İ have never been to Türkiye yet,so i didn't meet Türkler in person,only 2 or 3 persons or something,but i am familier with them,we have a great historical relationship,kind of mix culture so it mixed people too

So i was wondering would it be different to live among them ?
Lots of my friends who have been there said No,its as if you didn't leave home land,except different language,and sights

So can you tell me about Türkler from your point of view ?

Tşk ederim

I went to Türkiye from pakistan in 1998 when I was 13. I thought Türkler were some of the warmest people I've met. I didn't sense any 'racist' behaviour, as is often encountered in some Western-European countries. There were many curious stares and shy questions, but everyone was extremely cordial. I'm reminded of an old turkish man who walked up to us, near the Suleymaniye, and began singing an old Pakistani national hymn -- I'm not sure how he could've learnt it, but he sounded pretty good and he sure made us feel welcome.

I was born in Texas, but I lived in Turkey for 12 years. I'm back in the U.S now, and have been for 7 years. But let me tell you, never will I ever meet such friendly, such wonderful, such warm and helpful people ever again.

Turks are magnificent people. But I do agree with you when you say they're a mixed culture. I think they're more confused than anything when it comes to culture. They're stuck between the modern world and all it offers (Europe) and the old world where everything's closed and hidden and the society's uptight.(Middle East)

So both sort of people can be found. But in the end one quality remains the same ANYWHERE you go, kindness.
People are kind EVERY PLACE you go to. Let's say it's a hot day, and you're exhausted, you look faint, and you happen to pass by some random shop who's got a few people playing backgammon in front of their store and sipping tea, they will actually run out to you, give you their own seats to sit and rest upon and bring you tea to sip.

They are wonderful people. Perhaps everyone's into eachother's business, but it's more for helping eachother out than anything else. You'll never be alone. You'll always have smiling faces and wonderful people around you.
People are respectful, nice and just super kind. Of course it's nice to have a Turkish friend who can be of a guide to you around the places you choose to live

You can find anything from the modern world where people live in luxurious apartments with doormen, and servants, to the old world where people live in mud houses and ride around on donkeys. So both can be found, which makes it all all the more interesting and neat.

My mother always said "Turkey is the only country I know that a prostitude, a religious woman who's covered from head to toe, and a teenager college student can sit right next to eachother on a public bus and none will bother or criticize the other." It's liberty all the way when it comes to how you choose to live.

Except of course if it doesn't clash with the Government. I mean you can't put on a shirt with "Death to Turkey" and expect to walk around freely lol. But that's just common sense. Also the scenery, the foods .. wow .. the foods .. let me put it this way, the food's so good that if you ever eat at a Turkish restaurant and try out their kebabs, their stuffed grape leaves and their rice, you will NEVER be satisfied with any other food. It just isn't possible. I have tried almost every sort of food out there, and NEVER have I tasted food SO grand, SO delicious, SO wonderful. It's just wow ..

Also, food's like a main occasion. People will get together to eat and chat and you know, just mingle Like if a neighbor makes rice pudding, she will make enough to give around to the whole apartment. Or if you're missing, let's say tomatoes from your table one morning for breakfast, you can walk up to your neighbor and ask to borrow one. And it won't be an awkward thing, it'll be so natural, and b/c I assure you, that neighbor will be missing something too one day, and you'll give them what they need once it's your turn to return the kindness. I just miss that you know.

Here in America, people are so PARANOID. In Turkey, if you see a woman with a cute baby, and you walk up to her and compliment her on her baby's cutness and maybe pat the lil' guy on the head or carress its cheeks, the mother will be happy. She'll take it as a compliment. But if you try to do that here in America, the woman will scream, call you a pedophile, and either have you arrested or spray you with pepper spray. It's sad. I remember a couple years back, a neighbor in our apartment building died, and they only found out after two weeks from the smell of it. NO ONE gave a shit about this person. This wouldn't have happened in Turkey. The family ties are EVERYTHING to Turks.

That's another thing that shocks me about Americans. Once their parents get old, they can't WAIT to get rid of them. They dump them into retirement homes for some stranger to look after them and they start spending their life-savings. In Turkey a mother's almost raised up to the level of a Goddess. For a Turkish man, nothing is as sacred as a mother. You can never repay what she's done for you. To have carried you in her womb for 9 months, to have nursed you and given you her own milk. And you want to get rid of this person? I just simply don't understand .. I miss Turkey terribly ...

Erem,

erem,
thanks, this is all wonderful, beautiful! u r a good speaker-narrator!
but
about a mother? this is also a problem! on one hand u have sons listening to a MOTHER (which sometimes affect bad on their marriages), on the other hand u have sons killing a MOTHER for the sacred honor of a family! PARANOID!

i think erach country and people has own specialites with their historical,cultural and economical backrounds.So world is a wonderfull cultures mosaic.And always bads and goods on everywhere,nothing all pure as snow piece.But i can say that hosptiabilty and humanism main specialities of Turkish people,and strong family ties the main reason of that.But pity things changing negative way in our country fastly after 1980's.Finally i can say Turkish society a good model for west&east by the cultural harmony

i think erach country and people has own specialites with their historical,cultural and economical backrounds.So world is a wonderfull cultures mosaic.And always bads and goods on everywhere,nothing all pure as snow piece.But i can say that hosptiabilty and humanism main specialities of Turkish people,and strong family ties the main reason of that.But pity things changing negative way in our country fastly after 1980's.Finally i can say Turkish society a good model for west&east by the cultural harmony

when material and selfish worries start kills to moral and ethical values,then not easy to wait a happy people.So a loving hunt always better then an selfish,proud and unloving palace....

This is such a brilliant thread, it just confirms all my thoughts about Turkiye. I have been only to tourist areas, but the hospitality is certainly unbeatable. This is another reason, along with it's beauty, why once you've been to Turkiye you leave a piece of your heart there. You can encounter some insensitive people in life elsewhere, but in Turkiye you become so warm. It's because of this that I experienced a kind of spiritual awakening, and for this reason I miss it every single day. I too hope to live there someday.

i think we all thirsty to more goodness Carla,and everybody looking for more that on different adresses,and seems ur prefer Turkey about that,but do you know thats the skilfuul of ur big heart,not the skilfuul of Turkeycoz u r a goodness land traveller