Historical background of turkey
Historical background of turkey
Turkey (also known as Turkiye) is an independent country that is located in the Middle East. Turkey is currently located in southwestern Asia and southeastern Europe which is also surrounded by the Mediterranean and the Black seas. The counties that are close to Turkey is Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. After the Ottoman Empire collapsed, these boundaries were established. Turkish people have been around way longer than most cultures and they are known for their great empires. Empires such as the Great Hun Empire, the Western Hun Empire, the European Hun Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Gokturk Empire, the Uygur Empire, the Hazar Empire, the Great Timur Empire, and many more. According to the article, “Turkey – Historical Background”, about 3% of Turkey is located in Thrace on the European continent and the remaining approximately 97% called Anatolia is in the European continent (Joseph, n.d.). The Turkish people dominated Anatolia and they established the Anatolian Selijuk State which made it the first Turkish state. Despite how amazing Turkey is today, it actually went through a lot of hardships such as the Mongol invasion and the Ottoman Empire era, the Ottomans capturing Constantinople, and the decline of the Ottoman Empire during World War 1 which occurred from the years 1914-1918. After that, there was liberation movement which took place under the leadership or Mustafa Ataturk meaning Father of the Turks. After numerous peace treaties with Great Britain, France, Greece, Italy, and other countries, the Republic of Turkey was claimed in October 1923. Mustafa Ataturk served to be Turkey’s first president serving from the years 1923-1938 (Joseph, n.d.).
Communication Styles (Language, Both Verbal and Non-verbal)
The main language spoken in Turkey is Turkish. The Turkish language is also spoken in parts of Europe, Asia, and including China. Turkish people also have very specific body language that is fairly interesting. Instead of just saying “no”, Turkey people communicate it like “tsk” or just raising their eyebrows or raising their eyebrows and throwing their head up at the same time. When they want to communicate, “yes”, they nod their head. When they want to say, “I don’t know?” they shrug their shoulders. In addition, when the Turkish people are eating, for them to show that they really like or enjoy the food, they nod their head up and down while complementing the food. Complementing the food is a sign of respect to whoever cooked it and it’s important to mention how good the food tastes. When someone offers you food, but you decline, it’s important to put the palm flat onto the chest and say, “no thank you.” If you are full, that is pretty much the only time you’re permitted to decline food. Otherwise, it’s a sign of respect to take the food from who is offering it to you. In addition, it is rude to sit with the legs crossed or when they show the sole of the feet (Pier, 2016). Also, it is offensive when someone blows their nose in public. It’s better to do that in private such as getting up and going to the restroom. Turkish people tend to be very touchy and very emotional. It’s acceptable when male to male touch or when female to female touch such as walking along side one another and even holding hands. It’s not appropriate for men and women to touch who are not married; that’s considered to be offensive (Pier, 2016).
Beliefs (Religion, Family, Nature)
Majority of the Turkish people are Muslim. A lot of them are from Sunni which is from Islam. Even though more than 97% of the Turkish people are Muslim, Turkey is still a irreligious country and country works hard to maintain the irreligious system. One example of this is that Turkey actually forbids the law that requires the need to wear the headscarf. Muslim people have to pray five times a day at the same exact time (Josen, 2017). It’s important for the parents who have children to teach them about prayer and how often it is done. Muslim people are also required to fast which is also important to be taught to their children. Moreover, family is very important in the Turkish culture and the elderly especially are very highly respected and cherished. Whenever someone enters the room, it’s important to say hello to the elderly as a sign of respect. Family means everything and the parents actually support their children no matter how much older they get until they get married and move out. The children are not allowed to leave the house before marriage. Since family means everything to the Turkish people, they will open their doors to anyone and everyone. They have big, open hearts that are willing to help anyone who needs it.
Society Structure (Gender Equality, Role of Children, Family, Ethnic Groups, Leaders, Government, Political Ideologies, Hierarchies)
There are a lot of views on the gender roles in Turkey. There are a lot of objections towards the equality of men and women. The Turkish people believe that men and women are not equal, and you cannot bring them to do similar positions. They also believe that it is against the nature of the women and men because their nature in general is different. In addition, the school in Turkey is open and free to anyone who is a Turkey citizen. When they teach schools in Turkey, they teach them in Turkish. It’s fascinating how the school system is because according to, “Education System in Turkey,” Johnson states that they have four years of elementary school, four years of middle school, and four years of high school (Johnson, 2018). Moreover, the majority of the population in Turkey are Turkish people which totals up to 80%. The remaining 20% of the population is actually Kurdish people (Irimia, 2016). Arabic, Turkmen, Greek, and other groups of people also account a very small percentage of the population. “The Turkish people and the Armenian people have always had tension since the first World War. Since a lot of Armenians were killed following the War, the Armenian people have held on to the bitterness ‘till this day” (Irimia, 2016). Additionally, the Turkish constitution is known for recognizing all of the basic human rights that is pretty similar to the one we have in the United Sates such as freedom of speech, movement, religion, opinion, communication, privacy and many more. The executive branch that is in Turkey has a double structure which includes the President of the Republic and the Council of Ministries (Irimia, 2016). When the residents are electing for president, the election takes place through a majority vote from the Turkish Grand National Assembly that includes each term to be five years and a maximum of two terms (Irimia, 2016).
Reasons for Codes of Cultural Behavior
Do’s
1. Be courteous. It’s important for tourists to follow this rule because Turkish people put a huge emphasis on being courteous to others and having nice manners. Some of the polite phrases or words that can be used are “tesekkür ederim” which means “thank you” and “lütfen” which means “please. It is also important to learn that nodding the head downwards means “yes” and a nodding the head upward while raising the eyebrows and making a clicking sound with the tongue means “no.” Shaking your head from side to side saying “no” is not interpreted as “no” but rather interpreted as you do not understand. Reasons: Having manners and learning how to use certain communication methods is very useful because Turkish people appreciate tourists who have nice manners. It is significant for tourists to be educated on this information so that they know what to expect and they follow these guidelines. (“Globelink Blog”, 2014).
2. Eat everything on your plate. Reasons: In Turkey, it is expected to eat everything off of the plate. There may be some Turkish hosts that might get offended when there is food still left on the plate. Eating everything on your plate is considered to be one of the norms that Turkish people follow. It can be viewed as an example of particularism or focusing on something particular. When done eating, put the knife and fork side-by-side on the plate which indicates that you are done eating. (“Do’s and Don’ts in Turkey”, n.d.)
3. Remove shoes when entering a mosque. Wear headdress and dress modestly if you’re a woman. Men should avoid wearing shorts. Reasons: Because Turkey is a Muslim country, most of the women need to have their knees and shoulders covered. Both women and men have to remove their shoes when entering a mosque as a sign of respect. But it is important for women to read and be familiar with the instructions because there could be a certain mosque that doesn’t allow women to enter during certain times of the day. Everyone is expected to follow rules when entering the mosques which can be an example of collateral relationship. Since the society is well aware of these rules and have to abide by them, it is considered a norm for the society. (“17 Do’s and Don’ts When Visiting Turkey, 2018).
4. Put your family first before anything else. Turkish people are known to have a very close family and by being so close as a family, they often care for one another. Reasons: In some Turkish family, the parents may care so deeply for their children that they cover their children’s expenses up until they are married. Picking a social gathering over a job is considered to be the norm. It is important for the families to stay as close as possible and cherish all the moments together. (“17 Do’s and Don’ts When Visiting Turkey, 2018).
5. Do bargain. In Turkey, it is considered to be a polite gesture and a form of dialogue when someone wants to negotiate the price before they buy it. Reasons: There are usually people who are in the streets who sell such as street vendors or even people who sell fruits and vegetables in the market who appreciate negotiation. They are usually open to hearing the negotiation which opens up a dialogue. It also allows the vendor to feel like they have actually earned the money when they end up selling an item. This could also be an example of a linear relationship. (“Globelink Blog”, 2014).
Don’ts
1. Do not be offended when others are sitting with you during a meal and someone decided to start smoking. Reasons: Smoking during a meal is common and you should not make comments about that person smoking. It is considered rude to tell that person they shouldn’t be smoking. This action of smoking is self-oriented because they decide to smoke since that is considered to be the norm and they do not consider if there are people who are bothered by them smoking. (“Do’s and Don’ts in Turkey”, n.d.)
2. Do not show the bottom of your feet. Showing the bottom of someone’s feet is considered to be not respectful and can be interpreted as an insult. Reasons: In general, Turkey relies heavily on non-verbal communication which makes it a high-context society so showing the bottom of the feet or crossing the legs is not polite. Such actions are considered non-verbal communication which often sends the wrong message that is worse and can have a deeper meaning than verbal communication. (“Do’s and Don’ts in Turkey”, n.d.)
3. Do not walk in front of someone who is praying. Reasons: Walking directly in front of someone who is praying is disrespectful and the prayer will not count according to their Muslim belief. Since the majority of the Turkish population is Muslim, there will be mosques throughout the country. In addition to removing shoes and dressing modestly, avoiding walking in front of someone while they are praying is considered to be a collateral relationship since everyone agrees that this is a sign of respect that should always be considered. (“Globelink Blog”, 2014).
4. Do not split the bill if you invited your guest. Splitting the bill is considered to be rude in Turkey. Reasons: It is a sign of respect when you pay for the whole meal if you have invited your guests. Inviting someone to have lunch or dinner means that you are inviting them to be your guest which means it is polite to pay for the whole bill. This could be an example of a linear relationship. (“Globelink Blog”, 2014).
5. Do not display public affection. Reasons: Public displays of affection, even between a wife and a husband, is not considered to be respectful or polite. It is not considered appropriate in Turkey because affection between spouses has to be reserved for the privacy of the home and not anywhere else. (“17 Do’s and Don’ts When Visiting Turkey, 2018).
Reference
17 Do’s and Don’ts When Visiting Turkey. (2018, October 21). Retrieved from
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https://www.budgetair.com.au/flights/turkey/dos-and-donts
Globelink Blog. (2014, June 26). Do’s and Don’ts When Travelling in Turkey. Retrieved from
https://www.globelink.co.uk/articles/country-information/travelling-to-turkey/dos-and
donts-when-travelling-in-turkey.html
Irimia R, (2016) Asia and Oceania: Turkey Ethnic Background Biodiversity Data Journal 4:
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Oceania/Turkey-ETHNIC-GROUPS.html
Johnson, O. (2018). Education System in Turkey. Retrieved from
http://www.allaboutturkey.com/education.htm
Josen, A. P. (2017, March 2). Retrieved March 10, 2019, from
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Joseph, A. M. (n.d.). Turkey – History Background. Retrieved from
http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1560/TurkeyHISTORYBACKGROUND.html
Pier, L. (2016, December 4). Turkish Culture – Communication. Retrieved March 10, 19, from
https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/turkish-culture/1859-communication
