An energizing and emotional finale
Approaching the final day of this historic and productive weeklong trip to Turkey, it was difficult to imagine how we might top the previous days’ activities. Moving at a mostly breakneck pace—first to Istanbul, then to Ankara and then back to Istanbul and its breathtaking Bosphorus waterway—members of the IU delegation barely had a chance […] Read more »
The marvel of modern Turkey
Admittedly, it’s a strange sensation to marvel each morning at the stunning Istanbul skyline and glistening Bosphorus waterway, while simultaneously reading the daily newspaper, which, in recent days, has chronicled the launching of airstrikes by a U.S.-led coalition in neighboring Syria against the Islamic State, the mixed international reaction to the new military campaign and […] Read more »
History, heritage and culture in Istanbul
To look out at the beautiful and busy Bosphorus strait here in the transcontinental city of Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, is to be simply awestruck by the convergence of centuries upon centuries of history, heritage and culture. For nearly 16 centuries in fact, this city, which straddles Europe and Asia, served as the epicenter of […] Read more »