Expressing Good Wishes and Appreciation in Turkish

[SwampeastMike]

Hoped to find a sticky on the subject and could not search for "thank you".

In the west Mediterranean region in particular. please provide appropriate Turkish expression to:

an airline stewardess waking you gently to serve dinner?

a fine tour agent with whom you have conducted significant fairly bargained business?

a stranger you have interrupted for direction or assistance?

a known masseur at hamam whose massages last year find him vying for finest of many?

a hard-working resort staff member who ensures that the place stays clean and orderly?

to your private guide before your seven-day tour?

to a private guide after your seven-day tour?

Dare I say...thank you!

[Tosun Saral]

an airline stewardess waking you gently to serve dinner?

- Çok naziksiniz. ( You are very kind)

a fine tour agent with whom you have conducted significant fairly bargained business?

a stranger you have interrupted for direction or assistance?
- Rahatsız ettim. teşekkür ederim. ( I disturbed you Thank you
a known masseur at hamam whose massages last year find him vying for finest of many?
- ilginiz için teşekkür ederim ( I thank you for your kind service)
a hard-working resort staff member who ensures that the place stays clean and orderly?
- ilginiz için teşekkür ederim. ( I thank you for your kinf service)

to your private guide before your seven-day tour?
- Merhaba. Nasilsiniz? Sizinle iyi bir tur yapacağız. ( Hello How are you we will have a very good tour together

to a private guide after your seven-day tour?
- Sizinle tur yapmak güzeldi. her şey için teşekkür ederim. (To have a tour with you was vry good. I thank you for every thing

Have a nice trip. Dont forget that some will look to you alike an oxe looking to the train.

[SwampeastMike]

Çok naziksiniz

Am very familiar with Öküz bak eğit (an ox looking for a train?) as we have just retired from nightclub business of 25 years when I began as the ox willing to add to an honest track. Would have continued were an entire generation not Yalan söyleyen öküz

[Tosun Saral]

It is an Turkish expression "Öküzün trene baktığı gibi bakmak"
The oxe looks a passing train or truck without any mimics. This means "Not to understand"
You will be very kind to many Turks but some of them never understand your kindness. They will look you like a oxe.

A good joke :
A historical true joke about Öküz Mehmet Pasha. Pasha means Army General

Öküz Mehmet Pasha was Grand Vezier of the Ottoman Empire between the years 1616-19. Öküz (pronounsation:Oekuez) means in Turkish Oxe. He was a good man but it was very hard to explain something to him. For that reason his classmates called him Oxe. One day while he was on the field at war and discussing about the situation with his diwan the court, an oxe looked inside the tent and said "muuuu" Every Pashas, Veziers, Beys, all laughted. Mehmet Pasha was not upset. He just laughted and said. "A friend of mine came to ask me what I was doing in the middle of Donkeys."
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/7d696/1beeea/

[SwampeastMike]

The explanation and joke are much appreciated. The joke is on me because it still applies!

"Strong as an oxe" is a common American expression. I thought of a lazy oxe looking to a train for a free ride.

[SwampeastMike]

In Turkey now for over a week and yes, some did look at me like an "oxe looking for train". My pronunciation and speed of talking Turkish are much better now and I no longer notice that look.