Ancient Greece is tightly linked to Turkey not only geographically, but mentally as well. Dark-haired Turks do not resemble to blonde Hellenes very much but their mentality is almost common. Here is an event happened in modern Turkish Pergam that will confirm it.
There is a gold-mine by Pergam. In Turkey, famous for its jewelry, gold is a strategic material. Especially it is vital for tourism development because many tourists come to Turkey to buy gold and silver.
Pergam mine is medium in size. Therefore, a few foreign companies competed to gain the exclusive right to exploit this area. In 1992, one of them won. Equipment was brought here, preparations began, but... local citizens interfered. Righteously worried about the region’s ecology, they started protesting in the mining area. Local women proclaimed to the whole country in newspapers,
"If they begin mining here, we will... cease sleeping with out husbands. For they are not men if they let everybody desecrate our land!"
Does it not remind you of anything? Of course, is resembles Greek poet Aristophanes’ comedy "Lisistrata". A wise Athens citizen Lisistrata ("dismissing the army", in Greek) got tired of constant wars in which Athens men took part. Therefore, she devised a smart plan to stop the thing. Women of the two quarrying towns agreed to organize a "strike" – they swore to cease sleeping with their husbands till they set peace.
Aristophanes’ comedy ended with a hymn praising peace. Ingeniously and simply, wise women brought the Peloponnesus war to its end. Pergam story also had a happy end for everyone. Women were happy because the region’s ecology was not put into a danger. Men were happy because their wives did not start to despise them. And the mining company because it was eventually allowed to continue their work if strict ecological norms are maintained.
And now, Pergam mines are surrounded forests planted by people...
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