"Lorna, a British lady from Istanbul, observes:
When I go out to the park with my young daughter, I feel awkward and embarrassed when a man is very friendly with my 2 year old -- patting her head, pinching her cheek and chatting to her -- but completely ignores me. Often they don’t even look at me. I want to say ‘thank you’ for them being kind to my child, but talking with them seems to make them uncomfortable.
Turks LOVE children! All children -- even an ugly child -- are fussed over by shopkeepers, neighbors and people in the street. Back home we may be used to butch teenage boys thinking it will be an affront to their manhood to notice a child. Here a group of youths are excited to see a little baby and will coo and aahh over him or her as much as an elderly aunt will. And if your child has blonde hair… she will defnitely be thought beautiful and in need of cuddles and attention.
If she has blue eyes… well, then she definitely is gorgeous, and all the Turks you meet will have their day brightened by an encounter with her.But as you are a married woman, it is inappropriate for a Turkish man who has not been introduced to you to talk to you. If you are out in the park, or doing errands, without your husband then your child’s new friend is showing respect to you by not looking you in the face, and not chatting as freely with you as he is with your daughter. I don’t have kids, but I get something similar when out walking my cocker spaniel, Kila! He will feel that talking in a friendly way to you would be an infringement of your privacy, and could make you feel that he is interested in more than just a casual acquaintance.
In Turkey the boundary between formality and intimacy in male-female relationships is drawn in a different place. Many actions and attitudes that we view as still fairly formal are considered as intimate in this society.
For example, if one of your husband’s friends asked him how you are, it could be misconstrued if he said, “How’s Lorna?” He would normally recognize that you belong to your husband by asking, “How is your wife?” If he really wanted to underline that his concern for your welfare is as a family friend, he may even say “How is my brother’s wife?” -- that way he emphasizes to your husband he sees him as a brother, as is only concerned for you as an extension of his concern for your husband.
So, please don’t feel awkward that the Turkish man you have just met in the park is ignoring you: he is showing you respect and honor by doing this. If you want to let him know you appreciate his care for your child then thank him and give him a cheery “Goodbye” when you move on …. Of course, use “İyi Günler” -- good day, not “GörüşÃ¼rüz” -- see you later!"

by Charlotte McPherson, "Don`t talk to strangers?", Today`s Zaman, 22.01.2007

you're talking about very interesting things here...

well, since i have no personal experience with turkish people & society (except for 6-7 friends of mine who come from the Muslim Minority of Thrace, thus adopt easily to the "greek" environment), i would like to ask:

* do Turkish parents always want their chilren to live with them even when they get married?

* isn't a wife allowed to do not even a small job (lets say teaching foreign languages to small groups of children or something like that). i guess i'd be very difficult from a Turkish man to give his consent for his wife to work as a doctor or something, wouldn't it?

* apart from the character, personality and the education the indvidual has received, does it play an important role the place he grew up (lets say whether he was raised in Western or in East Turkey, e.g in Istanbul, Izmir, Gaziantep or Kirikkale?)

As far as i know, u r not necessary to live wiz your parents after marraige if only you cant rent flat. by the way a question to one who might know I that true - to rent a flat in Istanbul some real estate agencies require marraige certificate?

Qdemir, you act like a teen, repeating the sentences and just replacing some words