Turkey - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

Don't just see the sights—get to know the people.

At first glance, Turkey may seem Westernized and entirely "modern"—but appearances can be misleading. It is above all a land of contrasts, a heady mixture of Oriental etiquette and ultramodern city life, deep-rooted religious faith and determined secularism, a fierce sense of national pride and openness to foreign ideas. The Turkish people are very much their own center of gravity, and for the unwary visitor there are pitfalls to avoid as well as great riches to be found.

Culture Smart! Turkey is an invaluable guide to the intricate ins and outs of this culturally rich and complex society. This updated edition outlines the complex history of Anatolia, provides key insights into contemporary Turkish values and attitudes, describes important customs and traditions, and reveals what life is like for the Turks at home, at work, and at play. It also offers practical tips and information about what to expect and how to navigate different social situations.

In this unique mix of Islamic and European cultures, the Turks are extremely hospitable. If you show an interest in their culture and respect for their point of view, they will repay your effort many times over.

Have a richer and more meaningful experience abroad through a better understanding of the local culture. Chapters on history, values, attitudes, and traditions will help you to better understand your hosts, while tips on etiquette and communicating will help you to navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.

Charlotte McPherson is an American who has lived in Turkey since 1979. For her graduate studies at Indiana University she specialized in Uralic Altaic languages and history. She has an M.A. in Anthropology, and during the 1980s conducted extensive research in Turkey and Central Asia among Turkic-speaking peoples. She has lectured in Social Anthropology at Mimar Sinan University, Istanbul, and has served as Vice President of the Turkish-American University Cultural Association. Today Charlotte lives in Istanbul, where she owned and managed a major English-language bookstore for two decades.