Why Turkish Family Culture Will Surprise You (In the Best Way!)
If you're planning a trip to Turkey, you're probably expecting stunning landscapes, ancient ruins, and mouthwatering food. But what might surprise you the most? The unique and heartwarming world of Turkish customs, family culture, and social behaviors. From being offered tea five times in a row to being called “aunt” or “uncle” by kids who aren’t even related to you — Turkish hospitality is unlike anything you’ve experienced.
The Heart of the Home: Turkish Family Life
Family is everything in Turkey. But don’t expect it to be limited to just parents and kids. A typical Turkish family includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins — and they all play an active role in each other's lives. Especially during holidays and special occasions, it's common to see large family gatherings filled with laughter, long meals, and endless trays of tea. Respect for elders is a cornerstone of Turkish family culture, and it shows in every detail of daily life.
Hospitality: A Way of Life
One of the most beloved Turkish customs is the concept of hospitality. Whether you're a close friend or a complete stranger, if you enter a Turkish home, prepare to be fed like royalty. Refusing food or tea might actually be seen as a little rude — not because you’re offending the cook, but because generosity is deeply embedded in the culture. And yes, they will insist. More than once.
Quirky Yet Endearing Behaviors
You'll also notice certain Turkish behaviors that might feel unusual at first but quickly become endearing. For example, taking off your shoes at the door and slipping into house slippers is a non-negotiable tradition. So is addressing older women as “abla” (big sister) or men as “abi” (big brother), even if you’ve just met. These small gestures reflect the warm and respectful nature of daily interactions in Turkey.
Raising Children as a Community
And let’s not forget the way children are raised. In a traditional Turkish household, a child is everyone’s responsibility. Don’t be surprised if a neighbor scolds a kid for misbehaving — it’s totally normal! Community still matters here, and that’s one of the things that makes Turkey so special to experience as a traveler.
More Than a Trip — It's a Cultural Journey
So next time you’re planning your journey, remember — exploring Turkish landmarks is only half the experience. The other half? It lives in the homes, traditions, and heartfelt hospitality of the Turkish people. And once you’ve had a taste of real Turkish family culture, you’ll never see “family” the same way again. 👉 Want to experience it firsthand? Plan your trip with Turkey Tour Organizer and let us connect you with the real spirit of Turkey.
Serdar Akarca
Since 2008, Serdar Akarca, a highly accomplished Senior Software Engineer, has significantly contributed to a number of projects. He inevitably ran across his friend Erkan because of his unwavering desire for traveling to new places and immersing himself in other cultures. Together, they established Turkey Tour Organizer Co., where Serdar is in charge of running the business's website and social media pages.
Beyond his technical abilities, Serdar has a genuine curiosity to experience various cultures and a strong interest in travel. His dedication to exhibiting Turkey's beauty and giving tourists an amazing experience across the nation's great destinations is motivated by this passion.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can reach us by; E-Mail: info@turkeytourorganizer.com We respond to your mails within 12 hours Office Phone: +90 384 3414740 09:00 AM - 06:00 PM, Mon - Sat, GMT + 3:00
We accept payment by credit card and electronic bank transfer. Our deposit requirements and payment terms depends on the tour program you will have and arrival date
We do! Turkey Tour Organizer offers discounts for children for most tourist services published on our website. The discount depends on the age of the child and on the type of service you will require.
Absolutely! The travel consultant who is responsible from your trip from the beginning to the end, will share his/her phone number in the pre-departure document you will receive before your trip.We are giving 24 hours assistance service and our cell phones will always be available for you
Purchase all your needs Turkey Tour Organizer can handle every aspect of your trip from airline tickets, accommodation, guided tours, car hire, activities such as hot air balloon flight & whirling dervish ceremony, local experiences and many more 24 Hours Accessibility If you have a problem during your trip, you can easily contact us from our cell phones which are 24 hours available and we will be happy to sort out the situations for you.Builds Personalized Itineraries We are experts in helping our guests where they need to go and in helping to create possibilities most people never would have dreamed were possible.Time Saver Don’t be confused by calling or sending mails to each of the hotels or suppliers you would need during your trip in Turkey. Let us handle all these work and meanwhile you save lots of time since we will be the only people responsible for your package. Options Tours in Turkey can be arranged in many ways. We offer you an array of options and price quotes from a variety of travel suppliers, giving you an upper hand while making your travel planning. Less Stress Planning a trip can be stressful. There are so many options and details to worry about. Turkey Tour Organizer do the work, resulting in less stress for you. Updated Information Turkey Tour Organizer is constantly communicating with the travel community, thus giving you the most up to date info on airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, and other travel services to consider as you plan your trip. Personal Touch It is always easy to give what a traveler wants. However; we, as Turkey Tour Organizer also do our personal recommendations and touches to make your trip more enjoyable. Where to Go With Kids We are always happy to help our guests to find great locations that are kid- friendly. Trip Cancellation Something has come up and you need to cancel your trip? The only thing you need to do is to call us and we will do the transaction by considering the Cancellation Policy of your trip
When we receive your enquiry, we start designing your dream Turkish holiday itinerary. Building on our excellent network of local and national vendors, we select the very best for your specific style of travel and interests. Being freelance also gives us the opportunity to work with a variety of travel suppliers and select only the best for your customized program.Whether your travel style is 'see everything and pack each day full', 'relax and enjoy more time in fewer places' or anything in-between, we can arrange just about any program that you can imagine. We offer unique travel opportunities, home visits, and off-the-beaten-path adventures to give you a taste of the real Turkey. If you have any special interests, hobbies or passions - just let us know and we can design your itinerary to let you experience what you're interested in seeing and doing here. From hiking, culinary adventures, history, photography, sports, architecture, etc - Turkey offers something for every traveler. We are constantly researching new opportunities for our guests and always eager to hear feedback from past guests - this allows us to know who to recommend in the future and what people truly enjoy doing here. To further guarantee the quality, we only make suggestions based on companies and vendors that we have already established a successful relationship with. We are driven by the knowledge that my guests enjoy Turkey as much as we enjoy sharing my insight, history, traditions and the real Turkey. In Turkey, the tourism industry is set up to give small kick-backs to travel consultants - this doesn't mean that you're overcharged - in fact, you'll often receive a better rate as we are able to establish a discount due to frequent visits to the vendors who supply various services. If unable to secure the best rate for you, we will advise you if a better deal is more achievable by booking directly on line. Usually better rates are available to guides & agencies but if you're interested in self-booking your entire itinerary, we can also help you with the details via email/Skype/IM, etc for a small consulting fee. So, let's get started! Click on the 'contact us' text bubble at the top right and away we go. We look forward to creating the best Turkish holiday just for you.Please kindly be advised that all those services in www.turkeytourorganizer.com are operated by AND Travel Consulting CO.
