View of Istanbul from Bogazici Universitesi. Photo: Cemnaz (flickr)

I'll be waking up at 3:30 tomorrow morning to begin my journey from Portland, Oregon, to Istanbul, Turkey, where I'll be based for the next several months while I embark on a trip of a lifetime.

My move to Istanbul is for a short-term study abroad program at Bosphorus University's school of International Relations and Political Science. Though I have traveled to Istanbul before, living there will be a completely new experience. I'm excited to live in the city that boasts being in both Europe and Asia.

I'll be taking advantage of Istanbul's central location and taking several side trips as part of an independent study on post-Soviet economies. My itinerary is pretty diverse -- everywhere from Estonia to Georgia is on the list.

My trips to these places will have an academic focus at the core, but I plan to interviewing people I meet along the way to get the local take on the state of affairs -- which is the part I'm most excited to bring to the blog.

Right now I'm preparing for the 20-hour fight, so I'm jamming my favorite books and snacks into the little space I have left in my carry on... That and a pocket Turkish dictionary, since at the moment my Turkish language skills are still very basic. Now it's back to packing and preparing for the early morning wake-up...

Evallah, or goodbye for now!

In the early 1990s Saddam Hussein drained what biblical scholars believe to be the Garden of Eden. With the water went the people, known as the Ma’dan, and their way of life. Now, Iraqi-American hydraulic engineer Dr. Azzam Alwash and his organization Nature Iraq, are working with the Ma’dan to restore the marshes of southern Iraq, in a project Alwash calls “Eden Again." He hopes the exiled people will come back as water and wildlife return to what had been turned into a desert, according to a segment on the PBS show, Nature.

For thousands of years the Ma’dan called the marshes home. They lived on floating islands made of reeds that grew in the marshes. They caught fish, hunted birds, and kept water buffalo, says an article from Spiegel Online. Without water this life wasn’t possible and the Ma’dan people either migrated to the city or suffered in poverty.

Alwash returned to the marshes in 2003 after Hussein fled from power. He found that those that had remained in the area had already begun to dig through the man-made embankments that diverted the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers away from the marshes, he explained in a recent NPR interview. Flash forward seven years and the Ma’dan have destroyed up to 98 percent of the embankments, Alwash tells the Guardian. Their motivations more economic, than anything else.

Not because they are tree-huggers or bird-lovers, but because it's a source of economic income to them, because they can harvest reeds and sell them. They can fish and feed a family or sell them to earn extra income.

Hundreds of thousands of Ma’dan people who have been living in urban exile are now used to many aspects of modern life, Alwash explains in another article in the Guardian. They’ve become familiar with electricity, television, air-conditioning and wifi. But Alwash sees no reason why comforts such as these can’t be incorporated into the traditional Ma’dan way of life. Once services are in place Alwash anticipates a flood of “reverse migration.”

Right now, the biggest stressors to the marshes are ongoing drought and hydro-dams in Iraq's northern neighbor, Turkey. In the NPR interview Alwash explains that the drought has reduced the marshes to about 35 percent of their former size. But Alwash is confident that 75 percent of the marshes can be restored despite the drought and dams in Turkey.

When Saddam Hussein drained the marshes in the early 1990s he attempted to turn a paradise into a desert and wipe one of the oldest civilizations on earth off the face of the earth itself. He nearly succeeded. But with the help of Dr. Azzam Alwash and Nature Iraq, the Ma’dan have proved the resilient force that nature and humanity are, as a desert becomes Eden again.

Iraqi photographer Sate Al Abbasi's beautiful shots of Ma'dan people at home in the marshes can be viewed in the slideshow below.

Iraq's Marsh Arabs have coexisted with the wetlands' unique ecosystem for 6,000 years. Photo: Dr. Michael Izady, Ph.D. (flickr)

Southern Iraq is home to one of the largest wetlands in the world, where the tributaries of the Tigris and Euphrates meet. But a three-year drought in the Middle East, along with dams and water projects in neighboring countries, has left southern Iraq with a serious water shortage, reports the BBC.

For 6,000 years these wetlands have been home to people called Marsh Arabs. They made their huts out of the marsh reeds, ate fish they caught in the waters, and sold the milk and cheese they made from water buffalo milk, explains the LA Times. (A beautiful slide show of Iraq's marshlands and the Marsh Arabs accompanies the The LA Times article.) But now these wetlands are roughly 30 percent of their former size, says the BBC, and they are continuing to shrink.

The marsh's dropping water levels have devastated the wealth of the region and the livelihoods of the Marsh Arabs. Jassim Asadi, of the nonprofit conservation group Nature Iraq, tells the LA Times the marshes used to supply two-thirds of the fish consumed in Iraq. Now people buy bottled water and frozen fish imported from Iran. “It is an economic disaster,” Asadi says.

Though the drought is "the most immediate cause" threatening the wetlands and their inhabitants, regional water politics cannot be ignored, the BBC says. The Tigris and Euphrates flow through multiple countries, and the rivers are the main water source in the area. A BBC video helps break down the situation:

About 70 percent of Iraq's waters originates outside the country, in Turkey, Syria, and Iran... These countries already have ambitious damn and irrigation projects, limiting how much is left for Iraq. And yet more damns are planned — further reducing the flow into the marshes.

Some scholars and politicians remain hopeful that diplomacy and cooperation amongst the different Middle Eastern countries will allow for more equitable water management. But as things stand now, there is no immediate fix on the horizon.

The G-20 is meeting this week in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Chaired by President Barack Obama, the purpose of the summit is to, “review the progress made since the Washington and London Summits and discuss further actions to assure a sound and sustainable recovery from the global financial and economic crisis.” I’ve heard of the G-8, but the G-20? I began to wonder about this alphanumeric soup of organizations. Who are they and what are they concerned with? The following scorecard should help interested followers of this subject keep track of the major players.

The G-6: Organized in 1975 by the finance ministers of Germany and France who were frustrated with the formality and structure of larger international meetings, the G-6 and subsequent evolutions of this body are strictly informal bodies that meet to discuss economic issues of mutual interest. After the creation of the G-8, the term G-6 is now used to refer to the six most populous members of the European Union. The member countries are: the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan

The G-7: Formed in 1976, this is an informal forum for the finance members of seven big industrial economies to discuss economic issues and seek agreement. Member countries include: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States. Now also includes the European Union.

The G-8: An evolution of the G-7, membership grew to include Russia. The European Union is a limited member; it cannot host a meeting or hold the presidency of the body. Members are: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States, Russia. European Union (limited member)

The G-8 plus Five: Recognizing the growing influence of other countries, the original group sometimes broadens their meetings by including the Outreach Five. As with all meetings, other countries are sometimes invited to attend. Members: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States, Russia. European Union (limited member) Plus: Brazil, China, India, Mexico, South Africa.

The G-20: According to their website, “[t]he G-20 was created as a response both to the financial crises of the late 1990s and a growing recognition that key emerging-market countries were not adequately included in the core of global economic discussion and governance.” Where the earlier groups (G-6 through G-8) were organized around the industrialized countries of the world, the G-20 begins to bring emerging economies into the dialog. Their first meeting was in Berlin, Germany. The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the President of the World Bank, plus the chairs of the International Monetary and Financial Committee and Development Committee of the IMF and World Bank, also participate in G-20 meetings on an ex-officio basis.

The G-20 is made up of the finance ministers and central bank governors of 19 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, European Central Bank

The G-33: The name for a group of developing countries that coordinates on trade and economic issues. It was created in order to help group countries which were all facing similar problems and give a unified voice to countries that were traditionally excluded from discussions among the industrialized countries. Members: Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Botswana, China, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guyana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Laos, Mauritius, Madagascar, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Senegal, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

There are other groups variously labeled as G-8, G-20, G-33, and even N-11 (countries which Goldman Sachs considered in 2005 to have a high potential of becoming the world’s largest economies this century: Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Turkey and Vietnam).

One of the best, reliable, sources of information about these groups and their members may be found on the websites of the World Trade Organization and the previously mentioned G-20.

You can Track the ongoing discussions of the Pittsburgh G-20 Summit here. But be prepared for slow page loading. It is a very busy website.

Men smoking from a water pipe at an Instanbul cafe. John Picken (flickr)

Turkey is about to put the kibosh on smoking, joining the ranks of Ireland, Belgium and Spain with a countrywide ban on lighting up in enclosed public spaces. But can what some call a Western-influenced health trend actually stub out an activity so intrinsic to Turkish daily life?

The ban could hurt thousands of Turkish teahouses that dot the streets of Istanbul, according to The Atlantic. The men-only "nargiles" are more like community centers where people talk politics, play backgammon or relax with a water-pipe or cigarette. The Atlantic says that hundreds of nargiles have closed their doors in the midst of a hurting economy. Starting in July, teahouses would face a 5,000 lira ($2,800) fine if customers smoke inside.

Nearly a third of Turks are smokers, according to the Turkish Journal of Cancer — a figure that surpasses U.S. smokers (23 percent) but pales in comparison to countries like Chile (37 percent) and Cuba (40 percent).

According to the National Coalition on Tobacco and Health, Turks are spending nearly $20 million a year on tobacco. The result: $30 billion in health care costs and 100,000 deaths a year from smoking-related illnesses

Some Turks are worried the new law will extinguish teahouses, which are viewed as emblematic of the country's traditional culture. Murat Ağaoğlu, head of the Turkish Association of Teahouses, finds it hard to imagine sitting in a teahouse and not being able to light up. He says the law should be modified to allow smoking in designated areas. "Many of our members worry about the future of their business," says Ağaoğlu. "How are they supposed to stop people from smoking?"

Faruk Taş, an Istanbul teahouse owner, echoes this argument. “Where are these people going to smoke?” he asks. “I can understand banning cigarettes, but this is a water-pipe garden. This is in our culture.”

Istanbul, Turkey. Photo: shioshvilli

Officials attending the World Water Forum in Turkey this week issued a statement that essentially said there's not enough water to waste.

That much was clear to one Canadian reporter attending the conference, who found that her press pass wasn’t enough to get her access to bathrooms with running water — reserved only for VIPs.

But it was less clear to two protesters from a California group, who were hosed by local police with water cannons — presumably the most “cost effective” way to respond.

But the water in those cannons is especially precious to Turkish residents, who are running out of water, according to Al Jazeera.

Turkey has experienced periods of extreme drought in recent years, and multinational companies have a stronghold on increasingly scarce water resources. Most locals drink bottled water, but that’s not a luxury everyone in Turkey can afford.

During the conference, Turkish engineers demonstrated against large firms that they say benefit cities by exploiting rural resources. Their view is that water talks need to focus on conservation, not privatization.

"We believe our drinking water should be managed so we don't need to buy it in bottles and it's freely available," lawmaker Ufuk Aras told Al Jazeera. "We were not born on this earth to help companies add to their profits."

Buffer zone in Nicosia. Photo: Bree Freeman

The last divided capital city in the world is Nicosia, Cyprus. Armed soldiers line each side of a buffer zone, with Greeks living on one side and Turks on the other. The island has been at the center of a decades-long dispute between Greece and Turkey that remains one of Europe’s biggest headaches.

But Cyprus today might be closer to a solution than ever before. When Turkish forces invaded and divided the island in 1974, the two communities were separated: Turks in the north and Greeks in the south.

New, more moderate leadership in both the north and south makes unification and compromise more likely. And people in the north — whose standard of living lags far behind their southern counterparts — may be ready for the economic benefits their neighbors are enjoying.

The south has grown far wealthier than the north since 2004, when Cyprus entered the European Union. (Cyprus in this case refers to all land not part of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, often referred to as the TRNC, the northern third of the country governed by Turkey.) Cyprus adopted the euro, began receiving EU subsidies, and started trading freely within the European market. By contrast, the north has been limited to trade with Turkey, the only country that recognizes it as a legitimate state. Its GDP is around one third of the south’s.

The effects of isolation are seen clearly in north Nicosia, where homes are missing shutters, streets are full of potholes, and many wear tattered clothing. By contrast, walk 10 minutes south and just beyond the buffer zone you’ll see gourmet restaurants, chic clothing stores, and well-to-do European vacationers enjoying their afternoon frappé.

Though the gap in living standards has worsened since 2004, it could be this very disparity which ultimately brings the island together. When he took office in 2005, TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat said finding a solution to “the Cyprus problem” would be his main initiative. Since then he has started negotiations with the south along with key international players, and has recently addressed the Council of Europe’s PACE General Assembly – the first northern Cypriot President to do so.

If the island achieves unification, both sides have much to gain. In addition to reducing poverty in the north by way of its integration into the EU, many Greek refugees who fled south in 1974 may finally have the opportunity to return home. Furthermore, the world’s last divided capital city may become whole.

A $5 bill. Photo: bethography - melting mama (flickr)

It happened at a waterfront restaurant at a hotel in the seaside resort of Cesme, Turkey. I sat dumbstruck. My hosts, Zafer Erdogmus and his wife, Nurhan, looked at me as one might look at a two-headed beetle.

“I’m not aware that there are any states on the five-dollar bill.” I said, responding to his question.

“That!” thundered Zafer, a retired Turkish bank executive, “is what is so frustrating about Americans. You have no idea how much influence you have in other parts of the world and you have very little knowledge of even your own country.” He went on to voice a cliché I’d heard before, “What you do not realize is that America still has so much influence, that when America sneezes, the rest of the world has to reach for a handkerchief.” Zafer, who was observing Ramadan, was getting cranky, I suspected, because he had had no food or water since sunrise. Nurhan, not wanting her American guest to feel uncomfortable, had broken her fast and simply smiled at me over her tea cup. No, Zafer was quite serious.

It wasn’t the question that floored me. “How many U. S. States are on the five-dollar bill?” is something that could win a drink bet in a bar. The answer, by the way, is 27. It was the realization that everywhere I had traveled in this region that was once called Asia Minor, all eyes were on my home country. Nearly every conversation eventually turned to U.S. foreign policy or U.S. economic policy. What did I think about U.S. policy toward the situation in Georgia, U.S. policy toward the Kurdish question or the Armenian genocide question, thoughts on the pipeline so vital to U.S. strategic interests, and, of course, the upcoming U.S. Presidential election? For an international business professor who cautions students traveling abroad to keep politics and religion out of their conversations, it was disconcerting to find that these are the very topics that my Turkish hosts most wanted to talk about.

Once referred to as “the sick man of Europe,” Turkey sees itself as a regional power with widening diplomatic influence on questions of global importance. In both print and broadcast media, it was clear that the governing Justice and Development party — the AKP — had chosen to pursue a path of engagement in foreign policy and economic questions. Almost everyone I spoke to stressed the centrality of Turkey to just about everything of importance to the United States and the world: The Middle East, the Caucasus, and the Black Sea region. Professor and Doctor Taner Berksoy, Dean of Business Administration at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul, put it to me this way. “Turkey’s aim today is to reintegrate with its neighbors. We are no longer an isolated Cold War outpost, but a country with global strategic value.”

As I leaned forward for another sip of the Turkish tea that accompanies every get together, Zafer offered one more suggestion. America, he said, needs to acknowledge its tremendous influence, step up to its responsibilities as a world leader, and engage thoughtfully and openly with its strategic partners.