What do Poles think about Turks?

Typical Turk.

because those people you refer to are directly from the small villages to the Germany to work for their lives, for them culture shock is big, actually they can even call the turkish girls with the same word for not being so conservative as they want, in big modern turkish cities. no difference.

sorry for the late replies, I have been at the countryside with no ISPs



I dont think so, in Ottoman times Finns were fighting against Turks in Russian army for example in Crimean War and Russo-Turkish 1878. On the other hand I have no problem of being "related to" Turks, I could have a problem with being related to Hungarians cant understand them really :P .

The pseudoscience which tries to link Finns to Vikings(or the Goths) is indeed stupid, each nation should stand on its own than boast about its possible relation to some more bad*ss nation.There was probably some finns sailing with Vikings but that doesnt make them "related"



and politics plays its part too: whole Fenno-Ugric group has been seen either as Hapsburg plot (late 19th, early 20th century) or as a Moscows plot (modern times) to take Hungarians their pride away

If we investigate where these nations move from between 500-1000 A.C.;

Finns and Hungarians are like brothers/sisters
Turks and Bulgars are like brothers/sisters
These two groups are like cousins.

After more than 1000 years living in far lands, few similarities remained of course.

I like the Turks.

I read this and thought it was pretty cool:

"The contacts with Ottoman Turkey in the 17th century brought many new words, some of them still in use, e.g. jar (deep valley), szaszłyk (shish kebab), filiżanka (cup), arbuz (water melon), dywan (carpet), kiełbasa (sausage)"

I only had good experience with Turkish people.
My best gf is with a Turkish guy for a few years and form time to time I visit them in Germany. Before she started the relationship with Mehmet a lot of people in here had warned her aganist Turkish men and adviced her not to become involved- a lot of Poles think that Turkish men treat women very bad.. And standard image of Turkish family is "MAN: walking in front with his hands in the pockets, looking around, winking and making sounds at other women around WOMAN: walking behind, with ten children keeping her skirt and hands, carring five bags, stooped, utterly dejected" .
It is not like that with the people I know!!!!! He treats my gf as an eighth wonder of the world! I do not believe in stereotypes anymore. Other Turkish people i met there were also very friendly, kind and hospitable.

Yes you are right. I can't even think of walking in front of my wife.
I am lucky we walk together. I am not behind :))

where is this guy, I miss this one

I have friend form Turkey. They are very friendly towards Poles.

I am planning another trip down to Turkey in May...
Can anyone reccomend any places to go that are less visited?

Which parts of Turkey you have seen before ?. What are you interested in mostly?
History, natural beauties, sea, rafting etc.

I've mainly been to the big 2, Istanbul and Ankara... and in the surrounding countryside. I am interested in history, mainly, and architecture.. A place where I could stay and sample Turkish cuisine would also be nice..

Of sports, I am interested in windsurfing..
Are there a lot of places which accomodate tourists with equipement, for rent?

I think ''Alaçatı'' is the place you describe. You can fly to İzmir which is the third biggest city in Turkey. Alaçatı is approximately 1 hour by car to the west from İzmir close to Çeşme. It is famous for windsurfing. You can easily rent equipment on the beach, also there are nice beaches to swim. You can visit ancient city Efes and house of Mother Mary which are again 1 hour by car on the south of İzmir.

Hi all there!
i just newly discovered that forum and by the chance the fifth title under the "poland culture" attracted me. i have been trying to read the posts from the first page but i couldnt stand to read them all till 19th one. it's mostly due to the content of discussions.

First of all I'm another Turk who hoped to find something peaceful and cultural at that forum above nationalism (i mean both for Turks and EU citizens). and i dont think nation means much above the personality of a human. my mother's family emigrated from Crete a century ago and my father's family came to Eagean lands from Bulgaria at 19th century. all my ancestors call themselves Turks but how far am I a Turk? i always judge that situation for all Anatolians that have been living in these lands for 1000 years. how can someone claim that his origins are from Khan's of Middle-Asia? most of Ottoman emperors got their Sultans (wives) from Russian slave-girls.
Is it sound possible to keep a race as pure as it was 1500 years ago without any mix? we talk about here Anatolia, a land that has been a "high-way" of trade, wars, empires, religions and cultures!
Before 19th century there wasnt a conception of Turkish nationalism in Ottoman empire. every muslim was accepted as a part of Ottoman community, therefore after spread of nationalism all over the Europe, all muslims living in Balkans and around empire are called Ottoman Turks. Thanks to France Revolution for its all racist ideas!(I'm joking at the last sentence:)

anyway you see i'm not well going with the radical nationalists of my own country. on the other hand, Turkish nationalism was a great cause&consequence of "The Turkish War of National Liberation."

I think these explanations about nationalism are enough for the first post.
i dont want to get involve any polemics about race or nationalism etc.
i just want to share stuff on cultural relations.

by the way, those (espically women) who dislike Turkish men on Skype, please be sure it is not a special treatment for European girls and women. that type of Turkish men are unfortunately rude and something above rudeness that i cant find a definition in English,... towards Turkish women too. you're right that only talkable subject of them, is sex. Turkish chat rooms in Turkey are also the same. and unfortunately streets of Istanbul are full of men who thinks every women should/may desire them.
I always want to think in a positive way that because of illeteracy and oppression these class of men dont have any other possibility to get contact a women. However I'm at 24 and half of my life has passed with the hatred of behaveres and looks of these men and i cant think of any positive idea.
Above all, middle, high-middle and upper class Turkish men are except all of these conceptions and expressions. kind, respectful, clever, sweet and lovely men that you come across are probably well-educated, urban living ones and spending his time on more valuable things than talking on sex at skype!


finally i can explain why i'm here. i have been studying on "Polish cinema after communism era" subject for my MA degree.
Because i love eastern European cinema, and Polish cinema gives the best movies of it, in my opinion. so i liked your country just for the movies of your great directors.
i want to know much more detail about Poland, Poles, history and culture.
what else i can say, i want to be a friend. of course in cultural meaning:)

i hope, i may change some negative thoughts of you.
you see well-educated and friendly Turks are real and they exists:)


by the way, i'm agree 'alaçatı' is the right address; indeed İzmir and Aegean side is the right route to have vocation and get to know Turkey.

I am just after "Snow" by Orhan Pamuk. Very interesting book of Turkish author. Says a lot about Turkey.

Hello,
First of all, I want to say, I'm happy to hear another Turk's voice in the forum. Welcome !

I don't want to hurt you and involve any polemics but, what I did not understand is why do you think to be loved by people in this forum and to change some negative thoughts is passing from telling negative things or about Turkish society. Do you think the other countries and people are like angels. Turkey can not win with ınferiority complex.

For example if you say a lie ''we killed millions of Armenians and Kurds'' like Orhan Pamuk, they will like you but it is a lie.

I respect and agree with your peaceful comments. I wish everybody in the world could think like you. But, it is utopia. You will understand what I mean when you follow the forum.

Thank you for the information. I think I'll have to make a trip out there soon.

Generally...in terms of a nation... when I read your history...its full of Chivalry. Gallant men (many can even translate them as barbarians) conquering and reigning... Turks even before Islam, such as the Byzantine Empire ... and the Eastern Roman Empire... etc.

Turkey always remained a power block. However, its people whom I met are much violent and very untrustworthy.... but thats only those whom I met, probably you have good people back in your home.

Todays turkey, when asks for EU membership... the best I can do is to say 'Wish you all the best..' (I wouldnt go to give my vote though....neither yes nor no).

Unfortunately, whatever i told that sounds negative is generally true, not a lie. my aim is not to denigrate my country; do you think it is a delightful sense to talk about one's own country negatively in a foreign forum? I'm not a kind of person; neither i think Europeans or Anglo-American civilizations are innocent or the best of the man kind history. I have been studying seriously on world history (especially western) , politics, literature and cultural relations for more than 6 years. and I'm very unhappy with my "educated situation." world history and so called human civilization is like Pandora's box. there is not any hope for a good future; because history repeats itself with wars and nothing can be done towards capitalist economy and social structures shaped according to it.

i think a brief paragraph of my ideas about western civilized societies in general is enough to explain. what i told about Turkey or Turks is true, and my aim is not to be a star for Polish&EU members of that forum. indeed i wrote those especially for my own people. Because as far as i read, the nationalist arguments get sharpen and even radical; so for a moment we should stop and think about ourselves before defending our country and people. that is called self-criticism, a concept that Turkish people generally dont like much.
rock, i read some of your comments, and as far as i understood you are the kind of person to realize what I'm talking about.

On the other hand, when defend is necessary i can defend my country to the end.
I dont think it is justice to name events at 1913 as genocide; i mean Armenians. the whole country was at war; thousands of muslims/Turks were exiled also from Balkans and Greece and southern parts of the Ottoman Empire. (including my own family!). the politics of these countries were for their own sake, but when Ottoman decided Armenian's exile, it becomes a war crime? that's called "insincerity" at least. Ottoman didnt lead a war as an execution of Armenians or any other race or nation. what was done, even if it was purposely, was mutual in the atmosphere of world war.
huh i should also admit that Ottoman politicians were not such clever to prepare an execution, a structured genocide plan towards any non-muslim population at the empire. the intent&aim of Ottoman at 1st World War was totally different, and unfortunately what we got was just ruins.

I dont support any kind of exile, being refugee, or any kind of war caused by the clashes of power & economics. I'm a desperate peace child of '60s. But unfortunately, that doesnt help anything.

I think such an article of my ideas is enough to express myself; you see i'm not a sympathizer of a significant side. I'm not black or white. I just try to be neutral, which is mostly needed in my opinion.

Finally, anyway, yes i want to be loved -may be love is a huge verb, like is more proper- by Poles in personal; because i plan to study on their country, history and cinema in two years time and i need help! But i want to be liked with my honesty and neutral ideas.
I might choose not to tell my identity; even my nickname is originally a Greek word. but i proud to be a Turk with pluses and minuses; however i believe self-criticism is the very first rule before getting contact on a foreign platform.

i think that's all i can say for now . i just talked enough.

Your ideas are more clear for me now. I agree with you about self-critism. As you know when two Turks come together they begin to discuss how to save the country. It includes education, misuse of authority, corruption, man-woman relations etc.

But I believe, we have to be optimistic and talk about positive things at the same time. For example, majority of Turks are helpful, hospitable, supports weak and poor, humanistic and friendly. We really have very nice values.

On the other hand, I don't think ''nationalism'' is bad. It is the propoganda of ''globalization''. Globalization does not mean creating ''happy world state''. It is the new word synonymous with imperialism. Nationalism is bad for globalization of course. Because rich man of the world can not reach all the sources of the nations if nationalism goes on. Unfortunately in Turkey even lot of educated people, you may be too, if I am wrog correct me, believes this dangerous game.

I respect all the nations and people of them who loves their country, flag, ready to die for its independence.

In Turkey, I hate liberals (liboş) who are supporting Soros and alikes. I think this kind of thoughts are as dangerous as radical islam and kurdish terorists.

We have to be careful not to be slaves of global companies in our country.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk described nationalism perfectly. My way is his way.

Meanwhile, you know we like Poles in Turkey and as far as I see Poles also likes Turks. I believe, you will be happy to study in Poland.

I'm glad to we could get agree :)

Nationalist economic programs of Ataturk and newly founded republic were also so socialist reforms. today, liberal economic rules are against Turkey economy, and it gets worse and worse everyday. Turkey needs to re-nationalize its main economic sources before it's too late.

however, i think here is not the correct place for two Turkish people to discuss their country's economic situation in the language of globalization !:)

P.s. by the way nice to meet you rock.
it would be great when these values meet with the modern & civilized behaviors.
Maybe uneasy German citizens will see the "enlightened" side of the moon....

maybe not millions, but thousands....it is my understanding there was a lil ethnic cleansing of armenians, or are they just crying over spilt milk??

When I was in Warszawa in 1992 I met a Turkish man in his thirties on the tram. He asked me for directions to a store. I got to talking to him as walked along. He told me that he was in Poland on a business trip to buy merchandise to export to Turkey.
We spoke over a cup of coffee at a cafe.
He started to feel at ease and started to reveal himself to me. He said to me that he just got of service as a Liutenant in the Tukish Army. He went on to say that he faught in Eastern Turkey against the Terrorist Kurds.
He prided himself at saying that after they killed the Kurds that they would DE-CAPITATE the KURDS Heads and mounted them on Poles so as to show the Kurds what will be done to them if they lift up a gun or rifle against the Turks.
I was shocked at this as he stated this with great pride and achievement of his career.

no, it is not. I can tell what really happened if you are interested. But, the Europeans prefer to believe Armenians. Maybe because they are christains.
It is useless to try to change the prejudices. We Turks know that Armenian genocit claims are a great lie.




I want to confess when somebody lift up a gun or rifle against the Turks, Turks can not welcome them with flowers. But of course not happy to kill people even in war conditions. I don't support this guy's talk from this point of view.

If kurdish terorists kill innocent villagers, doctors, teachers and wants land for Kurds from Turkey, Turkey will not let them to live.

why is the turkish opinion stronger than the armenian?

forcibly displacing and marching people across the desert without proper rations of food and water may not be genocide but it doesnt absolve the turkish government of guilt.

and funny that those who "reverted" to being muslim were allowed to stay.

educate yourself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide

http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=5382

my turkish neighbours are really nice people, however there is supposed to be bad blood between the two nations due to past wars. I suppose my opinion could be a bit biased due to having a lot of friends from the Balkans but, I happen to like the turkish people I know.

slavic spirit of freedom? you mean women being slutty? all turkish people know all european and russain girls are ******, they sleep with every men they meet. we're muslims. our women are not slut like yours...

that's what you like to think but it's all boll*ox. take a look at your filthy face and think to yourself is there really a sober woman out there who would fancy to kiss that stinking gob full of rotten teeth? i don't think so.



yeah and you have the smallest di*cks in europe, and your men work as prostitutes to satisfy old grannies and fat drunken trolls on a holiday in turkey. congratulations.

not according to this link.

Turkish Girls go for Well Endowed Black Men

I will say I have had mostly positive experiences with turks. but I am from the US. I have been to turkey and loved it there. I may retire there 1 day. (At least I won't be kicked out after 90 days.)

My Polish cousin is like a district attorney in his town. They had a case where the best Turkish restaurant in town was busted red-handed killing dogs out back and using the meat. Unfortunately, this incident has tainted his view of Turks. He has no beef with eating dog - just put it on the menu so he knows what he is ordering!!!

It's not right for a small number of people to ruin the reputation of Turks. Nor is it right to judge a whole group based on the actions of a few.