“Obama Can’t Be Worse than Predecessors”

We asked people in the streets of Eminönü, central Istanbul, what they thought about Barack Obama’s election. The answers were cautiously optimistic.

Bawer Çakır

People we talked to in Eminönü have met the election of America’s first black president soberly.

Most of them argued, “What good have we seen from previous presidents that we should expect something good now?”

However, there seemed to be agreement that Barack Obama would be better than his predecessor, George Bush.

“I hope that he can bring sunshine into the world that George Bush made squalid and dark.”

While Merve Türkay (31) thought it was too early to be hopeful about Barack Obama’s presidency, she nevertheless understood the excitement about his election. For unemployed Türkay, Obama’s priorities need to be the Israel-Palestine conflict and the economic crisis.

“Good luck to Obama”

Sevim (52), a housewife, believes that Obama will contribute to the freedom of religion. She is generally hopeful.

Retired Erdem Uzunoğlu (61) on the other hand, thinks that “the USA do not benefit anyone but themselves.” He added, “There are people starving in Turkey, but Obama does not care.”

He finds it wrong to have great expectations of the new president, and advises: “Let him deal with his country’s crisis, then he can take an interest in the world.”

Housewife Remziye (41) hopes that Obama “will be better than Bush.”

Economic crisis and Middle East conflict

“Everyone has good intentions. Obama is young, dynamic and keen. I think this will be for the good of the world.”

Despite what he just said, sales assistant Mustafa Köse (28) then expresses his belief that Obama is no better than Bush: “He has to make more efforts concerning the economic crisis and the Middle East.”

Köse was pleased when Israel withdrew from Gaza prior to Obama’s inauguration ceremony and interprets this as Israel’s effort to ingratiate itself with the new president.

Cautious optimism

Retired Nihal Gülay is cautiously optimistic: “Economic crisis, wars, violence, hunger…Seeing as he can’t be worse than his predecessors, we will see what he’s going to be like.”

Gülay’s husband, construction technician Öcal Gülay calls Obama “a hope despite the USA.”

“I wonder if he will be able to change things inspite of the conservatives in his country? Is he sincere in what he says? We will wait and see.”

He added that previous US presidents have made the world a worse place with wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine.

Nadia from Azerbaycan (39) hopes that Obama will bring the world luck. “I hope with him we will not miss Bush, let him make a contribution to peace.” Just at that moment, a pidgeon dropping lands on her coat. “See,” she says, “this might be a sign.” (BÇ/AG)