A message from the PALA Committee:
Dear members,
Because the committee presumes that many of you may be worrying over the coming PALA conference, to take place from 23rd to 26th of June in Istanbul,we would like to make the following communication to you.
First of all, let us assure you that the conference *will* take place,and that the committee fully supports the previous email message sent out by Isil Bas, the local organizer. Please note that the early registration deadline has been extended to April 15th, so there is still plenty of time to register. The members of the committee have now all registered for the conference and will all be attending.We believe that the situation is safe, for the following reasons. The distance from Istanbul to the Iraqi border is 1,200 km (800 miles) would you stay away from a conference in London because there is trouble in Vienna?
You should also know that the Turkish variety of Islam is a very liberal one, Turkey being a secular nation with separation between state and religion, and Istanbul a cosmopolitan city used to foreigners, who do not really 'attract' attention.
The British government's advice on traveling can be found at
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618386532
While one may not care to trust them at this time, any distortion on their part would normally be to exaggerate risks rather than diminish them.
You can, of course, also consult the home pages of your own respective government.
We also append below a letter from Kim Fortuny, an American 
Professor who is at present Fulbright scholar in Istanbul, so that you have first-hand testimony on the local situation. So please register and book, and come and see us in Istanbul. We now need more international dialogue and cooperation more than ever!
We promise to keep you informed immediately of any contingencies 
That may arise. If anyone has any questions or concerns, then please contact the organiser Isil Bas (isil@boun.edu.tr) or the PALA committee (pala@clg.bham.ac.uk).
 The PALA Committee
 
Message from Kim Fortuny:
 March 27, 2003
Dear PALA Participants,
 
I have volunteered to write a few words to reassure anyone with reservations that Istanbul, in spite of recent events, remains a safe, welcoming city. I am currently the visiting Senior Fulbright Lecturer in American Literature and American Studies at Bogazici University in Istanbul, and I have not for a moment regretted having come, and more importantly, having stayed.
Although most Turkish citizens do not support this war, this is a generous culture with a tradition of hospitality that transcends temporal political crises. As an American (and a tall, Nordic looking one at that) I have yet to experience even a hint of hostility directed at myself as an individual.
We are given the benefit of the doubt. If anything, Turkish friends and strangers have been quick to show concern for any sense of isolation I may be feeling-a humbling experience to say the least.
We in Istanbul, foreigners and Turks side by side, are, like the rest of the world, watching the war on television with deep concern. We feel the same frustration and helplessness Europeans are expressing that come with the luxury of geographical distance. Turkey may border Iraq in the far south east, but the distance from Istanbul to the border is more than the length of France, plus a trip to London. This is not to make light of the horrors being inflicted on the Iraqi people, it is meant to offer a reality check to anyone who may be imagining that they would be traveling near 
"front lines."
 I feel it is imperative that academics continue to circulate in these paradoxical times of information explosion and control. We must ensure that other voices, alternative voices, are heard, make sure that international dialogue continues. We will be discussing boundaries in this conference, and the desire and language and solidarity that transgresses them. There are approximately 40 foreign faculty and 20 American exchange students at Bogazici University; I've applied to the Fulbright Commission for an extension of my lectureship in Turkey in 2003-2004. I encourage you to come to Istanbul this June in spite of, or because of, any reservations 
you may have.
 
Sincerely,
Professor Kim Fortuny
Western Languages and Literatures
Bogazici University,
Istanbul