as well. I remember when some U.S. sailors were on shore leave in Turkey and were surrounded and harassed without cause. The roundup of people after the attempted coup was brutal and wide scale, and people were arrested and jailed without due process for any comment or opinion. I am sad not to be able to return to Turkey, but I don't consider it a particularly safe place to be now.

In the US, our understanding of world events is sometimes painfully limited. Our network news would rather cover OJ's release from prison that the plight of the Myanmar refugees, to cite a recent omission....

So it's not surprising that you may not realize the "harassment" was not completely "without cause". Earlier, in 2003, American soldiers in Iraq, near Kirkuk, had for some reason captured a group of Turkish military personnel operating in the area (Turkey was our ally, mind you....) and detained them for a significant amount of time. The Turkish soldiers were apparently led away with white hoods over their heads, which was felt to be extremely degrading and was widely publicized in Turkey, where people were outraged. It became known as the Hood Event. The soldiers were later released, and after an inquiry, the US Defense Secretary wrote a letter to Erdogan expressing regret for the event.

Like it or not, the US's actions in other countries are not always easily defensible, and it is events like this that breathe life into radical groups -- like the fringe group that later harassed the US sailors in retaliation. (They put white hoods over the sailors' heads and tossed red paint on them.....)

maybe it was not Erdogan he was referring to :) :)

Given Despegue's many previous anti-US Posts, I have no doubt that she/he was NOT referring to President Erdogan. Sorry my sarcasm went over your head.

For the record, Avian777, I did mean Dictator Erdogan. ( and yes, also Trump, but in this case, I do agree with his Administration ).

And for the record, I LOVE the USA and its People. Sometimes not US policies, but that is merely representing a European general opinion.

Regards from Florida.

Thank you for the information.

Sure glad that we did that part of the world years ago. Actually stayed in Istanbul for several days before our cruise (on Princess).

Agree, we did Istanbul and stayed about 5 days, when we took the Grand Princess when it was new in l998... feel the same about Egypt... Greece these days.... very sad. Hope this world wide issue changes for the better in the future.

In the US, our understanding of world events is sometimes painfully limited. Our network news would rather cover OJ's release from prison that the plight of the Myanmar refugees, to cite a recent omission....

 

So it's not surprising that you may not realize the "harassment" was not completely "without cause". Earlier, in 2003, American soldiers in Iraq, near Kirkuk, had for some reason captured a group of Turkish military personnel operating in the area (Turkey was our ally, mind you....) and detained them for a significant amount of time. The Turkish soldiers were apparently led away with white hoods over their heads, which was felt to be extremely degrading and was widely publicized in Turkey, where people were outraged. It became known as the Hood Event. The soldiers were later released, and after an inquiry, the US Defense Secretary wrote a letter to Erdogan expressing regret for the event.

 

Like it or not, the US's actions in other countries are not always easily defensible, and it is events like this that breathe life into radical groups -- like the fringe group that later harassed the US sailors in retaliation. (They put white hoods over the sailors' heads and tossed red paint on them.....)

I would not defend the terrorists around world... I do believe the usa takes high road far more often.

I hardly think it was a defence of terrorists or terrorism.

More of an explanation actually. And certainly more factual than the some of the cable news reports that we saw.

I think that all countries put their own self interest, political and commercial, ahead of everything else including democracy, the rule of law, whatever. They all tend to advertise the good, and camouflage, hide, or censor out the not so good where possible.