The Real Turkey (published in HELLO Alanya, May 2013)

The new summer season has already started. All restaurants and café’s are open again after a long winter break. Colorful flowers have been planted everywhere in town, the beaches are ready and the weather is warming up rapidly. Alanya is ready to welcome its guests.

Over the years I have told many people that I live in Alanya. Some get excited, telling me that I am one lucky girl to be living in such a great, sunny place. Others almost felt sorry for me, saying: ‘That’s not for me, way too touristic and crowded and nothing like the real Turkey’.

This always got me wondering:  what does it take for a place or region to pass as ‘the real thing?’ When it comes to foreign countries and holiday experiences, can we categorize things as being real or fake?  

Thousands of tourists will come to Turkey again this year. And also to Alanya, so yes.. it is going to be crowded again. Lots of tourists will come for the first time but many of them are returning visitors for years. Ask them what Turkey is all about for them and you will get the answer ‘Sun, sea and beach’ a lot. And food, don’t forget the delicious food. It’s the Turkish sun that brings them here and the country’s famous hospitality that makes them come back again.

Other travelers may state that this is not the real Turkey at all. Big hotels, souvenir shops, bars, night clubs and international restaurants are all set up to entertain mass tourism. They will advise you to go into the countryside, to visit the villages and share a traditional home cooked meal with the locals, preferably sitting on the floor, to get the real Turkish experience.

Funny enough many locals will not quite agree with this. To many the real Turkey can only be found in its big cities, first of all Istanbul. There tourists can really see what the Turkish lifestyle is all about: being modern and cosmopolite yet connected to its roots. In Istanbul one can experience the diversity of Turkish culture, taste the best national food, visit countless of cultural events and take a walk from historical parts of the city to the most hip and luxurious neighborhoods. It has it all.  

So what’s real and what isn’t? Well if you ask me I’d say all of it is the real deal. The whole country, in all its contrast, diversity, ambiguity and cultural wealth. To me the culture of a country is what the personality and character are to a person.  Some know you as colleagues, some as friends and others as family. All areas in your life require to show a certain side of you, to play a certain role. But all of these different sides reflect who you are as a complete person. It’s only a matter of time and commitment for others to get to know the real you. And the same goes for Turkey: from small villages in the Anatolian countryside to the Turkish Riviera with its all-inclusive hotels and crowded beaches to big city life with big fashion brands, international food chains and the latest smart phones.. it’s all Turkey. Each side of it is part of the bigger picture and all of it as real as it gets.