What's the first thing you notice about Turkey? You might notice something different from me, or more interesting, but for me they are a genuine, happy honest people. Perhaps not all obviously, after all, between politicians, thieves, and the undecided, are a few percent of even the angels.
I like Turks even though they are my country's traditional enemy, of course we don't really have any traditional enemies, we don't really have the energy.
Istanbul is a country masquerading as a city, upwards of 15 million people, humans no less, and guess what, some are muslim. Yep, there's shock horror, women wearing veils!
I have a great route called Helva ta Turk, it's 5.10 or 5.11 depending how gripped you get (E2 or E3 in little Briton money). It's above the sea, it's rough, got texture, it's drippy, it's got run outs between bolts. It celebrates the failed take over of my country by the big knurly Turkish Empire. Please come to my island, and climb my route my Turkish friends. It's a great route like your country.
The more you travel the more people you realise there's only two kinds of people, "Cont, et non Cont" as the French would say. I love Turkish Airlines, they give you metal cutlery, trusting you not to spontaneously cut their throats, and take over the plane.
I am not religious as you know, but I worship blue-sky and sea, and frozen snow glacial ice.
