30 replies to this topic

[Ken]

Before leaving for Kusadasi from Izmir, a new acquaintance told me that a lot of the expats in Kusadasi claim to be former MI-5 or MI-6. I kind of blew it off. Strangely enough, on my second night in Kusadasi, I met an elderly gentleman who claimed that he used to be an MI-6 agent. After some time it became rather apparent that he wasn't, in spite of his assertions. Is this kind of thing common in Kusadasi?

[sunny]

I've never hear of this before Ken. I suppose it sounds more interesting than being a bank clerk, a teacher or a plumber.

Are you snowed in in Pamukkale?

[Abi]

That is soo funny Ken. There is an English programme called 'Last of the Summer Wine' It's a programme basically about a group of retired men who get up to all sorts of thing to while away their day. One of the men rambles on about his days when he was a spy.

Like Sunny said it makes them sound more interesting I suppose.

[KKW]

I always work on the assumption that if someone claims to have been in the SAS (or any other Special Forces) then they've never been in it. I'd also apply the same rule to anyone claiming to have been in MI5 or MI6.

[Vic801]

Depends how old they are. At the end of WWII when officers were sent to Salisbury Hill for their training, the high flyers were creamed off and sent to London School of Oriental Studies (? exact name) to learn Chinese or Japanese since the brunt of the war was being fought out in the Far East. They were then incorporated into the Intelligence Corps in the Forces and at the end of the war and the Burma war it was not uncommon for heathy young men with all their limbs (not always easy to find in those days) to be approached for by MI5/MI6 recruitement agents who were looking for university trained officers with experience of working in the secret services. But the vetting system was extremely tough. I would imagine these are the old boys who sit there now thinking, and what if I had been taken on, what would my life have been...

[Abi]

Very interesting Vic as I didn't know that.

[Vic801]

The other thing is that any office be it MI5 or MI6 would need filing clerks, "girls in the typing pool" (as my father continues to describe them, to my great annoyance) and general office staff. Someone who worked in one of these offices might not necessarily be a James Bond character. And most other organisations like the ILO have correspondants who are not officially on the Secret Services books but regularly report up to them.

[Fil]

Could be John Nash syndrome (a Beautiful Mind). Not good company in the pub, gets expensive buying for all the imaginary friends and the beer may affect their medication.

[Cukurbagli]

A lot of ex servicemen claim all sorts of SAS/SBS duty. Most of them just want to impress and I expect this twit in Kusadasi is the same kind of guy. I was responsible for vehicle maintenance in the RAF and I never fired a gun in anger (well actually I did but not at a person) so if anyone hears me talking about secret stuff or "operational necessities" you have my express permission to tell me I'm p*ssed!

[clinky]

Well I often tell people that I took Pegasus Bridge. They lap it up.

[Ken]

One of the ladies in the group said the man constantly goes on about having been a spy. I said it didn't really bother me. She said "yeah, well, this is just your first time listening to him." Anyway it was quite a coincidence having just been told this, then running into the man.

[KKW]

Was his name Bond ? Basildon Bond ?

[Fil]

Brooke Bond?

[baykus]

[Ken]

Well if nothing else the replies are amusing! They have a Turkish verson of that called "Cengiz Bond!"

I sometimes run into people who think I am a spy. Before, I would deny it. But I thought about ways to have fun with this by taking it the other way, and telling them that I am even worse than a spy. I tell them that I'm working with an ultra-secret joint program between the US, the UK, and the aliens. I say that I am a spotter for suitable specimens for the aliens to abduct and conduct experiments on. This saves them time in searching for the specimens they need and from abducting unsuitable ones. In return for our cooperation, the aliens supply us with the technology they use with the propulsion and inertia-dampening systems they use on their ships. Being something of a conspiracy-theory enthusiast (although not a believer), I can spin a pretty good yarn. Next time I run into a "former MI-5/MI6" agent I will ask them if they have been briefed in on the program I'm working on.

[sunny]

Is that why you put a big sticker on my forehead Ken?

[Reyhan]

So you're not saying it was aliens, but it was aliens? saka! Cool stories! I am enjoying reading about these experiences.

[Ken]

Unfortunately, Sunny, you're not what they're after (no offense intended). I have a list of specifications depending on what kind of specimens they want. The greys are real sticklers on this, the reptilians not so much, unless you really get it wrong, then there is hell to pay. Really we're just happy that they put people back in the same place they got them from.

Expats do tend to make certain conclusions about people and spread rumors... I'm single, a former special agent of the USAF Office of Special Investigations, with no wife or children, living alone in Turkey. The thought that I just enjoy living here is inadequate for the conspiratorial mind.

Actually, there IS a conspiracy theory about the US government tolerating abductions of humans in exchange for alien technology. The aliens intend to abduct people, regardless of what the government says, so the government is trying to get alien technology in exchange for assisting them. When I read about that theory, I thought it was perfect for me!

Better than saying I'm a former MI-5 or MI-6 agent any day.

[sunny]

. Don't look behind you, there's a couple of men in white coats coming.

[Ken]

Actually, they dress in black. They show up at your door and threaten you for talking about such things. The movie "Men in Black" was a comedic take-off on such stories!