Turkey

You could live anywhere in Turkey, but you’re most likely to be in or near one of the five main cities: Adana, Izmir, Eskisehir, Istanbul or Ankara. In the evenings, it’s very common for Turkish families to gather around the dinner table and watch TV and drink tea together. Expect a flow of friends and relatives visiting for coffee, tea and lively conversations.

 

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You’ll probably attend an anatolian high school, which is a university preparatory secondary school. A typical school day lasts for 7 or 8 hours and allows students to specialize in either mathematics and science or social studies. Most exchange students attend public schools, but some also get placed in a private high school.

While Turkish is the primary language, English, French, German and Italian are spoken by many people around the country. Having a basic knowledge of English will be helpful. AFS will provide language lessons, and local volunteers may help arrange independent language study for you during your first months in Turkey.

 

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Turkish dishes combine Mediterranean and Middle Eastern styles and are quite rich and varied. Eggplant is the number one vegetable and is often paired with meat in a shish kebab. Food is cooked mostly with olive oil and herbs in the western part of the country, whereas meals can be very spicy and meat oriented in the eastern part of Turkey. Lamb, beef and rice are common ingredients and seafood is abundant on the coast. If you have a sweet tooth, you’re in luck because Turkey is famous for its desserts, especiallybaklava, a sweet pastry, and milk pudding.