Speakers Corner Liberal Social

When I think of my country and culture, the first thing comes to mind is the sense of belonging to nowhere. Having our origins in Central Asia, being descendants of a big empire followed by its terrible collapse and later on the foundation of Turkish Republic by Ataturk, the father of Turks, brought a lot of distinguished characteristics as well as unsolvable contradictions which exist even today in the core of Turkish culture.

Just as our rich history, our geographical location also shaped our culture significantly. Being situated between Asia and Europe, serving as a bridge between two distinct cultures reinforces the sense of belonging to nowhere. When our membership to European Union was first mentioned, people’s first thought was if Turkey was located in Europe, rather than what European Union stood for; common values. Most Turkish people believed in wholeheartedly Turkey’s future membership, for we share the same values. On the other hand, when the criterias for full membership increased each passing day, Turkish people faced their fate: We belong to nowhere. If we tried to join Islamic Middle- Eastern countries, we would not be regarded as Muslims as we are secular, do consume alcohol, do not prey fives times a day and the majority of Turkish women are veil-free. How can we ever situate ourselves somewhere? We are not European, neither Middle-Eastern nor Asian, so who are we? These questions will remain unanswered and exist in the core of Turkish culture forever.

A quick trip through various parts of Istanbul will demonstrate Turkish culture’s diversity. Not only people’s ideas or political developments, but also architecture and the landscape itself will reflect what one of the major characteristics of Turkish culture is: contradictions in its own richness. While some parts of the city, for instance, are extremely European, some other parts, however, such as old town, are quite oriental. And at most places West and East mingle neatly. One good example could be a mosque being located right next to famous bars street where people sip their alcoholic drinks with the view of the mosque. These contradictions do not only exist in exteriors but they rather exemplify and emphasize what Turkish culture is about. There is no doubt that what provides a lot of conflicts also contributes positively to Turkish culture and distinguishes it from other cultures and countries with its unique mixture between the West and the East.

In addition to the sense of belonging to nowhere and being a mixture of West and East, the other two characteristics which distinguish Turkish culture from others are hospitality and benevolence of people. Turkish people are always ready to welcome foreigners with open arms and try their best to accommodate hospitality. Perhaps this is a common distinction of Southern European countries, however in Turkey I strongly believe that it is experienced in the maximum level. If you live in Turkey, when you get sick, it is very likely that your neighbours will bring you food, medicine or whatever you might need. Or anywhere you need help, even if you need money, people will do their best to help.

People’s warmness and friendliness are other characteristics I would associate with Turkish culture. When you grab a taxi, it is very common to hear the taxi driver’s entire life story no matter how short the distance is. Having very close family ties is another characteristic of Turkish culture. Turkish people like to have large families and spend time together and usually are tied strongly to one another.

I hope this short text about Turkish culture will help some of you see the world from our eyes.