The Sidney herald., 1956-08-09
Bill Lassey
Writes From
Bafra, Turkey
Bafra, Turkey
July %, 1856
Hello from Turkey,

Hello from Turkey,
My bucking bronco experience
came in handy this past week at
my third farm. My young host
has a brand new Iowa motor
cycle and it takes some real
leather pulling to stay on over
the trails they use for roads in
this are of Turkey. The motor
cycle is built with two seats so
that l could ride behind him and
believe me we really had some
exciting rides. He really seemed
to enjoy this new machine and
I'm afraid gets a little bit reck-
less at times. Everyone drives
fast even tho the roads are x
tremely rough. I think it is be-
cause speed is new to them and
they don't realize that machines
will run longer and tires will
not wear as quickly if a little
care is used.
Most of the motor vehicles we
see over here are American made
WHY'S JeepS, motorcycles and
trucks, because they are the best
for the type of roads here. Only
the very wealthy or government
officials can afford to drive cars.
Gasoline is very expensive and
all cars have to be imported
which makes them very expen-
My host, Hassan Kurt, is own
er and operator of a 375 acre
raising wheat, sunflower,
corn and cattle. He also has a
large vegetable garden with wat
-rmelonS, cucumbers, tomatoes,
potatoes, squash, string beans
and other vegetables. This is
quite a large and very modern
Turkish farm. l think it typifies
somewhat the undermining spirit
If present day Turkey. Many
farmers are trying very hard to
Use good methods and to acquire
machines to do the work but in
order to buy the tractors and
combines you must be quite well
,ff because, like cars, most of
hem must be imported and the
cost is high.
For this reason most of the
'armers cannot use machines and
must do the work by hand. They
will continue to do SO until Tur-
1ey is able to industrialize more
md can build machines for her
elf. She has the raw materials
md plenty of manpower for fac
cries but needs money and
rained technicians to get start
ID. If the pace of the past few
ears continues, she will make
much progress in this direction
n the next few years.
My hosts father is quite a
wealthy Bafra merchant and is
allied Hadje because he has
made a journey to Mecca, the
firth place of Mohammed who
5 the prophet and founder of
he religion of Islam. 9770 of the
turks belong to the Islam faith
nd are called Moslems. Every
illage has a mosque, the equiv
lent of our Christian churches,
nd the larger towns have sever
|. Bafra has a new one just fin
she'd last year. 1t is really a
eautiful building with magnifi-
ent designs and many colors on
ne inside. The Turks are very
roud tos how you their mosques
nd seem very anxious to tell
about them. Every Moslem
rho a possibly afford it is sup
osed to visit Mecca sometime
his lifetime. However.
ew have enough money to go
D that someone who has gone
quite highly respected and has
he special name, Hadji.
Everyone is supposed to 60 to ]
Mosque once a day and is (
opposed to pray five times daily.
Towever, few people do this be-
ause it is very inconvenient for
people and they seem to
eel that it isn't really necessary. /;
eligion means nothing to many {,
{ these people even tho they s
aim to be Moslems. AS in 4
merica with our Christianity,