Southeastern Anatolia has been a hotbed of controversy for much of the history of modern Turkey. With a large Kurdish population, the region enjoys a wide and sometimes competing diversity. Linguistically, both Turkish and Kurdish are widely spoken. Kurdish pronunciation influences Turkish in that the throat-based "kh" sound common in Kurdish and Arabic is common. Further, Kurdish uses the letter Q, which adds a softer pronunciations of names and words such as "Kemal". A common sight in Southeastern Turkey is the alternating black and white ring pattern on buildings, especially minarets on mosques. Such architectural designs allow for the continuation of Kurdish influence even when language and other cultural aspects are restricted.
Eastern Anatolia is full of ruins from many past civilizations, including the Armenian and Seljuk empires. Armenian architecture can be seen most readily between Van and Kars, most notably in the historical Armenian capital of Ani. There is much Seljuk influence in Erzurum and Divrigi. Such diversity is most apparent in the art of the region, especially rugs that combine Turkish, Armenian, Persian and Kurdish influence. As the area is cold and often snowy, it has a reputation of being drab and muddy. This perception was not changed by Orhan Pamuk's Snow, which is set in Kars. Both Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia are thought of as the most religiously and socially conservative regions of Turkey.
The Black Sea region is one of the most culturally distinct regions of Turkey. With a rainy and mountainous terrain, it is somewhat isolated geographically from the rest of the country. The Black Sea has a tradition of dance and music that has expanded throughout Turkey, most recently with the Kolbasti trend. The dialect is the thickest the farther east one gets. Residents of this tea-growing region make it known that they are proud of coming from the Black Sea.
Finally, the Central Anatolia region is the historical center of the Ataturk-led independence movement. Ankara, the capital, was formerly a small town but has expanded to be the country's second largest city. The region is diverse, with the region of Cappadocia frequented by tourists and the eastern part frequented by ticks (which notably carry Crimean-Congo Hemmhoragic Fever...). The dialect in Ankara is similar to that of Istanbul, but with an increased frequency of the word "hocam" as a term of respect, used for teachers and people in positions of authority though originally used for religious leaders. This region contains many rugs and clay tradesmen/women, reflecting the abundance of wool from Angora (the former name of Ankara) sheep and clay from the Red River.
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