Even the Paranoid Have Real enemies

It's a plot Ian Fleming might have been proud to call his own. The potential for mystery is unlimited, and an entire country is looking over its collective "shoulder" finding plots everywhere...and believing every one of them! McCarthyism is alive and well...in Turkey...and I don't blame them at all. Sitting amid the ever-increasing rhetoric of the Middle East and its fight with enemies near and far (though mostly the Israelis) has made Turks nervous. Two years ago, nine Turkish Islamists were killed by Israelis when they tried to break through the Israeli blockage of Gaza, so one might understand the suspicion, though Turkey has always been a somewhat mysterious place. Bridging both Europe and Asia means divided loyalties as much as the division between Christian and Moslem has created suspicion since the Crusades...or perhaps even earlier, as Atilla the Hun is said to have attempted an attack on Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). Thus, it's no wonder that government agencies are a bit skittish, seeing would-be plotters and spies all around. But a European Bee-eater? really? It seems that a dead bird fitting this description was found lying on the ground near a village in Turkey. Not a real surprise, I guess, since it IS a migratory bird. However, there was a metal band attached with the word "Israel" inscribed on it. Spooked villagers took the cadaver to authorities who went so far as to contact an elite anti-terrorism group to decipher the mystery. It was discovered that this particular bird had unusually large nostrils, and the fear escalated that there might be a microchip hidden inside fitted for surreptitious activities. Fortunately, no such spy equipment was located, and everyone breathed a bit easier. This example seems far-fetched to you and me, maybe, but whoever thought men using a joystick thousands of miles away could launch bombs from drones? I'd be nervous if I were in Turkey (or Israel, for that matter), too! And I watch out for suspicious bird activity in my neighborhood as well.