I wasn't able to unravel the mystery of Ankara. It sprawls for miles and seems to be expanding rapidly, but the economic engine is unclear. Few tourists come here; visitors are mainly Turks and an assortment of foreign diplomats.
We visited Ataturk's mausoleum, imposing and stark. Ataturk helped lead the fight for Turkish independence and was its first president. Today he and his legacy are treated with respect and reverence; it is illegal to slander him. The mausoleum seems calculated to inspire awe for his persona and respect for the Turkish military. Though the "Turkish man" and "Turkish woman" are represented, main themes concentrate on freedom from colonizers, the importance of the Turkish state, and total sacrifice for the cause of independence.
As we departed, we drove through strange landscapes of high hills and of low valleys filled with opium poppies. The ban on opium production had devastated the region economically, and it was apparent that small- to moderate-scale production is overlooked today.
