Turkey

Study Etymology
Character Education, English, Geography, Reading, Social Studies

Words with Turkish origin have entered our vocabulary through different means: trade, war and the Ottoman Empire expansion, newspapers and contact with neighboring countries with which we then had diplomatic and other contact. Begin with the following words to look at what they add to our understanding and daily life. Ask students to provide a definition, the etymology of each and what each reveals about the life and culture of Turkey.

Aga Khan, Asian, baklava, Balkan, borek, Casaba, Cassock/Cossack, coffee, doodle, fez, kiosk, lackey, oda, ottoman, Ottoman, pastrami, shish kebab, sofa, Tartar, Turk, yogurt, yurt

Syrian Refugees
Art, Character Education, Geography, Journalism, World History

Read and discuss the KidsPost article, “ Syrian refugee kids show the effects of war in their artwork.” This article was originally published in 2016. Do your students expect the same programs to be in place? Share these 2018 figures with them:

According to the UN Refugee Agency, “Turkey hosts over 2.9 million registered Syrians. The majority of them live in urban areas, with around 260,000 accommodated in the 21 government-run refugee camps.  There are more than a million registered Syrians in Lebanon and 660,000 in Jordan. Iraq has also seen a growing number of Syrians arriving, hosting more than 241,000, while in Egypt UNHCR provides protection and assistance to more than 122,000. 

“Palestine refugees are particularly vulnerable with an estimated 460,000 people receiving regular assistance around Syria. School attendance has dropped by more than 50 per cent and roughly one-quarter of schools have been damaged, destroyed or are used as collective shelters. More than half of Syria's hospitals have been destroyed or badly damaged. Water supply has decreased to less than 50 per cent of its pre-crisis levels. An estimated 9.8 million people are considered food insecure and many more are living in poverty.”

Teachers may try to help students understand what it means to be a refugee who has escaped bombing of one’s home or city. Ideas for discussion include:
• What is the population of your town? Your state? Teachers might ask students to locate a city that has a population of 2.9 million or close to it.

• What basic needs and services would be required for this many people? You might compare this to the amount of similar items needed for the students of your school each week — food, water and coffee, paper goods — or find out what emergency agencies use during the first week of a natural disaster in a school shelter.

• Imagine that your home was destroyed by wildfires. You only had time to grab family pets and a few items in order to escape. What would you take? How would you survive in the next weeks — in a shelter, hotel, with friends or family? Should you, or could you, pay for the necessities?

• What kind of class would they organize for refugee students in a tent camp? What activities would they organize? Are any supplies or equipment needed?

Map It
Geography, Social Studies, World History

Depending on your class, study a map of the Byzantine era or modern Turkey. Locate capital cities and other important sites for the time period of your study. You may also give students the "Turkey Today" activity that asks students to read maps presenting different types of information about Turkey.

Travel to World Heritage Sites
Geography, World History

World Heritage sites are cultural and natural legacies from the past that must be preserved for the future. Although they are found in particular countries or regions, World Heritage designees “belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located.” UNESCO encourages measures to protect and safeguard the properties. 

In Turkey archaeological sites, edifices and places from different religious traditions, the birthplace of the Ottoman Empire, and natural landscapes are included on its Heritage list.

Teachers might use the archaeological site of Troy to illustrate the information to be found about each of the World Heritage selections in Turkey. The description may be read in different languages. Documentation of its value, meeting of criterion, and authenticity introduce the site, demonstrate concise argumentation and hint to Turkey’s culture. Discuss how the maps, documents and gallery are persuasive and support the inclusion of Troy as a World Heritage identified cultural heritage.

Students may be assigned to learn more about one of the World Heritage sites. Locate on a map of Turkey, introduce it and find a unique way to bring it to life in a class presentation.

Do a Word Find

English, Journalism, Social Studies, World History

In “From Constantinople to Ankara” students must locate 30 terms related to the history and culture of Turkey. After students have completed the word find, teachers may ask students to select a person, a faith or religion-related word, or any term. Do a one-day search in books and online to learn how this term relates to the history and culture of Turkey.

Eat Turkey and More
Character Education, Geography, Home Economics

Check your local phone book or an online source for restaurants that serve Turkish cuisine. What are they named? Do you find Perge, Aspendos, Myra or Kekova? Turkish restaurants are often names for places in the home country.

What dishes are on the menu? Do students recognize some of them? How have they become part of our everyday meals? Teachers might review some of the suggestions in Teachers Notes for using the FOOD section of The Washington Post to introduce Turkish foods. Have students eaten baklava, pastrami, a shish kebab or yogurt? You might even ask about turkey (guinea fowl) that found its way into Europe from North Africa that was under Ottoman or Turkish rule.

Have fun planning — and maybe sampling — Turkish cuisine.

Introduce Reuters and AP News Services
Journalism, Media Literacy, Social Studies

The Washington Post has almost 30 international bureaus with correspondents based in them. Yet, to provide more eyewitness and timely coverage they belong to Reuters and AP News Services.

Introduce students to these news providers in the pages of The Washington Post and online. Give students “Three Stories (and follow-up) From the AP.” Note how clearly a story that comes from an AP writer is indicated. Ask students to identify headline, dateline and byline. Read, categorize and discuss the news briefs and news articles that all provide coverage of activity involving Turkey.

Teachers may wish to show students the video from Reuters to accompany the reading of “US pastor released from house arrest, flown out of Turkey.” What does the video add to the print coverage?

Challenge Five Myths
Government, World History

Five myths is a weekly feature challenging everything you think you know. In this guide, teachers are provided a reprint of “Five myths about the decline and fall of Rome.” In addition to comparisons that some make to the Trump administration and current events,  reference is made (in myth 5) to the Byzantine Empire and its contrast to the Roman Empire. Students might use this essay as a stepping stone to discussion of empires, their inception, expansion and decline.

Play a Role
Government, Social Studies, World History

Students are to use their knowledge (and research) of Middle Eastern history and current events as they play the role of a diplomat from one of the listed countries. Teachers might begin this activity with locating Middle Eastern and European countries on a map.

What do students know of colonial activities of European countries in the Middle East? And how relations changed over the decades? “Four maps that explain the chaos in the Middle East” could be used as background for this activity. Read through the article together, noticing the changing map.

Give students “Diplomatic Relations in the Middle East.” Either assign countries or allow students to select the countries they want to represent. Up to four students may select a country, each with a different time period. Or teachers may do this activity focused on one time period; for example, 1900-1920, leading up to, during and after WWI.

Teachers can decide on the form of presentation. In panels, debates, country forums or press conferences with diplomats.

Debate European Union Entry

Economics, Government, World History

Admittedly moved to the back burner of many topics concerning Turkey is the question of whether it would be a good decision for Turkey and the European Union for Turkey to become a member state. Given that it applied in 1987, is it now too late? 

Debate: Should Turkey become a member of the EU?

Preparation for debate would include research:

• What is the purpose of the European Union? What are its goals for member states?

• What requirements must a nation meet to join the EU?

• In what ways would Turkey benefit from being a member of the EU? Explain how the EU might benefit from Turkey’s admittance?

• Although Turkey is a candidate to join the EU, what issues need to be resolved before that could happen?

• Which current EU countries might vote against Turkey’s admittance? For what reasons?

• Turkey applied to join the EU in 1987. Do the Turkish people still support EU entry?

• Why is the United Kingom (UK) leaving the EU (Brexit vote)? Does Brexit have any influence on the question of Turkey’s entry?

Form debate teams, complete research and prepare for the debate. You might invite individuals from your school community or town to act as judges or to comment on the debate and the issue.

Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi journalist and author, and a columnist for Washington Post Global Opinions, was not been heard from since he entered a Saudi consulate in Istanbul for a routine consular matter on the afternoon of October 2, 2018.

Meet the Commentary Writer
Government, Journalism, Media Literacy

Jamal Khashoggi had been working for The Post as a contributing writer in the Global Opinions section since September 2017 before he disappeared on October 2, 2018, in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Read “His calls for reform grew into a shout” for an introduction to him before he came to The Post — his family background, his changing political views and work in media. This provides how others saw him.

You can also get to know Jamal Khashoggi through his writings. What was it that made him such a threat to the Saudi heir apparent and others in Saudi Arabia? Read and discuss “By blaming 1979 for Saudi Arabia’s problems, the crown prince is peddling revisionist history,” “Saudi Arabia’s reformers now face a terrible choice” and Khashoggi’s last commentary, “What the Arab world needs most is free expression.”

Follow a Changing Story
Government, Journalism, Media Literacy

Jamal Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi journalist, was killed in Istanbul after walking into the consulate of Saudi Arabia, according to Turkish officials. In a statement released Oct. 6, Fred Hiatt, The Post’s editorial page editor, said that if true, this would represent “a monstrous and unfathomable act.”

Teachers might have students read the news articles in chronological order to follow the unfolding and changing story. What was the first report from Saudi officials? When and how does this claim change?

 Another approach would be to read a story after news of Khashoggi’s murder was released, for example, “Erodgan demands that Saudis prove missing journalist left their consulate alive.” 

Discussion questions could include:
• What details made the first report that Khashoggi had left the consulate questionable?
• Who pursued a truthful answer to the question of where was Jamal Khashoggi?
• What might have motivated the changing stories from Saudi officials?

See How The Post Responds
Ethics, Journalism, Media Literacy, Government

• On October 4, 2018, when Jamal’s column should have appeared in The Post’s op-ed section, white space appeared.

• Columnists wrote about Khashoggi, a free press and Middle East leaders’s responses: David Ignatius, Jason Rezaian, Ali Adubisi and Hana Al-Khamri, and Manal al-Sharif.

• Wrote editorials. Read the editorial included in this month’s resources, "The future of the Middle East depends on justice for Jamal Khashoggi." Teachers might lead students through The Post’s View to locate editorials related to Khashoggi.

• Printed full-page advertisements seeking the truth.

What Should Others Do?
Ethics, Government, Political Science

• Saudi Arabia and Turkey have a friendly relationship, according to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It is a complicated relationship. What should these two countries do in response to the revelation of Khashoggi’s death? How do their human rights records compare?

• How do the countries of the Middle East relate to each other? Political, religious, economic, cultural and other partnerships, shared experiences and rivalry? Teachers might find reading “Five Myths: Saudi Arabia” helpful.

• What actions should the U.S. Congress take in response to the murder of this journalist in a consulate? What are the duties of a consul? What should its citizens expect when they enter the doors of their country’s consulate? What complicates U.S. response? Which is most important: human rights or economics?

• Before Khashoggi’s death cultural and entertainment venues had reached out to Arab artists, performers and musicians for cross-cultural events. Should these continue? What are the benefits and drawbacks of these activities?

EDITOR: Carol Lange
ART EDITOR: Carol Porter