DEAR MINISTER, I APOLOGIZE
(Publication
Date: February 26, 2007)
I am very sorry.
But how could I have known
that the situation was like this?
Anyway, it is not too late for me to
face the facts, and I think it is not too late to apologize.
I’ll say it again:
Dear Minister, I am very
sorry.
***
On January 8, 2007,
an article of mine titled “2007
Tourism Trends” was published in this column.
In that article, I included a news report.
The report in question said that, as a result of research conducted by some organizations around the world, the tourism trends for 2007 had been identified, and that among them, exotic countries were emerging as popular destinations for holidaymakers.
The same report also
mentioned that 10 key tourism trends for 2007 had been identified.
And in my article that day, I
wrote about those trends.
That is why I am
apologizing.
*
Last week, I went to
Arasta to take care of something.
As I was shopping,
a group of tourists passed in front of the shop I was in.
The shopkeeper, an old friend of
mine, said something like this: “There they go, being shown around again.”
His words caught my attention, and
we started discussing the details.
“Who’s being shown around?” I
asked.
When I got the answer, “The
tourists,” I asked, “Why are they being shown around?” My friend, who has been a shopkeeper for years, then let loose: “Look, Cem... These tourists come from the Greek Cypriot side. They always have Greek Cypriot guides with them. The tourists do whatever these guides tell them to. When tourists manage to get away from these guides and find a gap, they come to my shop to shop, and tell me they’re afraid. Apparently, the guides are constantly frightening the tourists who come to our country. And if the scaring weren’t enough, according to the tourists, these guides are constantly misrepresenting our country and us. They just run wild around here however they please.”
Shocked by these words,
I ask a ridiculous question: “Aren’t there any Turkish guides?”
My shopkeeper friend laughs...
*
After this conversation, I
talked through the details with a relative of mine who had worked in this field.
What really bothered me was
that these guides coming to our country from the Greek Cypriot side were running wild as they pleased.
In other words, how were the guides
accompanying these tourists getting through the crossing points, and how was this being allowed?
When I discussed this with my
relative, they said:
“People from our side are also
assigned to accompany these groups coming from the Greek Cypriot side.
These people, known as silent guides, stay with the Greek Cypriot guide and the tourists coming from the Greek Cypriot side. As the name suggests, silent guides don’t say a word. But it is mandatory for these people to be with groups coming from the Greek Cypriot side! The sad part is that in our country, we don’t have enough guides with the ability to show around tourists who might come from that side.”
*
Yes, that’s the situation...
On one side, there’s what the
shopkeeper says; on the other, what people involved in the matter say!
Given all this, what do
I do?
I go and write an article called “Tourism Trends in 2007.”
I admit it:
I was talking nonsense.
When we still can’t show the
tourists who come to our country around freely and in line with our own interests, are we really going to concern ourselves with the tourism trends the world is trying to keep up with?
If I wasted your valuable time with
that ridiculous article published on January 8, 2007, I apologize to you all…
And, of course, I apologize first
to the honorable minister.
At least I’m
aware of my mistake.
See you on Wednesday… Be courteous
in traffic!
All texts and other content on this page are original and belong to Cem KAR. They may not be used, even in part, in any way, in print or in any other electronic medium (CD, Internet, etc.) without permission.