Use the links above to see more photos.

I'm always very careful to say how stunning Mustafa Kemal Atatürk looks in white tie, because if I should happen to say something untoward about him, or the government, or the flag, or any number of institutions here, I might be in breach of Article 301 of the Turkish penal code which makes it a crime to insult "Turkishness".

Though he's been dead 70 years, Atatürk, the father of modern Turkey, is still a very popular figure here. His picture, in various guises, hangs in most shops, restaurants, hotels -- even private homes. When, after WWI, the British, French and Americans were dithering over how to carve up the remains of the Ottoman Empire, he was busily forging ahead with his plans for a modern-day, Western-style, secular state. I must say - and not just because of Article 301 - he's a most remarkable character.