I’ll admit it — I’ve been living in a bit of a bubble here in Turkey. No news broadcasts, no doom scrolling, just daily life and wonderfully warm people. In that bubble, I may have even romanticised the calmness and kindness that seems to flow so naturally through Turkish society.
Yesterday, curiosity got the better of me when I came across an English-language Turkish newspaper. I thought, Well, this should be interesting… a little broader insight into the country I’m wandering through.
What I read surprised me — not in a frightening way, but enough to remind me that every country has its complexities beneath the surface.
What actually reassured me most was learning that the situation had already been handled by the government before anyone was hurt.
So no, my Turkish bubble hasn’t burst. Not even close. I still truly believe that 99% of people are kind-hearted, welcoming, and simply getting on with life. Like anywhere in the world, there are a small handful of radicals — but they are the exception, not the story.