TURKISH CULTURE

To talk about Turkish culture and traditions in one article is impossible because the differences around the country are a lot and other cultures such as Greek, Armenian, Georgian, and Arabic have been adopted in different times of history. The northeast coast near the border is a combination of Turkish and Georgian culture and the southeast typically is made of Kurdish and Arabic culture. The western coast in the last 80 years has been influenced by European traditions. However, quite a few traditions are strong around Turkey and any first time visitor will see them immediately.

COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
Turks love to celebrate and common expressions are connected to many daily or special events and occasions. Should a friend become ill, the response is“Gecmis Olsun” meaning get well soon. Enter into a shop and it will be possible hear the saying of “Hos Geldiniz” which means welcome.

FOOD:
Food is an important part of Turkish society. Each meal is a gift from Allah to enjoy, and not waste, so Turkish women will spend hours in the kitchen. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and typically includes eggs, cucumbers, tomatoes, and olives with the always present bread, given not only for breakfast but also during lunch and dinner. Bread is a really important part of Turk’s diets and you can buy anywhere. Some Turks even refuse to sit down to a meal without it.

RUGS AND CARPETS:
In every Turkish home, carpets and rugs can be seen. With complicated decorations, the handmade carpets have also become popular holiday souvenirs. Unfortunately, some rogue salespersons sell fake Turkish carpets. During the last few years, as décor design has become more modern, some Turks also choose the factory-made carpets that are often cheaper.

HOSPITALITY

Turks are welcoming and will invite new friends to their house for a dinner party. Visitors are given slippers, so they can leave their shoes at the door and a lot of food will be offered and can’t be refused. During this time, a gift is not expected but if you intend to follow the popular western culture of bringing a bottle of wine, make sure to check if the person who invites you drinks. A lot of people do not drink at all or only drink outside of the house.

TEA AND COFFEE:

Opposite to what people think to be true, Turks only drink their version of coffee only a few times during the week. People also call this type of coffee Cay. Another national drink, like tea, is served black in tulip-shaped glasses and sugar will be put in, if people want it. A common aspect is that in most villages, towns, and cities there are the men only tea houses where they get together to drink tea and play games like Okay. Also, tea gardens are popular for families and females, especially on the weekends.

WOMEN’S DRESS CODE:

In big cities like Istanbul and Ankara, women can dress how they like, and the style will be similar to the modern European one. Also in the holiday resorts of Aegean and Mediterranean it is possible to see people wear shorts, t-shirts and bikinis. However, if you go to the East of Turkey and in small villages, women will dress in a more conservative way, which means that they will cover up more. Women will wear a headscarf because of their religious beliefs and sometimes will wear a burka as well. Women who visit the mosque have to cover their heads, knees and arms.

BEING ON TIME:

In Turkey, if you arrive late, people will not think is a problem, so this is the complete opposite to Japan, where arriving on time is really important. This is something that many people who go there will find difficult to understand, but for example if the person who invited you to an event is late or you are late, is not a problem at all.