Less than an hour away from the ancient heart of Istanbul, Koc University’s proximity to the hearth of Turkish culture and history is a great advantage to anybody wanting to understand the distinct nature of the Turkish mosaic. The ideas that circulate within Istanbul’s universities and journals reflect the major issues confronting Turkey. If I had to choose one reason for studying in Turkey, it is be to gain insight on the great variety of Turkish perspectives and ideas relating to societal and political issues. Specifically, I am interested on discourse upon Kurdish identity and the right to free speech.
If I am to understand these thoughts better, it is best to know the language from which these ideas spread. For this reason I want to acquire a basic understanding of Turkish, from which I can take advantage of opportunities much closer to home, that is in Washington D.C and New York. As DePauw University, my school, does not offer Turkish language courses, this may very well be my only opportunity to study the language in my undergraduate years, and I want to get started with a formal education of Turkish as soon as possible. Learning Turkish will allow me to interact with the people, at a level critical to understanding national mentalities.
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