I am amuslim and I have quiet a few turkish friends and have read there history of the ottoman Empire and visited the country on a number of occasions. They are very nice and pleasant people, well some of them can be? haha......
i don't think its unusual at all, I have an English friend who is going out with a Turkish girl and hopes to get married to her soon...........
Istanbul was very nice. That was my limited experience of Turkey. Did all the palaces and stuff.