And Cancel Christmas!

Turkey, as a country, has had a rough couple of weeks. First, a bombing killed 26 soldiers. Then, an earthquake killed more than 500 in the south east - the official number keeps rising.

Yesterday was the 88th birthday of the Turkish republic - Republic Day. Primary schools had planned celebrations and there were to be parades in city centers. The prime minister cancelled them all. The stated reason is the earthquake.

I'm confused. I would think that a time of national mourning is the perfect time to celebrate the existence of your country, and to remember how you got here. What better way to begin healing?

I was at a private primary school on Friday when they received the news. The teachers were really upset about the cancellation. None of them seemed to believe that it was due to the earthquake - they said that was just an excuse.

I'll be the first to admit that I know very little about Turkish politics, and the little I've gleaned has been mostly second-hand. However, I'm truly shocked that this particular celebration was cancelled. It's roughly equivalent to cancelling Independence Day.

I'm hoping to bring this up with my students tomorrow, but I plan to tread lightly. If the government can cancel the country's birthday, it's hard to imagine what else they might do.