My beloved city, Izmir

Izmir…

Yesterday, I was thinking about writing a post about the city of Izmir, Turkey is one of two cities where I love most on this planet. The other one is Smolensk, Russia.

I wanted to tell my Earthling friends how beatiful city Izmir is. Yes, it has really beautiful coasts, nature, foods, drinks and etc, but actually it’s beauty comes from its people. Izmir has been a place that unite people who have many different religion, racial and cultural backgrounds for thousands years. Even the extraterrestrials like me.

Many writer or poet had written about Izmir. For example, Victor Hugo likens Izmir to a princess, whose reputation spread to the west in his poem “La Captive” in the book with entitled “Les Orientales” published in 1829. Poetry is like that:

“Izmir is a princess with a very nice little hat.

Happy spring responds to her calling without hesitation.

How the flowers in the vase smile, she shines among the seas like flowers.

She is even more passionate than the creation of Archipel*….”

*Archipel was the name of Aegean sea at ancient age.

Izmir has been built by an Amazon queen, who has name Smyrna, that’s why the city was called the name of Smyrna during years. By the way, as you see Smyrna was not built by ancient Greek people, contrary to the general belief. History of the planet is telling us “Smyrna was an Amazon queen.”

The city has caused different inspirations for thousands of years. Who breaths in Izmir sees something different in every time. Sometimes it would be freedom, sometimes warmth. Sometimes joy, sometimes magic.

After the Independence War of Turkey, Izmir is accepted as the “fortress of secularism” of Turkey, for example Ankara the capital is accepted as “fortress of republic” by public.

Well, why “the fortress of secularism”?

Because nobody does not intervene the practice of the other religions in Izmir. Everyone is free whatever he/she believes in or not. You can eat or drink in Ramadan in public, and one of your side would not be interested with you, even if that person may be fasting. There is incredible tolerance to both side. Even I can bet on that there is very few place like Izmir where the tolarance is created with empathy from the heart, on this planet.

(I am trying to come to the real subject but I cannot do right now. Just be patient, my Earthling friends)

And these all become from the city’s people. Even you can come to Izmir from another city of Turkey, or another country. After a while you would feel like you’re from Izmir. If it needs a name for this, maybe we can say to this situation “being Izmirian”. Yes, it is cool, Izmirian:)

Of course some of them in country is not happy due to Izmir’s peaceful and unifying state. And they started to call Izmir, “unbeliever Izmir”. Already, you cannot make everyone happy in same time on this planet. But with the time, it did turn into a hostile attitude. But always, the people of Izmir tried to ignore their attidue.

But again with the time, these people have started to more bad words about Izmir. Izmir people, again and again try to ignore them.

(I didn’t come to the real subject but I’m trying)

The people of Izmir have always stood against terrorism. This is against the PKK, ISIS and similar jihadist terrorists, and against FETO. Could the people of the tolarance city already live together with terror? Is this something possible!

On every national holiday, close to a million people go out on the streets with Turkish flags and Ataturk flags in Izmir. On the windows of houses flags are hung. The children wear the most beautiful clothes, they would live the most beautiful days in Izmir.

And you can see happy and sincere faces always.

Sometimes these happy faces can be sad, if any terror event occurs in any city of Turkey. But they are always sincere. Beside, Izmir is a 3^rd biggest city of Turkey. And the people of the Izmir always share the pains of the other city people due to terrorism. And until today, it has been never any big terror event in Izmir. Of course we always heard the police operations in Izmir, and how the police forces are being succesful to capture the terrorists in Izmir, but today…

Today…

Today a news came at late afternoon.

“Deadly blast hits western Turkey city of Izmir.”

A car bombing has killed at least two people outside a courthouse in the Izmir. Two terrorists have been killed after their fighting against police. One of them escaped.

They blasted the car bomb in the courthouse car park. One traffic police officer blocked a big chaos event. According to news if the police officer would have not blocked the terorrist they would enter into the courthouse and who knows how many people would be dead! The hero police officer has been killed by terrorist gun fire, unfortunatelly…

That courthouse is very big, and many people have been there. Everybody can be on there. Even to think the tragedy is horrible, if the police officer was not be succesful to stop terrorist.

Do you know what is bad in real my Earthling friends?

After the event is more bad.

Because you start to think “is there any people who I know can be in or near side of courthouse? If there is, you try to contact with them and think about their safety.

And people are sad today in Izmir…

Of course some people are happy on the other cities.

Why I am saying this horrible thing?

Because, about one or two week ago, a woman asked on her social account:

“Why any blast didn’t occur in Izmir?”

and her followers replied her with these responds:

“Unbeliever doesn’t do anything the other unbeliever.”

“Dog doesn’t bite the other dog.”

Even, the head of the Izmir Bar Association said:

“A few days ago, there were sharings on social accounts like “why any bomb did not explode in Izmir?” We were in a criminal proclamation. We’ve been targeted. We are extremely sorry.”

I don’t know that woman is happy or not right now!

But some people are happy, do you think who they are?

Some f*cking PKK sympathisers or followers!

They shared some things like these with translation in English:

“Izmir knows that this is a beginning for the revenge of Sur and Cizre.”

These accounts are real like the others. But I will not share their names. They don’t deserve any place on my blog! Idiots!

But if anyone wants to learn I can send their accounts name, and they can see.

And this post has been really hard. I finally finished. But I cannot accept the event yet. I cannot make a connect any terror event and Izmir. I cannot think actually. I don’t know. Izmir is crying tonight. Already a strong rain has started today morning, as if the Amazon queen Symrna was knowing what will happen to her city in today. Izmir is crying…

One day I will write about you beautiful Smyrna, about the all your beauties…