Is this the famous "Turkish Hospitality"? Confused and deeply disappointed as a Korean engineer in Izmit.
Hi everyone. I’m writing this here because I am genuinely confused, hurt, and want to understand if this is the norm in Turkey now.
I am a Korean engineer who recently arrived in Izmit. I came all the way to Turkey to provide advanced technical training, hoping to share my knowledge and contribute to your local economy and industry. Before coming here, I had heard so many wonderful things about "Turkish hospitality" (misafirperverlik).
Unfortunately, my reality has been far from that.
Starting from Istanbul Airport and on the streets, I was greeted with mocking "Nihaos" and sneers. I tried to ignore it, thinking it’s just a few ignorant individuals. But today in Izmit, I hit my breaking point. While I was sitting quietly in a park, a group of local children gathered around me, chanting "Ching Chang Chong" and laughing. They didn't just do it once—they followed me around and harassed me for over 30 minutes.
I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sadness and irony.
Children are the mirror of the adults in their society. They don't birth this kind of cheap racism; they inherit it from their parents, their schools, and the adults around them.
It makes me wonder: Is basic moral education and human decency a paid premium service in Turkey?
How is it that a society receiving advanced foreign technology to build its industries and economy cannot even afford to teach its children the absolute basics of respect? While regions like Asia and the US are rapidly advancing in technology, education, and global standards, seeing the "future" of Turkey spending their days harassing foreign guests with outdated racism is deeply tragic.
I came here to teach and help. But today, I was treated like a circus animal.
Is this truly what Turkish hospitality has become? I would genuinely like to hear your thoughts.
———
I want to apologize if my original post felt like "ragebait." The incident was a real experience that actually happened to me, but I admit I wrote the post out of raw anger and frustration, which made my tone unnecessarily provocative. I am truly sorry for that.
Despite this, I want to make the most of the rest of my time in Turkey. I am planning to travel to the south, especially the beaches in Antalya and Kaş, which I hear are beautiful and very welcoming to tourists.
Thank you so much to everyone who left encouraging messages and took the time to explain the cultural context. At the same time, because I wrote my post so aggressively, I completely understand the negative or angry comments as well. I don't blame you at all.
Ultimately, this whole experience has reminded me of the simple yet powerful teaching: "to love one another." I sincerely hope both Turkey and Korea look forward to a brighter, more understanding tomorrow.
Thank you all for your attention and feedback.