I have mixed feelings. The country itself is beautiful and interesting. The people, I'm sure not all of them are like this, but a lot of them seem extremely nationalistic, and when I was there it seemed like everyone was out to rip you off, and it was so hard to know who to trust and who was being genuine. But in general, I liked that the people were more Westernized than in other Muslim majority countries, and honestly they wouldn't bother me if they didn't try to scam me in every shop and restaurant. I really wish your police would do more to punish these scammers, because they are completely ruined the country for tourists.
As for Ataturk, eh. He seems to be mostly talk to me. He did Westerinze and secularize the country to a certain extent, but if he was truly pro-secularism he would've banned headscarves completely, and he wouldn't have kicked out all the Greeks and Armenians and replaced them with Turkic Muslims. So I don't believe for a second that he was anti-Muslim. He was a bit of a hypocrite, and his actions often didn't match his words.
Why do Turkish users constantly ask us what we think of their country and people? You seem to be the most insecure country and people in the world, for bring so obsessed with what others think of you.
I haven't met many. Here in central Europe the turks you see are kebab restaurants or lots of immigrants in German metropolitan areas (there they kinda have the "gangster" stigma). I once met a cute turkish girl, with whom I really got along well and even gold me other turkish girls would love you. Sadly had the tendence to suddely block me out of nowhere.
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