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Greasers
Turkish oil wrestlers feel threatened by gay men.
By Jack Boulware
May 10, 2000
For centuries, burly Turkish men have competed in the sport of oil
wrestling. A tradition dating back to the Turks' exodus from Central Asia, the
athletic competition is simple: Wrestlers coat themselves with olive oil and
attempt to pin each other to the ground. A common tactic is to stick a hand
down an opponent's leather trousers to get a better grip.
This year's oil wrestling tournament isn't scheduled to happen until next
month, but the competition is already filled with controversy. Organizers are
not pleased with advance interest in the event -- in particular from a bunch
of burly homosexual men called the "Bears of Turkey" who plan to
attend.
The "Bears of Turkey"'s Web
site offers a group tour of Istanbul and the 639th Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling
Games 2000. For $365 per person (for a double room, that is), burly gay men
can visit Istanbul and the surrounding area for five days. The highlight of
the tour will be a private coach ride on July 1 and 2 to the wrestling
championship "at the beautiful and historical Sarayiçi Island on the
Tunca River in Edirne."
The visual impact of observing two bare-chested men grunting and straining
under the hot Turkish sun, their rippling muscles glistening with fresh olive
oil, will surely not be lost on this group of sightseers. And when one
wrestler sticks his oily hand down the leather pants of another, the tour will
undoubtedly be worth every penny to the Bears of Turkey.
"It's immoral," Traditional Sports Federation chairman Alper
Yazoglu told the Anatolian news agency. "We are trying every way to have
this stopped ... We shall pass this matter on to the Interior, Foreign and
other ministries to ask for this disgusting business to be stopped."
Despite the controversy, the Bears of Turkey continue to promote their
tour. In addition to the two-day wrestling championship, which includes the
Golden Belt Award Ceremony, the package features four-star accommodations at
an Istanbul hotel, a visit to a Turkish bath, wine and cheese receptions and
assorted entertainment in gay bars.
To increase interest in the trip, the Bears of Turkey Web site boasts many
color photographs of previous wrestling events.
salon.com, Mayıs 10, 2000
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