I was verbally attacked by a very angry Turk as I sat having a meal in his cafe on Thursday – he sat down with me and asked ‘Why the f*** are you here?’ I was shocked as I have known this man for several years , he has been a barman in a hotel for nine years but evidently resents the fact that the prices have been pushed up in Dalyan -he said "when the F***g English, f***** Dutch and f***** (you get the gist) leave I will be happy!"
I explained that it is the greed of some Turks that have pushed the prices up (I personally have been ripped off by two Turks to the tune of £55k, one my builder and another a ‘business’ venture). This man was resentful that he couldn’t buy a house with a pool in Dalyan (on a barmnan’s wages, could anyone??) and said that we foreigners are all low-life who can afford to buy houses with pools with wonderful sunshine – hold on a minute I said, we have all worked hard for our money and maybe he should look at a cheaper area in which to buy to buy. Why should he, he recountered, he likes Dalyan (he is not a local, by the way), but a barman is not able to buy a house with a pool in many areas, I would have thought!
Also, I tried to explain that many Turkes have in fact ripped off yabanci, and now there have been many burglaries etc.The man explained that he wasn’t having a go at me personally but I said yes he was, and he had been very rude, and left the cafe. I was so upset by this verbal attack, which actually ended with this man coming into my husband’s shop and smashing it up!!!! He also threatened to kill me and set my house on fire – all this from a pleasant meal and cold beer in his cafe whilst my husband was in Ortaca! I didn’t call the jandarma as I was too frightened and later the man came into the shop and threw 50 lira at me to pay for the damage!!!
So this resentment is there, bubbling along, under the surface of the smiles and the hos-geldins, and by a person I had considered a friend for five years! The blantant hatred and resentment has been hidden by this man for many years – is this the beginning of something ? I hope not, as I love my life here and have tried to settle down into the Tukish lifestyle. I am not an ex-pat who sits around drinking in bars all the time and although I go to the odd quiz or two I do nothing to suggest I have money (which I don’t).
Has anyone else had experience of this resentment?
I explained that it is the greed of some Turks that have pushed the prices up (I personally have been ripped off by two Turks to the tune of £55k, one my builder and another a ‘business’ venture). This man was resentful that he couldn’t buy a house with a pool in Dalyan (on a barmnan’s wages, could anyone??) and said that we foreigners are all low-life who can afford to buy houses with pools with wonderful sunshine – hold on a minute I said, we have all worked hard for our money and maybe he should look at a cheaper area in which to buy to buy. Why should he, he recountered, he likes Dalyan (he is not a local, by the way), but a barman is not able to buy a house with a pool in many areas, I would have thought!
Also, I tried to explain that many Turkes have in fact ripped off yabanci, and now there have been many burglaries etc.The man explained that he wasn’t having a go at me personally but I said yes he was, and he had been very rude, and left the cafe. I was so upset by this verbal attack, which actually ended with this man coming into my husband’s shop and smashing it up!!!! He also threatened to kill me and set my house on fire – all this from a pleasant meal and cold beer in his cafe whilst my husband was in Ortaca! I didn’t call the jandarma as I was too frightened and later the man came into the shop and threw 50 lira at me to pay for the damage!!!
So this resentment is there, bubbling along, under the surface of the smiles and the hos-geldins, and by a person I had considered a friend for five years! The blantant hatred and resentment has been hidden by this man for many years – is this the beginning of something ? I hope not, as I love my life here and have tried to settle down into the Tukish lifestyle. I am not an ex-pat who sits around drinking in bars all the time and although I go to the odd quiz or two I do nothing to suggest I have money (which I don’t).
Has anyone else had experience of this resentment?