There is a new law proposed by the Turkish Government which would not only result in killing the street dogs and cats, but also categorize any animal over a certain height and weight as “dangerous”.  Billy, Ellis and I joined our friends Banu and Rob, who have a Golden Retriever.  Imagine classifying a Golden Retriever as a “dangerous animal”!  What could she do, lick you to death?

Banu and Rob are afraid that under the new law, all it would take would be a neighbor who doesn’t like dogs to complain, and Goldie would be taken from them. Several people with the same fears joined the protest march with their dogs, carrying signs saying “Don’t touch my pet!”

But most of the signs referred to street animals:  ”If you take all the cats off the streets we’ll be overrun with mice”;  cute photos of street puppies looking up with big eyes, and a caption asking “What did we do to you?”  or “Is it a crime to be an animal?”; and “We are all cats”.

In an appeal to the religiousness of the current government, the following sign was prominent:

The sign says “Allah created us.  Is it for you to destroy us?”

There must have been a thousand people there.  Billy posted a video of it on Antalya Living. Protests are not unusual in Antalya.  People tend to speak up whenever they’re unhappy, not only with their own government, but also with events overseas.  When I first arrived in Antalya I found myself in the middle of a demonstration agains the U.S. resolution on the Armenian genocide, which Turks are taught was just part of a two-sided war.

Billy filming behind the statue of Attalos II (founder of Antalya) and the Clock Tower

By the time we got to this point, where people were speaking for cameras and film crews, Ellis was getting a bit restless, so Banu and Rob took us for ice cream at a cafe in Kaleici.  Well, Banu, Ellis and I had ice cream; Billy and Rob had beers.  The ice cream was good, especially on a hot day, but in typical Turkish restaurant fashion the “Walnut Cup” I ordered had peanuts instead of walnuts.

After Ellis had sat patiently while the grown-ups discussed the details of the proposed animal law and the planning of our Hallowe’en party we decided to reward him with a ride on a pirate ship, so we walked down to the marina.  No matter how many times I’ve seen the harbor, I never fail to be struck by its beauty.

Kaleici Marina, Antalya

Banu and Rob had a friend with a boat, and we were invited aboard.  But their friend hadn’t arrived, and although he said he’d be there “soon”, that could be a half hour in Turkish time. So we decided to hop on a boat that was leaving “right away”.  Two minutes, the guy said . “Turkish two minutes, or real two minutes?” Billy asked. ” Two minutes, two minutes.  Maximum five minutes.”  We boarded the boat, and about ten or fifteen minutes later we took off.

It wasn’t exactly a pirate ship, but it did have a couple of pirates on it.

Pirate on Kaleici boat

The boat that really looks like a pirate ship had already sailed.  You can see it behind Billy and Ellis in this photo:

Billy, Ellis, Pirate Ship

This wasn’t my favorite boat trip; the waves were a bit strong and I’m prone to seasickness.  Even so, I love the views you get on these boats.  It’s the best vantage point for a photo of downtown Antalya.

Kaleici’s city wall and Antalya’s Yivli Minaret

See?