Turkish Hierarchy
If you are used to an “Anglo-American” business culture, the Turkish hierarchy will almost certainly be the biggest difference in working style you will experience. Whilst employees of a big firm or government office may well be good friends outside the office, it is...
Turkish Food
Food is very important in Turkish culture. Home-cooked food varies by region, but tends to be made up of dishes such as meatballs, soups, stews, vegetables marinated in tomato sauce as well as other dishes with rice, bread and yoghurt on the side. Home-cooked food is...
Adding the Turkish Keyboard on iPad or iPhone
Using an iPad or iPhone to learn or practice a new language is now fairly common. If you are serious about learning a foreign language (especially with a modified Latin or Non-Latin alphabet) then it's a good idea to install the keyboard onto your device, since typing...
Going “Dutch” in Turkish Restaurants
Going to a Turkish restaurant with a group of people is an enjoyable and mandatory experience when in Turkey. But what do you do in Turkey when it comes to paying the bill? If you insist on paying for yourself, be aware that in Turkish culture this could be...
Learning Turkish Words
One of the key topics that was discussed at the 1st International Congress of Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language was how to teach Turkish vocabulary. Turkish words are notoriously difficult to learn as they bear no resemblance to words from other European...
International Congress of Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language
Carl Taylor, the Project Co-ordinator of HandsonTurkish.Com, and Mrs Beyhan Güler, one of the authors of the HandsonTurkish online course, attended the 1st International Congress of Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language
Project updates – April
It's been a very busy month so far with updates coming from all areas. Turkish iPhone App About two weeks ago, Jeroen and I uploaded the iPhone app to the Apple Appstore which has since been reviewed and approved. In the first week it has already started picking up...
Acuka recipe – with a seasonal twist
There is something beyond the deliciously smooth and satisfying hummus, smoky moutabel (burnt aubergine dip) and silky labneh (strained yoghurt) - Acuka. Also known as Muhammara and originally from Syria, this red pepper and walnut dip is widespread in Turkey and the...
Final Turkish Recordings Complete!
We're very pleased to announce that the Turkish dialogues have now been recorded in Ankara. The recordings were managed by John Angliss. The finalised recordings mark a significant milestone in the project's progression. Up until now we used basic recordings from the...
Turkish Hospitality
Turkish hospitality Turks love inviting guests to their homes for dinner. As a foreign guest you will be treated especially well. Take your shoes off on the mat as you enter the house: in most households shoes are not allowed inside, and a pair of comfortable house...
Turkey’s Future – The Next 100 Years
Much is said of the great prospects for Turkey - both economically and politically; most of which are indeed realistic and feasible. But what is Turkey's future from a geopolitical perspective? What can we expect from Turkey in the next fifty years? Who is Turkey...
Turkish Business Etiquette and Punctuality
Southern European countries may have a reputation for being laid back about time, but don’t be late for a business meeting. HandsOnTurkish explores Turkish business etiquette for your business trip with a useful checklist.
Leigh Turner talks about the Importance of Turkish
Leigh Turner CMG is the Director General for Trade and Investment Turkey, Central Asia and South Caucuses. He is Her Majesty's Consul General in Istanbul UKTI promotes and works together with British businesses abroad and encourages best practice. Could you tell us...
OCR Scraps Turkish Exams
Despite the fact that, just recently, the British Council ranked Turkish as the joint-8th most important language for the UK, the GCSE and A'Levels exams, which students work towards, are being scrapped. This doesn't just affect Turkish. It also affects Arabic and a...
Learning Turkish Focus Group, Koblenz
Recently, we initiated a focus group with some students to test the new EU-funded HandsOnTurkish course. This took place in the renowned Merhaba Centre in Koblenz. One of the project partners, Beyhan Güler, is vice-chairman of the Merhaba centre which seeks to promote...
Turkey’s Diversified Economy in the last 20 Years
Over the past twenty years, Turkey's economy has diversified massively from a heavy reliance on a few sectors to an increasingly diversified economy. In 1993, Turkey's export economy was heavily reliant on three sectors: textiles, raw materials and agriculture which,...
New Istanbul Airport
New Istanbul Airport key to Turkey's economic ambitions One of Turkey’s key assets is its location. Aside from being romantically located between Europe and Asia and literally bridging the two continents via the Bosphorus bridge (as illustrated by millions of...
Turkish, Language learning – Is Grammar Important?
Many people believe that they need to learn grammar in order to speak a language. However, they find that learning grammar is a daunting task. Grammatical terminology is often complicated. There are frequently complex rules with countless exceptions. It is not...
