KEBABBLE A pyrotechnical Ramadan in Turkey
By Fazile Zahir
FETHIYE, Turkey - The daily breaking of the fast during the holy Muslim month
of Ramadan, once marked with cannons and drumbeats, is in a modern Turkey being
increasingly signaled by fireworks.
In Izmir for decades a cannon was fired at sunset from the walls of Kadifekale
Castle ("the velvet castle" in Turkish) to mark the start of the evening meal
or Iftar, but this year it won't. The Izmir Fire Brigade has said the
city's fast-paced development has made the blast too dangerous.
As the city has expanded and the area around the castle become increasingly
urbanized, the cannon was first moved to Kariyaka district, and then more
ignominiously to the heights of the Evka-4
housing complex on the fringes of the city.
Fuat Barandir, chief of the fire brigade, said the age of the cannon has a
cause for concern. "Due to the development of the city, the places from which
we previously fired the cannon have become too crowded," he said.
On one occasion the ancient artillery piece started a fire. On another, even
though the man firing the cannon had been trained, he still managed to injure
his hand, said Barandir, adding that Izmir is so big now that the cannon can't
even be heard anyway.
The city has decided to replace the aural experience with a visual one -
imported Chinese fireworks - and Barandir says there has been no complaints.
Izmir is not the only town to phase out the traditional Ramadan cannon. In
central Turkey's Kayseri, the cannon fired for 50 years from the city's
historic castle has been replaced by a "sound bomb" and fireworks. Bulent
Kilic, the owner of the firm which arranges the sound bombs, explained that the
cannon fire was damaging the historic structure.
Riza Yacinkaya, head of the council for Bartin, a small city near the Black Sea
coast, explained that they had to turn to fireworks for this year's Ramadan
because no member of their staff had the correct qualifications to fire the
cannon and, as such, were not allowed to buy gunpowder.
Fireworks have become something of craze in today's Turkey, where they are now
bought for engagements, weddings, circumcision parties, New Year's eve
celebrations and birthdays. Previously only affordable to the wealthy, cheap
Chinese fireworks have infiltrated the Turkish market and are now making a big
bang at get-togethers of middle and lower class Turks.
They are even more in demand during the year's most holy month, when children
join adults to stand in line for sparklers and packs of "volcano" fireworks.
Internet purchasing means that age checks can easily be circumvented.
In the past, local supermarket chains were able to hold firework displays, but
now tighter rules mean most displays are organized by local councils to mark
the beginning and end of Ramadan. Some councils enjoy fireworks more than
others: Istanbul's Kagithane Council last year gave a 30-day program of
fireworks shows.
In Iskenderun, a city in the province of Hatay on the Mediterranean coast,
Council Chief Mete Aslan, believes fireworks are the modern answer to the
"cannons, guns and drums that our grandfathers used to greet the coming of
Ramadan".
But to hold a fireworks event (or even officially use sparkler), one must
submit a written request to the police, plan the event in a non-residential
area, arrange a suitable distance between spectators and the fireworks, prove
that the person supplying the fireworks is licensed to distribute pyrotechnic
equipment and, finally, hire someone with a Class A Incendiary Devices
Certificate to light and arrange the products.
Still, the reality is that almost anyone can buy fireworks in their local
corner shop and, despite the rules, poorly planned firework displays and
unlicensed fireworks factories, often using substandard products, continue to
cause accidents across the nation.
An explosion at an unlicensed Istanbul fireworks factory in January killed 20
people and wounded at least 68. It was the third deadly fireworks incident in
as many years in Turkey. Just two weeks ago in Turhal, in Tokat province, a
powerful firework rocket blasted off horizontally, injuring 13.
Head of the Turhal council, Ali Gozen, has since announced that instead of
fireworks they will be throwing carnations at celebrations from now on.
Other councils have also tried to minimize the risks caused by improper use of
fireworks. In Denizli in July, the governor announced that it would be illegal
to sell or use fireworks during the summer as he was concerned about starting
fires.
They have good reason to be cautious, in Izmir on September 9 a
council-sponsored fireworks display to celebrate the liberation of Izmir from
the Allies after World War I torched a hectare of grassland alight and
firefighters struggled for hours to control the blaze.
Despite the dangers, firework-lit skies above Turkey's major cities seem to
show that the trend is here to stay. Back garden fireworks will continue,
councils will keep using pyrotechnics to celebrate the coming of the three-day,
post-Ramadan Bayram (festival), and rules and regulations are likely to be cast
aside like an old cannon that no one can hear.
Fazile Zahir is of Turkish descent, born and brought up in London. She
moved to live in Turkey in 2005 and has been writing full time since then.
(Copyright 2008 Fazile Zahir.)
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