Istanbul University

As we ambled around Turkey in 1993 we came across a gathering of people near the University - which looked like an impressively old institution, albeit in need of a bit of a clean,  Actually I don't mind a bit of dirt - it all adds to the olde worlde charm.

Seat of learning, Istanbul

I'm not sure what the gathering was about but it looked like some sort of demonstration.  Although it was very low-key - no placards or shouting.  Mind you, there were a fair number of police about...

A demonstration outside Istanbul University, 1993

As we got closer we got the impression that the main reason for the 'low-keyness' were the presence of a number of very heavily armed special police, on big chunky BMW motorbikes and the old boiler-suits on.  Machine guns were in evidence.  Not that I pointed the camera anywhere near them, of course - like the demonstrators, I wasn't keen on getting on the wrong side of them and spending a couple of nights in a Turkish prison.  I mean, we'd all seen Midnight Express, capice?