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| TURKISH CULTURE |
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Being 'Turkish' seems to be a geographical label as
much as anything else. Everybody and their uncle have been through
Anatolia in the last 5000 years and the result is a rich and diverse
culture, drawing on influences beyond analysis. It's important
however to remember that you're essentially dealing with a modern
Turkey that is less than 100 years old.
1998 sees the celebration
of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic, an
event which almost all Turks, no matter what their political
beliefs, see as the point at which the idea of 'Turkey' was
preserved and the country as a whole brought into the 20th Century.
In conversation with Turks you'll often hear the newness or youth of
the country referred to as the reason for many things you'll remark
upon.
99% of Turks are Muslim. Turkey is however a militantly
secular country and life here is far removed from that under
fundamentalist regimes. This is a key factor if you want to achieve
any understanding of the way that politics and society work here. At
times you'll forget that you're in an Islamic country and only be
reminded next time you hear the call to prayer, broadcast through a
dodgy PA system from the nearest mosque. The mix of cultural
influences and traditions here is one of the things that draws
tourists to the country and, well, come and see for yourself.
It
is also important to realise that Turkey is a country undergoing
radical changes, and has been for the last century. Urbanisation and
migration from the troubled east to the more developed west are
changing the character of the towns and the rural areas and bringing
a truckload of social problems with them.
Turkey's position,
both geographically and politically, makes it a key player in
relations between Europe and the middle east. Turks themselves like
to distance themselves from the Islamic block to their east and
certainly do not perceive themselves as Arab. Their is a tradition,
founded by Ataturk, of looking west in terms of political and social
reform but the recent refusal of the EEC to make more than token
gestures towards considering Turkey for membership may have done
much to convince Turks that this road will not be open to them for
some time. The peculiar role played by the army in moderating
Turkey's democratic process coupled with human rights concerns, the
Cyprus issue and the continuing armed struggle in the East provide
serious obstacles, in the eyes of the West at any rate, to Turkey
playing the role in Europe that it wishes.
Turkey will, however,
continue to look for ways to expand her influence, with the roads to
the East and the West temporarily blocked this leaves the Turkic
block, recently exposed by the collapse of the Soviet Union, and it
is here perhaps that Turkey will find a role as a regional
superpower. The exploitation of this regions natural resources will
be hard to achieve without Turkey's involvement and cooperation and
natural gas and oil projects are under way.
Hospitality
Turks are famous for making one welcome.
You will find that the majority of people you meet will be friendly
and courteous to strangers, whether they're foreign or not. The way
in which this manifests itself will vary, of course, depending on
the situation you find yourself in but as a visitor it will probably
be most obvious when shopping.
The carpet shop tea
As a
tourist you'll find yourself offered tea by almost anyone who is
trying to sell you something. It's not rude to refuse and it most
cases it's probably not a pressure sell tactic, a lot of people are
more than happy to talk to you about where you're from, what you do,
how much you earn, whether you're married (these are probably the
four most asked questions). If you're comfortable in a shop and
fancy looking at the stuff that's there then have a tea. This is
common sense stuff anyway. No one's going to expect you to spend
$500 on a carpet because you got a free glass of apple tea. If they
do then you're better off out of there anyway.
In the home
If
you find yourself invited to a home, which happens quite a lot,
especially if you're out of the main resort areas, then you can
probably play it by ear. It's more usual to take pastries,
chocolates or flowers than something to drink. In the average
Turkish home you will be treated as an honoured guest, as is any
visitor, and it's an opportunity that shouldn't be turned
down.
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| RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS |
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Islamic Calendar
2
Calendars operate in Turkey. The official Turkish calendar is
exactly the same as that used almost everywhere else, the Gregorian.
Religious festivals however follow the Hijri calendar - a lunar
calendar which is offset from the Gregorian by 11 days every year.
The practical effect of this is that the positions of the various
religious holidays and festivals are not fixed but rather move in
relation to the year. This year for example was particularly
interesting and presented a conflict of interests. The first day of
fasting coincided with new year's eve, tricky one really.
Practicalities
The government has to balance the secular
nature of the Turkish republic with the wishes of the 99% of Turks
who are Muslims and a compromise has been reached. The Muslim
Sabbath is Friday which technically starts at sunset on Thursday.
Shops and businesses remain open but mosques and baths (Hamams) will
be busier on Friday than during the rest of the week. Sunday is the
secular Sabbath and some, but not all, shops will close. Confusingly
enough most museums will have a different day on which they're
closed, often Monday.
Major Festivals
Ramazan - A period of fasting, taken
seriously by a lot of people. Even casual Muslims will often give up
drinking or smoking for this 30 day period when the devout will
refrain from eating or drinking between sunrise and sunset. When
people do break the fast they like to do so in style and many
restaurants (especially in the big international hotels) will cater
to the fasters and put on lavish menus with a traditional focus.
As a non Muslim you'll find that a little sensitivity during
this time is probably a good idea. In rural or conservative areas of
the country you may find open restaurants a little scarce but in the
cities life goes on pretty much as usual. Wherever you are it's a
little rude to eat in the streets etc. The plus side is that you can
get the excellent pide , a flat bread, almost anywhere and it's very
tasty.
Seker Bayram follows Ramazan. An important family holiday
and a difficult time to travel as many people will spend at least
part of this 3 day festival with relatives. If you're planning to
travel over this period make sure you've booked both ways in
advance. It's a time for giving sweets and presents to children and
friends and generally celebrating the end of the fasting
period.
Kurban Bayram - If you're familiar with the opening verse
of Bob Dylan's 'Highway 61' then you'll know a little about the
origins of Islam's most important religious holiday. The ram that
Moses ended up sacrificing in lieu of his son Isaac is probably not
popular amongst Turkey's livestock, many of which meet their
respective makers during the 4 day festival.
Kurban, or
sacrifice, Bayram is an important affirmation of one of the key
tenets of Islam, shared social responsibility. Families who can
afford to sacrifice an animal will do so and there is a complex code
stipulating how the carcass should be distributed amongst friends,
family and charitable concerns. It's a major public holiday and many
shops and businesses will close, perhaps for a week. The burden on
the transport system is severe and the newspapers will publish a
head count of road traffic mortalities after the holiday. Travelling
before the holiday you'll notice the build up sheep, goats and
cattle on the outskirts of towns and cities as their owners bring
them in to be sold. On the day itself the more squeamish may want to
keep out of the way as many animals are despatched in gardens or the
street.
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