Religion
Islam is the religion of the majority of Turkish people (99.8%). Minority religions include Christianity and Judaism. Turkey is not governed by Islamic law.
Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is the name of the founder of the Republic of Turkey. Atatürk means "the father of the Turks." Despite his limited resources, he worked towards transforming the Ottoman Empire into a modern country. Some of his important reforms are:
• Change from the Arabic alphabet to Latin alphabet
• Foundation of a secular state (religion and state were separated)
• Introduction of monogamy
• Change from the Islamic calendar to the Gregorian calendar
• Women were given the right to vote and to be elected
• Modern dress code
The Republic of Turkey was established on October 29, 1923. Atatürk was the first president. He is a national hero to the Turkish people and his quotes, pictures, and monuments can be found everywhere in Turkey, from inside business offices to out on the streets.
TURKEY'S CULTURE
Turkey has a very diverse culture combining elements belonging to the Ottoman Empire, Europe and Islam. While living modern lives, the Turkish people make efforts to maintain their traditions.
You'll see that the culture of Turkey varies depending on the region and the ethnic background of its inhabitants. In big cities, the culture is very similar to Europe's. The culture in rural parts of Turkey is more traditional.
Greetings
• When meeting someone, it's customary to shake hands.
• Close friends and family members normally greet each other by kissing on one or both cheeks.
• Turkish people demonstrate respect for the elderly by kissing their elder's right hand then placing their own forehead against the elder's hand. When you enter a room, it's customary to greet the most elderly person first.
• Turks do not require as much personal space as some other cultures, and will stand close to you while conversing. Too much distance between people, for them, implies not being friendly and sincere.
• It's vital that you maintain eye contact while speaking since Turks take this as a sign of sincerity.
• During business meetings, it is considered rude to get to the point too abruptly. Turks will first inquire about your family and so on to establish trust, and will expect the same from you.
Cuisine
• Mealtime is an occasion for getting together with family and friends to engage in good conversation. Yemek içmek bahane, amaç muhabbet is a common saying in Turkey. It means "To eat and to drink is an excuse, the goal is to have a good conversation."
• It's not polite to eat in front of someone without offering to share. Turks will offer to share their snack with you, or even the food on their plate. It's polite to take some if you want them to continue to eat with comfort. Otherwise they will not feel at ease eating in front of you. There is a Turkish idiom reflecting the importance of this gesture: "One eats while another does not, this is why the Judgement Day arrives." If you are the one with food or snack, offer to share to demonstrate your own hospitality.
• Although on special occasions they do go to restaurants, Turkish people mostly eat home-cooked meals.
• Bread is served and eaten at every meal in Turkey.
• A typical Turkish breakfast, usually light, consists of tea, feta cheese, bread, butter, eggs, marmalade or honey, and olives. Dinner is the main meal of the day and may consist of several courses.
• People drink Turkish tea at almost every breakfast. Turkish tea is served in a glass accompanied by a small spoon to stir sugar with, and a saucer that holds the glass. The tea is prepared without sugar and generally one or two cubes of sugar will be placed on the saucer. Otherwise, a bowl of granulated sugar will accompany the tea. Turkish people do not drink "a glass" of tea. Glasses are refilled constantly unless you specify otherwise. It's a general practice to leave your teaspoon across the top of your tea glass to indicate that you do not want any more tea. Also, it's polite to say to the host "Ziyade olsun," meaning "May you enjoy abundance," when you've finished drinking your tea.
• Turkish coffee is traditionally prepared black (without sugar). It can, however, be sweetened according to taste; you should make sure to specify when you order if you want it sweetened. The bitter coffee grounds at the bottom of the cup are not meant to be drunk.
• When eating in a restaurant, the host pays for the meal. The concept of dividing the bill is foreign to Turkish people. It's polite to offer to pay, but you would not be allowed to do so by the host. The best thing to do is to graciously thank your host. At a later occasion, you can invite them for dinner at a restaurant of your choice, this time with you being the host.
• The national drink is rakı, an aniseed-flavored clear grape brandy, similar to Greek ouzo or French pastis. It's served mixed with water.
• You should always compliment the cook who prepared the meal by saying "Eline sağlık," which means "Bless your hands."
Visiting
• Turkish people maintain close-knit relationships with immediate families, relatives, friends and neighbors. They phone and visit each other often.
• Most houses are floored with handmade Turkish carpets. Generally, people will remove their shoes at their door and replace them with house slippers. Hosts expect that their guests will do the same.
• Visitors are always offered something to drink, such as tea or coffee served with dessert or Turkish pastries. Even if you have a full stomach, it is impolite to decline.
Other Facts about Turkey
• Turkey is the only secular Muslim country among the Muslim countries in the world.
• İstanbul is the only city in the world that's built on two continents: Europe and Asia.
• Turkish culture has a strong belief about the "evil eye." It's thought that even well-intentioned compliments include a conscious or unconscious dose of envy. To protect against the evil eye, the Turkish people use a dark blue bead that has a turquoise eye shape in the middle. Some of the places you'll most commonly see the usage of evil eye beads, called nazar boncuğu, are on baby clothes, at the entrances of houses and offices and even as jewelry.
• When a loved one leaves for a journey, it is customary to pour a bucket of water behind the car or taxi he or she takes, in the hopes that the journey will be smooth and the loved one will reach the destination safely.
• The Trojan Wars took place in western Turkey, and a replica of the Trojan horse rests today in Çanakkale.
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