Turkey

Turkey is bordered on its northwest by Greece and Bulgaria; north by the Black Sea; northeast by Georgia; east by Armenia, the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan and Iran; southeast by Iraq and Syria; south by the Mediterranean Sea; and west by the Aegean Sea.

Overview
Once a Secular Republic, rise of State-Islamism in Turkey has transformed the country into an Islamic, much less stable Republic, so leave your x-rated braindances at home, because you’ve got to understand, this paranoid government can't think of anything but restrictions, lots of censorship and strict oppression.

From the Crash of '94, Turkey lost their NATO/EC aid. The poor sought help in the cities; forming towns ringing Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. The Meltdown turned Turkey's southern neighbors into radioactive wastelands. In 24 hours, refugees flew in like a tsunami wave into the country. Some stayed in the big cities, bolstering the poor already there. Most moved on to assail the borders of Bulgaria and Greece. The EC pressured Turkey to stem the flow of refugees, but the sheer numbers rendered control efforts futile. So the EC reinforced the borders of Bulgaria and Greece, and illegals were shot on the spot; the numbers killed were astronomical. Turkey does not have good relations with its neighbors.

The government was beleaguered by refugees, Easies and Muslim fanatics. The last straw was Major General Ozcul's coup d'etat By luck, the parliament survived that coup-and the seven that followed. Their reaction was to increase the controls. What they feared most were the religious fanatics. As a result, they banned all those fine things forbidden by Islam. The military took over street patrol. The media wasn't free to voice their opinions even before the catastrophe, now they are completely oppressed. All in all, the government kept control of the country by strangling it. The Wasting Plague killed some fifty thousand poor.

After all this history biz, you probably want to know what the place looks like now. Imagine cities with tall skyscrapers that have not been taken care of for years and where an Imam calls to prayer thrice a day. Where poor people fight for the slightest scraps of food-and where crowded streets empty at the sight of military patrols. Imagine grand palaces of oil kings sitting alongside the shanty towns.

The big cities really suck, but the countryside's no better. Much of the cropland was washed in radioactive fallout; farmers foolish enough to stay often have malformed children. The hills, well, the hills and mountains are infested with rebels and renegades of all kinds, from Nationalist Kurds, to desperate refugees, to religious fanatics trying to create their own little kingdoms. This is not the place for a holiday trip.

Government
It is an Islamic Republic, the only way to govern this hellhole is with an iron hand. The few reforms actually implemented have been kicked aside to keep the fundamentalists satisfied. The unsatisfied tend to vanish into the back room of some police station. And there are a lot of people vanishing these days. Even so, the city intelligentsia stubbornly shout for democratic reforms. Mind you, Turkey isn't only fanatics and beggars, there are a few universities producing in demand engineers and scientists; most propagate a secular approach to Islam. The government hates them because they are actively critical-and they know the country can't afford to lose them. If you're a student, you enjoy a kind of fool's freedom so long as you don't shout too loud.

But, the way the M.P. behaves in the cities is nothing com- pared to what the army does in the countryside. For years now, they have waged war on the 'rebels' taking refuge in the mountains. There are Kurds still trying for independence and 'lost' sects ruling valleys.

Anyway, the government also has to deal with the EC, like it or not, they need the cheap food to survive. In return for regular supplies, they sold the Taurus and Canik mountains to EC power companies. The Easies are looking for new resources; especially after the Meltdown. So they set up hundreds of wind- power generators defended by EDF troopers. Naturally, the Easie troops regularly clash with the folk living there. Secularism has lost almost all its value, and you gotta deal with it. The Islamists have oppressed the voices of those supporting the return of a stable secular republic, though some they could not oppress.. - It seems impossible to return the true republic in this corrupt hellhole.. for now.

Economy
Turkey depends on food imports like a junkie depends on 'Dorphs. If you're lucky, you get food from EC stock. If you're not so lucky, you have to scrounge to pay the outrageous black market prices. Those who are really down'n'out eat rats. These people pay premium cash for Bulgarian kibble.

Most officials are partially paid in kind, and sell their excess to relatives, who in turn, sell it on the black market Another way is to give customs some baksheesh in form of eurobucks or rare goods. The parliament is talking with Bulgarian food producers through a series of cut-outs, aiming is to build up a new food industry. Since they don't have much arable land anymore, they've settled for kibble. Well, at least it gets the kids off chasing rats.

Istanbul
This is probably the worst hell-hole this side of Calcutta. Even though it's probably the biggest black market in Europe, it lacks true style and tech. When you get to Istanbul via plane, you notice there are no windows on the outer faces of the buildings. Reason is, the airport is surrounded by slums worse than Night City. If you get there by ship, you'll be docking in a combat zone. Officially, the docks are firmly under government control. That's a laugh. you'll see armored cop cruisers collecting protection from the local gangs. They keep an eye on foreign traders, otherwise, you're on your own.

The Beyoglu district is the best place to stay if you're doing biz Smugglers bring in food, illegal hardware and drugs every day The foods from EC stock, so you're well advised to get it there, than try eating the abominable street food. If you don't have contacts, watch the vendors. If they have foreign regulars, the food is edible, though not necessarily tasty. Also stay away from drugs you didn't analyze beforehand. Most junk is second-rate Bulgarian; miles above the dirt they produce here, still, analyzers are a good investment I lived for two months renting mine to junkies.

Cyber here is bloody expensive. Fixers demand prime rate Chiba prices for Rostovic and Poland Cyber Tech goods. Then again, if you plan on staying in Istanbul, that's no problem. you don't deal with metalheads here. Either they don't have the cash or they're Muslims. On the one hand, they can kill their girl-friends without blinking an eye. On the other hand, they think cyberware is heresy. So my best advice is to shroud open 'ware as best you can.

Rikshas are the preferred method of travel. The streets are so small it's the only viable form of taxi. Those streets large enough for cars are either too crowded or the pavement is wasted. Riksha runners are also a good source of info; they go nearly everywhere and they see everyone.

The docks and slums aren't the only sides of the city. There's the quarters of the rich. They own the mansions that were built when the Ottoman Empire still ruled southern Europe. I've been invited to one of those places. It's like another world, gleaming with marble and gold. I mean, my benefactor had three Net jocks in his personal entourage, along with several hundred meatboys and a dozen courtesans. Luxury is not a word in their vocabulary, they live it. Once you're on the good side of the sheiks, you've made it but never step out of line. Life is as cheap as bar of kibble.

Ankara
The capital of Turkey, once one of the most developed cities in the Middle East, now it is just a hell-hole like Istanbul, a bit less populated, only a bit more calm. Violent crimes are still high up, the black market here might not be as big as the one in Istanbul, but it’s still one of the biggest in the Middle East.

Not much to see here, those who live here are putting their lives at risk and live a poor quality life, but it is also that they don’t have any other choice. Ankara is the dead capital, empty but dangerous. The calmest and safest districts still have a high crime rate, not much of a touristic hotspot like before.

The government has its power house stored here, but other than those there is not much else to tell about the once great capital. The more inner city you get the more high risk of crime, many illegal and forbidden items, and beverages pass through Ankara, and then get transported to near-by cities.

Imagine a city with tall skyscrapers filled in the middle, the rest is poor same height buildings stacked up next to each other, some destroyed and some damaged. And the resting place of the founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, as he looks over the city from Anitkabir.

Izmir
Possibly the only city in Turkey that is showing signs of stability. Still a not low crime rate, big population and an average sized black market economy running smoothly under the city.

It is a touristic hotspot for those with bodyguards who are capable of handling 8 armed men firing at your armored millions dollars worth vehicle, that may sound like a very bad and concerning situation but Izmir is one of those cities that has a better income rate and much less crime compared to other cities, plus much less poverty, compared to other big cities.

The government tried to work with the municipality to crack down on the black market and crime, succeeded and failed many times. The city was the castle of Secularism, life-style there is much more different even if Islamic laws apply, Istanbul used to be like Izmir, until it turned into a bigger, multi-cultural mess. Izmir right now, is the much less look-alike Night City of Turkey.

Other cities
There are more cities, some with much higher crime rates compared to their small population, some completely under the black market influence.

Nevertheless, this country has not ever seen a much worse time in its history than these days.

Behind the scenes
Turkey is real country, a secular republic. Located in Europe and the Middle East, its a transcontinental country. With a population of about 83 million in the real world, it holds the biggest city in all of Europe, Istanbul with a population of about 15 million to 16 million (The European and Asia side population of Istanbul combined, European side: 10-11 million, Asian side: 5 million.)

It is an NATO member, also a candidate to join the EU, but negotiations of accession have halted, and relations have also been damaged in the past years.

Reference
RAMOS, J. Eurosource Plus. 1st ed. Berkeley CA: R. Talsorian Games, 1995