Summer? Not quite. But the neighbour’s grapevine is sporting new growth. And today is the first day that it is too hot to sit out on the terrace. Not too wet or too windy - just too hot. That’s midday and early afternoon, of course. Cools off in the late afternoon.
Long memories in this part of the world. Thus singer İşin Karaca (British citizen, UK born to a family of Turkish Cypriot origin) was refused entry to Greece on the weekend, although her husband and her daughter, with whom she was on holiday were admitted. Karaca was then deported from Athens.
No reason was given for the refusal. Of course immigration officials are not obliged to provide a reason for not admitting you and would frequently be wiser not to. However, Karaca assumes, probably correctly, that it was because she had sung the Izmir Marşi, the Turkish independence song at a festival in Izmir, Türkiye, two years ago.
The song celebrates Turkish independence - from Greek occupation - in 1922. Izmir, traditionally known by its Greek name Smyrna, was liberated by the founder of modern Türkiye, Kemal Ataturk, and the song includes reference to the Greeks fleeing, as indeed they were forced to do. This, of course, the extremely short version. There are more than enough horrific details in a complicated history that at various points reflects significant discredit on both sides.
But we are talking about a song. Sung in another country. About an event that took place nearly a hundred years ago. And it could have been yesterday.
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