The demise of Turkey's pork butchers

News Type: Event — Seeded on Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:35 AM EDT

Article Source: BBC News

world-news, turkey, pork, islamist, akp, domuz-eti

The demise of Turkey's pork butchers
The role of Islam in Turkish society is a subject of continual debate. Secularists are protesting against what they see as the government's increasingly Islamic agenda, and as Sarah Rainsford found out, the latest battleground could be across the butcher's counter.

Lazari Kozmaoglu butcher's shop
Current legislation is threatening Turkey's pork butchers
"We're going filming at a pork butcher's and a pig farm," I told my Turkish cameraman in a text message. Slightly anxious, I added: "Is that OK with you?"

A moment later a message from Gokhan flashed back.

"Yes," he wrote. "I like a good pork steak!"

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Dennis P. McCann's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: Bar Room Debates, Ethnoscapes, expatriates, Foodies!, Islam Anti-Defamation League, TurkiyeAsma, Worldviews
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{"commentId":1739282,"authorDomain":"paperdragon"}

Dennis P. McCann

"It's all about Islam," Sami said, as the shop-assistant wrapped his sausages in greaseproof paper.

"Most people are more religious these days. They don't want to eat pork, and they don't let others produce it either."

In a typical "Istanbul" twist, the customer himself was Jewish. Behind him I spotted my Muslim colleagues - munching contentedly on ham sandwiches.

Oh, Man. I miss ham sandwiches.

{"commentId":1739282,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"paperdragon"}

1 vote

#1 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:38 AM EDT

{"commentId":1739598,"authorDomain":"pobox522rlyeh"}

Smiling Jack

This really makes me curious. Is the same thing going in other countries in the Middle East? Is this some sort of fallout of what's going on in Iraq?

{"commentId":1739598,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"pobox522rlyeh"}

1 vote

#1.1 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 1:46 PM EDT

{"commentId":1739817,"authorDomain":"paperdragon"}

Dennis P. McCann

Well, no, not really. Most of them aren't secular, so it's not an issue. Nobody eats pork. But here in Turkey the government is secular, so there are no laws based on religion... so far, anyway.

{"commentId":1739817,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"paperdragon"}

2 votes

#1.2 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:07 PM EDT

{"commentId":1740710,"authorDomain":"eric-albert"}

Eric Albert

Maybe there is ome connection to Hillary's Pork, in Frank's article and yours???

Just kidding,....poor German American humor, dry as usual.

{"commentId":1740710,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"eric-albert"}

1 vote

#1.3 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 9:29 PM EDT

{"commentId":1741401,"authorDomain":"oldschoolamerican"}

old school americanDeleted

{"commentId":1739339,"authorDomain":"Wheel"}

Wheel

Most people are more religious these days. They don't want to eat pork, and they don't let others produce it either."

One of the most despicable things about superstitious people is their desire to impose their superstitions on everyone else.

{"commentId":1739339,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"Wheel"}

6 votes

#2 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:57 AM EDT

{"commentId":1739462,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}

urbane gorilla

Aaaah, swine meat! We Jews and Muslims ought to wonder about the cosmic joke the Almighty is playing when we are allowed all the lima bean we can eat, but no bacon. Oh, the discipline!

I don't eat bacon, but I do render chicken skin into grivenes or cracklings. When I did the same with duck skins, my brilliantly funny mother of blessed memory called the result "quacklings." {rimshot}

ps - Any notion that dietary law applies to anyone but the religionist himself is wrongheaded. It's Sunday morning, sizzle'm if you got'm! and - on that note. . . this from another viner.

{"commentId":1739462,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"melonhead"}

3 votes

#3 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 12:56 PM EDT

{"commentId":1739480,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}

urbane gorilla

rats, got the link wrong.

{"commentId":1739480,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"melonhead"}

2 votes

#3.1 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 1:02 PM EDT

{"commentId":1739489,"authorDomain":"paperdragon"}

Dennis P. McCann

Any notion that dietary law applies to anyone but the religionist himself is wrongheaded. It's Sunday morning, sizzle'm if you got'm!

And that's just the problem with the AKP party. These guys are Islamists who are trying to legislate their beliefs into law. They've recently lifted the headscarf ban for universities, much to the dismay of the secular establishment. But that's not as bad as some of the things they've tried to do, such as making adultery a crime and banning alcohol, both of which failed.

{"commentId":1739489,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"paperdragon"}

2 votes

#3.2 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 1:04 PM EDT

{"commentId":1739495,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}

urbane gorilla

This should work. It's about "bacon salt" a kosher (!) product that GIs can put on their rations in un-porky Iraq.

There's always Bacos, although I think they taste like freeze dried bicycle tires.

{"commentId":1739495,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"melonhead"}

4 votes

#3.3 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 1:07 PM EDT

{"commentId":1739504,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}

urbane gorilla

The difference between the pork ban and the headscarf ban, is one imposes religion, the other imposes non-exercise, at least from my perspective. Dennis, what do you (with your feet on the ground there ;) think of the headscarf ban? Is it seen as preventing a "slippery slope" toward theocracy?

{"commentId":1739504,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"melonhead"}

1 vote

#3.4 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 1:10 PM EDT

{"commentId":1739550,"authorDomain":"paperdragon"}

Dennis P. McCann

Yeah, it was. The universities are state-funded. They're public schools, and that's why headscarves were banned there. Outside of public institutions it's no problem. Wear whatever you want.

AKP has lifted it, though, so soon there will be religious apparel in state schools.

{"commentId":1739550,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"paperdragon"}

3 votes

#3.5 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 1:28 PM EDT

{"commentId":1739551,"authorDomain":"MCLiepshutz"}

MCLiepshutz

Duckfat TOTALLY rocks.. it is the ne plus ultra, cadillac, gold standard total shiznat of schmaltz.

{"commentId":1739551,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"MCLiepshutz"}

3 votes

#3.6 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 1:29 PM EDT

{"commentId":1739613,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}

urbane gorilla

MCL: Yeah, man! And one roast duck gives a year's worth of schmaltz. It perks up a bison brisket to add a smidgen of duck fat.

Dennis, thanks for the explanation.

{"commentId":1739613,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"melonhead"}

2 votes

#3.7 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 1:50 PM EDT

{"commentId":1740725,"authorDomain":"kimmy123"}

kiml

I'll eat anything meat.
Duck and goose skin is great.
Pork rinds, incredible.
If you don't eat it, so what.
I am tired of beef. I find pork and chicken better.
Just don't tell me what to eat and I wont tell you what to eat.

{"commentId":1740725,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"kimmy123"}

#3.8 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 9:35 PM EDT

{"commentId":1741032,"authorDomain":"melonhead"}

urbane gorilla

kiml, what makes you so pugnacious? All that flesh consumption?

{"commentId":1741032,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"melonhead"}

#3.9 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:44 PM EDT

{"commentId":1739662,"authorDomain":"oldschoolamerican"}

old school americanDeleted

{"commentId":1740169,"authorDomain":"ytmnd"}

ytmnd

Assuming you eat ham, I imagine this would suck for you. Having to go out of your way just to find a staple food just wouldn't work for me.

{"commentId":1740169,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"ytmnd"}

3 votes

#5 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 5:53 PM EDT

{"commentId":1740280,"authorDomain":"paperdragon"}

Dennis P. McCann

There's very little pork in Turkey, mostly because there's very little demand for pork in Turkey. (Most) Muslims don't eat it. You can find it at a few of the better restaurants and hotels in Istanbul, and a couple of hotels here in Ankara, because they cater to tourists, but that's about all.

I haven't had a ham sandwich for in four years.

{"commentId":1740280,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"paperdragon"}

1 vote

#5.1 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:40 PM EDT

{"commentId":1740375,"authorDomain":"Wheel"}

Wheel

Poor Dennis! I had ham and eggs for breakfast, with strawberry preserves, toast, applesauce and coffee. Smithfield ham, (Smithfield is only 100 miles away) I'll think about you tomorrow when I'm cooking breakfast. :)

{"commentId":1740375,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"Wheel"}

2 votes

#5.2 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:11 PM EDT

{"commentId":1740408,"authorDomain":"paperdragon"}

Dennis P. McCann

Uh, yeah. Thanks.

(shuffles away, muttering under his breath...)

{"commentId":1740408,"threadId":"256289","contentId":"1455763","authorDomain":"paperdragon"}

4 votes

#5.3 - Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:22 PM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"256289","isPrivate":false}

DENNIS P. MCCANN

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The demise of Turkey's pork butchers

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