doepsmc wrote:

caretta wrote:

The one thing I hate the most is when I am going shopping at a mall or a local shopping district, and witness many tourists ( nationality withheld ) walking around in skimpy white shorts that barely cover the bottom parts and if that is not all bad these shorts or sometimes white pants are totally see-through with thongs hanging out. I personally do not wish to see this.

When a tourist is in their own country does one walk around like this?? I don't think so. I dress the same as I have in the past living in Canada. Have respect for those around you. This does not mean that you have to be totally covered . Just wear respectful attire

Next is the topless or almost nude bathing on public beaches. Think about it. Turkish families come also to the beach and are some what embarassed by this behaviour. Then one asks why are they being harassed. If you are half naked on the beach.. people will look...men and women alike... Also don't walk around the streets in a bikini either slip a tee-shirt on and some shorts... leave the beach wear at the beach!!!

Why is the Nationality withheld ? If you are having a go at the British or English women why don't you say so. If you are not then perhaps it would be more honest to say that it is not in the main Brits that do this.

I went into many shops in Olu Deniz and Fethyie which are Brit dominated resorts and the amount of British women I saw dressed like this you could count on the fingers of one hand.

As usual its bash the Brits time on the Turkey forum. Odd really as our money is very welcome over there.

Also a lot of these places are purely tourist resorts, not some village up in the mountains, people sometimes wander off the beach into a tourist tat shop to buy an icecream what are they supposed to do put on a burka ? :que

NO I CERTAINLY WAS NOT..I did not want to mention nationality due to respect for ALL nationalites that travel to Turkey and there is good and bad in all....Plus there are many nationalities that travel to Turkey and not just British citizens....I am very offended by these comments.

And honesty..why is it ...that my posts from time to time are ripped apart when I come to this forum...it does not make for a very friendly atmosphere...and honesty I am getting pretty tired of it ..or having to defend myself or the country that I call home for 13 years..

and ..sorry to have to say this..if you want to sunbath topless..please go right ahead...feel free....however dont come back later to the forums complaining that the turkish men are googling all over you. As they will look..they are men right ??

Here is an interesting example..I was at a restaurant that looks over a small beach inside of the Antalya city center..and my friend and I had a look down..interesting views..to say the least..I watched the waiters take turns to peer over the railing to gawk down at the sights..ok they only looked..and I guess if you dont mind that go right ahead..

but what if there was a family or a turkish family also sitting above in one of these restaurants..do they have to witness this display ?? I remember very well on another travel forum..one person asked the question about topless sunbathing however she did not want to sunbath topless in front of her own son..by why should she do it in front of mine ??? ..does not make sense right..

BTW I left my burka at the cleaners...

Kedi,Where I live,some young women dress like you have described in mid winter when the snow is on the ground.
Last week when we were sitting in a quiet bar we knew when scantily clad women were coming along the street as all the waiters made their way to the door encouraged by the lad on the street.
Most just laughed at these scantily clad women as some were a sight to behold.

It's the scantilly clad men that i have a problem with

I have never sunbathed topless in my life and dont intend to start now as my last birthday I passed 50 but even when I was a nubile 32DD I certainly would not have inflicted my body on passers by male or female, British, Turkish or whatever.

What I object to is everytime someone puts up a post like this, it's always, but always, turned on it's head and somehow the women are always in the wrong. Never the men. Great being loyal to an adoptive country. How about being loyal to the majority of the female sex ? Most of whom are decent family people, who are bringing up their kids as best they can, and giving them a holiday with their hard earned.

At least the Turkish bloke who posted admitted there was some truth in what has been said. That many Turks look on Brits as women to try it on with. Talk about prejudice (ie the verb to pre-judge before you know).

I have never said that the majority of decent women are in the wrong, I am just saying that if some women choose to walk around half naked then the men will think they are easy prey and that these women are part of the reason that Turkish men do think that most western women are like that.

As Carpediem said earlier a lot of resort workers come from very traditional eastern Turkish towns where western women do have that reputation. When they come to the resorts and see women walking around with their underwear showing through see through clothes and sunbathing topless on the beach they will think that such a woman is not a decent woman and is cheap. Women back in their towns cover themsleves up, wear headscarves and are never alone with a man except their family. Of course they are going to judge.

Once a woman shows herslf to not be like that then they will stop looking at her in that way buut if she dresses a little more respectfully in the first place she is less likely to be thought of that way to begin with.

It is not a case of anyone being in the wrong - it is just two completely different cultures and even if they have been there along time it is still part of their culture that decent women do not dress like that.

All it takes is a little consideration in the way we dress and behave.

Then again you also have a small minority who dress and behave like that precisely because they are after attention, these women just make it worse for any normal decent woman on holiday, so do those seemingly decent married women with children who then run off with a Turkish man behind their families backs. Unfortunately this kind of behaviour reflects on all of us so that we have to make sure to give the right impression from the beginning.

I think what is becoming clear is that people are too judgemental - women are being judged as having low morals and asking for attention should they wear clothes that some (mainly other women!) would term "inappropriate". The Turkish men, from what has been said, seems to judge most Western woman as being "easy" thus gaining their reputation as sleazy and harrassing. Whilst in some cases both are true, in the majority it is simply not the case. I do feel however that some of the posts on here seem to be very harsh on women, rather than accepting it might be a misconception on the part of the Turkish male (and male polulation the world over if we are being honest here)
We live in a modern society and yes there are cultural differences, but when visiting a modern resort geared up for tourism, providing someone isn't breaking a law or behaving inappropriately, then leave them alone to enjoy their hard earned holiday. I'd far rather lie on a beach with my kids next to someone topless than someone dressed "respectfully" getting blind drunk, cursing and swearing - which just goes to show don't judge a book by its cover!
I also think it's ironic that the beachwear, short shorts etc are sold ten a penny in most of the shops in these resorts - are they to be bought but not worn there? Seems like double standards to me.
Back to the topic being discussed, I have found on the whole that Turkish males are friendly and respectful, they won't pester you if you make it clear you don't want them to so no need to be worried or put off holidaying there -I think we are all agreed on that point.

Nice to see a sensible post for once Kimi, rather than all the defensive ones Although I dont particularly like to see topless women, I also prefer that to a lot of cursing and swearing. As you say the Turks are perfectly happy flogging all the scanty clothing to tourists. Bit ironic really when they then complain if people actually decide to wear them. talk about hypocritical and double standards.

I don't think the people who sell these clothes complain when anyone wears them.

I am not being judemental, I am just explaining how Turkish men see women who walk about half naked. I'm not talking about bikinis or even topless people on the beach, I mean walking around town. Surely you must have seen girls in shorts so tiny that their bum is hanging out, micro mini skirts that show their underwear or tops so low that they are practically hanging out of them

I don't think getting drunk and cursing and swearing is good behaviour either.

I think society on the whole judges first that is why Turkish people think western women are easy and British people think turkish men are sleazy. It isn't true in most cases but it wont stop people thinking that way.

why are we just blaming the women? Isn't it as much the man harrassing the women who is at fault too? I have already said my point on this matter but I can't help but feel that the view here is that a Turkish man can do whatever he pleases to a tourist cause she was acting inapporpriately???????????? Its like the view surrounding rape, the women was drinking alot and dancing on a bar therefore its her fault or she is to be partly blamed for rape. I know this is extreme from harrassment to rape but can you see my point?

I'n not just blaming women, I'm not blaming anyone. Of course Turkish men shouldn't be harrassing women, no woman should feel harrased by any man. I am just trying to explain that what is normal acceptable behaviour for westerners isn't always so accepted in a Muslim culture.

Obviously in a tourist resort you have a clash of cultures. If both sides understood a bit more about the other maybe it would be easier all round.

I kind of understand where u are coming from Kedi...i have seen with my own own eyes the way a turkish lad will do a double take if a woman wearing very little walks past him...but i think so long as u are not flouting any kind of decency law then people should be able to wear what they please without the risk of being pestered. There certainly are alot of women/girls happy to throw themselves at Turkish men, you only have to sit back and watch them of a night, its quite embarrassing to be english sometimes
One of my turkish friends admitted that he found British girls very easy..closely followed by swedes and danes but to be honest i was not shocked

For goodness sake this topic is getting way off the point .I am a sixty year old Scottish male and i do a double take when a woman wearing next to nothing walks past me ,it's called human nature no matter what nationality you are .
The topic started with the first poster seeking advise about how to handle unwelcome attention ,since then we have had ,bare bums ,see through knickers and even rape mentioned .

bluepeterno1 said
I am a sixty year old Scottish male and i do a double take when a woman wearing next to nothing walks past me ,it's called human nature no matter what nationality you are .

Quite agree
I always do a double take when a half naked women walks past .. I think it has something to do with being a Man.
My other half is quite good at pointing out half naked women also ( jelous). so even if I miss it, the wife gives all the details.
( 35 year old scottish man ).

The topic started with the first poster seeking advise about how to handle unwelcome attention ,since then we have had ,bare bums ,see through knickers and even rape mentioned .

Unwelcome attention !!! Tell Them To FECK OFF! ... Simple I think.

What about all us men that walk about half naked on the beach... I wonder what the thought on this is .

I wonder what the response would be if eastern women sat on the beach ( in the 90 heat ) with hoodie and jeans and scarf.!!

I know what I would say.... For Feck sake get your kit off .. your on your holidays ..

I think that this will go round and round and round this summer ..

Have you never seen the Turkish women who sit on the beach in their long baggy tousers and headscarves? They even go in the sea fully dressed.

Kedi Yavrusu wrote:

Have you never seen the Turkish women who sit on the beach in their long baggy tousers and headscarves? They even go in the sea fully dressed.

Yes all the time.. more often than I would have thought. I dont have a problem with this.. It remeinds me that this world is full of all different cultures who visit Turkey.

Times have changed here and I would think also in Turkey. I am sure the Turkish people are far more acceptable of what we wear on holiday.

Each to their own, I see no problem wearing a bikini top and shorts when browsing beachside shops, likewise if the men are in swim shorts, even better if they have a good bod! ;).

Holidays are to relax and enjoy some stressfree time, I don't want to worry about covering up everytime I get up from the sunbed.

I've read all the posts in this thread, and I'd like to add one more thing to the mix.

In Turkish holiday resorts, you'll often find lots of young Turkish girls, who also don't wear very much around the bars etc. These girls don't really dress any differently on their beach holidays to Europeans on their beach holidays.
The difference is in their attitude. They are absolute experts at the icy "don't even try it" looks. And they mean it, they don't follow it up with giggles, little asides to their friends, or engaging in any kind of conversation with the bloke. So if ladies, you really want to discourage unwanted attention on holiday in Turkey, just watch a young Turkish girl fobbing someone off with a look, then follow her lead.

My daughter is 8, her dad is Turkish, and she is so cold sometimes with boys she's just met that she's a little icicle .

I wish my girls were like that Elaine, they are both such little flirts, especially when we are in Turkey, all sweet smiles and eyelash fluttering, goodness know what we are going to do with them when they are older