Turkish Culture

Three major components have shaped today's Turkish culture: the country's unique strategic location stretching between East and West, its six centuries as the seat of a multi-ethnic empire, and Islam.

BRIDGE LOCATION

Turkey is strategically located in an important trade corridor, culturally bridging East and West from Europe to the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Middle East. Additionally, this land of cultural crossroads is a cradle of civilizations that date back to 7,500 BC, and Turkish culture is enriched by the unique synthesis of all these regions and eras that color every aspect of daily life in Turkey today.

THE OTTOMAN HERITAGE

For several centuries, the Ottoman Empire, expanding from Austria in Central Europe to Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula and from Algeria in Northern Africa to Southern Russia, created a safe haven for many cultures and religions to live and prosper together; unlike other great powers, Ottoman Turks never subjugated and exploited the resources of the lands they ruled. Instead they served these lands and collected taxes in return. The unique blend of all these cultures in turn shaped Ottoman culture, which survived into the empire's successor state: Turkey. Indeed, modern Turkey is a microcosm of the Ottoman Empire. When the empire collapsed after WWI, many Muslim Ottoman citizens found refuge in present-day Turkey from persecution in Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Ukraine, Southern Russia and the Caucasus, concentrating the multi-ethnic heritage of the vast former empire within Turkey's borders. Just to give you an idea, when the Turkish Republic was founded in 1923, 40% of its population was foreign born.

After all this, it is misleading to limit Turks' identity and culture to a single area or ethnicity. Turks wear many hats and this is one of the major factors that differentiate them from any other country in the region. You can see this richness in every aspect of the culture, including Turkish cuisine, which is considered to be one of the three most prominent cuisines of the world along with those of France and China.

ISLAM

Islam, as the third important factor, has had a strong influence on the formation of the Turkish culture. Many hallmarks of the culture, including the famous Turkish hospitality, strong family foundation, strong solidarity among society (putting "we" over "I"), helping the poor, and suppressing one's ego to think of others before oneself, have roots in the Islamic faith.

A paragraph in defining the Turkish practice and the tradition of Islam and differentiating it from its misconceptional image in today's world is necessary here. Turks have had a very tolerant understanding of Islam throughout history, adhering to two important pillars: "There is no pressure in religion" and "Treat others the way you would like to be treated". In addition, Turkish understanding of Islam is strongly tempered by the social integration of Mevlana Jalaleddin Rumi's philosophy of tolerance and Sufism.