Fabulous! I had not heard of that, but because of your post I have now found it. 
 

scroll to about 2 minutes if you would like to skip all the dialogue. 

Here are a few I like...

Selda Bagcan Neredsin

Moğollar Ağrı Dağı Efsanesi

Kazim Koyuncu Işte Gidiyorum

Cahid Berkay & Hüsnü Şenlendirci play Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalim

That´s enough for now. I love Turkish music.

I prefer the Bulent Ersoy version. I know it´s very dramatic, but it´s a dramatic subject 

I too try to keep optomistic, however there are certain facts to deal with. One is that
America gets way too much credit for the world situation.

Corporations appear to rule a great deal, and the big ones are multinational.....and for some insane reason they have aquired "personhood" in the USA, giving them tremendous powers that they are not shy about wielding. 

I think the fact you were friends for many years makes a big difference. Also, you both had a great deal of multicultural experience and awarness. 
When a woman from a highly developed country meets a man in Turkey who is from a remote village, it´s a very big cultural clash. It´s almost isurmountable IMHO.  

Regarding cross cultural relationships, from my observation of many such relationships, having a very close relationship with another, like a marriage, is not easy. Talk with any couple who have been together a long time and you will see.

It makes things easier when the parties involved are going on the same path culturally and spiratually. When different cultural tastes and values are involved, at first they are exciting, but after a while they can become annoying as one seeks comfort at home. Eventually the thrill of the exotic can become tedious and annoying. 

As I understand it, Turkish Language Class was created for those who come here are looking for information about Turkish culture, get on the fly translations or learn the Turkish language. As one of those people, I find it very frustrating when long posts are done in Turkish with no translation.
If people want to only speak with those who already understand the Turkish language, there must be places for that, but this is not that place. 

Very sad indeed. 

Sadly, I agree with you. I think Ibn Khaldun noted this in his works. Empires get lazy and corrupt, they feel they are in a dominant position because they are who they are and others are lesser human beings. They become lazy and debauched, then the new desparate, hungry group comes in and starts over and the process continues.

We have seen it over and over, but we don´t learn. I thnk the only thing that has saved the US so far, and let´s face it, the US is not even 300 years old, is the immigrants.