To stress one’s beauty, Turks say,
"Beatiful as a child!"
There even is a district called "Bebek" ("a kid", in Turkish) in Istanbul. It matches its name completely – it is very beautiful and very prestigious. It is also referred to as the pearls of the Bosphorous. Bebek was named so after a janissary’s officer. The former was a commander of Mehmet the Conqueror’s squad that settled on the Bosphorous coast in fortress. Officer Bebek Celebi got a strict order from his master,
"No Rums’ ship must pass Rumeli!" ("Rums" in Turkish means "Byzantines", and Rumeli is the name of the Ottomans’ fortress)
Well, Bebek perfectly managed to fulfill the order. Sultan’s army succeeded in the siege, and Constantinople fell. Praised by Mehmet, Bebek was presented an estate and a mansion near Rumeli. Here, the janissary (called Bebek because of his beauty) relaxed till death walking in rose plantations, and willow and acacia arcs. In the middle of 20th century all the Bosphorous parks were cut off due to constant reconstructions taking place in Istanbul. The gardens are now being replanted, but instead of the old houses (except for the historical ones, of course), the new ones were built. Now, Istanbul beau monde lives in Bebek. When brilliantly dressed man enters a luxurious restaurant, people whisper,
"He lives in Bebek..."
As you might have already understood, there is a child cult in Turkey. Kids are never punished, they are taken care of, they are adored and almost worshipped. I saw three actions that are good examples of how Turks behave to their children.
Action One
A big company of locals exit a conference hall in a prestigious hotel and start having their dinner. During the splendid banquette, the most imposing Turk, probably, the chairman, stands up and starts his speech. At the same time, a 2-year old kid runs into the restaurant following with his mother following, hits against one of the dining, and... the official activity is transformed into a joyful hustle at once. the chairman runs to and from with the kid in his hands, all the others caress the latter, give him sweets, and everyone is extremely happy...
Action Two
The pompous Dolmabahce Palace where last Ottoman Sultans used to live... The interior completely consists of the valuables. Ayvazovski paintings, gold, huge 500 kg crystal lustres, pianos dated 19th century. Special plastic shoes are indispensably given to you at the entrance. This place is both historical and cultish for all Turks. Here lived Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of Turkish Republic. Here he died.
Naturally, lots of guards are around – both civil and in uniform. Everyone must pass via a metsl detector before entering. A young mom with two kids is in the queue. One of them is in a carriage, the other – in her hands. She is let in immediately, of course. Yet, she must pass through the device as well. She turns around and... gives her babies to one of the armed guards. The rifled soldier plays with the kids, laughs while the mom is passing through. Then, he carefully gives them back to her through the metal border.
Action Three
Ataturk Mausoleum in Ankara. A seaman in official uniform (all the military departments are represented, here) stands near the entrance to Ataturk’s tomb. A little girl comes to him, and he peacefully gives her his hand, and goes along showing the surroundings explaining everything to her. Then, he marches carrying the girl in his hands, for a few minutes while the happy father takes the video of that. Then, he lets the girl go, shakes her hand, and returns to his post. Freezes...
There is no showing off in all these. Turks do love kids very much. For a Turk, beauty means "bebek"...
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