Sean: You are a professional magician and we all aspire to be professional but what are the benefits? Obviously, there are monetary benefits, but what else? Also, what would you class a professional? I would say it is someone who is paid for what they do, but you can describe someone as doing something very professionally, so where would you say amateurism ends, and professionalism begins? If you are doing a show to an audience of 1 million people every week, but weren’t getting paid, could you be classed as a professional? :-? Also, what advice could you give to younger magicians who would like to hit the "big time" and become famous and maybe get on TV like you?

Huw: Ahem... older ones too!

Tora: Yes Sean in fact your questions come like a rain...Let me reply your questions as far as I can remember. Professionalism for is on the monetary side. There are masters but they may be amateurs. The word "professional" is not equal to the word "master" . If you perform for 1 million people and still do not get paid, then you are an amateur master. We have been told to ask about someone's job as "What is your profession ?" that is in another words; making a living out of it. I can recommend you to become part time professionals that is you may another job at hand when the shows become a little bit "slack". I am an Industrial designer and I do it as well. Nevertheless I can combine both in my shows which becomes ideal for me. I can also recommend that since there are many local TV's nowadays. Go to the smallest one and show some of your skills and ask for them if they are interested in that or not. Sure they will be... During that performance have somebody record it at home with TV's own logo appearing on your performance ..Now you are ready. Have recording in your hand and you may apply bigger TV stations now. But do give them a copy never the original. Half of them will gladly accept you. You can do it. especially I know you, I am sure that you can. You did not ask about it but let me remind please DO be a member of a club in your area. Such as IBM; SAM or alike. you will find lots of helping hand in those clubs. And ehhh... The magic Bunny is not bad either. DO (WITH BOLD LETTERS) spend more effort on it. This is completely yours. Yours magically , TORA

Nigel: I am sure that (if your parents are still alive) that they must be so proud of your achievements and the huge amount of respect that you now have. Even still, in the early days, there could have been no way that your family could have ever known of your subsequent rise to fame. What level of support did you have from your family in the very earliest days of your desire to become a magician? Did your family stand by you from the first instance or were you persuaded to, "aim for a real job?"

Tora: Nigel , Indeed you are the master of hard questions. Any way; My parents did not want me to be a magician when I was a teenager. Because in those days the magicians in Turkey were ill-educated or never educated people. They did not want me to be like that. At the beginning my mom supported me because she had a conservatory education and she knew about what might happen. My mom's dad was a showman and my uncle is an Opera singer. So the way was open. I had my costumes dome a little bit involuntarily then they began to get accustomed. Now as you said they are proud of me. And even I began to train my sisters son when he was only three years old. He could perform when he was nine and became a money earning magician at 10 with the help of his 8.5 years old sister. It was lat year. You may want to see his pictures in his page go.to/adrakadabra his name is ARDAKADABRA. I mean the way is open for those who are coming after me.

Huw: Tora, your comments about people's prejudices against magicians ('ill educated' etc.) made me think. It's interesting to consider the respect (or otherwise) that different countries at different times accord to magicians. My feeling is that magic in the USA went through the doldrums post-Houdini but it has become a lot more respectable over the last couple of decades ever since star magicians (such as Henning and Copperfield) turned the art into big-time show business once again. In the UK, my feeling is that magic has actually declined over the last decade. At one time, the British TV could always be relied upon to have at least one hugely popular magic show on primetime (in the '60s, David Nixon was one of the biggest of all TV stars; later on, Paul Daniels was equally popular). These days, though, we rarely get anything other than the odd novelty 'magic special'. On the other hand, I think mentalism is becoming (slightly?) more popular. Certainly Derren Brown is getting quite a bit of TV exposure, and Marc Salem also did quite a bit of TV and radio when he came over to do the Edinburgh Festival recently. Tora, have you found that the respect accorded to magic has increased in Turkey during your lifetime? And have you noticed any differences in the public response to magic in other countries?

Tora: I do not think that the respect has been increase. About the magicians of the other countries, everybody knows David Copperfield, a few know Paul Daniels, The great Silvan and Wayne Dobson that is all... No body knows the others even Max Maven is not known to laymen. To be honest I surf on the net very often.  It was the first time I heard about Darren Brown from Sean 3 months ago. We can not say we are-the magicians are popular I guess.

Nigel: Have there ever been times in your career as a leading mentalist when you have come across an event or incident that has caused a conflict for your own set of private values and morals. For example, have you ever been asked to contact a dead relative of a bereaved spectator or been asked to perform an insensitive routine that you feel unhappy with. When such incidents occur and you, as a leading performer, have morals that are different from a producer or director it must be very awkward trying to establish a common ground. If ever something such as this has occurred to you in the past, how have you dealt with the situation?

Tora: Nigel in my area I am also known as a skillful psychic.  For this reason they may come and want a contact with a dead relative or the worse want me to cast spell or even the worse they may come to ask for breaking a spell they already have. I handle problem in this way: I treat them like an ordinary guest and serve tea and coffee. I tell them I will take care of the matter but I know somebody who is more knowledgeable so I send them to a psychiatrist. It is the field of Medicine and I tell them that I am not a witch doctor of the tribe. I never charge for such things. Everybody will do his own business, not more.

Nigel: There many genres of magic to which language is no barrier - but I would guess that mentalism is different. I know that you have traveled the world and performed to a huge variety of audiences - I also know that your English is very fluent too. Do you ever find that your performance is hindered by language or do you also perform other genres of magic that transcend the barriers of language?

Tora: Yes Nigel Language may be a big problem in mental magic, you are 100% right. I also speak some French but I am not sure if I can do mentalism with it, it needs a trial... BUT; I always performed mental magic either in Turkish or in English. Only one time in Bulgaria, I performed in Turkish, English and somebody also translated in Bulgarian but it had lost its impact. For me I will wither perform in Turkish or in English. A multilingual routine loses most of its impact. EEEHHHHMMMMM!!!! If I say I would prefer English for mental magic please do not misunderstand me, The terms in English is now ha s become common already, we are producing the language in Turkish currently. It will take a little bit of time more.

Nigel: Are there any routines that you employ that transcend the barriers of language?

Tora: Naturally any mental routine needs Language and for me translation does not do the same thing. For All I mean.

Dan: Hello Tora, thanks for visiting our boards. Please could you tell me at what age you wanted to become a magician - were you the child who performed magic in the playground?

Tora: Dan I am really honest to say, I was a magician by birth. Yes I was the kid who did magic at the playground. I was the naughty boy who did magic in school, I was the teenager who attracted girls by magic, I am the man who is nothing without magic....Like most of you...

Nigel: At what stage in your life did you realize that you had magic in your blood?

Tora: If I say at the first breath, do not think that I am exaggerating... I was a magician from the time I can remember.  I am a magician born man.

Huw: Maybe this is a 'tricky' question. However, I'll ask it anyway. If you had to pick just 1 trick which every student of magic should master, what would that trick be? And why?

Tora: I would decide on two things:  1) I would give them a pack of cards and would teach the basic sleights, then they would be able to create their own tricks and  2) If I would not allowed to the above one, I would teach the famous cups and balls routine. It seems to be the basic routine to master. For me a magician without manipulation is not a magician. Everybody who pays for a tick may do it- even he spoils, unless some manipulation is concerned. I give value to both labour and skill.

Huw: If you had to be remembered for one effect in your lifetime - which effect would it be and why?

Tora: May be I would like to be remembered with my rope routines, linking rings and dancing cane-and may be the snow storm in chine effect. Because I am continuously being asked to do these. May mental tricks are not so famous yet. Maybe next year my answer may undergo a change... ;)

Welshwizard: Hello TORA, Do you have any pet hates in magic? For example I hate card tricks which have blatantly obvious mathematical workings and people who think their area of magic is better than other areas.

Tora: I really do not have pet hates in magic. May be there may be some tricks ? like less, such as egg bag (where you make an audience lay an egg) to magic funnel (in which you take water our from somebody 's stomach) Nooo I have forgotten to say something I hate the tricks where you take something out of your mouth. For example the razor blades, billiard balls etc. They are washed with saliva and you play with them and shake hands with the others. It seems to me disgusting. That's all. Maybe you will not agree but this is something personal.

Huw:

What about that trick (I can't recall who did it) where the magician swallows some thread and then he seems to pull it out of his stomach through his own skin...?  It was shown on TV in Britain a while ago. I believe the man had actually inserted the thread under his skin. When an audience member pulled it out, it seemed to be wet with the man's blood! That really made me cringe.  I'm guessing that this is the sort of 'magic' that would not appeal to you, Tora?

Tora: Yes Huw, That kind of tricks do not appeal me. On the other hand my mentor is a world wide famous Indian Fakir: Dr. Morgan. He does things alike not in a disgusting fashion. They s

urely know how to do those in an artistic way. Anything out of "aesthetics" do not appeal me in short.

Damien: Am I right in thinking that David Blaine done the effect Huw explained? I also remember it being revealed on T.V as well?

Tora: I am so sorry I did not have the chance to watch it, yet.

Mike: Once again Tora, I cannot tell you what an honor and a privilege it is to have you here. Thank you for this. Usually those who make it to the top, such as yourself, have some strong roots in their presentation from who influenced their career. This influence could be a teacher or present and past performers who the person in question looked up to as their skills and abilities grew and took shape. Who do you consider to be your biggest influences in your magic, both past and present? Who are among your favorite magicians, both past and present?

Tora: This is probably the hardest question, of the forum....To be honest at the beginning, I consider myself as a "magician born man" so ? had no influences.  I have only let the spectators shape me up. BUT, whom admire best is another question. The answer for me is quite easy: SALVANO. The elegance in style and the clean moves without cumbersome equipment have all affected me. Nevertheless it was not my style, I will never be like him.  Which magicians I like to watch needs another answer: -Aldo Colombini, Jeff McBride, Max Maven. Juan Tamariz, The great Silvan, Lance Burton are the ones appeared in my mind. Sop to speak I have my own style I have not been affected by anybody, the spectators are the sculptors of this statue-me !