Friday
In Beyoğlu, Love in the Hot Seat?
We were as shocked as everyone else in Istanbul to read recent reports that claimed the Beyoğlu municipality’s inspectors were going around the neighborhood telling bar owners to get rid of their two-person outdoor “loveseats” – and in some cases forcibly taking those seats away – because they were leading towards “immoral” behavior. Could it be true? Could the powers that be in Beyoğlu city hall be so cruel as to try and keep the youngsters of Istanbul from having a chance to cuddle up next to each other while sipping their beer?
Beyoğlu officials, in their defense, have stated that it was simply a matter of forcing bar owners to replace old and worn-out furniture. We decided to check things out for ourselves and headed down to bustling Mis Sokak, home to numerous bars and cafés, to see what the barkeeps had to say. Continue…
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