By A.J. Griffiths-Jones
Kaftans, sarongs, cover-ups, call them what you will, but these items of beachwear have two common purposes, to protect from the sun’s harmful rays during high temperatures and to create a degree of modesty when circumstances warrant it.
This is especially important during Turkiye’s unexpected heatwave this summer, as intense sunburn on rarely exposed flesh can be both painful and life-changing. There is also another, more sensitive reason, to avoid baring all.
Turkiye is a predominantly Muslim country, meaning that the excessive showing of the body, both male and female, is not easy for local residents or Islamic holidaymakers to accept.
Yet eyes are having to be averted left, right and centre on Aegean beaches as sun worshippers walk around in tiny G-string bikinis and minute speedos, and I don’t mean just around the hotels.
People seem to have forgotten the age-old etiquette of putting on a sundress, pair of shorts or t-shirt when relocating from sun lounger to bar or restaurant, and it is causing a great deal of embarrassment.
As a Brit, I ask myself where in the UK would it be acceptable to wear a swimsuit to eat lunch, or for my husband to sit topless at a bar. The answer is nowhere. Apart from the fact that British summers hardly ever reach a level where we would need to discard our outer layers.
It simply wouldn’t be reasonable to walk into a café and expect to be served wearing beach attire. You would undoubtedly be asked to change into something more suitable or perhaps even be refused a table. So why, I wonder, do sun seekers imagine this protocol can be ignored when abroad?
Over the past few weeks alone, I have witnessed several instances of people acting indecently. Women in thongs as wide as a piece of spaghetti walking into bars to be served, shirtless men rubbing their sweating bellies on pool tables as they reach for a shot at the ball and customers in shops wearing see-through shifts that leave very little to the imagination.
In my humble opinion, this behaviour is both disrespectful to the country in which you have chosen to holiday in, and inconsiderate to those who have chosen to dress in a more appropriate manner. What people wear behind the confines of a private villa is a different matter, that is personal space, but putting your body on show in a public area is not morally right.
Many bars and restaurants overseas, such as in Spain and Portugal, display window signs asking people to cover-up before taking a seat. This saves any misunderstanding and embarrassment when staff come to serve people.
Personally, I think it’s time Turkiye followed suit. Clearly written notes in a few languages would avoid misinterpretation of expectations and both waiters and diners would be aware in advance. The good old beach cover-up was named that for a reason, as it was created to ‘cover up’ what shouldn’t be seen, at least away from sunbathing areas.
Nowadays you purchase a kaftan or sarong in every colour of the rainbow, for every size and shape, from almost every summer marketplace in the world. Therefore, no excuse to leave others feeling uncomfortable.