The Snow Reminded Me Of The Beauty

I Sometimes Joke That I Am The First Writer Of Historical Fiction Who Can Look Out His Window And Point To The Objects In His Novels. I Have A View Of The Entrance To The Bosporus, The Old City, Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque.

Well, On The One Hand The Turks Have The Legitimate Need To Defend Their National Dignity - And This Includes Being Recognized As A Part Of The West And Europe.

The Drinking Of Coffee Is An Absolute Sin! Our Glorious Prophet Did Not Partake Of Coffee Because He Knew It Dulled The Intellect, Caused Ulcers, Hernia And Sterility; He Understood That Coffee Was Nothing But The Devil's Ruse.

Love Is A Sacred Silence.

Of Course In Turkey I'm Seen As Being On The 'western' Side, Criticised By The Nationalists, Criticised By The Communitarians As Not Belonging. Even, Sometimes, Criticised For Looking At My Country Through Western Eyes. And In The Western Media I'm Portrayed As Belonging To The East.