Hi from Ankara!

First, speaking as a Turk, who carried medicine and other equipment to Avcilar and Sakarya, I want to say it is my belief that investing should not involve emotions. There is a difference between profiting from rational analysis and profiting from causing misery. We can all feel humanely sorry for what has happened in Izmit (I urge everybody to participate in charity), and, at the same time, not loose our identity as investors.

I won't, considering the purpose of this message board, go into an argument over Turkey's political prospects.

Second, I don't know how you came up with the idea of buying TL. Beware the high inflation in Turkey. The way I see it, my country's currency is doomed to plummet into depths even lower. I would strongly suggest, though, that you look into stocks of Turkish companies that produce cement, bricks, glass, and other construction materials, which are, in my opinion, sure to appreciate heavily in a year's term.

Best of Luck