Added: 4 years ago
From: AlJazeeraEnglish
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  • This is a pretty good little video actually; it's tells a lot more about Turkish reality than typical tourist films. I disagree though that Istanbul's transportation is terrible. It's a huge city of 15 million or more people, and it's got lots of traffic problems to be sure; but considering that there are lots of alternatives and you can get pretty much anywhere.

  • ``turkish spending of education is amongst the lowest in europe``. little research, big words and the result is a total failure. according to unicef 2004 datas, the UK spends %4.4 of gdp to the education, highest in europe, and turkey spends %3.1of its gdp to the education. that`s higher than many european countries. make some research first.

  • great monuments indeed... too bad that the whole surrounding is made of dull and meaningless relatively modern buildings (some of which already really ruined and not repaired).

    it's a shame because most of the city's feeling is completely lost...

  • I love history and Istanbul has loads of it. Can't wait to pay a visit to this ancient city. I'm preparing at the moment. Reading lots of books about Constantinopel, the byzantiums etc. :)

  • I am a German Woman,and i visit Istanbul more in Holiday.

    Istanbul is the nicest City i have visit.Really GREAT City(Y)(Y)(Y)

  • @BoraSed1907 heralde sen hic avrupaya ve turkiyede hic bir sehire gitmedin.neresi avrupalı ??? istanbulun bir kac semti dısında koskoca bir ulkeden bahsediyoruz ve tamamiyle ortadogulu.

  • WOW. I hate schools that only look at a test, not 4 years of achievement or failure. How can you put so much pressure on a person that their whole life depends on how they do on a single test? So retarded.

    Thank God, our system is actually fair and gives people a decent shot.

  • faceless anti-Turkish AlJazeera = part of NWO media

  • I was with the US military in 1957 to 1959...only a million ppl in the 'bul at that time but this is not the city I can recall :)

  • @granskare I'm sure it was much more beautiful during those years. 15 million is too much for this city...

  • i love turkeyyyy

    im algerian

  • Türkiyenin En Güzel Şehri Eskişehir~

  • @zorfunler  siktir lan ordan ISTANBUL

  • @zorfunler hayir, en güzel samsun tabiki

  • asia and europe are both artificial concepts and have very little basis in reality. Again, what do India, Saudi Arabia and Japan have in common again? Its not like when you cross Boğaziçi bridge, you end up in a different worlld. Its still Turkey.

  • @bursakedi

    Well, actually Europe makes sense. Pretty much all European languages are in one family, despite denominations, common religion, common culture and common economics. Europe is a pretty cohesive continent, it didn't use to be.

    Asia is very different. I've always believed in regionalization. Instead of looking at Asia as one, the Middle East, South Asia, East and Southeast Asia and Central Asia as regions.

  • @dunnowy123 asia, europe, east and west. those are very restrictive concepts to understand the golbal age we live. nothing is homogeneous right now.

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  • Amazing City!

  • You're all so pathetic! stop fighting,, god,!!! It's just a documentary, u don't have to unleash you're hell!

  • Ne Mutlu Türküm Diyene!

  • Ah İstanbul

  • pathetic. so you can't be islamic and modern at the same time?

  • @EKATONSARANTAPESOS

    Come to turkey. Don't listen to this sleazy fascist. I don't even know what cholera is.

  • @EKATONSARANTAPESOS There is no cholera problem mate but buying water to drink is more healthy as it is in other countries isn't it?Your money might be lost well that may happen anywhere on the world :)

  • you're a dumbass lying mothafucker! Go get a life, at least Turkey's economy isn't being let to fail by the EU and our economy even during the recession continues to grow faster than yours! And Turkey isn't full of fanatics, maybe you're thinking of Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan. Turkey is obviously a democratic, secularizing country. YOU're a DAMN FOOL, ya jerk!

  • @EKATONSARANTAPESOS Yeah I'm searching narcistic gayreek dumbasses like you... But not for killing. My little dog need a wife. I'll use you for it...

  • Türkiye laiktir laikkalacak.

  • Editor of penguen magazine is an idiot who underestimates his own citizen's religious belief. I live in Turkey and I hate this kind of people. They feel inferiority complex towards foreigners. I hope the prime minister forbids penguen's publication as soon as possible.

  • I live in Turkey too Penguen is the best magazine :) We have a prime minister that sold us out what you expect?

  • By the way, Turkish army interfered with Politics and declared marchall law for a week, but they went to barracks immediately and call for reelections, never a junta administration took over parlament for a significant time. And the last one was about the cold war, Parliament failed to elect a president, a battle started between communists and nationalists on the streets. Most Turks see army as savior for stopping violence quickly.

  • Even in Ottoman era, there were different millets with different religions, all had similar rights and everyone was free to practice whatever religion they wanted to. This is the closest thing to secularism for that era, Secularism is not new for turkey, and this country is secular republic for a hundred years now. AKP with major power did not even intended to change anything about secularism in constitution. Secularism is character of Turkey.

  • I see orientalist idiots are calling this is "modern" face of istanbul not, it is the face of istanbul, but you hate seing it, you keep saying yourself marginal conservative groups are significant, htey are not, there is no major political islamic party, AKP is central right, conservative but liberal party. The fact is, there is a social debate over headscarf but not on secularism itself. What you do is like presenting mormons as average american. sigh...

  • VIVA ALGERIA...VIVA Istanbul !!!.....

  • I think Turkey is not Asia

  • and some look asian ;)

  • The best looking men can be found in istanbul.

  • womens too ;)

  • no,

    arabs and turks are completly two different nations. there is no same origin or other relationship.

  • thanks.

    I know Kurds speak their own language, how many other languages spoken their?

    I hope it be possible for me to make visit to your country, is English also spoken their too?

  • Arabic and Assyrian in the south-east (next to Kurdish), Greek (Pontos/Rum) and Georgian (Laz) in the mountains of north-east. In the cities there are some minority of Jews and Armenians, some of whom speak their own language. Many Turks speak English and/or German as well. If you have a US passport you can get a visa at arrival for 10 Dollar.

  • thanks, this is better then what read online...thanks again.

  • turkey isnt arabic its more asian mongol roots no arab and we dont speak arabic but turkish altaic language

  • so but that doesnt make them more arabic

  • i dont fking care buy a lolly and celebrate it

  • ironic that you stopped caring after you got owned by me

  • we say from the west border of turkey there is no good people we can see when i start to live in uk i can say thats true propaganda and lies against our culture and religion is huge cose islam is the only truth their jelousy and lies will be end soon

  • @Daski69

    You dont know any fucking thing about Turkish History

  • İ love u Turkey :D

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  • i miss istanbul, is so beautiful there, and the people are so nice to everybody... i must cry...

  • nice !!! i love istanbul

  • I want to go!

  • Turks are kool! lol

  • every inch of istanbul hold a glorious past and brighter tesekur ederim

  • ♥♥♥ISTANBUL♥♥♥

  • Istanbul........

  • I thought turkey was amazing .... really liked it !

  • I love Istanbul... very beuautiful city!!

  • oh  Great....

  • THE MOST BEAUTiFUL CiTY iN THE WHOLE WORD !

  • I'm from romania and I love Istanbul!great city!

  • Tuuuurrrrkeeeeeeyyyy i commmeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee­eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Bodrummmmm

  • my istanbul :)))

  • watch?v=CXD9IVqquN0

  • fantastic video to see istanbul :P

  • ahhh Istanbul...

  • Turkey is Democratic and Laic(Laik) country.

    Turkey is not iran

  • Iran is a democracy you fool.

  • You are kid. :D

    Iran is islamic country not democratic

  • Please explain to me how a government cannot be both Islamic and democratic at the same time? What is there undemocratic about Iran that makes Turkey so democratic, if you compare the two countries?

  • an easy example: as a woman try to go to Iran without scarf...

  • That doesn't mean it isn't a democratic country. There are restrictions in every country in the world.

    If I wanted to go walk on the streets of Istanbul without any clothes on I would get arrested - same as if I wanted to wear a niqab, or even a simple thing such as wearing a scarf in a university or other public building. Was it also not true that Kurds were banned from speaking their own language in Turkey before? There is restrictions in every democratic country, not just Iran.

  • 1. if you are talking about only political stuff when you are saying "democracy", Democracy between Turkey and Iran are different. Turkey is a republic, Iran is an Islamic republic so there is always a power controlling democracy in case it's against Kur'an. You can't say both is the same.

    2. You'll get arrested everywhere if you have a fantasy to walk nude (:

  • 3. You should come here and go to a public building. You can see a lot of women wearing scarf. they also work in public buildings too.

    4. I don't want to speak about Kurd subject because it's a huge issue and there are lots of things to say about it... but hey my best friend is a Kurd and he thinks these stuff are madness because there wasn't any problem before europeans or americans said there is a problem. before that they were allowed to do anything.

  • When other countries involved in this, it became a political issue and Turkey banned some stuff but not talking come on (: how can you bane talking (: don't believe in every news my friend.

  • R u kiddig? In Turkey every woman has the right to wear what they want.Here is a democratic-laic and secular republic mate! Wake up!

  • @tigloon Women don't have right to wear hijab in turkey. So called muslim majority country bans hijab = FAIL

  • it brought together many cultures including the kurds which nowadays in turkey are discriminated against.instead of stamping out other religions the ottomans invited different peoples from europe and asia to settle in their nation and thus protecting them from persicution.they where also very good traders and didnt impose unnecessary tax on the poor

    thanks to shariah charity was given and jizyah imposed to look after the welfare of the country.all in all it wasnt "backward" as u seem 2 think.

  • ah istanbul ahhhh

  • and this whole thing of "oh u would much rather have us apeing the arabs" is just laughable

    im not even from arabia so there's no reason why i should advocate their culture. the arabs dont need you nor does islam

    but for God's sake do it for yourselves, why adopt a foriegn culture that isnt even yours? why ask europe to except you when you have your own nation thats by fare the larges and also the most beautiful in europe?

    this is not about islam but rather a nations dignity

  • cok guzel olmus, istanbul dunyanin en guzel sehirlerden biridir

    Ne mutlu turkum diyene

  • en güzel sehirlerinden biri degil bence dünyanin en güzel sehri.

  • be like china stand on your own two feet and stop aping the west. maybe then the EU will have greater recpect towards you.

  • taskisyah, stfu you idiot. first of all look at your country first. what did the arabs do in the past 100-200 years? lol "apping the west" You guys are the real ass lickers of US and Israel. WE, turks dont give a s**t about the EU and NATO

  • oh really? pronoob, is that why ur still asking to be adopted by europe and they still keep rejecting you as mere foriegners? how stupid are you? they dont even acknowledge you and you're sucking for them.

    God thats just sad, atleast in the past you had a sense of dignity and cultural independance, now there's vertully no telling of whether you're eastern europeans or some international cocktail.

  • @taskiyah...well they should allow girls to wear hijab at public/government places (not just universities). We're not european or asian, WE're TURKS and we have our own culture and identity, get it through your thick head Who said that we're begging for the EU, we are just playing our own game just watch and see.

  • taskiyah, where are you from? egypt? iran? saudi arabia? why do you even come here and start criticising us, turks?how'bout you just look at your own people and country first, we're the most powerful country in the middle east and balkans. We dont need other foreigners to judge us. DO YOU GET IT??

  • Dont* you get it?

  • no actully i dont "get it" specially when a fool like yourself speaks.

    every nation on earth has its share of problems, even mine, but thank God we atleast dont hate our history or our people who have contributed so much to our heritage. thats the difference between you and me. of course trukey is not all populated with narrow minded people like you but unfortunatly it has quite alot of it.

    ps: your EU game is laughed at in most places on earth, face reality.

  • You dont even know anything about my beautiful country. people like you, are not welcome here. go away and never come back. stupid loser

  • nobhead i can safely say i know more about your country then you ever will you little imbecile.

  • super wonderful city

  • arabanseslim com beklerım hepınızı arkadaslar

  • this is great reporting

  • we dont need your ideas

  • i speak for myself i suggest you do the same by not saying "we", it sounds a bit arrogant.

  • Because before Atatürk everything was so wonderful and equal right? Everyone lived in peace and our moral and social values were fair. Idiot.

  • and they do now? lol atleast before ataturk turkey had a sense of identity rather than patheticlly aping the west and in the procces butchering their own culture and heritage.

    make no mistake ur the real idiot

  • WE do now, by we I mean us Turks. Aping the west? As opposed to not aping the arabs?? We're not arabs, we're from central asia and we ca choose to adopt any identity we feel deserves us. Our cultue and heritage is MUCH more than backward islam.

  • its ironic how people never learn from history, is turkey anything now? ppl like you're are so desperate to seem like the west and still a century onwards they havent excepted you.they're dont even like the idea of turkey joining the EU

    atleast in the past turkey had its own culture distinct from the arabs and its own flurishing economy and independancy

    what does it have now? look in the mirror and see the backward image staring back.islam has nothing to di with it but rather ur stupidity

  • What do you mean is Turkey anything now? Are you trying to imply that we're nothing? You islamist backward scum are all the same, we're either have to adopt sharia law or we're all dicksuckers of the west - nothing in between. And who said anything about the EU We don't want or need the EU. Just like we don't want or need foreign backward people judging us and our culture like it was something dirty...just because we're not as backward as the rest of the muslim world.

    Turkey; secular FORVER!

  • im implying that turkey has a huge cultural dilema and not just that but also a sense of imbarresment of their own history and heritage. if that wasnt the case why on earth should women who wear hijabs be banned from universities? is that what ur "great western secularism" is all about? depriving ennocent women of knowledge?

    its quite amusing to see you insult your own angcestors, i guess that only prooves my earlier point of self loathing and identity crisis.

    get a life bloody imbecile

  • We don't have a huge cultural dilemma, most people agree with secular values; even the outspoken ruling islamist party wouldn't want to change the secular nature of the republic.

    I didn't insult my ancestors since my ancestors weren't arab.

    The state of secularism today is the product of military coups, not because of the adopted western values of 90 years ago - but you wouldn't know that. You're ignorant.

    I'm not embarrassed at all, I just don't want history to become reality.

  • Our history is what made us who we are, but you don't see the Persians going back to zarathustraism...how come? Are they embarrassed??? Of course not. Neither are we - in fact; we're quite proud of our Ottoman past. But Turkey is not the Ottoman Empire, it's a secular republic and that's the way it's going to stay. Say whatever you want about minority complex; we know who and what we are...and we're definately not like you or the west. W're the bridge between the two.

  • oh realy? you're "proud" of your ottoman past?, is that why you called it "backward"? is that why you insulted your angestors of being "barberic"?

    some way to be "proud".

    unlike you the iranians dont insult their zoroastrian history, they admire the great civalization they had, they might disagree with their views but i have never seen them be so laothing to their own history as you are to yours.

    do you feel that ur heritage wasnt good enough? is that why you sink into a mantra of hate?

  • Sharia law is backward, there's no way around it. That doesn't mean that by 15th century standards the Ottoman capital wasn't the most metropolitan and polyethnic place in the world. Compared to the christians of the day, our Ottomans were progressive as hell. But this isn't the enlightenment. Being proud and copying medieval morality isn't the same thing. You seem to be abundantly confused about just that. Most Turks are even more proud of this functioning democracy that rose from the dust.

  • akallabror atleast in those "backward days" they whernt slaves of the EU. those "backward" islamists you're soo keen on bashing where the makers of your culture which has shaped modern turkey. those "backward" people thanks to sharia law had the cleanest towns and cities in europe not to mention the most ethniclly diverse and racially tolerant in the entire continent of europe.

    but obviously you wouldnt like to admit that would you? didnt think so either.

  • Again, that was half a MILLENIUM ago. To reinstate that again wouldn't mean progress. By today's standards, EVERY society on earth was backward 500 years ago. That's the point you don't seem to get. All you do is being nostalgic about the glory days of islamic imperialism without showing the least bit concern for what that way of life would mean today.

  • no it wasnt perfect no nation on earth was or never will be,even the ottoman empire. but seriously man look into your history. the days of the ottoman empire was not only more powerful but it was also fair to people from all races.unlike the turkey of today women whernt banned from education on the basis on what was on their heads.according to wikipedia:

    the ottoman empire excercised a high degree of tolerance towards greeks, jews and other ethnic minorities,however nationalism destroyed that

  • I hope for the sake of turkey that there are no more plots to assassinate the president or to destabilise turkey. الله الحافظ

  • Women in turkey apparently don't, however, have 'full equality' to go to university if they wear the headscarf. I hope turkey gets the criminal network which has been holding it back tried and put to justice once and for all so it can become what it really can be on the world age and become the start of a REAL new middle east.

    I hope one day to visit the lovely city, one of my dreams I suppose

  • if the all Turkish women wears hijab, will we have gone back to our roots? Hijab is not a Turkish root. Anatolian Turks islamic way has been always tasavvuf. We follow the way of Mevlana, Yunus Emre which sees everything reflection of Allah and we must love everything. Hijab came to Turkey during Refah Party of Erbakan.Its seen in Jordon, Egypt etc.

  • brother in the past people in each country would follow the teachers there because information was hard to get. Today we can bring ourselves together, not split off into separate sects - the Quraan says we shouldn't do that - literally using that terminology.

    May God be pleased with all those who worked for his religion, in every corner of the world. But they worked then, and we work today.

    'No Arab is superior over a non-arab - AND no non-arab is superior over an arab!' .. no racism in islam

  • Suudis have sheria rules but there is no rights of women.they cant even drive car. They are a second class of human.which one should Women prefer? Will they be all free if they cover their head? What happens if men sees their hair? will they be harrased or raped? why dont men cover their hair then?

  • The quran says woman should cover themselves and the sunnah tells us exactly how, just like every islamic matter. Islam also says not to force anyone to follow it لا إكراه في الدين is Quran, but when some people in turkey prevent sisters from learning because they choose to wear hijab then there is a major problem! When an argument is weak, that is when we see force, and this is what I see happening.

  • your wrong the quran only says to wear hijab and modest dressing. the hadith and sunnah than go on to say how it should be worn

  • I thought that's what I said

  • no you are wrong... i read 3 times.... you should read it again!

  • Egypt under the ottomans , like Mohammad Ali Pasha, went to war with saudi extremists when they tried to take makkah and madinah. The only way the saudis came to power was when the british helped them to topple the ottomans in the hijaz, nobody hides this - people just don't know.

    Brother these are bad people and the population hates them just like every arab countries. If saudi truly ruled by islamic law why are islamists in prison there today? Brother, wake up, these are criminals against gaza

  • tell me about it brother...

  • i love turkey its such a diverse country and it has lots of beauty and history to boot as well.

    the only disagreeable thing i've notice is how they shy away from their identity as muslims. i find it quit pathetic that they scramble to become so western that they look down upon thier own heritage and culture. the majority of people in turkey are of muslims decent yet they prevent women from wearing their hijabs, its only in turkey i've ever seen something like that happen. strange.

  • turkey has a very complex history, and how a country looks or some people behave says nothing about society as a whole. from what i understand turkey has a legacy of 'secular extremism' in its military and a lot of young people aren't religious, but half the country is still as intensely religious as ever and 98% call themselves muslim - so i don't think they're 'shying away' as much as the circumstances have created a country where some people are intensely 'non-religious'.

  • so they are "intensely non religious" and yet "98%" of them chose to call them selves muslims?, dosnt make sense. however i do agree with you that the actions of a few does not reflect the behaviour of all.but lets analize it, have the majority of turks not voted for a government that EXPELLED Merve Kavaçki from parliment and was REFUSED to take her seat in government for apparently "breaking the rules of secularism", now what does that say about its government? intolerant, opressive tyranical?

  • a few of them (often rich powerful and influential) are intensely non-religious, by no means a majority.

    The military has for a long time and repeatedly interfered in turkish politics, also curious is the ergenekon.

    But things seem to be improving; the govt in office now & the one before that are surely improving the place.

    This 'breaking the rules of secularism' thing is propagated to every turk but only actually enforced by this minority.

    I wouldn't go so far as calling the govt tyrannical!

  • when they take the God given right to cover from a women and force her to be uneducated because of that i certainly would not hesitate to call it terranical.

  • There is nothing called muslim descent. You can't pass on Islamvia your sperm idiot. We're who we are and we don't need foreigners telling us how to act, what to drink or what to believe. Fuck off and take your sharia with you.

  • I love turkey!!

  • vafankulo embesil, SIKTIRI GIT

  • yes he caught this terrible illness from your father...you know the guy who sold his ass for 5 bucks!!

  • Your mum knows that story oligaemia. Ask your mum she will clarify you

  • historian and all people?? straight to the point arnt you. what diffrance does it make to what cause he died from. and secondly the aerth didnt except him sounds a bit funny. and ottoman empire's years of decline cover about 300 earth years. and how is death of ata turk and declain are related.

  • oligaemia get the fuck outta here man :)) crackin me up how do you come up with that punk-ass urban make up???

  • We needn't EU... FUCK EU !

  • We needn't EU... FUCK EU !

  • Turkey in the EU NOW!!!

  • my istanbul is beautiful.2010 European Capital of Culture

  • I'm convinced Al Jazeera is the best channel on youtube.gret job.

  • I just darn wish she'd have asked the caricaturist what 'scarves as a political symbol' meant. They use the term like parrots.

    I wear one, and I don't fucking care about politics.

  • What he's referring to is the Prime Minister's and President's wives, who both wear headscarves. Sure, its their personal choice, but the fact that they're major political figures who'll be seen wearing headscarves by people all around the world gives people the wrong impression of Turkey, because most Turks don't even wear headscarves. That's what he means by "political symbol".

  • And Turks are also against it because it contradicts with secularism.

  • i like turkey ...

  • warship?

  • Huh? why is that freakish? he saved Turkish ppl in Anatolia and did so many more its hard to understand. He deserve to be remembered

  • yes turkey non-muslim country-it's secular-.what i find strange,the radical islamist people who mostly live in a democratic country like UK.''Farazilu1''one of them.if you support religion this much,why dont you go and live in an islamic country then?turkey is a free country and celebrating ramadan is about individuals.None of others and your business.

  • Yeah and we're pretty happy about that. Thank you for calling us kafirs.

  • It's a great show, I love Istanbul...

    The turkish guide is the coolest character i've ever seen in a documentary.