How Turkish Culture Impacts European Culture
How Turkish Culture Effects and Fits in European Culture
Since the very old times we can see many different cultures lived in this world. Some of them are already extinct, some of them is still maintain; such as Chinese and Turkish culture. Since BC 3th century we can see first Turkish states; Huns are the first established state in Turkish history. After Huns, 15 different Turkish states established during the history. The last one is established in 29 October 1923 as Turkish Republic or Turkey.
Since old times Turkish cultures and European cultures are tied to each other. After Migration Period Turks were separated all around the Europe and effected these time and today also, because after Migration Period all the civilizations have to change their places such as Goths. After this period European was formed as today, so according to our topic, Turks were effected European and its culture.
Turks are not just effected European culture, they also effected Middle Eastern and Chinese culture. Turks are very important in history, as their history, Turkish culture is very old and famous in the world;
After Turks established their first state in Europe, they immidiately start to conquest new territories, so in this territories culture also develop with the conquest. As Turks firstly lived as unsettled communities, so it was so easy to spread their culture. European Huns developed too much, they even conquer Rome but unable to conquer this city. Around 100 years European Huns dominate Europe especially Eastern Europe but after this 100 years European Huns collapsed because of lack of governance. After European Huns collapsed, some new races emerged like; Bulgarians, Hungarians. Today the country of Hungary’s name cames from Huns but during when the time has changed Hungarian people assimilated and now most of the Hungarians do not accept that they were Turk once.
In history before 11th century there were several Turkish states established but they were all established today’s Kazakhistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan region and they were not effected European Culture too much.
SELCUQ PERIOD
In 11th Century after the Battle of Mazkiert in 1071, Turks finally go into Anatolia. After this date firstly Byzantines and then the Europe effected very much. Great Seljuq Empire and Anatolian Selcuq Empire effected Europe too much. Especially in Anatolian Selcuq times European states and Papal State had to make Crusades to Anatolia and Middle East to regain the areas and especially Jerusalem which is holy for all big three religions. After these Crusades failed, European forces learn so much things in Anatolian region and they took all these diciplines and these diciplines were taught nearly 500 years in Europe. These diciplines are really important in European history because after these diciplines came to Europe, European professors try to learn the secrets and try to establshed their own diciplines according to these ones. At these times in Anatolia and Middle East region had too important scientist such as; İbn-i Sina, Farabi.
Selcuqs also effected Europe as in Crusade times Byzantines were destroyed by Crusaders and Byzantines had to established two different states in İznik and Trabzon. After this Crusade fail Byzantines can managed to take their old regions and Constantinopole. Ottoman Period and Republican Times
The most important time period in history as Europeans effected by Turks was definitely starts after the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 by Fatih Sultan Mehmed and Ottoman forces.
In 1299 a new Turkish State was established. This state’s name was Ottomans. When Ottomans was established, Anatolian Selcuqs were in lack of governance and in Anatolia new seigniories were established and Ottomans take advance of this lacks and extend the borders and in 1453 they conquered Constantinople and a new era began after this fall.
Lots of scientist escaped from Constantinople and they all went to Rome and they started their new researches there. These scientists finished Middle Ages in Europe and Renaissance Period started. In this period scientist tried to translate all the Ancient Greek documents to Latin and Europe began to developed.
In Renaissance Period Europe effected too much from Ottomans, not directly but indirectly ways. Europe had to develop because of Ottomans, not to drop behind from Ottomans.
After Ottoman Empire period in 1923 when the Republic was established, in 1933-1934 Turkish Government declared Woman Rights, this was really important in history because Turkey is one of the first country in Europe which give this right to woman in that period. Most of the countries in Europe effected from this act and declare woman rights in their own countries.
In Atatürk period Turkey effected from Europe also, because Turkish Republic was newly established at these times, so Atatürk and Turkish government has to made some new reforms to catch Europe and European developments. At that time, most talented students were sent to Europe to learn European diciplines, developments and brought all these diciplines to Turkey. But when these younger generation went to Europe, they also brought Turkish culture with them.
After this period Turkish culture effected European culture too much. After Second World War and 1950s Turkish immigrants starts to move Germany, Austria and other European countries. This immigration policy occur mutually. In Europe after the war man population decrease and these countries need man power, at the same time Turkey still improving and government wants to sent Turkish people to Europe to improve themselves and get rid of highly unemployment rate. Lots of Turkish people migrated to Europe and especially Germany because Germany needs man power at that time too much.
After 1960’s as I mentioned in the last paragraph Turkish people started to move Germany. Especially after the construction of Berlin Wall started, these movement increase rapidly. Both West and East Germany needs this man power so Turkish immigrants starts to move both countries. In mid 1960’s nearly 7200 immigrant already moved and build up their lives in Germany. In the late 1960’s these movements stopped a little bit and in 1970’s they went back to Turkey. But in 1970’s most of these workers had to go back to Germany because in Turkey unemployment level is growing and this families needs money, so this time these workers went back to Germany with their families, homes and everything and build their lives as a German but some of them return to Turkey and never come back to Germany.
Movement to Germany continued in 1970s and 1980s, sometimes it decreased and sometimes it increased. After the Fall of Berlin Wall, this time racism began against Turkish people in Germany. Neo-Nazis and some Germans join Anti-Immigrant establishments. In 1990’s we saw lots of Turkish family which were murdered by Neo-Nazis. But most of the Germans are still living with Turks, and most of them might say it is a pleasure to have Turkish friend, neighbour etc.
In 2010, chancellor Angela Merkel said that multiculturalism in Germany had "failed utterly". Merkel aid it had been an illusion to think that Germans and foreign workers could "live happily side by side". At a conference of the youth wing of the Christian Democratic Union party, the German leader said (in reference to guest workers) "At the start of the 60s we invited the guest-workers to Germany. We kidded ourselves for a while that they wouldn't stay, that one day they'd go home. That isn't what happened. And of course the tendency was to say: let's be 'multikulti' and live next to each other and enjoy being together, but this concept has failed, failed utterly." In the same speech, she stressed that immigrants were welcome in Germany and that Islam was a part of the nation's modern-day culture.
When we look today, we can see especially in Germany, everywhere is Döner restaurants, we can see 1-2 Döner restaurants even in the smallest towns in Germany and on Sunday’s when everywhere is close, Döner restaurants still open and all of them is really crowded and in most of these restaurans you can also find Turkish home-made foods, so now we can see that Turkish culture really effect European culture and fits in it. It is not just like this, you can also see that when these European citizens come to Turkey, they always select Turkish food, because these tourists really love Turkish food. Turkish cuisine is really important in the World and especially in Europe. Turkish cuisine is one of the biggest cuisine and effect and fit into European culture.
Also today we can see especially in German celebrities, we can see a highly rate of Turkish celebrities inside of them. For example one of most famous director in Germany is Turkish; Fatih Akın and also we can see some really important actors and actress in German movies which they are also Turkish like Sibel Kekilli and the most important issue for Turkey and Germany is definitely football players which were born in Germany but originally Turkish ones. When we look to German National Team we can see three important player who plays for Germany oftenly and there are originally Turkish; Mesut Özil, Serdar Taşçı and İlkay Gündoğan. Except these players when we look to Turkish National Team we can see some players which were born in Germany like Hamit Altıntop, Nuri Şahin, Tolga Ciğerci, Tunay Torun etc.
When we look these comparison we can easily say that Turkish people and Turkish culture really fits and effects European culture and especially Germany. In the first times adaptation problems really occured, most of the first generation could not able to speak German but when we look to second, and especially third and fourth generations, we can easily say that, Turkish people really fit into Europe, in third and fourth generation we can even see some Turkish youth which not able to talk any Turkish. We can say its good or bad but it definitely shows that Turkish people definitely fits and effects European culture and when their living standards increase a little bit more and when this racism finish totally, at that time in Europe every single person can live freely, can do whatever they want.
As I mentioned before most of the European citizens are really happy that they know and get use to Turkish culture, at that time we can see synergy in both cultures tries to fit and effected each other and some points both these culture managed this. In todays world everybody needs these kind of effects to know the other cultures, and they all have to accept these culture, otherwise this world never can unite and every single culture will live inside themselves which is really wrong, every single culture have to open themselves all around the world to make this world more beautiful.
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Media:How Turkish Culture Impacts European Culture.docx by Dogukan A.