Why is Turkey considered Balkan?
Posted by brezimenabrezpomena@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 60 comments
I get this sub recommended occasionally, and it vexes me why there are so many Turkish commenters when only a fraction of turkey is on Balkan peninsula. I read the wiki and under What is Balkans? section it doesn't state turkey as Balkan: Historians state the Balkans comprise Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia.
I understand that part of turkey is on Balkan peninsula, but i don't get how that would make the country automatically Balkan, in the same way how Russia is 3/4 in Asia but Russians aren't Asians.
I also went on YouTube to compare folk music from Balkan countries and at least for me Turkish music sounded much more middle eastern compared to like Serbian music.
low-sikeliot-9062@reddit
all of the balkans except the areas they never controlled have a huge Turkish influence after centuries of Ottoman rule
As for Turkey, they are partly balkan but mostly middle eastern
Significant_Judge008@reddit
And a good chunk of Mediterranean too which some people sometimes forget
Gazdanadam@reddit
Millions of people in Turkey are displaced refugees from the Balkans
BEK_Sabiha@reddit
I don't think we consider our full country Balkan. I also don't follow this sub to know if your observation is actually a fact or not.
However, even without searching for data, I'm pretty sure the number of Turkish people living on the europe/ Balkan part of the country is greater than any balkan country itself.
Turkey is a big country which hosts several different cultures and can't be reduced to a balkan, middle eastern, mediterrenean or asian country.
brezimenabrezpomena@reddit (OP)
there are about 110000 Kalmyks geographically in Europe, they are still considered genetically and culturally Asian, or idk Volga Germans lived in Russia, did that make them culturally slavic? no. Like doesn't matter how many people live there because this is about culture.
BEK_Sabiha@reddit
Yes, it’s about culture. And if you read my full message, you’d have understood that turkey is not a single, homogenic culture country. We’re a multicultural country, which only balkan part of it is bigger than a random balkan country.
Also, I assumed you have a genuine question and tried to help you. Your attitude shows that you just want to spread your opinion. Don’t try to cover it like a question next time so you don’t waste time of people who are not interested in your nationalistic prejudices.
brezimenabrezpomena@reddit (OP)
Yes, but all countries have subcultures,
Ok what I'm asking where does "Balkan" turkey begin and end? Like can you tell the difference between a Turk from Istanbul and a Turk from Bursa or idk Balikesir or Ankara.
Like would a Turk from Silivri have more in common from Bulgarian from Sofia, or with a turk from Ankara.
As far as i understand the Balkan identity is European countries/people that were there for already 1000+ years that got occupied by ottomans, and influenced by Turk culture. Key word influenced.
BEK_Sabiha@reddit
If you won’t read any answer, why ask a question? I never said anything about subcultures. Because it’s a different thing; as you said all countries have them, even tiny ones with very small and homogeneous population.
Turkey hosts several different cultures. If you can’t comprehend this, you’re welcome to go visit. I can give example cities from each.
However, I see my observation above is well placed. You don’t have a question here. You just hate, or at least dislike Turks. So, good luck with that.
floare_salbatica@reddit
I mean..if you take a look at how most Turks react in the comments...
BEK_Sabiha@reddit
Wow, you seriously defended the racism, without even noticing how extremely recist, like nazi level racist you sound! Or maybe you did notice, even if its late, and that's why you deleted the comment. I hope its the latter.
floare_salbatica@reddit
I didn't delete any comment and I wasn't racist. I was just observing a certain behaviour that has consequences.
BEK_Sabiha@reddit
Yes, I'm looking at them. And I see just Turkophobia. All Turks are downvoted for answering the question of OP, including me :)
brezimenabrezpomena@reddit (OP)
your not answering the questions bro
BEK_Sabiha@reddit
You: Why is turkey considered Balkan?
The answer 20+ people gave you: No it's not considered Balkan.
You: But, but but but bro you're not answering my questions. Why is nobody answering my questions weeeeee :((((((
BEK_Sabiha@reddit
Kiddo, I'm not your bro. I'm probably older than your mum. I don't live on reddit to answer poor kids questions. I just do it when I have time to kill ;)
floare_salbatica@reddit
Girl, nobody wakes up and decides to hate on Turks out of the blue. You don't want to admit it, but many Turks are rabidly nationalistic and extremely sensitive to anything that "threatens their identity". They can't even take a joke because of this inferiority complex. Many Turks have a questionable behaviour online ( I won't talk about my personal experiences irl with them, which weren't very nice either). I don't see this aggressiveness in other people, never to this level. I'm sorry, but this is a self made problem, not people disliking you for simply being a Turk.
brezimenabrezpomena@reddit (OP)
BEK_Sabiha@reddit
Subculture ≠ culture.
As I see that you're not able to grasp this difference, I explained further: Being a small country with subcultures and being a big multi-cultural country is very different things. I assume you're a kid or young adult with no to little experience of the world if you can't understand the difference.
brezimenabrezpomena@reddit (OP)
Cool, so can you now explain where balkan turkey begins and ends.
BEK_Sabiha@reddit
After all this explanation, you're seriously asking where "balkan turkey starts and ends"?!? Seriously? You think we draw exact borders and decide this side lives with balkan culture and this side with asian and so and so..
At first, I though you're a 17-18 years old serbian teen. But to seriously ask this question, you can't have any life experience. I assume you're maximum of 15 years old. My advise to you is to travel a bit and educate yourself about how cultures evolve. If you grow to be a mildly educated racist, at least some of us turks will take you seriously.
BEK_Sabiha@reddit
What question? If you're able to read english, please read the whole thread. Your "questions" are not questions, yet they're still answered patiently.
Hefty_Jaguar4305@reddit
The European part of Turkey, Eastern Thrace, is Balkan.
Antique_Birthday6380@reddit
Ottomans
Latter-Explorer-5301@reddit
ataket1@reddit
a lot of Turks from Turkey have ancestors that were previously living on Balkan soil before mass immigrations had to happen because of wars. I’m Turkish but my moms side emigrated from Sofia in the 1930s. So even though we are not from the same lineage, we share a lot of culture and way of life.
Though I agree some are too opinionated.
Icy-Wasabi2223@reddit
Imagine Turkey like a puzzle of 4 pieces. The Balkans are one of those pieces so why not.
Tandfeen_dk22@reddit
They are balkanic by nature. Romanian is not in the Balkans either, si why the struggle?
OldYogurt7161@reddit
The point is not if turkey is in or out. There is only one important thing behind your sentence ROMANIA IS NOT IN BALKAN. You laughed me, thank you.
Tandfeen_dk22@reddit
Well… geographically speaking, only Dobrogea is in the Balkans. But culturally, most of Romania is heavily balkanic
OldYogurt7161@reddit
It was not a critisise I just wanted to make a joke about how everybody wants to be away from balkan
Ujemegaz@reddit
There are 500 reasons.
Yarrrak31@reddit
Even the name balkan is a Turkish word. We have huge amounts of influence on Balkan countries. Whether they like it or not it's the truth
Turkey may not have a lot of land in the balkans today but many people including me have ancestors who lived in the Balkans. It used to be as Turkish as anatolia just over 100 years ago. They won't like it but it's the truth. Where my ancestors called home is a part of Bulgaria and Macedonia today
brezimenabrezpomena@reddit (OP)
your point? yes whole point of Balkan is European countries fucked by the ottomans for 400 years. Constantinople was Greek for 1500 years, that doesn't mean it is now.
Mongolia invaded and controlled Russia, do they claim they are eastern European?
Yarrrak31@reddit
If their identity revolves around being fucked by the same empire I'd say the one that fucked them all share similarities with them. We actually lived alongside them while fucking them.
I love these extreme examples. Let's not act like Mongol invasion of Russia was the same as Ottoman invasion of the balkans. I won't explain it to you. You can figure out the differences yourself if you have above room tempetaure IQ.
Greeks are also obsessed with Constantinople and Asia Minor as they call it. Some of them don't even stop there and think people living there are pure blooded Greeks cosplaying as Turkic invaders. You chose a very shitty example again.
brezimenabrezpomena@reddit (OP)
haha so Turks can claim historic boarders but other countries can't haha sure bro.
Similarities ≠ identity. Any country can find similarities with any other country.
J0hnnyBlazer@reddit
No one here consider them balkan, not even themselves actually think they are balkan. Yet they are the loudest and most opinionated here, his whole sub is a joke
PreWiBa@reddit
Who doesn't consider them that way?
J0hnnyBlazer@reddit
everyone except bosnians with stockholm syndrome
PreWiBa@reddit
Sure mate.
By the way, if you are from the diaspora, i advise you to reflair like i did. It's a difference if "here" refers to Sarajevo, Zenica or Malmö.
J0hnnyBlazer@reddit
You panicking and changing subject and going private investigator on my history don't change the maps
vladisllavski@reddit
He-who-must-not-be-named?
J0hnnyBlazer@reddit
I said it. I have two turks in my dm:s crying to me right now
PreWiBa@reddit
It's a small part, but even that small part has more people that some other Balkan countries combined.
They shaped the region in a profound way, they are one of the main reasons why Serbs and Greeks for example have more in common than Serbs with Polish people despite the latter being both slavic people.
To this day, a lot of architecture, words, other cultural influence can be traced back to the Ottoman empire acting as a bridge between Europe and the Middle east. Regardless of the opinion people may have on that period, it's silly to assume that that era didn't shape the people of this region a lot.
The country is also just full of people of Balkan descent from Bosnia, Albania, Montenegro...
Sad_Philosopher_3163@reddit
One thing that is always funny to me is when they lump Slovenia and Turkey together as "Balkan".
When someone says Turkey to me, I just think of Anatolia and I consider them Anatolian. They are clearly distinct to me. They can consider themselves however they want, to be honest, idc that much, I understand they want to escape the "Middle East" label. Just don’t consider me a "brother" because of some "Balkan brotherhood and kinship".
Stormrage44@reddit
Hey, slow down a bit.
First, such thing exist?
Secondly, Balkans are nothing compared to middle east / west asia culturally and historically, even the proper food you eat thanks to us has huge middle eastern influence. Before Indo Europeans left something man made in a cave, in mesopotamia and anatolia there were human settlements.
So hold your horses lol, we don't give a shit about you don't want to hug and make out with us.
Sad_Philosopher_3163@reddit
The fact that I had to point it out shows that Turks have pestered me with the whole "brotherhood" and "brother" thing, which just comes across as cringe.
Stormrage44@reddit
Bro thinks he's the popular girl in high school
brezimenabrezpomena@reddit (OP)
yes, for my small research i looked up folk music from each "Balkan" country, Slovenian doesn't fit in and it more similar to Austrian, and Turkish sounded more middle eastern, while Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Albanian and Greek sounded very similar. You sing in a specific way.
BEK_Sabiha@reddit
There's at least 5 very distinct types of folk music Turkey has.
Significant_Judge008@reddit
As a Turk myself I don’t consider myself Balkan per se, I only consider my country to have similarities to Balkan culture due to historical reasons. At the same time, we’re also Mediterranean and Middle Eastern and Caucasian too
8NkB8@reddit
The best, most accurate answer.
Significant_Judge008@reddit
:)
whiteoba@reddit
They’re an in between country like Russia. People here say the same for Slovenia.
roxellani@reddit
Balkans are balkans because they were under Ottoman rule for centuries. A town or village anywhere in Balkans would be indistinguishable in looks compared to most Anatolian towns and villages.
The reason you can tell apart villages of Austria and Switzerland from those in your country, yet you will find the scenery way more familiar in Turkey is the exact reason why Turkey is culturally very similar to rest of Balkan countries.
Also, have you ever wondered where does the term Balkan come from?
As Turks, we have no claim that we are a Balkan country. But denying the fact that we are also partially within Balkan culture group would be pointless.
int23_t@reddit
Look, Turkey is a large country with a lot of cultures. If you compare the cultures of Adana and Balkans it will pretty much be the opposite.
But then you have Aegean coast and Thrace(excluding Istanbul), both of which has basically the same culture as anywhere else in the Balkans.
Mediocre-Reading-922@reddit
As someone from Adana, Balkan culture isn’t really that opposite to Adana’s culture. Even if it’s not very widespread, it’s still present to a noticeable extent. Of course, this is just my personal experience. other people in Adana might not feel the same way.
int23_t@reddit
I probably should have went with Erzurum or something, I just mentally went to southeastern cities and decided I also should give a city that's Turkish majority and not Kurdish majority as an example and immediately wrote Adana without much thinking
bobo6u89@reddit
They, if nothing else, influenced Balkans a lot.
brezimenabrezpomena@reddit (OP)
well yeah i know that
Thin-Eagle-4334@reddit
I agree, there are only some cultural similarities left over from the Ottoman Empire, that’s all.