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We must remember that the genetic transition between Europe and the Middle East is clinal, and culture/religion is really the only thing separating both regions. Is Turkey European, Middle Eastern, or something else? If you want to get technical, it is a Eurasian country. Europe and Asia do form a single continent after all
We must remember that the genetic transition between Europe and the Middle East is clinal, and culture/religion is really the only thing separating both regions. Is Turkey European, Middle Eastern, or something else? If you want to get technical, it is a Eurasian country. Europe and Asia do form a single continent after all
That’s true. Culture plays a big role in defining those borders. Cyprus is fully in Asia geographically, yet most would label it a European country (and it’s also part of the EU).
We must remember that the genetic transition between Europe and the Middle East is clinal, and culture/religion is really the only thing separating both regions. Is Turkey European, Middle Eastern, or something else? If you want to get technical, it is a Eurasian country. Europe and Asia do form a single continent after all
exactly. Turkey is the only country where you can find some "genetically European" people (a few of them even as light as Scandinavians), with oriental culture
my impression has always been that Turkey is: genetically mixed (Eurasian), Geographically almost exclusively Asian, culturally/socially/mentallly Asian, and politically European, even though the latter has changed
05-17-2022, 09:31 AM
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Originally Posted by Giannis
That exactly is how I felt when i visited Turkey, not one, but 5 times. Bazaars, hookahs, and carpets/rugs were everywhere, something that felt very alien to me. Belly dance felt very native there, and it was not unusual to see people eating on the floor. A LOT of buildings had Arabic pointed archs, like the clock of Izmir.
Forget about Islam, which is Even more frequent in Turkey than among some Arabs themselves (at least compared to Lebanon and Syria). Even without muslim things taken into account, Everything feels so oriental
But in a very weird way, when i see Turkish People talking about this issue online, they reject the idea of any resemblence to Arabs, and they mainly identify with nearby Europeans
Have visited Turkey twice. In September 2021(Istanbul only), then again in November to December 2021(Anatolia, Izmir, Ankara, Gazientep almost Arabia Kurdistan) with some new countries in between. Almost have Turkish ethnicity actually because my Parents, Cousins, Aunts, Uncles are from the Turkish influenced region of Dobrogea Romanian Black Sea. Going between Romania to Turkey, there is almost always another Continent vibe.
Turkey better hold onto the Liras currency. What a nightmare if ever converting to the Euros.
I think nobody can ignore the Arabic pointed archs in its architecture. No country in Europe normally has Arabic pointed archs in its architecture, a thing that you easily notice everywhere in Turkish architecture, with the exception of Black sea coast, which in my opinion socio-culturally resembles caucasus more than Middle east
Not only these Arabic pointed Arches again, if you remove the Turkish flag, you would easily get confused that you are in an Arabic country, everything resembles Arabic countries in the bazaar, and as soon as you get into a european country, this image is alien
This is interesting to me. I used to get into debates with my adopted son about whether or not his home country -- Pakistan -- was part of Asia or the Middle East. He insisted it was an Asian country (based more on geography), while I insisted it was Middle Easter (based more on Muslim culture).
This is interesting to me. I used to get into debates with my adopted son about whether or not his home country -- Pakistan -- was part of Asia or the Middle East. He insisted it was an Asian country (based more on geography), while I insisted it was Middle Easter (based more on Muslim culture).
That makes no sense. The Middle East IS part of Asia.
Anyway Turkey is part European and part Middle Eastern.
Turkey is 100% not a European country. It may have conquered some European territory that it is still hanging onto, but the USA has territory in the Caribbean. Is the USA a Caribbean country? Of course not. England controls Gibraltar in Africa, but England is certainly not an African country. The same logic should apply to Turkey. It is mostly in Asia, and culturally, it is middle-eastern, which makes it Asian. Turkey is part of the near east and not Europe.
I think nobody can ignore the Arabic pointed archs in its architecture. No country in Europe normally has Arabic pointed archs in its architecture, a thing that you easily notice everywhere in Turkish architecture, with the exception of Black sea coast, which in my opinion socio-culturally resembles caucasus more than Middle east
Not only these Arabic pointed Arches again, if you remove the Turkish flag, you would easily get confused that you are in an Arabic country, everything resembles Arabic countries in the bazaar, and as soon as you get into a european country, this image is alien
Why would any of that indicate it's a Middle Eastern country? It's on the doorstep of Europe. That certainly disqualifies it from being "middle" anything. The question is about geography, not culture, is it not? Is Israel Middle Eastern? It's Near Eastern, not "middle".
Turkey is 100% not a European country. It may have conquered some European territory that it is still hanging onto, but the USA has territory in the Caribbean. Is the USA a Caribbean country? Of course not. England controls Gibraltar in Africa, but England is certainly not an African country. The same logic should apply to Turkey. It is mostly in Asia, and culturally, it is middle-eastern, which makes it Asian. Turkey is part of the near east and not Europe.
Right. The OP is asking if Turkey is middle Eastern, though. Your answer is in the negative, which is correct.
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