When in Turkey – Behave Like a Turk!

People are diverse and so are cultures and manners in every Erasmus+ or Turing destination. Some countries are more relaxed when it comes to etiquette or they are similar to your home country whereas others tend to follow their customs strictly and expect foreigners to do so as well. In order to avoid mistakes and enjoy your Erasmus+ or Turing experience to the full, we’ve created this piece to give you some insight into the most important rules you might follow in a diverse country, like Turkey.

Disclaimer: this blog comprises only the most important and well-known rules and our objective is to make you more aware of those cultural differences in the region for your Erasmus+ or Turing mobility. For this reason, the blog does not include all etiquette information, nor does it represent all people in a country. As mentioned before, everyone is diverse and even people in the same country and city have different points of view. Consider this article as a short overview about the most important rules, which should be a cheat sheet for Erasmus+ or Turing participants with a more European lifestyle, and perhaps don’t know much about the culture in Turkey!

Etiquette When In A Different Country

• Clothing: keep in mind to avoid wearing skirts or dresses that are too short or tight-fitting clothing, especially in a religious house such as a mosque or church. How about wearing traditional clothing representative of the country which will end up being a great “souvenir” when back at home?
  
  
• Hand gestures: please do not use hand gestures, particularly if you do not know the meaning of them and consider that not all hand gestures have the same meaning in every corner of the world. This applies to the “OK” sign as well! 

• Ramadan: do not eat or drink in public since many people will be fasting during the day but under no circumstances miss out on an “Iftar”, that is the meal at sunset and includes all delicious traditional food you can imagine. Before your departure, check if your stay will be during Ramadan so you know how to behave appropriately. 

• Invitations: there is nothing lovelier than being surrounded by your family and friends, right? If you want to visit someone at home, don’t forget to bring something with you and take off your shoes at the door. 

• Mosques: if you are interested in history and religion, you must visit a mosque but do not forget to wear modest clothing (long-sleeves and long pants) as well as a scarf if you are a woman, to cover your hair and don’t walk in front of a person praying. Additionally, please take off your shoes before entering a mosque.
  
  

In conclusion, everyone has their own individual beliefs, and everyone is different, which is great. At your Erasmus+ or Turing destination you will meet Turkish people who wear short clothes and do not take off their shoes at home. Obviously, there are Turkish people who don’t fast and do not take something with them when going on house visits. On the one hand you will come across citizens, who see their country’s culture as not being that strict and on the other hand you’ll meet people who follow the rules to the letter.

At the end of the day, you want to have an outstanding Erasmus+ or Turing experience and grow personally as well as professionally. For this reason, don’t hesitate to ask locals about specific rules. We are sure most of them will be happy to meet such a curious person and will teach you new things. Immerse yourself in the country’s culture and get in touch with people there to gain as much additional knowledge about a different place as possible and benefit from the popular quote “When in Rome, do as the Romans do!“

Have you already spent a certain period of time abroad, where you encountered a big cultural difference? Tell us in the comments below and share your funny stories with us!

Don’t forget to read other blogs about Erasmus+ or the Turing scheme on our website. We regularly share content and will be happy to assist with any questions. Just contact us by clicking here and someone from the TravelEdventures Team will get in touch with you shortly.

For more funding-related information read our article “The Definitive Guide for Erasmus+ Funding Applicants” or get better informed with “The Educator’s Handbook for Erasmus+ Project Management & Execution”.