55. Today in 1920s Turkey: 1 February 1926 (Beware of the Trolley Gang!)

(Cartoon by Ramiz, Akbaba or “Vulture/White-Bearded Old Man,” 1 February 1926, no. 330, page 2.)

Comments:
This cartoon makes light of recurring news concerning trolley accidents and congestion in Istanbul during a time when the tourism industry is also picking up speed. Sadly, increased urbanization and the availability of (relatively) high-speed, modern transportation options often resulted in fatal clashes between pedestrians and machines. Such was the danger of walking the streets of Turkey’s most populous city that word spread to an international audience of would-be tourists. Here, we see the news that “many people get cut in the streets of Istanbul” has traveled wide and far. While “cutting” is a practice often attributed to gangs, the stout translator/guide reveals to the elderly tourists that the “cutting” is carried out by a gang of mass transportation vehicles rather than human thugs.

Other examples of Ramiz's work have been covered in the following post from the past:
#42: Justice: A Gift for the New Year
#41: Stratification and Oppression
#29: Happy Republic Day, Turkey!
#11: War of the Pens: Turkey vs Iran
#5: Planes: A Modern Perspective

The following cartoon, also by Ramiz, happens to cover the related topic of bad drivers and traffic accidents:
#2: Trafik Canavarı or The Beast of Bad Driving

English:
Tourist: What a great country... And yet, they told us that every day many people get cut on the streets of Istanbul!
Translator/guide: They probably told you about the trolley gang!

Türkçe:
Seyyah: Ne güzel memleket... Halbuki, bize, İstanbul’un sokaklarında her gün birçok adamlar kesilir demişlerdi!
Tercüman: İhtimal size tramvay kumpanyasını anlatmışlardır!

(Entire page, Akbaba or “Vulture/White-Bearded Old Man,” 1 February 1926, no. 330, page 2.)