16 replies to this topic

[Fil]

The State visit of Pres. Gül to UK gives a very clear indication of the importance that UK gives to relations with Turkey, talk about getting the works. I hear there are only two state visits of this kind accepted per year.

http://www.hurriyetd...tain-2011-11-22

http://www.telegraph...tate-visit.html

http://www.telegraph...lationship.html

[Abi]

I was very impressed at the welcome he was given.

[lindylou]

Me too Abi.I've read the 3 aritcles that Fil kindly posted.

[cstan46]

This week’s State Visit to the UK by Turkey’s President, Abdullah Gul, reminds us that Turkey is a country that is developing a new role and new links for itself, within and beyond existing structures and alliances. The UK and Turkey have a strong relationship across the range of foreign policy and security issues. Over the last 18 months we have laid firm foundations for that relationship through an ambitious Strategic Partnership which prompted the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to say that relations with the UK had entered a “golden age.” Indeed they have.( taken from Hurrriyet)

I hope that with this strong relationship that Turkey supposedly has with Britain will make it easier for the many expats who have suffered under unscrupulous house builders to gain some recompense through the courts a lot quicker than at present.
Also that Turkey will look at the 90/180 day Visa rule that is supposedly due to be back next February and will certainly make things difficult for people who wish to visit their homes on a regular basis.

Neither any of the above affects me but I know of many that it does.

On a lighter note, It was really good to see the ceremony on our local news for the Turkish Sailors who are buried at the Gosport Naval Cemetry receive such dignity from Mr Gul and his British counterparts.

[Abi]

I hope that with this strong relationship that Turkey supposedly has with Britain will make it easier for the many expats who have suffered under unscrupulous house builders to gain some recompense through the courts a lot quicker than at present.

The law certainly needs to be change in many ways as Turks as well as foreigners suffer at the hands of scrupulous builders, emlaks etc. Also now that Turkey is letting other nationalities to buy here as well unless the law does change I can see we will be reading many more horror stories on the forum.

[Vic801]

Certainly if the obsolete military check law for foreigners, which opens up so many opportunities for fraud, were abolished, it would be welcome news.
We talked a couple of days ago with Turkish friends about the Guls' visit to the UK and what it implied. Our Turksih friends were more down to earth:
Him: Why did she wear those shoes? They were awful!! And what a lack of respect for the Queen who is always so elegant. Mrs Gul is really a stupid woman. She talks too much.
Her: Yes, she really is a stupid woman, but so simpatik!
'Nuff said!!

[Fil]

I think what we are witnessing is a major realignment in the world. Europe is losing its strength and influence because of bad decisions. Turkey is gaining in economic strength and influence. I have always thought that Turkey had much more potential than was being achieved. And we are sitting in the middle of it all, history on the move.

[samanthaozkara]

I saw the visit on the news and the queen was showing them around London. Like Abi said I was very impressed with the welcome Gul recieved.

Vic your little conversation between your friends made me giggle about the shoes as when I saw it on the news I thought that Mrs Guls shoes were ugly too hehe. Maybe she went shoe shopping in London xxx

[Vic801]

Don't know where she got them from but I do agree they are hideous. I love the photo and the Queen's expression here !!!

[Fil]

This no time to talk about shoes. There is a major rerlignement of world affairs going on and you are talking about shoes.

[Vic801]

Ooops, sorry. But I am sure that I will be backed up by a number of people on this forum who think that shoes are an essential part of life and maybe just as important as major relignments of world affairs!!

Not naming any names but I am sure that those of you with more than 30 pairs of shoes can understand why this photo made world headlines (OK, albeit in the Daily Fail!)

[Fil]

As I sem to have forgotten how to spell reline whatever I have been thinking about shoes instead.

Here are the thoughts of some shoe gurus.

Who the hell wants fourteen pairs of shoes when they go on holiday? I haven't had fourteen pairs in my life.
Brian Clough

Yet if a woman never lets herself go, how will she ever know how far she might have got? If she never takes off her high-heeled shoes, how will she ever know how far she could walk or how fast she could run?
Germaine Greer

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
Dr Seuss

You want to fall in love with a shoe, go ahead. A shoe can't love you back, but, on the other hand, a shoe can't hurt you too deeply either. And there are so many nice-looking shoes.
Allan Sherman

[Abi]

Ooops, sorry. But I am sure that I will be backed up by a number of people on this forum who think that shoes are an essential part of life and maybe just as important as major relignments of world affairs!!

Not naming any names but I am sure that those of you with more than 30 pairs of shoes can understand why this photo made world headlines (OK, albeit in the Daily Fail!)

Oh yes indeed I can see why it made the headlines. I actually blame my parents for my shoe obsession as I was only allowed to wear 'sensible shoes" whilst I was at school. They were the brown lace type, hideous things. I used to cry every time I needed new shoes as I knew exactly what I would get and that I would get terrible blisters wearing them in. I think I willed my feet to stop growing so I wouldn't have to go through the pain of that. When I started work and got my first pay packet the first thing I did was rush out and brought my first pair of high heels and never looked back.

Going back to Fil's comments. Turkey has much to be proud off in the the way that it has grown financially . My only concern is that there are still financial problems here and the only way I can see them coming to end is that Turkey needs to becomes more energy self-sufficient and manufacturers’ need to be sourcing materials needed for manufacture within Turkey rather than from outside the country as they are doing now.

I'm not happy that Turkey wants to join the EU as it run by France and Germany who expects the remaining counties within the EU to do as they are told, and no one else is allowed to have a say, hardly fair or right in my book.

[Fil]

I would consider supporting the Shoe Party, but I am concerned they may split at some time and lose their sole.

[Vic801]

Abi, funny how our experiences are the same and how they turned out differently. I used to dread the trips to "Maurice Onions" shoeshop where the girl would start off by bringing out beautiful heeled shoes with tassles or acorns on the front (yes, this was the 70s going on 80s) and to my despair my Mother would firmly ask her to take them back and bring out something "sensible". And oh, those same old Clark's sensible shitbrown shoes would come out again. And those darn things were sensible, comfortable and undestructable. I could pay football in them, kick a whole load of things including sisters and walls and they didn't even get a scratch. In fact I went from weeping at the sight of them to reluctantly agreeing that they were pretty good long-lasting comfortable shoes. At the sight of my first payslip I bought a pair of not-very-high heeled shoes, ended up with festering blisters and a pool of blood on their first outing and never bothered continuing.

I am also impressed with Turkey's economic growth and the way that rampant inflation has been contained.On the other hand I am appalled at the lack of consistency in water, electricity and internet services. How can you want Turkey to play a major role in world economics when electricity is cut off for a whole region for days on end?

[samanthaozkara]

Fil, I dont understand anything about politics thats why I am supporting the shoe conversation here But if any political party offered shoes in exchange for a vote I certainly would not be one to take shoes from Mrs Gül hehe and I agree with your quote from Allan Sherman, a shoe will never love you back but it wont hurt you deeply either except for a few blisters here and there thats nothing hehe.

Back to the politic side, I really hope Turkey do keep moving up and never takes a step backwards which it would do if it ever joined the EU. It will be interesting in the future to see what is the outcome of this historical move

[Fil]

Turkey is doing well but sadly there will continue to be lots of poverty and unemployment. With a million young people leaving school every year, it will be incredibly difficult to create jobs or education for all of them, let alone reduce the existing unemployment and underemployment. Still, I am glad to be here, where things are moving forward.

As for shoes and the state visit, I believe there is a shoe company in Northampton, by appointment, that proudly displays the sign Cobblers to the Queen.

Sorry. My father told me that one in 1965.