Washington Post on Istanbul beaches

An article has appeared in The Washington Post today on the ongoing saga of the Istanbul beach dress code. It is said that after opening the beaches of the city, a dress code was enforced due to the fact that many Turkish males have been known to swim in their "don" underwear. With the reopening of the beaches this summer, it has been seen as not the "proper" thing to do by the city's municipalities and the Turkish elite. The article which appeared in the Washington Post said, "The underwear flap reflected class warfare and the country's political realignment. And if some elements were unique to Turkey, others illustrated the cultural dislocations that occur anywhere when much of a countryside picks up and moves, creating a mega-city like Istanbul, 80 percent of whose approximately 15 million residents were born somewhere simpler." The article discusses the many facets of Turkish society and culture and encapsulates it within the beach wear debate. One of the beach guards interviewed was confused over the code that "women can not enter the sea in long skirts" is quoted as saying, "I don't understand what's wrong with a dress," he said. "That's not like showing something." A fellow guard Ismail Anbar told the writer, "The whole beach thing is about politics, actually." Whatever the feelings, the story of Istanbul beaches has caused some entertainment this summer. Â