Today, you can read an interview I conducted with a friend of mine from Turkey. However, he came here to study and wanted to stay here; some plans have changed along the way. I asked him about Turkey, Hungary, cultural and other differences.
- I’m glad you accepted my invitation for this interview. My first questions are: where are you from, and could you tell us a little about your country?
Hello. Thank you for inviting me. My name is Burak, and I am from Izmir, Turkey. Turkey is a Middle Eastern country. However, we are not like most Middle Eastern countries. We aren’t Arabs, we are Turks. Turkey has a population of almost 90 million. We are not in good condition nowadays. That is one of the reasons why I decided to come here. We both have economic and social issues.
- When did you arrive in Hungary?
I asked my mom about this to be precise, because I am not that good at dates. I arrived here in September 2023. Almost three years have passed since.
- You already told us some reasons why you came here. Are there any more reasons?
Yeah, there are. First of all, going abroad can be a scary step. But it was a perfect adventure for my teenage self. I didn’t know any Hungarian words; I have never been here. I was an absolute stranger here, and the place felt completely strange to me. It was my first motivation. The second motivation was to come to a country with fewer economic and social issues than Turkey. I wanted to come to Europe and stay here for a better future. However, now I’m thinking about going back.
- Why did you choose exactly this country among so many others?
Actually, Hungary wasn’t my first option. That was Spain. However, when I looked into it, I learned it was too expensive for me. The currency is the Euro, which is valuable, and you need thousands of them to live. The other problem was that tuition fees were high. You know, Spanish is an important language. If I went there, I could learn some Spanish. Then I could use it.
My second option was Poland. Because of the Ukrainian-Russian war, there were a lot of Ukrainian refugees in Poland. The prices went up, so it also became expensive. In addition, Polish universities accepted Ukrainian students first, so I had a lower chance of being accepted.
Then my family and I found a consultant who suggested I choose Hungary. It is cheaper than the others and a good place to start. It is safe, and the education is good. So as a third option, I chose Hungary.
- At least, we were on the podium. What were your first impressions of Hungary?
When I came here, the buildings were the first things I saw. So, my first impression was that this city has good architecture. In Turkey, we don’t have that kind of architecture. It was unique to me. This city is beautiful – was my first thought.
- You’ve already mentioned some differences between the two countries, for example, the architecture. Can you give us some more differences?
I know you didn’t like the previous government. But from my perspective, you are really over us in the economy and human rights. You said everything is bad, and we can’t live in this country. You know, there are countries with worse situations than Hungary. For example, Turkey. It has a larger GDP and larger markets. On the other hand, we do not have peace or economic power. If you work as a shop assistant, you can get your basic needs here. But not in Turkey. There, you have to live with family because you cannot afford rent.
- I worked here as a shop assistant, and I couldn’t afford it either. I had to have flatmates.
But in Turkey, it is impossible as well. In Turkey, you can’t rent a room. You can rent a flat or a room in a cheap hotel. The second is only available in the dangerous parts of the cities. I think you are in a better condition regarding human rights in Hungary.
- Will human rights be changed in Turkey in the future? What do you think?
I hope so; however, I don’t think so. Let’s talk a bit about politics. You know, Orbán was a prime minister for 16 years. Erdoğan has been in a leadership position for over 20 years. You know, I have never seen another president in my country, only him, in my life so far. But I think he won’t be reelected. People will choose someone else in the next elections. Even though he will be gone, the things in the country won’t change easily. We need some time. Maybe in ten years, things will work out. I have hope, but if you want to be realistic, it won’t change quickly and easily. The bad part is that when the economy is bad, people become more evil. You need to survive, you have to get money somehow. You might do bad things to others. It happens in Turkey. People become bad people to survive; that is a sociological tragedy. That, in my point of view, is worse than a bad economy.
- The next question is about Hungary. What should be changed in this country? What do you miss for a good life?
As I said, I am not in a position to judge you. As a result, our situation is worse. Look, first of all, to understand a country’s economy, you need to look at its GDP. Hungary is not a strong country, according to that. That also means there are fewer opportunities for foreigners. For example, I couldn’t find an internship, because I don’t know Hungarian. And there were almost no English ones. Of course, first, you have to create opportunities for your people. In Budapest, there are a lot of homeless people. It should also be a priority to deal with homelessness. The core reason should be solved. So, they wouldn’t be homeless in the first place. I think in Hungary, the ratio of homeless people is really high. You need to reduce those ratios.
- Could you tell me about your country’s culture? What and who are you proud of from home?
In our culture, hospitality has great importance. A lot of people who came to Turkey before say our hospitality is really great. In addition, I think our cuisine is the best in the world. In our cuisine, you can find many components. Our foods are really complex. As I said, our people were better in the past. We lost our culture and hospitality because of the economic situation. In the past, we were quite helpful with each other. Something has broken so far. If you do not get your needs met, it is harder to help others. What I really like is that although we can hate each other, when something bad happens, we can unite. Nowadays, there are two main opposing ideas in Turkey. The government and the opposition hate each other, but if something bad were to happen, we would be united.
The people whom I am proud of are: Atatürk, Nâzım Hikmet and Oğuz Atay.
First of all, I have to say, Atatürk. He was the founder of Turkey. After the 1st World War, the Ottoman Empire collapsed. Atatürk made a new republic from the ashes. Of course, he didn’t make it alone; he did so with the Turkish people. He was a great leader; he united us and made us rise. Before we were a monarchy, he made a new form of government, the Turkish Republic. He made a council and a government from that chaotic, collapsed empire.
I also want to talk about Nâzım Hikmet. He lived in the 20th century and lived through the first years of the republic. He was a communist poet. In that time, that was not a bad thing. From a different perspective, he also wanted Turkey’s benefit. His poems make you question yourself and your society – the system you are in. That is the reason I love him.
And last but not least, Oğuz Atay. He was a writer, a postmodernist. He came from a wealthy family. His interest was not about money, but he wanted to feel something deep. He questioned modernity and wrote postmodern novels. He also lived in the 20th century and died in 1977.
- I know a Turkish band called Dolu Kadehi Ters Tut. You once told me the meaning of their name. My next question is: could you explain the meaning to our readers?
It means hold the filled wine glass upside down. The meaning is symbolic. It is not exactly anarchy, but you know, society goes this way, and sometimes you have to go in the opposite direction. Might be absurd, but sometimes you need to do that. It is my assumption.
- Can you recommend any other Turkish bands?
First is Duman. This is the oldest in the new age. And one of the most well-known bands. The name means smoke. The next one is Erkin Koray. I love him, but unfortunately, he died in 2023. The last one is Hayko Cepkin. All of them play rock, but they have slightly different styles. If you listen to them, you will understand. Duman and Hayko Cepkin are still active.
- Back to personal questions. What was it like to leave your country at such a young age? Did it feel like a huge adventure, or was it scary? You’ve already told about it, but could you explain it?
Of course, there were scary parts. But it is mostly a huge adventure. My first intention in coming here was to go to a place where I am a total foreigner. I wanted to experience this thing. My second intention was to come, stay and live in Europe, because of the good conditions. But now my plans about living here have changed.
- I have never lived abroad, but in the past few months I have been really considering it. Do you have any tips or advice for someone who wants to move abroad?
Yes, I have three tips. First, I recommend that you stay away from your own people. I am Turkish, and I tried not to communicate with Turks. The reason for it is to leave your comfort zone. If you spend much time with Hungarians abroad, you will get back into your old comfort zone. That will make you lazier, and you will get attached to them. You will make barriers for yourself. My second piece of advice is to be social. It helps balance the stress. I think it would be really helpful. The third thing is that the scariest part of an action is the moment right before you do it. When it is the scariest, you have to move. Don’t think much, do it.
I have done all of it, but after I made my own comfort zone here, I started to stop it. I won’t start it again. Because it is a kind of mask, to survive in the beginning.
- What is the hardest part of not knowing the language of a country?
You cannot communicate with the natives, even though it is necessary. You need to learn their culture; you need to understand their jokes. There is a space between you and them if you don’t speak the language. English is only enough for surviving here. For living, it is not enough, because a large proportion of Hungarians don’t speak English.
- Do you enjoy living here?
It is a different world from my own world. Living here makes me see things from a different perspective. Yeah, I enjoy.
- Where to next? Do you have any plans for the future?
Even though I like Budapest, I don’t want to stay here anymore. As I said, I think there aren’t enough opportunities for foreigners. I cannot stay here unless I marry a Hungarian woman. There is a little chance of going to another European country. I think I am going back to Turkey. The reason is, you know, no country is perfect. Even though Turkey has more problems, it is my country. I can tolerate it. I think I am going to go back.
- Do you have any plans before going back?
Yeah. As for Turkish citizens, it is hard to get a visa. Before I go back, I would like to travel as much as I can in Europe. I will have almost one month. Because of the budget, it can be shorter.
- I wish you luck with it. I hope we can travel together. Thank you for the interview.
Thank you too.
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