The Turkish Culture And The Culture Of Turkey

Turkey is seated on the south-western part of the Asian Continent and makes up ninety percent of its landmass. The other ten percent is located on the continent of Europe. Being that it rests between the two continents, it has a unique and diverse cultural background (Shepard, 2009). Turkey is also one of the oldest continually inhabited regions of the world. This explains the multitude of ethnic groups and cultures that mesh to create the culture of Turkey (Diana Aschner, 2009). To understand the Turkish culture, one must first understand what defines a culture. Culture is a system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that members of a society use to cope with their world and with one another. Through matters

People are the main concern because relationships are considered most important, especially those who are closely related to them. Turkish people tend to do multiple things at the same time, which can make them easily distracted. They also are well-suited for managing interruptions with an ability to adapt their plans frequently and with ease. They have a tendency to build lifetime relationships. Promptness revolves around the relationship instead of the task. Turkey is highly influenced by the philosophy and ideology of Islam even though it is considered a secular state. The western-influenced areas of the country are not prominently Islamic. However, the Islamic culture of Turkey continues to influence the aspects of its public behavior, personal life, values, society, and business etiquette (Turkish Social Culture). An integral part of Turkish culture is food. Most feel that every meal is a blessing from Allah. Meals are prepared with ultimate care and it often takes a long time to prepare such intense recipes. No matter what is prepared, the bread is the staple of Turkish diets. Some Turks will refuse to eat a meal without bread (9 Things to know about Turkish Traditions and Culture,

Coastal areas have a mild climate, while the Anatolia Plateau has hot, dry summers and cold winters with limited rainfall. Both the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have cool, rainy winters and hot, moderately dry summers (Sensoy). Turkey is surrounded by the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Aegean Sea, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Bulgaria and Greece. It is a member of the United Nations (UN), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the G-20 Summit. Twenty percent of Turkey’s population lives in Istanbul. Development in infrastructure exists along the Aegean Sea coast in the west as well as the Tigris and Euphrates River systems in the southeast (Middle East: Turkey). Turkey is unquestionably one of the most culturally diverse nations in the world due to its geographical influences and rich, historical experience. The culture within Turkey is constantly evolving and becoming more in-depth due to all of these influences. There are currently still tensions between parties in Turkey that would make for a major culture shift, given the conflict escalated if power shifted. While certain traditions within Turkey have remained the same, small things have changed to make the overall culture distinctly