Is the Turkish Society Culturally Diverse? What about Istanbul?

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The Turkish society is composed of various ethnicities from diverse central regions of the Middle East, East Europe, and Africa, such as Arab, Greeks, Persian, Armenian, and Kurds.

But how could diverse races possibly gather in one region for hundreds of centuries and till today?? In this article, we are explaining the reason for the social diversity of the Turkish community in terms of cultures, traditions, and even the vast discrepancy within the political life in Turkey.



First: The Glorious Ottoman History:

The Ottoman Empire spanned an area of 3 continents, Europe, Asia, and Africa, which ruled the world for more than 600 years. By saying a massive land been governed by the Ottoman for six decades, that would indicate the significant population density that includes numerous ethnicities and religious groups. And also, the Ottoman Empire's geography was distributed over vast geographical areas, which included several races such as Christian Armenians, Greeks with a Jewish majority, and Muslims with a vast Sunni majority.



However, in 1923 the magnificent story of the Ottoman empire ended; it allowed the birth of the secular Turkish Republic by its founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who separated religion from the state to declare Turkey a secular state later. Mustafa Kemal founded the first secular party, which created a state of partisan and political pluralism in Turkey, affected social life in Turkey, and formed difference and diversity within Turkish society as we see it today.



Secondly: Cultural Influence: Cuisine, Language:

Today, the geography and cultural influence of the Ottoman empire is crystal clear within the urban life of Turkish society. For instance, go to coastal Alacati, Izmir. The Greek influence is nicely apparent within the city's architectural style and people's lifestyle, where each food dish can tell a mysterious story of civilization's mix.

And also, the buildings' charming style will show you the extent of tolerance in the Ottoman Empire. Or we can go to the east section of Anatolia, to Mardin and Gaziantep; the Armenian, Arabic, and Persian cultural impacts are evident almost everywhere.

Even the Turkish language is a linguist mix of several modern languages, such as English, French, Persian, Arabic, and the original Ottoman language. However, we are extremely sure about the beautiful rhythm of the Turkish language that regenerated charming and majestic music for generations.


The Cultural Impact of Ottomans on Turkey's Present, What About Istanbul:  

As we mentioned earlier, the Muslim Ottoman Sultans collapsed at the beginning of the 18th century, and the secular Turkish Republic was established. Since then, Turkish society has become a mixture of diverse mentalities and cultural orientations so that every neighborhood and every municipality in Istanbul has its own ethnic, religious, and cultural character.

For example, the Fatih municipality, located on the European side of Istanbul, bears a conservative Islamic character. In contrast, the Besiktas municipality is also located in the European section but bears a secular liberal character.

One of the cultural factors affecting the life of Turkish society is the political aspect, where each municipality in Istanbul is affiliated with a particular political party. This influence the nature of life in that municipality according to the municipal governor and the ideological and political orientation. The ruling party in Turkey is the conservative political party, The AKP, or the party founded by Ataturk, the CHP, which is a secular party.



Now the question must be pumped into your head within all these various social contradictions and ideological differences, is Turkish society open-minded? Do they like outcomes or immigrants???
The answer is BIG YES; Turks adore guests, and generous hospitality has been one of their prominent characteristics ever since. So moving to Turkey with family is such a brilliant idea; the society is diverse and welcoming to new cultures, and the infrastructure of the megacities does help as well.

Where you can find international schools in Istanbul and universities in Turkey that also afford programs for international students, the healthcare system in Turkey has evolved to serve all the social classes in Turkey.



However, moving to Turkey for work or business might be a tricky idea unless you have the right partner, so Turkey Advisors, with its highly professional team, will always be ready to guide till reaching the safe port of your next real estate investment in Turkey, or if you aspire to obtain the Turkish citizenship, our legal department will guide you from the beginnings till receiving your Turkish passport, call us today, own what you deserve.



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