Kalkan Turkey Forum - EnjoyKalkan.com
Kalkan Discussion => Politics & Debate => Topic started by: Cosetta on May 15, 2008, 09:04:36 AM
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An interesting bit of research done by a group of Turkish students -- does Kalkan have some of same?
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=141827
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yes, an interesting article, but most interesting to me was, and I quote, "In many marriages, the desire by the British citizen to have house pets or a more active nightlife brings the union to an end."
I didn''t realise house pets were such a contentious issue for Turkish people. Is this true? Is it a cultural or religious issue?
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It''s a cultural issue and largely arises because of the many myths about health and hygiene which surround keeping animals in the house. We have many Turkish friends but some will not come to our house because we have cats and dogs inside. When we lived in Ankara, our housekeeper told us how very sad she was that we were going to die! Naturally we were as alarmed as she was until she explained that everyone knows that cat hair gives you cancer. This is a very commonly held belief. The concept of a dog or a cat as a pet, sharing the home and being regarded as part of the family is generally considered incomprehensible here.
Lantana
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So if you are an older lady looking for love who likes a good night out stick to having a dog or cat and forget the younger local man!!!
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Some sects of Islam forbid followers to even touch a dog (dirty, disease carrier). Our neighbors gardener loves to look at our small white dogs but if he thinks a hair got onto his clothes, he immediately goes home, bathes and washes his clothes.
In Morocco the attitude toward pets living in the house is the same as in Turkey. Only well educated people living in big cities might keep a dog or more likely, a cat, inside the house. Birds in cages are ubiquitous.
Some months back I read that house pets are becoming more acceptable in Turkey. Turkish in big cities are beginning to keep dogs and cats as pets.