There’s global confusion about whether Turkey is an Asian or European country.
Why Is There Confusion Around The Classification of Asian people?
Cause: ‘Asian’ has been largely associated with East Asians:
This isn’t about claiming the term ‘Asian,’ but people often wrongly group West Asians, Central Asians, and etc. with wrong cultures largely due to the current popularity and hype surrounding East Asian culture.
Cause: Overgeneralization of Asian Identity
With the rise of Asian media, the term “Asian” has become more associated with East Asia, leading to confusion.
There is a tendency to overgeneralize Asian identity based on East Asian characteristics due to people consuming popular culture influences like anime and media portrayals. This narrow view fails to recognize the diversity within Asia and oversimplifies the complex identities of people from different regions.
Cause: American Terminology
This misunderstanding persists, especially in American individuals, where race and identity are often simplified into broad categories like black, white, and Asian. This kind of shallow terminology doesn’t work well in other parts of the world. It’s why many people, especially in America, struggle to understand this topic and mix things up. The world doesn’t fit neatly into black-and-white categories.
What’s the truth then?
Asia is not only East Asia
Asia is not limited to East Asia; it is the largest continent, with incredible diversity in cultures and countries. The term “Asian” has often been used to describe East Asians because people in the west could not differentiate them. Even today, many individuals are rudely labeled as “Chinese” when they are not. People used to care less in the past, but the world has gladly become very sensitive to racism, which led to oversimplifications, such as broadly calling certain people Asian.
Diverse Asian Appearances
Asia is a vast continent with a wide range of physical features. It is not accurate to associate Asia exclusively with monolid or East Asian facial features. Many Central Asian countries, including Turkey and central Asian countries have populations with diverse appearances, East Asian and including individuals with blonde hair and blue eyes.
| European Aspects in Turkey | Asian Aspects in Turkey |
| A small portion of the CITY Istanbul, lies in Europe, which makes it geographically tied to the continent. → | However, the majority of Turkey, including almost all of its landmass, is situated in Asia. |
| Some people in Turkey, particularly in Istanbul and other large cities, have adopted a more europeanized lifestyle. This includes embracing western customs, values, and ways of life. A large group of people at those places disregard and don’t know much about the Turkish culture. → | Which is different from the people live generally live in smaller parts in Turkey. Despite these influences in certain parts, Turkish culture has Asian roots, influenced by Mongolian and Central Asian traditions. Historically, Turks where nomads who lived alongside Mongols, and their culture emphasizes values such as togetherness, respect (especially for elders), loyalty, brotherhood (in Turkish: Kan Kardesligi), and integrity, etc.—similar to Confucian principles. These are distinctly non-Western traits, in contrast to Western individualism. |
| Living according to Western standards often means embracing individualism, which is considered as a Western not Asian value. Many people in urban areas of Turkey, like Istanbul, reflect this in their lifestyle and attitudes. → | Turkish culture, however, traditionally values collectivism, placing importance on the group rather than the individual. This is a significant contrast to the individualism prevalent in European and Western societies. |
| In larger, more cosmopolitan cities like Istanbul, it’s common to see people dressing in a more open and Western style, which is seen as a sign of europeanization. → | However, covering up—even without wearing a headscarf—is part of traditional Turkish culture. Modesty in dress is a common cultural value, much like in other Asian societies. This aspect of Turkish identity contrasts with more liberal Western dress codes. |
| Istanbul and other major cities are often viewed as more Westernized, and there is a greater presence of individuals who display more European features. → | There is a significant cultural divide between large cities and smaller towns in Turkey. The lifestyles, facial features and cultural expressions in major urban centers often differ markedly from those in smaller cities and rural areas in some where European facial features even are a rarity (esp. North West region). Turkey is an incredibly diverse country, where people of various ethnic backgrounds and appearances coexist. It’s impossible to fit the entire population into a single category or stereotype. People often think in black and white terms, but the reality in Turkey is much more complex and nuanced. |
| The media and television in Turkey often highlight a European way of life, contributing to the perception of a modern, cosmopolitan identity in certain segments of society. → | However, this image represents only a narrow slice of Turkish society and people. Just like many other countries, Turkey has a tendency to glorify European facial features and culture, so the media often highlights individuals with European features more frequently. This selective representation does not fully capture the broad spectrum of Turkish appearances and those are often underrepresented in television and media. Furthermore, on TV, it’s common to see people walking into their homes with their shoes on which is absolutely unthinkable in Turkish culture where removing shoes before entering a home is a deep-rooted tradition. This small aspect of media portrayal can reflect how traditional cultural practices may be overshadowed or diluted, suggesting a shift away from preserving original cultural values. |
Further Illustration On The Turkish Culture
Diversity of Turkic Languages and Cultures
Turkish people are not recognized as Europeans in Europe
Turkey is part of Turkic culture, which is inherently Asian. While parts of Turkey may be Europeanized, the diversity in people’s appearances across the country doesn’t change the fact that Turkey is fundamentally part of Turkic culture. Europeans, especially those who are neighbors with Turkey, do not view nor recognize it as European. Despite this difference, Turkey has faced significant political rejection from Europe. Many Turkish families who have emigrated have faced significant challenges, including extreme conflicts, discrimination, and racism because they are not.
The world often overlooks the rich diversity of Turkic languages spoken across Asia. With over 35 distinct Turkic languages, each represents a unique subculture. This includes Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Uyghurs (a group many may not be familiar with), Kyrgyz, as well as various cultures in Siberia and Mongolia. These groups exhibit a wide range of physical features, including typical features like blonde hair and various eye colors.
Turkey’s Cultural Landscape is Complex
The cultural diversity within Turkey is immense; even for Turks who grew up there, moving from one city to another can feel like entering an entirely different world. This level of variation isn’t something that can be seen or experienced in most countries or the USA. For instance, if you’ve only visited big cities like Istanbul or Izmir, you’ve only scratched the surface of what Turkey truly is. Subcultures are so distinct that most outsiders remain unaware of their complexities. So most can not grasp an understanding on how it really is, unless they travel through the country and had deeper contact with locals.
So, what is it supposed to be classifed as?
Why “European” Doesn’t Fit for Turkish Identity
While the country does have it’s influences, and features you can’t generalize an entire population, so it’s misleading to use broad terms like “European” or “White” to describe everyone. More importantly, when discussing European history and culture, it contrasts with Turkish culture. You can’t but those in one box.
The Limitations of “Euroasian”
Euroasian is more appropriate term to use, but even that can not apply universally. It’s important to note that Turkey is also influenced by both Europe and Asia, making the term “Eurasian” appropriate in some contexts. However it’s primarily in Asia geographically (97% of its landmass), and origin of the culture is Asian.
Asian vs. West-Asian
When asked about their ethnicity, Turkish people will say they are Turks. They don’t refer to themselves as Asian, because Asia is a continent, not a singular ethnicity. But if asked whether they were Asian, most do say so. West Asian would be more specific, as Turkey is in West Asia, and it would generalize everyone more kindly than the term Euroasia would.