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Yes this is absolutely common in Turkey. Please do not believe in the press trying to portray Turkey as being totally overrun by a fundamentalist autocratic regime.

In fact even these photographs are portraying the poorest and probably some of the most conservative neighborhoods of Istanbul.

There are 10's millions of Turks who are secular and striving to keep modernity alive in this part of the world.

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I have been to Istanbul multiple times, and rode my motorcycle across Turkey. It never struck me as a fundamentalist country. Women in Istanbul or Izmir dress just like anywhere in the Western world, and I don't recall seeing any veiled faces in Turkey. I shared many drinks with local friends, and shortly lived on a street that was famous for its crossdressers.

You might struggle to find beer in smaller cities, and it's undeniably more conservative there, but you could make the same judgement about any western country.

I'd say that things don't get complicated around religion, but around politics. It's hard to ignore that Turkey is sinking into authoritarianism, and though a tourist might not feel the effects, he might pick up its distinct smell.

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