First of all it would be better to state that this is a general point of view!
Respect in Turkey
For many decades ago we would all address persons we didn't know with You! In English there is no difference like in French:
tu or
vous, or like in German:
Du or
Sie/
Ihr. This is still common in some countries in Europe, but in the majority it's fading out and is being less and less used. In Europe when being formal one also uses Mr/Mrs followed by the surname.
In Turkey this varies but it's still most common to address people you don't know or elderly people with You. In Turkish it would be
Siz and when you are familiar then you can say
Sen. The Turks have another way of being formal or rather showing respect towards each other. That is by using the words
Abi (big brother), Abla (big sister), Teyze (aunt), Amca (uncle), Baba (father), Anne, (mother), usually followed after the first name of the person being addressed. E.g Mehmet abi or Sinem abla.
When to use which one then?
Abi or
Abla is used when the person is slightly younger than yourself or older.
Teyze and
Amca will be used when they are in an age they might have been your uncle or aunt.
Anne and
Baba are used as they are named but can also be used instead of Teyze and Amca when one wants to show more respect to the person. Of course a married couple will call their parents-in-law for anne and baba.
I guess that we all have come across the word
Arkadaş when in Turkey. As you might know the general meaning is friend and it's often used among Turks. It can also have the meaning of a boy-/girlfriend. But often then combined with erkek/bayan arkadaş.
Good Manners
This struck me the other day when taking a public bus in Alanya. The bus was crowded with tourists from different countries, mainly younger in their mid-twenties. I was trying to make my way to the back and then saw a Turkish woman with a small child standing. All seats were taken by younger persons. Noone, among the young tourists, even tried to offer her a seat. Then a young Turkish boy from the back came and told her to have his seat! I later changed bus to go outside the city. When I jumped on that one it was full and already many persons standing. I payed once on and then I felt a small knock on my shoulder and someone saying
abla. It was a young schoolboy offering me his seat. There were older men there too but women come first.
That is just one example. Other manners that are still practised here in Turkey is opening doors for women, carrying her bags, pulling out the chair, helping older, and other, persons that are obviously in need for help even if you don't know them. All these things are taught to children at a very early age. Children rarely oppose to their parents.
There are many more things that we Europeans have forgotten but that is still alive here in Turkey.
