Turkey- more European or Middle Eastern?

[kworld]

I'm curious to know how people view Turkey in general- do people see the culture as being European, or more Middle eastern?

[davcamp]

Having been to Turkey 10 times...
Americans would label them as Middle Eastern although the Turks themselves would usually not.
In Istanbul they would assert themselves as Europeans, In the Aegean region and in the south they would call themselves as Mediterraieans (Sp.)...
Turks despise being lumped in with Arabs. Only thing they have in common with Arabs is Islam.
davcamp

[KayaKoyuOldBoy]

Having lived here for over 5 years, my opinion is that the average Turk definitely doesn't feel European. Turks are Turkish and are extremely proud of that fact. To be compared to Arabs is, to most, a crude insult.

What you do find is that, during the holiday season, thousands of young Turks are drafted from the eastern provinces into the Aegean and Mediterranean resorts and of course Istanbul, and they try to give European visitors what they think they want. If that means that the young Turks have to act European, and it'll pay dividends, then that's how they'll act.

Whilst many Turks are happy to embrace "Western" technology especially where computers, laptops and mobile phones are concerned, the majority still maintain good, old-fashioned Muslim family values.

[Tosun Saral]

What I hate in internet forums that the members hide their original names and nationality. e.g. who is kworld?
I presume he/she is Turkish. Only a Turk asks such a question.
One day they asked Atatürk is Turkey more European or Middle Eastern?
He answered " We are rather Turkish" (Biz bize benzeriz)
Biz bize benzeriz: Our language is different. It is extra terrestrial. It is grammeticaly mathematics, It is a puzzle.
That means we are different. We are not Middle Eastern nor European. We have our own charasterics which Middle Eastern or European people dont have. We love classical European music of Bethowen, Mozart, Bach ect and we love to hear classic Arab and Iran music. "Ya leyli"
When we hear chineese and japanish music we like it. and begin to dans alla turca. We can be more brutal then Europeans. We can be more calm then the morning breeze. We can build towers out of human skull at Serbia to stop the revolution. We can help the poor Jews againts every evil and settle them in our land and give them right to practice their religion and trade. We can say "One Minute" to them. We can protect the protestants againts catholics and march towards the gates of Vienna. We can run back to the River Sakarya in mid Anatolia. We can fight on 3 continents and at 7 seas at 7 fronts 300 years. (Dont forget that the mighty German Reich only survived 5 years.) We are Kaisers, Ceasers, Kings, Sultans, Pashas, Beys, Effendis, War Lords, Lovers (Aşık), Derwisches. We are sick man of Europa not Asia or Africa or Middle East. We are the Grand Signor of Europa. We are the magnifcent Turk. There is no European, Middle eastern, African, Australian or Asian history without a Turk. We are the only state that USA paid tribute during its history.
We are greywolfs. We bite.
We care the helpless and we praise foreign soldiers KIA on our holy land
"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... You are now living in the soil of a friendly country, therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours... You, the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe your tears, your sons are now living in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."
Ataturk 1934

[Tavsan]

Turks are unique. They are themselves. Neither Euro or Arab but rather Turkish!

They may have an appreciation for either or both of the aforementioned but the heart
is always Turkish!



Tavsan

[Al]

It's also fair to say that there are elements of Middle Eastern culture that have deeply been effected by the rule of the Ottoman Empire. When someone from the west travels to Turkey and finds some of the same elements in Turkey they see in the Arab Middle East, it's easy to assume that these elements traveled from the Middle East into Turkey...when in fact, it may well have been the other way around.