All about the Turks. National character and morals of the inhabitants of the Turkish Republic. Traditions of creating a family

The resort area in Turkey is not the best place to evaluate Turkish men in general. The country's resort life has formed its own rules of the game, which has greatly distorted the perception of Turkish culture, and, first of all, the Turks themselves. A real Turk, who has absorbed the Turkish upbringing with his mother’s milk, is significantly different from the resort macho.

A boy in a family is often raised by his mother. There is even a saying in Turkey: “Boys are closer to their mother, and girls are closer to their father.” Therefore, fathers are often very happy about the birth of their daughters. It is then that the mentality and areas of responsibility of boys and girls are established. The religious aspect, despite the secularism of the country, brought a lot to existing system education. Most often, boys, like girls, do not have sexual experience before marriage. These are the requirements of the Koran, which are observed quite strictly in the Eastern regions and less strictly in the West of Turkey. It is for this reason that they try to marry boys (and girls too) early. But in last years the situation began to change slowly. Young men began to acquire sexual experience before marriage because such an opportunity arose, but Turkish society “turns a blind eye” to this fact. And in this regard, the marriageable age of men in big cities Turkey has grown significantly. In large cities, there are a lot of bachelors over 30. But there is another explanation for this - financially interested Turkish women are very demanding of grooms, and therefore in big city, where people flock from the provinces, business failures find themselves among the ranks of unclaimed suitors.

Today, old and new traditions of creating a family coexist in Turkey. Moreover, old tradition very slowly gives way to the new one, or, rather, some updated, modernized version of it appears.

The old tradition is known to everyone and from our own history(about 100 years ago), and is also being circulated in our press under the guise of “horror stories” about the East. Its essence is that parents or relatives create young couples practically without the knowledge of the bride and groom. But such a strict tradition currently preserved only in remote corners of Turkey or... the parents of a young guy can resort to this trick (although they had not thought of doing this before) if they do not want their son to marry a foreigner. He immediately finds a bride from a “proven and respected family.” Another option for marriage looks just as oriental. Middle-aged Turks with average incomes who have spent too much time as grooms often resort to him. They practically “buy” themselves a young wife in a poor province close to the border with Georgia, Iran or Syria.

Of course the influence European culture is also making itself felt in conservative Turkey. There are not many children in modern urban families now, and this is reflected in the attitude of parents towards them. Children are pampered and given freedom of choice - young people choose their own mate, but traditional upbringing comes up here too. Young Turks, when choosing a husband or wife, do so with cultural “self-censorship.” Girls choose richer young men, and boys choose virtuous and moral girls. Many Turks still quite seriously want a virgin as a wife. This just confirms the continuity of traditions - how a Turk sees and evaluates the family and the mother of his children. I would also like to note that the younger the Turk, the more he considers public opinion (or, rather, is under pressure from it). But this is quite logical; young Turks are often more financially dependent. Also, when choosing a wife, love and feelings are not given first place.

Here it is worth paying attention to the mentality of Turkish men regarding relations with women in general. For a Turk, the issue of the purity of a woman’s honor is very important, because a wife is a woman whom he will have throughout his life (after all, there are not many divorces in Turkey). It is the aspect of possession and possession that determines his attitude towards any woman and underlies sexual relations. Morality, adherence to traditions and complete trust are fundamental points for him in choosing a wife. He cannot bear the thought that his wife and the mother of his children were possessed by someone before him.

By the way, Turkish women also almost always perceive their husbands as property, but from a different angle: for them, owning a husband is, rather, the fact of legal possession of what the status of a married woman brings to her (this is social security, material security and psychological peace).

About feelings. Yes, the Turks are very temperamental, and romantic, and soft, they are kind and, rather, simple-minded by nature. Temperament, high potency and romance fit very uniquely into cultural traditional relationships. But the Turks found a compromise to “drain” their romantic aspirations - adultery has become firmly established in the lives of Turkish men, although just a few decades ago this would have been difficult to imagine in Turkey. Turkish society, by and large, tries to turn a blind eye to this state of affairs; Turkish women also prefer to put up with this fact rather than go for a divorce. It happens that a husband simply leaves the family without going through with the divorce, and lives the life of a bachelor for many years, not forgetting, of course, to fully provide for his wife and children.

A Turk takes a mistress not only for love pleasures. Wife and children are an area of ​​duty and responsibilities. A mistress is an outlet for passionate feelings and romance. In addition, today this is facilitated by modern technological advances - Turks actively (even in my opinion, too actively) roam the Internet in search of love adventures.

The courtship ritual that fascinates our compatriots, in my opinion, has quite understandable origins. Open expression of feelings has always been integral part eastern and southern culture(remember the rubai of Arab poets, the serenades of Italians and Spaniards). Romantic nature dresses courtship in bright and beautiful forms. The relative “coldness” of local girls and their inaccessibility (“coldness” not in the literal sense, let’s not forget that here it is customary for girls to keep themselves within limits and value themselves), forces young people from time immemorial to hone this skill of seduction to perfection.

Previously, such a game of sincere feelings seemed incredible to me. And I came to the conclusion that when a Turk is courting a girl he likes, in all moments of a close relationship he puts his entire arsenal of romance and all his feelings, and it actually seems to him that he is in love, and therefore he is so sincere in his manifestations.

Not long ago I found a very interesting story about the life of one person. Here's an excerpt:
“...Ali Sulaiman Khan, spiritual leader of the 20 million Shia Muslims of the Ismaili sect. In 1929, as an eighteen-year-old boy, he appeared in London. Here, under the instructions of his father, he receives a legal education..."

An interesting part of his life story is his relationships with women: “...His hobbies are women, car racing and hunting expeditions... ...when I love a woman, I only think about how to please her.” His hobbies are as numerous as they are successful..."

And here it’s worth paying attention to how he built his relationships with women:
“...He is constantly in search of the next victim and, having marked her like a tiger, gracefully and persistently seeks submission and recognition. Ali Khan surrounds the chosen priestess with continuous attention and care. The most beautiful flowers and priceless trinkets accompany her every step, any desires and whims come true..."

And this is where the “dog is buried.” Here is what his contemporary wrote: “... when he told a woman that he loved her, he was completely sincere. He really loved her...at that moment. The whole problem was that this moment passed too quickly.” Another priestess of love appeared, and everything was repeated all over again. Each and every one of his novels were passionate and surprisingly sophisticated...

Turks and foreigners

Before we begin the story about the attitude of the Turks towards foreign women, we must certainly mention the Kurds in Turkey. This is a very important digression. It is especially important in the light of Turkish-foreign relations.

There are many peoples living in Turkey, but the most numerous and, in addition, noticeably different in culture and traditions nation are the Kurds, who mostly live in the eastern regions. In appearance, they are most often darker than the Turks and have facial features more similar to the Arab type. There is also a strong language difference. You have probably heard a lot about the Turkish-Kurdish problem, but in this case we will not talk about that.

Kurdish culture and traditions are very much influenced by religion and their own identity. The Kurdish nation is very much obsessed with its identity, and often adheres more strictly to religious principles. Therefore, she perceives all the innovations of modern times more painfully, which makes her much more conservative than the Turks. This is a very important national and cultural feature, which is always worth remembering and which must be kept in mind. Next I will explain what I'm talking about.

With the beginning of the development of active foreign tourism in Turkey at the end of the last century, the “era” of Turkish-foreign relations also began. IN last decade Online dating has also joined this type of relationship.

A stream of vacationers has poured into a country with a bright sun, blue sky and warm sea. In recent years, it has also become fashionable and convenient to buy housing on the Turkish Riviera, so property owners have also joined the tourists. After a hard year of work, gray skies, and a cold climate, the Turkish coast seems like an incredible fairy tale to Europeans. Turks are excellent builders, and therefore, when foreigners come to resorts, they feel like they are in a stylish, modern and comfortable country. In the tourist area, all that remains of Turkish identity is the dark skin color of tourism workers, Turkish speech, and the cliches of Turkish culture, which the Turks themselves promote with constant success - tea, sweets, cotton, spices, ancient monuments with a bunch of half-true and completely implausible myths and legends.

Gallant, smiling, dark-skinned handsome men (and often not handsome at all), coupled with the blue sea and romantic coastline, seem to young (and not so young) foreigners to be somehow exotic and, practically, equal to their sons Ottoman sultans, hot young people.

And here the most important mistake of all tourists appears (our compatriots are guilty of this to a greater extent). A tourist comes to a country completely unprepared for relationships with people of a different culture. For some reason, for boys and men, a Turk is more often associated with a certain bashi-bazouk or a “dirty” Caucasian who “came down from the mountains,” and for women - with Casanova, whom many certainly strive to curb. We won’t mention how men behave, but ladies and girls quickly lose their heads, often their brains, and often their boundaries of decency. Particularly sad and dangerous are arguments in the spirit of “I’m on vacation, so I need to relax to the fullest,” which more often implies sexual adventures and the inevitable “conquest” of as large a number of the local male population as possible. The female contingent at home is clearly embarrassed to allow themselves such “relaxation.” To put it all in one phrase, foreigners go to Turkey with their own “charter”, without even thinking that people in another country most likely have original culture, mentality and traditions. But it’s worth noting, unfortunately, that the Turks also suffer from the same problem - they evaluate foreign women strictly within the framework of their cultural traditions and the cliches imposed by their own culture.

If we reduce everything to reality - namely, that for a Turk the cultural component most often remains unchanged (this is what I wrote about above), then the result of what is happening is, in fact, disappointing.

Resort area of ​​the country in summer period– this is most often a kind of “cauldron” (cauldron) in which local Turks, visiting Turks and, of course, the tourists themselves mix. The bulk of visiting Turks are hotel service staff, whose earnings are very low for the average Turk. Therefore, students most often work in these types of work during the holidays, country people and Kurds who come during the season in search of work. Villager, a Kurd who has escaped from traditional restrictions, or a young student - this is most often a sexually starved native with sky-high testosterone, and even able to invest a romantic streak in relationships with the opposite sex. This is the main army of Turkish cavaliers in the resort area. But... don't delude yourself. 99% of Turks, having achieved their goal - sex, falling in love with a girl, material incentives from European ladies, are unlikely to exchange the traditional family structure for marriage with a foreigner. The main reasons are social hostility, significant cultural differences and, often, religious background. Another important nuance for the negative results of resort relations is that it is often very difficult for a foreigner to distinguish a Kurd from a Turk. More conservative Kurds are much more categorical in their assessment of foreign women, and it is even more difficult for Kurdish society to accept a foreign woman into its ranks.

Also, the Turkish media very actively promote the image of a foreigner (usually a Slav) as a woman of easy virtue. Unfortunately, objective reality only confirms this - in Turkey, among the prostitutes, a large number are Slavs, and at the resorts, among the frivolous vacationing girls who change boyfriends like gloves and cheat on their husbands, there are a very large number of Russians and Ukrainians. The Turks, of course, see all this and draw appropriate conclusions. And this is not just a resort area, but the general state of affairs in the country.

Therefore, I can say quite definitely: unfortunately, it is accessibility in sex that often attracts Turks in foreign women. Plus there is also a certain flair of exoticism - a fair girl with Slavic (European) features. Turks spread among themselves, almost like legends, what a sexually experienced foreigner does in bed, and they dream of getting a Russian woman into bed at least once in their lives. In this case, there is nothing to be surprised about. If for a Turk a Turkish woman is not available for an open relationship, and the only woman in his life in bed is his wife, then the sophistication of foreign women in sex, of course, makes an indelible impression on the Turk. Therefore, the Turks throw their entire arsenal at trying to achieve their goal, not disdaining simple flattery and a bunch of standard romantic phrases. And therefore, the “classic” phrases of a Turk about how “Russians/Ukrainians/or anyone else are very beautiful/sexy/well-groomed/kind/the best in this and that”, and “Turkish women are ugly/ stupid / unkempt / hysterical / the worst at that” - this is the most common vocabulary for seducing ladies and girls. It's pretty simple but enough effective way courtship from time immemorial - say only what they want to hear from you. Therefore, the Turks are excellent at using it – both in a resort environment and on the Internet.

About the difference between foreign women for a Turk. There is a difference, but most often it is replete with standard cliches. For example, European women (usually German women) are rich and can be used as a springboard for moving to Europe, while Slavic women are unpretentious, unmercenary women who agree to everything - it’s easier to “sell” them into sex and a trip with her own money, because their husbands (boyfriends) are bad at sex and alcoholics. And all foreign women (Europeans and Slavs) are considered hungry for sex.

But not everything is so gloomy. What I wrote about is, of course, a fairly generalized situation. There are quite a few marriages of Turks with foreigners, but when assessing them and drawing conclusions, one can rather pay attention to the fact that they were built not on interethnic relations, but on interpersonal ones. Most often, fairly successful marriages between a Turk and a foreigner arise on the basis of long-term personal relationships. These are those who met at work, at school or in another environment that allowed them to build normal personal communication. Personal everyday contacts (not at a distance) provide an opportunity to get to know and understand each other well, as well as learn to adapt to each other and within the framework of two cultures. Virtual relationships often come to ruin even with their compatriots.

P.S. You can tell about your personal experience of communicating with Turkish men, as well as about many other things related to Turkey, in the specially created section Your Stories!

So, the character of a Turkish man can be called quite contradictory. It is not for nothing that this country is located, as it were, at the intersection of East and West, right between Europe and Asia. The Turks greatly respect their country and speak of it as a great power, but at the same time they are well aware that Turkey is not among the most powerful countries. They are very proud of themselves and their people, like all Muslims, but they suffer from a certain inferiority complex due to the fact that they have to go to Europe to work and obey other people’s orders there. Therefore, the spirit of contradiction is always fighting in them, on the one hand extolling their people and country, and on the other, blaming them.

The Turkish concept of friendship is very subjective and influenced by emotions. However, he will not change his opinion several times a day. A Turk will not hide if he considers a person to be his enemy, and if he recognizes him as his friend, there is no doubt about his honesty. Turks are proud and susceptible to flattery, which is why hypocritical people often try to make friends with them, using it for their own purposes. Turkish men cannot stand criticism, even if it is objective, if said carelessly, it can ruin a friendship. Also in a dispute, rejecting all arguments and sound logic, a Turk will always adhere to his opinion.

The Turkish people have an excellent sense of humor. Their sparkling satire is considered one of the best in all of Europe. They easily joke about themselves and criticize their country, but only they are allowed to do so. They will never tolerate criticism or ridicule from foreigners.

Turks are very scrupulous about the concept of trust. Feeling a lack of trust in him, the Turk becomes irritated and angry, and may even refuse to have any common dealings with you. And vice versa, realizing that you trust him, he imposes certain obligations on himself. However, this does not mean that he will unconditionally keep his word. There is always a certain fatalism in him; in his understanding, everything depends on the will of Allah. Therefore, most often in all his actions one can see through slowness, carelessness and optionality in carrying out any tasks or assignments. Even a promise to do something tomorrow does not at all mean confidence in it, but soon only a probability. This has been customary in Turkey since ancient times, so there is no point in getting angry and offended for this, and your anger can only achieve contempt in the eyes of a Turk.

Turkish people are very hospitable. Even without knowing a foreigner very well, after several meetings they can invite him to visit them. The only thing they may fear is political troubles, therefore, if they are confident that this can be avoided, a foreigner has an excellent chance to experience the full power of Turkish hospitality.

Turkish men treat women as owners. If they have already won the heart of a lady, then they consider her completely theirs. They are very jealous and extremely hot-tempered, so they will never allow their woman to talk to other men. They consider themselves leaders in relationships and love to be obeyed unquestioningly. Many women quite like to be led and place all responsibility on men's shoulders.

As a rule, Turkish men do not like smart women. They prefer that a woman does not have special intelligence or carefully hides it in the presence of a man. Turks are not the kind of men who appreciate determination and independence in a woman. They need someone who can calmly do household chores and create a normal family life. At the same time, the social circle for the wife Turkish man may only consist of women. She can communicate with them only during daylight hours, and even then she must ask her husband’s permission.

"What are we Turks? A strange cross between a fez and a hat. A knot, the center of contradictions between Eastern mysticism and Western rationalism, part of one and part of the other."
(Khaldun Taner, Turkish writer and publicist).

Türkiye has always been a crossroads of civilizations. Therefore, the customs of the Turks and the norms of their behavior reflect the traditions of both Eastern and Western cultures.
Turks for the most part are very heterogeneous. Residents of remote villages differ sharply from residents of resort towns and megacities. In the outback, morals are quite strict, the inhabitants are zealous Muslims and religiously observe religious commandments; knowledge of foreign languages ​​is very poor. At the same time, in large cities you will meet completely different people who are focused on Europe. The urban population is moderately religious; for example, some allow themselves to drink alcohol. In the cities, many people, especially young people, speak English and German, some are learning Russian.
Traditional forms of communication between people originate in Islam. Religious greeting formulas, good wishes and other manifestations of emphasized politeness still play a large role even in cities. Turks are distinguished by their courtesy and honesty.
Turks are law-abiding and the Turkish police are known for their strictness, so crime rates are low. On city streets, even in dark time a day, the tourist feels safe, and in case of any difficult situation, he can always count on the help of local residents. Turks are polite and responsive when dealing with foreigners.
While in Turkey, you will probably notice that the majority of jobs are occupied by men. Sellers in markets, cooks and waiters in restaurants, service staff in hotels - almost all of them are representatives of the stronger sex. This is due to traditions dating back centuries, which assigned a woman exclusively the role of wife and mother. It may seem that women in Turkey are a powerless and oppressed part of society. In fact, women play an important role in families, but activity directed outside the family is not welcome.
Like any eastern people, the Turks, by Western standards, are quite slow and not very punctual. Promising but not delivering, or setting a time for a meeting but being very late is not a sin for a Turk. If you are negotiating a service or transaction, negotiate the price in advance. However, talking with local residents, you should not be hasty or impatient. Any business conversation should begin with a few general phrases, for example, tell where you came from and where you are going. Great importance is attached to etiquette. A few words in Turkish often open any door for a foreigner.
Tourists eager to take photographs face misunderstandings and sometimes even resentment, especially in rural areas. However, in most cases, a friendly look, gesture or question is enough to get permission to film.
When shopping, keep in mind that most stores have fixed prices. At the bazaar, it is not only possible, but also necessary, to bargain about the price of the product: here it is part of the ritual.

National character

Turks are distinguished by their courtesy and honesty. In a difficult situation, they will gladly help you. When communicating with Turks, you should not rush. Like any eastern people, they, by Western standards, are quite slow and not very punctual. If you are negotiating a service or transaction, negotiate the price in advance.
Turks attach great importance to etiquette. They are very respectful of people who respect their traditions or know at least a few words of Turkish. In this case, literally all doors open before you.
Many traditional forms of communication between people have their roots in Islam. Religious greetings, good wishes and other forms of polite politeness still play a large role even in cities.
Women should not be photographed wearing black capes. If you want to take a photo of a man, be sure to ask permission. Entering a private house or, especially when going to a mosque, you need to take off your shoes and leave them at the entrance. In crowded mosques, you can put your shoes in a bag and take them inside with you. In addition, when visiting a mosque, you must be neatly dressed, exclude shorts, T-shirts, mini-skirts from your clothes, and maintain silence. Drinking alcohol on the streets may be frowned upon.
Women in Turkey are excellent dancers and some of the most beautiful in the world. Many tourists try to meet Turkish women on vacation. You need to be very careful here. Morality in Turkey is set very strict rules behavior for women. Dubious connections are a stain of dishonor that casts a shadow not only on the sinner’s family, but on the entire village. There are many known cases where vacationers who tried to care for Turkish women had big problems with her relatives. If you know these simple customs, then your holiday in Turkey will be truly unforgettable, and it will not be overshadowed by minor troubles

Appearance

No matter how intricate the customs are, the most interesting thing in every country is its people. Anyone who has already been to Turkey obviously paid attention to the fact that even in appearance the Turks are very different. Among them you can find scorching brunettes who look like Africans, and blue-eyed blonds, and bright red, Armenoid and Caucasian. Thus, the appearance of the Turks reflected, as if in a mirror, all the features of their origin. But alone hallmark characteristic of almost all Turks, with the exception of officers, is the presence of a mustache. A subject of special male pride.

Character

The character of the Turk is contradictory. In this transitional era, it at least bifurcates, and not only because it contains East, West, Asia, and Europe. His emergency national pride connects with an acute inferiority complex. As a Muslim and a Turk, in his heart of hearts he considers himself superior to other nations, but he goes to work as a laborer in Western Europe, where he is commanded and pushed around. Countless times he hears the words “Great Turkey,” but at every step he is bitterly convinced of how far the country is from true greatness. Hence the incredible range - from condemnation of everything Turkish to glorification of everything Turkish, with its advantages and disadvantages. The Turks have a crude but accurate proverb that speaks of their very specific national and human trait: “If you spit up blood, say that you drank cherry sherbet.”
If a Turk becomes an enemy, then he is an enemy. If he is a friend, then without any pretense or reservations. He will not change his attitude several times a day. His view of friendship is not only emotionally charged, which is natural, but also does not recognize objective criteria. His pride can easily develop into arrogance, and his friends are simply a flatterer who shamelessly uses it, and an argument, even one built on facts, arguments and logic, can sharply cool relations between people. He looks at anyone who tries to show objectivity in difficult moments for a Turk as an evasive hypocrite.
Turks constantly criticize themselves. They understand and appreciate humor, their satire and caricature are deadly, one might say, among the best in Europe. But Turks reject any criticism from a foreigner. One carelessly defensive word can hurt them. Nikita Nikiforov, director of the Bolshoi Theater, who together with Niyazi in the 70s. staged “Aida” in Ankara, he said: “The Turks should always be told: “It’s good, it’s just wonderful what you’re doing, but you can do it even better.” And then they try and work. They should never say, “It’s bad.”
Pressure from foreigners infuriates the Turk, and they instinctively resist, even if it would be better for them to retreat.
Trust is of great importance to a Turk. Any hint that he is not trusted causes terrible irritation and a willingness to refuse to deal with anyone. And vice versa: clearly and emphatically expressed trust imposes some kind of moral obligation on the Turk. But this does not mean unconditional loyalty to this word. The fatalistic “I will do it if Allah wishes” ascribes sluggishness, negligence, and lack of sense of time. Turkey has modernized, but they still believe that “hasty is the devil,” and precision is meaningless. If a Turk says “tomorrow”, most often it means “maybe tomorrow”. You have to get used to this. In business, it makes no sense to be angry with a Turk and, of course, never lose control of yourself, otherwise you will simply be despised and you will achieve nothing.
A Russian observer is struck by the emphasized politeness of the Turks in communicating with each other, especially in provincial cities. They are very attentive to each other in the street crowd, shops, cinemas: they do not push each other, do not push ahead. And if someone is accidentally hit by a shoulder or elbow, a mutual and polite exchange of apologies immediately takes place. Drivers give way to each other and pedestrians even when they could calmly continue on their way. All road misunderstandings are resolved quickly, without shouting and swearing, through mutual concessions. But in big cities, with their crowds and frantic bustle, especially in Istanbul, this tradition has almost disappeared.
Famous Russian ethnologist Professor D.E. Eremeev, characterizing the psychology of the Turks, writes: “The Turks are southerners, and their temperament is southern. But hard life as if she crushed this temperament, drove it inside. There is no sparkling gaiety, talkativeness, or excessive gestures here, as, for example, among the Italians. In this, the Turks are similar to the Sicilian peasants, also Italians, but living in much more difficult conditions than the rest of the Italian population. The initiative and temperament of the Turk, especially the older generation, is restrained by the tenets of Islam, but sometimes it breaks out. And more often this happens in dramatic situations- quarrels that do not exclude stabbing. At these moments, the Turk’s soul cannot contain itself, as if a volcano erupts, having been silent for a long, long time. Even in the Turkish parliament, when there are debates on any acute problems, deputies, because of one word that seemed harsh to them, can jump from their seats and attack their opponents with their fists. In an instant, the fight engulfs the entire hall. Books, briefcases, benches are flying. And after a minute or two everything calms down. Parliamentary debate continues.
The hospitality of the Turks is beyond praise. After one or two meetings, a foreigner can be invited home if they are not afraid of any political troubles. I saw different Turkeys: the 70s, the 80s, and the 90s. Over the course of these decades, its appearance has changed significantly. The main trend of these changes was expressed in increased Europeanization, or more precisely, the Americanization of the way of life. In the acceleration of the pace of life, its dynamics, the disappearance of truly Turkish flavor.

Attitude towards a woman

Modern customs in Turkey differ sharply from our Russian ones. This is especially noticeable in relations between the sexes. Islamic tradition believes that a man can only feel sexual attraction to a woman. Therefore, the mind of a Muslim Turk, especially the older generation, simply cannot comprehend the idea that there can be any other relationship between a man and a woman: colleagues at work or study, just friendship.
Premarital relations are a stain of dishonor that casts a shadow not only on the family of the sinner, but also on the entire village, and violation of norms in this area of ​​​​morality - real or imaginary - can lead to mob justice and is punishable by death. In Turkish cities there is a special police - the morality police, so in Turkey you will not see, for example, a couple kissing or hugging. It was only in February 2002 that mandatory virginity tests for high school students were abolished.
Even in the city, among urban Turks, it is considered indecent to ask about your wife’s health or say hello to her. Traditional politeness requires inquiring about the health of the family - ayla, saying hello, if you have been to this house before and know your wife, again to the family.
In Turkey, it is considered indecent to invite an unfamiliar lady to dance; it is not customary to sit down at an empty seat at a table in a restaurant, especially if not only men, but also women are already sitting at it. Modern dances are part of European and American life, but what about the Turks who consider themselves Europeans? Journalists, engineers, doctors can organize dance parties. But for the vast majority of Turks, the very idea of ​​seeing your wife dancing with another man is unacceptable.
When marital fidelity is involved, the Turk can be merciless. Killing a cheating wife and her lover is common. The Turkish parliament once voted for an amnesty for a police officer who committed a double murder: he found his wife in the arms of her brother, took out a pistol and discharged it at both of them. Although public opinion is quite tolerant of a man’s extramarital affairs.
A large number of fans “compromises” the Turkish girl, her attractiveness in the eyes of the young man decreases, while in European countries increases. Until now, freedom of choice for girls in Turkey is limited. In the old days, a city girl married someone who was unknown to her, she accepted this as her destiny. Now girls and young women who grew up in a different public environment, other needs and views, but the Turk has not yet recognized the new status and demands of the Turkish woman, and this often causes crises in families for whom today is a transitional era between the old way of life and the new.

Family

Family and family ties are very important for Turks. In peasant, and in many urban families, a strict and clear hierarchy reigns: children and mother unquestioningly obey the head of the family - the father, younger brothers - the elder, and sisters - the older sister and all brothers. The older brother, agabey or aga, is like a second father for the other brothers. He is obliged to protect the honor of his sisters, which often turns him into a little tyrant who makes the life of some sister a living hell. True, an elderly mother with many children is surrounded by the respect and love of all family members, including her husband, especially if she bore him several sons.
Usually the authority of the male head of the family was absolute and unquestioned. Children were instilled with deep respect for their parents, especially their father. They always stood up in his presence. Thus, Kemal Atatürk’s closest ally, the second president of Turkey, Ismet Inenu, said that even after becoming a general, he never dared to smoke in the presence of his father.
Rural Turkey has its own ideal of beauty. The future mother and housewife must be strong and strong. The Turks generally prefer plump women - “she was so beautiful that she had to turn around to enter the door” - says an old Turkish proverb, either jokingly or seriously.
As soon as a girl leaves her parents' house, she is no longer considered a member of her family, but belongs to her husband's family. IN new family her place is much lower than the one she occupied in the previous one. The young daughter-in-law does not become a member of the family until she gives birth to a son. She should not talk to her husband at all for a month. She does not call him by name and is obliged to say “your son” or “your brother” when addressing new relatives.
Birth of a child, first of all a son, immediately increases the prestige of a young woman in the family and society. The more sons she has, the more she is respected. But infertility is a tragedy. Public opinion is cruel towards infertile women. They are under threat of divorce or a second marriage of their husband, and in fact lose their rights to inherit property.
Husbands don't talk to strangers about their wives. In villages and small towns, spouses are rarely seen together. It is considered indecent if a man shows attention or tenderness to his wife in public. When a man returns after a long absence, he is greeted by his male relatives, and often by half the village, but his wife is the last to greet him, and then only after his mother and sisters have greeted him. In the family, men usually stand in solidarity against women, just as women do against men. But the relationship between mother and sons is strong and warm.
Single life– an unnatural state in a Turkish village. Even a rich single person, for whom farm laborers work, feels inferior. The disappearance of large wooden houses in cities and the modern apartment system also reflect the new family structure. In cities there is a rapid atomization of families - their separation, the abandonment of clans and large family groups. If young people do not live with their parents, they often visit each other. Türkiye knows almost no shelters for the elderly. Here you rarely see the eerie loneliness of the elderly, familiar to Western European or American people, and in Lately And Russian society large metropolises. Even relations between neighbors are warmed by mutual attention, not to mention the moral obligations of relatives.

Customs and traditions

Wedding

A wedding day is probably one of the brightest and most memorable days in the life of a Turk. Muslim wedding traditions are still followed in small towns. The wedding dress should be made by the bride's friend or one of the relatives. The bride is taken to the wedding ceremony on horseback; A Turkish flag is required. Before the wedding night, the bride's fingers are painted with henna, and the groom's fingers are shaved and cut short. The wedding lasts for two to three days, and all the guests and relatives of the newlyweds celebrate this holiday cheerfully and solemnly.

Circumcision

On the day of circumcision, a boy becomes a man, so this day is one of the most important in the life of a Turk. The ritual takes place in the evening. All day the day before, the child wears a special satin dress and headdress and reads the words “Mashallah,” which means “may Allah protect you.” The boy is driven in a luxuriously decorated car through the streets of the city or on a donkey if the action takes place in the village, accompanied by drumming, flute playing, and car horns. The celebration lasts two to three days.

Signs and beliefs

Arriving in Turkey, you will probably be surprised that there are many similarities in the signs of the Slavs and the Turks. For example, if your palm itches, it means money; if your ears are burning, someone is talking about you. The Turks, like us, do not favor black cats. When they see a black cat on the road, they try to cross to the other side of the street. Tapping on wood three times will bring good luck, but you must bend your ear and make a sound similar to a kiss.
Some customs, of course, differ from Russian ones. So, at a funeral, the family of the deceased treats everyone gathered with sweets. It is believed that after this people will say only good things about the deceased.

Amulet from the evil eye

The Turks are extremely superstitious about the evil eye. It is believed that any person can give the “evil eye” with a look, even if he does not think of harming another. To protect themselves from the evil eye, Turks wear a blue eye - “nazar”, as a talisman. Parents put eyes on their children, bus and taxi drivers attach them to windshield; They are hung above the entrances to hotels and shops. They say that newborns are easier to jinx than adults, and when someone praises a child, the parent says: Mashallah, meaning “may Allah protect you,” to ward off the devil's eye. Eyes can be bought everywhere: in souvenir shops, in markets. You You can buy them as a talisman gift, because the Turks believe that if you are given a peephole, you are protected forever.

Social behavior and body language

When in company, try to watch your gestures - an open palm or a finger pointing at someone can offend a Turk. It is considered indecent to show the sole of a shoe, a fist with the thumb between the middle and index finger, blow your nose in public.
If you drink tea or coffee, then you must take the cup with your right hand. Taking with your left hand is considered indecent and is a sign of disrespect towards the people sitting at the table.
Pay attention to the head movement when the Turk says “no” or “yes”. “Yes” - a nod down, “no” - throwing your head back and clicking your tongue.

Visit to a Turkish home

If you are invited to visit a Turkish family, it means that you are respected and shown trust.
When you arrive at home, you must leave your street shoes outside the door. The owner will ask you to wear slippers. Most homes in Turkey have European-style furniture, although some families prefer traditional interiors with low sofas on which it is customary to sit cross-legged. If you are offered food and drink, it is good manners to accept the offering.

Let's turn everything upside down and start our story about traveling around Turkey from the end! Or rather, a short story about our impressions to show you what kind of place this is – Turkey. As with all trips to new cities and countries, on this trip we constantly noticed and wrote down in a notebook the most Interesting Facts about Turkey and the Turks that caught our eye. And as always, we talk about them very briefly.

In this article you will not find encyclopedic facts like “Turkey is located on two continents at once.” For background information, go to Wikipedia. Our interesting facts about Turkey and the Turks are what we noticed, saw and wrote down during our trip to this country. However, our regular readers are already familiar with such selections. Here are some of them:

So, Turkey: interesting facts about the country of stunning landscapes, reckless drivers and lazy cats!

1. Turks smoke a lot. Very. Men probably smoke every single one of them. That is why in Turkey there is a sign “No smoking! Fine N lire! If there is no such sign, they will start smoking everywhere.

2. Turks drink tea all the time. Turkish tea, of course. From small glasses.

3. In Turkey, the seller usually tries to weigh more goods than the buyer asked for. For example, you need two kilograms of peaches. The seller will definitely weigh three. Well, at least take two and a half, friend!

4. In Turkish hairdressers, only men cut their hair, and women only get their hair cut by women. Moreover, there are many more men's hairdressers. Only in tourist places for foreigners can you sometimes find a Unisex Hairdresser service: this is a unique specialist who can cut both men and women’s hair. Not otherwise, two higher education It has.

5. Turkey has very cheap fruits and vegetables, but expensive meat (chicken fillet– 3.5 dollars, a kilo of beef – from 13 dollars).

Interesting facts about Turkey and the Turks: peaches and huge plums for only 2 lira ($0.7)? Mmmm, I want to go to Turkey!

6. When the Turks pick up the phone, they say “Hello!” just like us.

7. There are no storage rooms in Turkish stores. And if there is, then only in international chains like IKEA. Showed up to the store with your luggage after the market? So walk around the hall with him, no one will say a word to you. Yes, and there are no guards either. Although there are scanwords.

8. All shops and markets in Turkey give free bags to customers. Although, maybe they don’t give it at IKEA either)

9. Turkish women wear very bright makeup. Moreover, the smaller the town, the more its residents are smeared.

10. In Turkey, electricity often goes out for several hours. Sometimes entire cities sit without electricity for hours.

11. And about electricity: wherever possible, wires in Turkey are hidden underground. This is very cool and does not spoil the landscape, as in some Asian countries where they do not know how to appreciate beauty.

Interesting facts about Turkey: here the wires are hidden underground so as not to spoil the landscape. Feel the difference: a street along the waterfront in Antalya...

...and a street along the embankment in Pattaya. And the Thais cannot understand why in Turkey there are lights, but no wires. Shaitan, however!

12. Turks drive cars very fast and very carelessly. Cross the road carefully!

13. Speaking of cars: There are a lot of Russian cars in Turkey - “fives”, “ten”. Now you know how to distinguish a poor Turk from a wealthy one)

14. Turks do not recognize studio apartments and one-room apartments. The most common apartments are with two or three bedrooms (two-room and three-room in our opinion).

15. Turks love board games. In the cities of Turkey there are entire cafes designed specifically for this: all the tables are occupied by players, each of whom consumes up to a ton of Turkish tea in the process.

16. There are a lot of cats on the streets in Turkey. Beautiful, well-groomed and lazy. And in the parks there are special cat houses and special people who feed and care for them. Ordinary Turks also love street cats very much and constantly feed them. There are also dogs on the streets, but there are much fewer of them than cats. All stray dogs in Turkey look good (not that they are miserable) and wear earrings that indicate the municipality to which they are “assigned”. Dogs are also fed by special people.

Interesting facts about Turkey: Antalya, the famous Old Town and its equally famous inhabitants - Turkish cats.

17. As a rule, Turks (especially young people) dress very well and they clearly don’t spare money on clothes. Girls, by the way, mostly dress in European style. They mostly wear jeans, but short skirts and shorts are also not uncommon.

18. This is where it’s difficult, but I’ll try to explain. If you don’t speak Turkish, and a Turk doesn’t speak any of the languages ​​you know, but he wants to explain something to you, the language barrier won’t bother him at all. The Turk will communicate with you in the purest Turkish language, without bothering with gestures and other means of international communication. And it doesn’t matter that you didn’t understand a word.

19. There are a lot of electric mopeds on the streets of Turkey. It’s unlikely that the Turks are great fans of ecology – it’s just that gasoline is expensive.

20. Turks love Turkish music– folk, rock, pop. From a Turkish car you will never hear the music of foreign performers, even those who are super popular all over the world - be it the Beatles, Metallica or Stas Mikhailov.

Friends, what funny and interesting facts about Turkey and the Turks did you remember during your trip to this country? We are waiting for your feedback! And - we know everything about life and holidays in Asian countries!

Today the population of Turkey is 73 million people. Of these, 82% are Turks, 11% are Kurds, the rest includes Arabs, Greeks, Armenians and representatives of other nationalities. More than three million Turks live in Germany and other European countries. Currently, the population is increasing due to Russians and other residents of the CIS countries.

The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey recognizes as a Turk anyone born in Turkey to a Turkish mother or Turkish father. The largest cities in Turkey are Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Adana, Bursa. In the east, Türkiye borders Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Iran; in the northwest - with Bulgaria and Greece; in the southeast - with Syria and Iraq. The Republic of Turkey is washed by the Mediterranean, Black, Aegean and Marmara seas.

For many centuries, contacts and assimilation of different peoples took place on the territory of Turkey. For example, the ancient inhabitants of Asia Minor were similar to the Sumerians of Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) and the Turks of Central Asia. In ancient times, the territory of Anatolia was attacked by Indo-European tribes, who created the Hittite kingdom. Later it was dominated by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans.

The historical homeland of the Turks is the Altai Mountains. To the east of their lands lived the Mongols, and to the west - the Finno-Ugric (ancestors of modern Finns, Hungarians and Estonians). Gradually the Turks settled Central Asia and created an empire with a huge territory. In the ninth century, the Oghuz Turks living in Central Asia converted to Islam. Later they began to be called Seljuk Turks. From century to century they became stronger. In the 11th century, the Seljuk Turks conquered Eastern Anatolia, which was part of the Byzantine Empire. Numerous Turkic tribes settled in the territory of Asia Minor, assimilating the local population.

The Kurds are one of the two largest ethnic groups of the Turkish population (the second of them is the Armenians), who, living in Turkey, avoided assimilation with the Turks during the era of the Ottoman Empire. They live in Eastern Turkey, in mountainous and inaccessible areas, their language, origin and cultural traditions are very similar to the Persians. In 1925 and 1930, the Kurds staged independence uprisings against the Turkish Republic, which were brutally suppressed. For a very long time, a state of emergency was in effect on the territory of the Kurds, and in 1946 they received the same status as the rest of the Turkish provinces. To this day, this problem remains extremely acute, especially since neighboring Iraq and Iran are home to fairly strong Kurdish minorities that support the Turkish Kurds.

Turks are very polite and courteous. IN difficult situation they will always help you and will not leave you in trouble. When meeting, they are always friendly and hospitable, and attach great importance to etiquette. Turks are very good towards people who respect their traditions, and if you know at least a few words of Turkish, it literally disarms them. According to them religious traditions, rooted in Islam, emphatically polite greetings and good wishes addressed to each other play a very important role for them. But they also have certain disadvantages that immediately catch the eye of a Western tourist: being an Eastern people, they are very slow and unpunctual. Therefore, if you enter into any deal, discuss the time and price in detail in advance.

If you see a woman dressed in black clothes on the street, you should not point fingers at her or take photographs.

If you enter an apartment, a Turkish private house or a mosque, you should always take off your shoes before entering and leave them in front of the door. And if the mosque is crowded, you can put your shoes in a bag and take them with you. When entering a mosque, you need to be decently dressed; a woman is supposed to tie a scarf on her head; It is prohibited to visit such places in shorts, short skirts and T-shirts.

You will not meet a drunken Turk on the street: Islam prohibits drinking alcoholic beverages. Therefore, tourists need to behave accordingly, respecting the traditions of this country.

Appearance

Whatever the traditions, the most valuable thing in every country is its people. Outwardly, Turks are very different and very different from each other: from dark brunettes with dark skin to light-skinned blondes. Thus, the external image of the Turks reflected all the processes of assimilation that took place over many centuries in this country. A special source of male pride is the mustache, which is common to many Turks, with the exception of the military.

Character traits

The character traits of the Turks are very contradictory due to the fact that they combine East, West, Europe, and Asia. Intensified national pride coexists with their inferiority complex. Being Muslims, the Turks subconsciously consider themselves superior to other peoples, but do not disdain simple menial work and are recruited as cheap work force to Western Europe. Hearing the words “Great Turkey” numerous times, many understand that their country is still far from true greatness. It's too big here social inequality: from rich people who own luxury villas in Turkey to slum dwellers barely making ends meet.

Turks value friendship very much and they are ready to do literally anything for a friend. And if someone becomes an enemy, then it is forever; they do not change their views and attitudes for a long time. Turks are rarely objective; a person who simply flatters them and does not experience sincere feelings can easily become their friend. Such people often abuse friendship and use it for their own purposes, relying on the kindness, reliability and naivety of their friend. And even a reasoned dispute between friends can ruin the relationship.

Turks are self-critical and have a good sense of humor. But they do not accept criticism from foreign citizens, and even one thoughtless word can hurt them to the core. Turks should never categorically declare that everything is bad; they will be much more pleased to hear that they are doing everything well, but they need to try to do even better. You should also not put pressure on the Turk; it is better to come to an amicable agreement with him.

Trust is of great importance to all Turks. They are ready to refuse even lucrative offers if they hear notes of distrust addressed to them. On the contrary, by showing trust in your interlocutor, this imposes on the Turk a sense of even greater responsibility. But they are not always true to their word, attributing any failures or mistakes to Allah. Turks are tolerant of representatives of all nationalities, but they are still leisurely and imprecise, they have absolutely no sense of time. If they say they will do it tomorrow, then this may mean that it will be done sometime, for example, in a week. You need to adapt to this, it is useless to be offended and angry with the Turks, and even more so to show them your rage - this will not lead to anything good.

Turks are emphatically polite when communicating with each other, especially in small towns. They are considerate in their relationships with each other, never create a crowd, and if they accidentally offend each other, they immediately apologize. Drivers give way to pedestrians and try to be mutually polite, and all misunderstandings are resolved peacefully and without conflict. But, unfortunately, in large cities (such as Istanbul) this tradition is already disappearing.

Turkish Hospitality has already become the talk of the town. Don’t be surprised if, after one or two meetings, they invite you to their home and introduce you to all their relatives. If Turkish people invite you to their place for lunch, dinner or just tea, it would be impolite for you to refuse them, as they may take it as a personal insult. By inviting you to their home, the Turks want to express their respect and trust in you. According to national customs, after visiting a Turkish home, you need to take a reciprocal step by inviting them to visit you.

Relations between the opposite sexes among the Turks are completely different from ours. Turks treat a woman exclusively as an object of love, so they do not accept treating a woman as a comrade, friend or work colleague. Turks prefer to spend time with friends, and you will rarely see a married couple going somewhere together, except to visit relatives. From time immemorial turkish woman She was a homemaker and stayed at home with the children, not working anywhere. But recently, due to the increasing Europeanization of Turkey, one can increasingly see women working and even occupying prominent positions in the state.

In Turkey, premarital relations between a man and a woman are prohibited, and civil marriages are also not encouraged. Having liked each other, the young couple immediately decides to get married. Outside the home, it is not customary to show excessive tenderness towards each other. There is still a so-called morality police here, so you won’t see a couple kissing on the street. It wasn't until 2002 that the mandatory virginity test for high school girls was abolished.

Even asking about your wife’s health and saying hello to her is considered indecent among the Turks. It is common to ask about the health of the family in general and say hello to the family, even if you have been in the house before and know the wife.

While in a restaurant or at a party, it is considered an ugly act to invite someone else’s wife to dance and sit in an empty seat at the table, especially if women are sitting nearby. Turks are great owners and jealous people and do not even allow the thought that a wife can dance with someone else.

When it comes to marital fidelity, Turks are uncompromising and even merciless; they do not forgive infidelity, and some can even kill. There was such a case when the Turkish parliament acquitted a policeman who killed his wife and brother after catching them together. At the same time, the public views cheating on the part of men favorably.

A large number of fans does not elevate a girl in the eyes of a young man, while in Europe an army of fans only adds to the girl’s authority. Until now, a girl in Turkey is limited in her choice of a future husband, and marriages are often concluded by agreement between the parents of the bride and groom. Today is a transitional period between old entrenched traditions and a new outlook on life, and a Turkish woman who is actively studying and mastering new professions now has different needs and demands, but men very often do not want to admit this, so this often causes a crisis in new families.

Family life

Family and kinship ties play a big role for Turks. In Turkish families, especially in rural ones, there is a clear hierarchy: the wife and children unconditionally obey the husband and father, younger brothers - older brothers, and younger sisters - older brothers and sisters. The older brother - Abi - is essentially a second father for younger brothers and sisters. His responsibilities include protecting the honor of his sisters, so he is often a real tyrant for them. A mother of a family with many children enjoys well-deserved respect and authority among the entire family, especially if she has given birth to her husband several sons.

The authority of the head of the family - the father - was always absolute and undeniable. WITH early years Children were raised to have deep respect for their parents, especially their father, they even had to stand up in the presence of their father, and some Turks, until adulthood, do not dare to smoke in front of their father.

Turks, especially in rural areas, have their own ideals of beauty. Strong and plump women who can shoulder the entire burden of household chores are valued. Turkish proverb says about canons female beauty: “She was so beautiful that she had to turn around to walk through the door.”

Leaving her parents' house, the girl already becomes a member of her husband's family, but here she occupies a much lower place than in her parents' family. The daughter-in-law is not considered a member of the family until she gives birth to a son. She does not even have the right to call her husband by name, and when addressing new relatives, she must say “your son” or “your brother.”

The birth of a child, especially a son, immediately increases the status of a young woman in a new family. And she is respected the more, the more sons she has. But if a woman is infertile, this is a real tragedy for her. The public condemns such a woman, she loses all her rights, including the right to inheritance, and the marriage itself becomes jeopardized.

Husbands do not discuss their wives with other people, much less brag to their friends about their victories in love front. In small towns and villages you will never see spouses together. Showing affection towards your wife is considered indecent. And if a man returns after a long business trip, he is greeted first by his male relatives, followed by his mother and sisters, and lastly by his wife.

There are still some prohibitions for women from men. Thus, it is not customary for women to attend any parties, entertainment venues or restaurants without a male escort.

The life of a bachelor is not a typical phenomenon in Turkey, especially in the countryside. It is considered strange if a guy does not get married before the age of 25. Currently, young families no longer live with their parents; they often rent apartments in Turkey, and their parents can also buy them inexpensive real estate in Turkey. Young couples with their parents often visit each other. People here really like to visit, have tea parties and give each other small gifts.

In Turkey you will not find such a thing as shelters or nursing homes, characteristic of the European or American way of life. It is customary to take care of elderly relatives until the end of their lives. Here, even neighborly relations are imbued with warmth and attention, and taking care of close relatives is the direct duty of every Turk.