living three waves at once: reaching from agricultural age to information age

Published by Berkay Mollamustafaoglu on August 12, 2008 12:52 pm under personal, technology, turkey

I’m writing this post from Findikli, Turkey, a small town on the Blacksea coast of Turkey, near Georgian border.  Sitting in the terrace of my grandfather’s house, connected to the Internet via broadband. I keep repeating this fact to myself (and others) likely due to some level of disbelief. It is indeed remarkable how things changed.

25 years ago, this town was not connected to the phone network. It was possible to call someone by “registering a call” with the operator.  One would have had towait in front of the phone for hours for the operator to connect the two parties. It all changed with Ozal, starting 1983, opening up the country and the economy to the world. And now, I’m sitting here with a broadband connection, integrated with the rest of the world, as I would be back home in Switzerland or anywhere else in the developed world.

I sit in the terrace and looked around to the sea, to mountains, yet people insight often capture my attention. A remarkable transformation is happening and one does not have to look very hard to see it.  Couple of women are carrying down tea leaves down the hillside with huge baskets on their back. Tea farming is hard work.  Three harvests a year and the terrain here is mountainous. One of the women has a mobile phone in her hand, clearly texting (and quite fast), mobile penetration is very high. Houses here have all the amenities, from dishwasher to satellite TV. Tea factories still the biggest employers.

The coast is much better connected to the rest of the world. 40 years ago, taking the ferry was the best option  to travel to far away cities.  Once could have arrived to Istanbul in about a week!, IF there were no weather problems. Now there are numerous flights, and coastal highway connect the towns to each other.

There has been significant migration from these towns on the coast to large cities as my parent have done a long time ago. Migrating to larger cities has been the only viable option for many to move out of the agricultural lifestyle and join the industrial era. Now, people here are not only better connected physically but also technologically.

I’m curious to see how the information wave will alter this society once again. One thing is sure, people here are accustomed to change and adapt to new things with ease, and this is their strongest suit.

It’s been 4 years since my last visit here. This year, I’m able to stay over three weeks, because I can continue working here!

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