Tourism On Turkey - Essay Example

? Turkey is the 37th largest country in the world, and it is the 18th most populated with 72 million people living here. After the downfall of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, Turkey was established as a secular and constitutional republic. The tactical position of Turkey historically as well as geographically has made it a fusion of eastern and western traditions. Turkey is called the bridge between Asia and Europe. Though the population of this country consists of 99% of Muslims, the government has declared it a secular state. In this paper, we shall discuss various aspects of the Turkey culture which will enlighten us about this country’s social, economic, and cultural scenario. Elements of Traditional Turkish Culture and Arab Culture observed in Turkey The constitution of Turkey has given everybody the right to choose their religious beliefs. However, despite of that the traditional Turkish culture and Arab culture exert a great influence over the life of people here. As in other Arab cultures, Islam holds significant place in the lives of Turks since most of them are Muslims. The Quran and the actions of the Prophet (the Sunnah) shape the basis of all religious and daily practices of the Turks. As per traditional Arab culture, family relationships hold the utmost position in the people’s lives. The father is positioned as the supreme head of the family though today, the mother enjoys equal rights. However, in most small towns and villages, till today the father is supposed to play the role of the boss and protector of the family whereas mothers are responsible for looking after the daily chores of the household. Children are expected to give respect to elders and support when they are old; and it is the duty of the elders to provide financial and emotional support to children when they are young. Every family member is supposed to help each other in the hour of need in every possible way. The segregation of sexes can still be seen in small towns and villages. Even today, women are supposed to pray in a separate area outside the purview of males in mosques (Magnerella, n.d). One of the traditional customs of hospitality of the Turkish culture has continued in the 21st century and is practiced even today. The traditional hospitality could be found in every corner of the country. The outlook behind the hospitality is “whatever religion you are from, whichever country you come from, whatever language you speak, you are God’s guest and so you deserve to be welcomed in the best manner”. This courteous and kind hearted attitude of the Turks is visible for every tourist visiting their country or any person visiting their home. Another culture that still holds an important place in the lives of Turks is the practice of Turkish baths or, Hamam. The emphasis of Islam upon cleanliness has made this custom a part of every event in the life of a Turk whether childbirth, marriage or death. Moreover, the famous coffee houses called Kahve, are very explicit to Turkish people even today (as cited in “People and mentality”, n.d). Extent of Influence of Westernization and Modernization on Traditional Turkish and Arab Culture Western and modern culture has been adopted by the Turkish people in a huge way. In 1923, Turkey was declared a republic after the fall of the Ottoman Empire during World War II. The main aim of the new government under the leadership of Ataturk was to turn Turkey into a contemporary, western and secular nation. The state religion of Islam was disestablished and all religions were given the freedom to practice their beliefs; the Western system of legal code was adopted. Soon, the classical music of Turkey became influenced by the western culture for example, the development of rock music insurrected the local form. Moreover, the European style of architecture replaced the Ottoman style in institutional buildings. The Turkish literature became westernized with the introduction of the novel and the short story. Most importantly, the western culture of lifestyle, clothing and attitude was embraced by almost all the Turks living in resorts, large towns and cities of Turkey. Most men, irrespective of class or status accepted the western style of dressing like trousers, shirts and jackets. Women wear dresses according to the latest western fashion though they never wore revealing clothes. People prefer living in high priced apartments and try to attain all western luxury objects like cars, electronic devices, cell phones and computers. In addition, they preferred sending their children to schools and universities which have European tongue as they their first language. Moreover, there is growing trend of nuclear families in the urban areas. However, westernization never touched the rural society in Turkey where people still continue to live as per the traditional Arab and Turkish culture (Magnerella, n.d). The Standard of Living and Cost of Living in Turkey The cost of living in Turkey is unbelievably low though the living standard is reasonably high. The average monthly income of 60% of the population lies between 100$ and 350$. The minimum salary as per the legal system is 100$ per month though 6% of the populace receives less than the minimum average. People in cities have started living in apartment blocks due to smaller sizes of families and the problem of urbanization. The various expenditures like water and electricity bills, taxes and service charges are very less because of which the cost of owning and maintaining a property is very low in comparison to U.K and other European countries like Spain, Italy and France (Dunkerley, 2008). One can find a great diversity in the lifestyle of the Turks varying from the ancient to the modern and European to the Asian. Turkey is called a blend of the Western as well as the Eastern culture. The healthcare facilities in Turkey are very superior and there is a wide range of facilities available in resorts as well as big cities. Turkey is the best place for those who want to make this country their home after retirement because of the low cost of living and professional healthcare available here (“Life in turkey”, n.d). Investments in Key Infrastructure Made in Turkey The government has introduced various plans for the development of the infrastructure in Turkey. It has almost doubled the expenditure to the R&D department however, due to lack of privatization and finance the level of technology incorporation is low. However, the nation has made considerable growth in designing the changes of the key infrastructures so that they can meet the standards of EU Accession requirements. The national energy strategy of Turkey is being upgraded to meet the growing energy demand in a proficient and sustainable manner. The execution of social security developments, which includes the beginning of universal health insurance, modernization of the education system, reformation of the health system and a reduction in social disparities has been a major step by the government (Turkey’s vision and key development challenges, n.d). Moreover, the government has made major investments in airport, ports, railways, and roads. The privatization association has made the privatizing of motorways, bridges and service facilities its topmost priority. The major airport projects currently under way include the extension of the Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, the edifice of three new airports and the building of Bodrum airport. Moreover, the port of Mersin was privatized with 777 million USD. In addition, big investments have been made in the railway sector, one of them being the beginning of construction of the Ankara-Istanbul fast railway system; in which the first portion of this line has been completed with the rest under construction. Moreover, the making of a tunnel passage of Istanbul’s subway network under the Bosphorus, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and the Syria-Turkey railway has been a major landmark and has contributed to the multimodal transportation in turkey (“Infrastructure,” n.d). References Dunkerley, M. (2008, July 9) . Living and Cost of Living in Turkey. The Global Property Group. Retrieved from http://www.thegpg.com/overseas-property-news/property- news.cfm?id=155 Infrastructure. (n.d). Invest in Turkey. Retrieved from http://www.invest.gov.tr/en- us/sectors/pages/infrastructure.aspx Life in Turkey (n.d). Model Invest. Retrieved from http://www.modelinvest.com/turkey/life-in-turkey.html Magnerella, P. J. (n.d). Turkey. Country and their cultures. Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/Turkey.html People and Mentality (n.d). Enjoy Turkey. Retrieved from http://www.enjoyturkey.com/info/Culture/People_Folklore.htm Turkey’s Vision and Key Development Challenges [PDF document]. (n.d). Retrieved from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTTURKEY/Resources/361616- 1209134642315/Turkey_CPS_Vision.pdf Read More