Mystery solved. More than once in solo travels around Istanbul, men have addressed me saying what I heard as "habla." I thought they were suggesting that I was Spanish and asking if I spoke Spanish (hablar = to speak). Usually I just ignored them; but, today, when this happened outside the supermarket where we were picking up supplies for our picnic, I was more friendly because my traveling companions were nearby. The taxi drivers pictured below addressed me using "habla," we had a "chat" that none of us understood, and they gestured for me to take a picture of them with their cabs.
Once we were back on the bus, I remembered to ask Barb what "habla" meant, and she realized that what the taxi drivers (and others) were saying was "abla." Alba means "big sister" and is a sign of respect. Made me feel pretty good, I must say.
(If you're addressed by the word that means "auntie," it just means you're old. Also, while there are words for big sister and big brother in Turkish, there are apparently no words for little sister or little brother.)
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