Geography Question: Is Turkey part of Europe or the Middle East?

[Mycanid]

Ahhh ... however "Turkey" specifically means the land of the "Turks". And the "Turks" are NOT, repeat NOT a European people historically. They are an Eastern people (and whether you say Middle Eastern - i.e. a people whose countries are near European countries - or Far Eastern - i.e. a people whose countries are far away from European countries) they are still NOT European peoples.

Although my fellow druid Thunderfoot (as we have recently discovered - probably to both our surprise ... hmm) has said it well from a geographical standpoint, from a cultural / people-orientated standpoint (how un-druidic!) they are NOT a European country.

 

[Umbran]

Ahhh ... however "Turkey" specifically means the land of the "Turks". And the "Turks" are NOT, repeat NOT a European people historically.

Except insofar as they held the seat of one of the greatest European empires in history

 

[ssampier]

Ahhh ... however "Turkey" specifically means the land of the "Turks". And the "Turks" are NOT, repeat NOT a European people historically. They are an Eastern people (and whether you say Middle Eastern - i.e. a people whose countries are near European countries - or Far Eastern - i.e. a people whose countries are far away from European countries) they are still NOT European peoples.

I was just going to post a (stupid) joke about Turkey being (minor) Asian since it was called Asia Minor. Ah darn it.

 

[Fenris]

Remember that:

Istanbul was Constantinople.
Now it's Istanbul not Constantinople.
So if you have date in Constantinople,
She'll be waiting in Istanbul.

 

[Staffan]

That's nobody's business but the Turks'.

 

[jaerdaph]

Hey, even old New York was once New Amsterdam.
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way!

 

[johnsemlak]

For what it's worth Turkey plays football/soccer in UEFA, the European Zone.

 

[Mycanid]

Hey there Umbran-

When you say that the Turks held the seat of one of the greatest European empires in history ... you mean the Byzantine or the Ottoman empire?

If either I don't think either is really a European empire per se. Even if the Byzantines called themselves "Romans" they meant in the sense of carrying on the glorious past of Rome once it became "transmogrified" into Byzantium. (And Byzantium's enemies also called them "Romans" as well, incidentily.) But whatever they were called, they were still not a European people. They were mostly Greeks and Anatolians. And these are still not Western peoples.

But maybe you mean something else?

Or maybe we just disagree on the subject, eh?

Ah well....

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Cultural Clarification

Even if the Byzantines called themselves "Romans" they meant in the sense of carrying on the glorious past of Rome once it became "transmogrified" into Byzantium. (And Byzantium's enemies also called them "Romans" as well, incidentily.) But whatever they were called, they were still not a European people.

I disagree. Byzantine Hellenes (Greeks) were most definitely European. Their culture profoundly shaped both Western Civilization and the Judeo-Christian tradition.

The Byzantines spoke Greek, practiced Christianity, and personally identfied themselves with Western culture.

Incidentally, the term "Europe" is taken directly from their lingua franca.

-Samir Asad

 

[The Thayan Menace]

The Ottoman Empire (c. 1299-1923)

When you say that the Turks held the seat of one of the greatest European empires in history ... you mean the Byzantine or the Ottoman empire?

The Turks established several powerful states, but the Ottoman Empire is the most well-known in the West.

The Ottoman Turks established their realm by defeating the Byzantines; after this victory, they conquered much of the Middle East and Southeastern Europe.

The Ottoman state entered a period of slow decline in 1566 ... and was eventually reorganized into the modern nation of Turkey by Mustapha Kemal in 1923.

-Samir