Turkey's Son

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Service in the Turkish Military is compulsory for all fit males. For the past year we have watched as cars crammed to the door jambs with family and friends make the traditional journey to install their sons at the military boot camps scattered throughout the country. On every car in the caravan large Turkish flags are tied and the communities they pass through on the way to the base pay them respect by honking horns, shouting blessings or by holding their hands over their hearts.
The cultural importance of this event struck home yesterday when our building handyman took his oldest son to serve. The family is poor and owns no vehicle, Mustafa rented a van (an extravagant cost for them) and they left late at night to take Erkan to a military base several hours away from Istanbul.
Off to Serve

For a country that is not at war, Turkey has lost many soldiers this year to PKK terrorists. Word from the pipeline is that Erkan will be stationed in the volatile Hakkari region close to Iraq and Iran...the stronghold of the PKK organization.
We stood on our balcony and waved as the family began a slow drive out of Istanbul. This morning Mustafa delivered our bread with a wan smile and red eyes. Culture does not allow for sympathy to be expressed when a son leaves to serve his country, it is an honor, a joyful occasion even though they are heading to danger. I am guessing the party will start in 18 months when he is discharged safely.