SDLP 110: Cultural Post 1

[Constantinos Beauclair-Kolomtsas]

Turkish is a very interesting language to me for various reasons. Firstly, I am fascinated by Greek- Turkish history and international relations. The two countries have a very bloody relationship but also have shown compassion to each other in the past. Secondly, part of my family is originally from Constantinople (Istanbul today). As a result, I really want to visit the city but to do this I need to be able to communicate. Therefore my goal this semester is to learn basic Turkish to the point where I can introduce myself, have small talk, and most importantly ask for directions so I can see sites such as the great Byzantine church of Agia Sophia or even perhaps the location of my family’s old house.