Turkish delight is known to have been produced in Turkey as early as the late 1700s, hence its name. The exact origin of these sweets is yet to be definitively determined; however, the word "lokum" comes from the Arabic "al-halkum". In the Arab world, Turkish delights are called "rāḥat al-ḥulqūm" (رَاحَة الْحُلْقُوم) which means "throat comfort". According to the Hacı Bekir company, Bekir Efendi, named Hacı Bekir after performing the Hajj, moved to Istanbul from his hometown Kastamonu and opened his confectionery shop in the district of Bahçekapı in 1777. He produced various kinds of candies and "lokums", later including a unique
Bekir Coşkun in the hut, but says that one must accept to wear a leash and obey their owner in return for the bones and cushions." The column was condemned by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who urged the army to sue; the Army General Staff filed a complaint, leading to prosecutors investigating. Bekir Coşkun Bekir Coşkun (born 1945 Tülmen, Şanlıurfa, Turkey) is a Turkish journalist, writer and columnist for leading Turkish daily, "Cumhuriyet". He is a good friend of Emin Çölaşan, with whom he had worked in the newspaper "Hürriyet" before they were controversially sacked by the paper's editor-in-chief, Ertuğrul Özkök.