Gordons & Loz's Holiday

[GordonA]

Oooooops, Loz has just, within the last 15 minutes booked and paid for , our 2 weeks holiday !! 

[Rimms]

Don't worry Gordon, the gang that committed 80 burglaries in your area were jailed today and they've caught the gang who stole trainers off a boys feet near to you. I'm sure you'll be ok leaving your place unattended for a while.

[loz]

Rimms, did they catch the barsteward who murdered our british neighbour, murdered by stabbing him 31 times? and whilst I was in our Villa?


No sorry they did not murder him they butchered him and I was held for questioning finger printed, foot printed,   

[tamd]

Good God Loz. When did that happen?

[loz]

Tamd, it was 2nd June 2005, it was a month of hell and still is with me to this day.


I had a very good Turkish friend who sat with me on the balcony whilst the police took my statement, they had limited English, they shoved the statement over to me and said "sign"  my friend took the statement and read it, she shouted at the police in Turkish and then turned to me and said "Don't sign this, it is not what you said"


Nazil Hamitol (spelling?) the British Consulate from Izmir working out of Marmaris one day told us to keep quiet and not rock the boat, she was worse than useless. in other words 18 months of hell.  Why did I stay, I hate to be beaten, but I spent those 18 months locking myself in when alone in the evenings. Angel from the Nil bar got in contact and arranged have security lights fitted around the villa.


So when people play down what happens in 'Paradise'  and make derisory remarks it about how safe the region of Fethiye is, it gets me upset all over again. 


The Neighbour was British, 62 years of age, yes he was Gay (before the gay-bashing brigade start) he was ex police, 6ft5" and his brother was Geoff Kapes, ex athlete, worlds strongest man, and now famed budgie breeder.

[Marggie]

Oh my god Loz,  that was dreadful - I would have hot footed it back to UK as soon as possible.  It just goes to show the importance of having good trustworthy Turkish friends.

[ceni]

I remember it well Loz, we met you both for the first time around then. Must admit it did make me wonder where the hell we had moved to at the time. Had that same thought a few more times since, but hey that's a different story. x

[GordonA]

Ceni, there isn't a day that goes past when Loz & I don't think of Tony, & what happened to him on that terrible night. The Turkish police refused any assistance from Interpol, who wished to get involved , as Tony, and his brother Geoff Capes were both very high profile police officers, in particular Tony, who had worked undercover in various countries. So, as for the fact that Loz & I are back in a lovely part of the U.K. & living in what we deem to be comparative total safety, there is the reason.

[echogirl1]

Thanks for the explanation, I think if that had happened to me I would be too traumatised by the events to ever set foot in Turkey again.x

[loz]

Thanks for the decent replies, I only posted this due to the derisory remarks made by Tinkerman (on another thread) mockingly suggested we were stupid for saying to people that they were scared during the recent protest, I doubt the parents of the young lad that was fatally injured during protest in Taksim and Rimms for thinking it funny that we feel safe in the UK, by quoting banal unsupported crime statistics.


Ceni I do remember meeting, you kindly invited us to a BBQ to take us away from the situation, unfortunately I know we were there but we were still feeling a little numb and tending to following each other around like zombies.


At the time we were torn, the Villa was our home, we had sold in the UK (mistake number 1) and friends were coming to Turkey to talk us into returning, even offers of living with them until we got sorted, (mistake number 2) I do not take kindly to being told by friends to do something so pride took over and I dug my heels in. 


However, I still love the country, many of the experiences were good ones, I did and have learned much from them, if I had stayed in the UK I would never have returned to the and appreciated so much that was taken for granted.