Follow the jump links to learn more about Turkey:
Lifestyle and Family Living
Teen Life
Dress and Appearance
Diet and Meals
Educational System
Geography and Climate
Population
Language
Government
Religion
Spending Money
Safety and Support
Fun FactsLifestyle and Family Living
Many aspects of Turkish culture are a blend of traditional and modern ways, of conservative courtly customs and cheerful expressions of friendship. Manners are generally formal—especially in the presence of older people—but Turks do not hesitate to express their feelings; they generally use their hands a lot, adding meaning and emphasis to their conversations. They also love to laugh. Family members and friends often shake hands and kiss on both cheeks when meeting.
The family is an important institution in Turkish society and is usually close-knit.
Especially in rural areas, traditional family values prevail with the father being the leader of the family. Supervising the children and managing the household is generally the responsibility of the wife, while the husband is more occupied with work outside the home.
Members of large Turkish families, often living as an extended family, are loyal to the family unit.
Parental authority is respected and families are generally protective of teenagers, especially girls. Parents expect to be informed about when their teenagers are going out, where they are going and when they will be returning.
Children are expected to share in the housework.
Although your host parents may smoke, young people generally do not.
Turkish customs generally have a lot to do with social courtesies that are highly valued and deeply bound with the Islamic conventions observed by many. Hospitality, for example, is an integral part of Turkish culture.
Friends, relatives, and neighbors often visit each other, sometimes without notice. Tradition dictates that visitors are always offered tea or coffee and invited to share a meal. It is impolite to decline the offer and a Turk will do everything possible to make his guest feel comfortable.
Although this respect of tradition may seem very formal, Turkish people are truly friendly and curious about others.
You will be placed in or near one of three main cities: Izmir, Istanbul or Ankara.
Turkish host families, like all AFS host families worldwide, are volunteers and are not paid. They open their homes to students in order to share their community and culture as well as to enrich their own family livesTeen Life
Many schools offer extracurricular activities and this is a great way for you to meet people and make friends. Soccer is the most popular sport, both to watch and to play. Turks also enjoy volleyball, basketball, bicycling, swimming and picnics.
Teens also like to get together at friends’ homes or go to the movies.
Many customs are respected among young people such as deference towards older people and those with higher status and avoiding public displays of affection.Dress and Appearance
Dressing habits may vary a lot depending on the locale. Turkish people, especially in the cities, are more attuned to the latest fashions and styles from Europe and the U.S., and Turkish teenagers dress casually: T-shirts, jeans, and sweaters. A more conservative and traditional style is followed in rural areas.
Heavier clothing is necessary if you stay in inland where winters are cooler.
You should bring one or two nice outfits for special occasions: jacket and tie for boys, dress or skirt and blouse for girls.
All schools require a uniform, which will cost you about US$150. Your host family can provide you with details of the requirements for your school uniform so that you can bring with you as many elements of the uniform as possible and avoid any unnecessary cost.Diet and Meals
Turkish cuisine is among the finest in the world. There is a saying: Bring your belly to Turkey – it will thank you. It combines Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. It is quite rich and varied—although eggplant is the number one vegetable—and with particular dishes—notably shish kebab (skewer-grilled lamb), a Turkish invention.
Food is cooked mostly with olive oil, and can be very spicy in the eastern part of Turkey. Lamb and rice are common dishes and seafood is abundant on the coast.
Vegetarianism is rare in Turkish culture, but you can have an entire vegetarian meal from magnificent traditional Turkish meze, a tray or table of small dishes, including stuffed grape leaves, salads and a variety of other items, as well as shish kebab grilled on a skewer. Soups are also frequently prepared.
Eating habits vary according to the region and the food being eaten.
For their typical light breakfast, Turks will eat bread with white cheese, butter, eggs, marmalade or honey, and olives, all accompanied by tea or yogurt. Lunch is an important meal at midday, but the main meal of the day is eaten in the evening when the family generally expects to sit down together. Dinner may consist of several courses.
Desserts are sweet (often honey-soaked) and tend to combine fruit, nuts and pastry in tempting combinations. It also may include muhallebi (milk pudding).
Çay (tea) is considered the national drink and is served anytime, although Turkish coffee (kahve), a thick brew served in small cups, is served with nearly every meal.
Table manners require that young people wait until the older people start eating, and no one leaves the table until the eldest gets up.
It is considered inappropriate for individuals to request special foods, to prepare separate food for themselves or to raid the refrigerator.
To begin or end a meal, one might say “Afiyet olsun” (“May what you eat bring you well-being”). One may compliment the cook on the meal by saying “Elinize saglik” (roughly, “Bless your hand”).Educational System
The school system in Turkey is composed of two main stages: eight years of mandatory primary school and three years of high school, which may be public or private.
High school students in Turkey specialize in either mathematics and sciences or social studies. The science curriculum requires Turkish language and literature, history, geography, math, physics, chemistry, foreign language and physical education, with art and music optional.
The social studies curriculum offers literature, philosophy, logic, history, geography, history of art and foreign languages as well as math, physics and chemistry.
You will be placed according to what is available in your community and your academic background.
Students in the senior year of high school take their studies very seriously because they are in competition to get into state-run universities. They take an exam to determine entry to university. Turkey has more than 29 government-funded universities, the oldest of which was founded in Istanbul in 1453.
You will be expected to take active part in school studies including tests homework and exams: AFS is able to have school programs through direct agreements with the schools and the Ministry of Education. Therefore your positive approach to school is very important.
You will probably attend the second to last year of high school, as the last would be extremely demanding and you would have fewer chances to bond with your classmates.
You stay in one classroom while the teachers change rooms for different subjects. School is a great place to make friends and improve your language skills.
School runs from mid-September to mid-June with a two-week holiday from the end of January to early February.
While at school you will be required to wear a uniform that you will have to buy. However, the expensive textbooks will be provided by AFS.
Although most year and semester participants obtain credit for the academic coursework they successfully complete while abroad, AFS cannot guarantee academic credit for courses. Please discuss your plans with your school at home and abroad before you leave the United States.Geography and Climate
About the size of Chile, Turkey is a geographical bridge between Europe and Asia.
Its landscapes range from Mediterranean costs to jagged mountains, with distinctive places such as the natural hot spring of Pamuccale and the caved cities of Cappadocia.
Turkey is surrounded by water on three sides: the Black Sea to the north and the Aegean Sea (part of the Mediterranean Sea) to the west and south. Enclosed on the northwest is the Sea of Marmara, which separates Europe from Asia.
European Turkey is called Thrace; Asian Turkey is called Anatolia. Anatolia is quite mountainous.
The North Sea coast tends to have hot dry summers and mild rainy winters with the summer temperature in Istanbul around 28-30°C (82-86°F).
The Mediterranean coast features dry mild winters and very hot summers with temperatures above 45°C (113°F).
The Anatolian plateau is cooler especially in winter. Further in the mountainous east temperatures drop with cold snowy winters.Population
Turkey’s population is about 71.8 million. Eighty percent is Turkish—originally from central Asia and converted to Islam on their way to Anatolia. Other officially recognized minorities are Greek, Armenian and Jewish.Language
Turkish is an elegant and simple language, but word order and verb formation rules differ substantially from Indo-European languages. This sometimes results in difficulties for AFSers. AFS Turkey places high importance on AFSers learning Turkish.
Beside the intensive orientation language lessons, local volunteers in your chapter will arrange Turkish language classes for you. These may be taken at school or at an independent institution for the first three months, two-to-three hours a week.
English, French, German and Italian are spoken by many people around the country. Turks are very talkative and curious; therefore you will often find people that speak one or more of these languages.Government
Turkey is a democratic republic with Ankara as a capital. The president is elected by the Grand National Assembly for a seven-year term. The prime minister and his cabinet hold executive power in the government.Religion
Nearly all Turks are Muslim (98%), but the Turkish government makes it very clear that Turkey is a secular state and is very proud of its religious freedom. The role of Islam as state religion was abolished in 1924. The other religions represented are Jewish, Greek Orthodox and Armenian.Spending Money
The Lira is the official currency in Turkey.
About US$1,500 in traveler’s checks, when carefully budgeted, is more than enough spending money for an entire year. Host families pay only for ordinary family events in which you are expected to participate. When you do such things as shopping for yourself or going out with friends, the expenses are your responsibility.
Spending more than your peers and family may create a distance between you and them.Safety and Support
The welfare, safety, and security of our participants are always our first concern. AFS maintains a network of experienced staff and trained volunteers who provide support in each country. In the event of an emergency, 24-hour assistance is available.
An AFS Situation Response Management Team is in place at all times to monitor events throughout the world and respond as necessary.
Your AFS tuition includes comprehensive medical insurance coverage to ensure that medical care is available to our participants at all times.
Learn more about safety and risk management.
Fun Facts
- Noah’s ark landed on Mt. Ararat in Turkey.
- Coins were invented by the Lydians, whose land is now Turkey, in the 7th Century B.C.
- St. Nicholas, otherwise known as Santa Claus, was born and lived as bishop of Myra (Kale) in Turkey.
- Turkish women received the rights to vote and to be elected to office in 1934, earlier than Swiss, Greek, Italian and French women.
- Tulips were introduced to the Netherlands by Holland’s Ogier Gghiselinde Busbecq, ambassador from Holland to Suleyman the Magnificent in 1554, ruler of Anatolia (now Turkey)
- The city of Istanbul is the only city in the world that sits on two continents; the western side of the city is in Europe and the eastern side is in Asia.
