Top 10 Reasons to Go On Erasmus in Turkey

Are you an international student planning your Erasmus program? Are you lost trying to decide which country you are going to choose? This article is made for you! Among the countries that participate in the program, one of the most outstanding options is Turkey. And in this list, we compiled the reasons to study in Turkey to help you decide. Here are the top 10 reasons to go on Erasmus in Turkey!

1. Delicious Food

Turkish cuisine is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Turkey, and, one of the best things too! There are so many different cuisines here: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Balkan, etc. It is amazing you can try all of these different cuisines within one country. While being famous for its delicious kebab, you can find many famous foods that are vegetarian/vegan such as sarma (rice rolled with grape leaves), kumpir (a big potato with stuffing), and menemen (a breakfast dish), etc. Turkish cuisine is such a rich and unique one with its main dishes, desserts, and drinks that you may not find similar ones somewhere else than Turkey!

2. Exotic Culture

The culture of Turkey is one of a kind because it is the place where East meets West. There are many different minorities with different backgrounds from both East and West. Having these different cultures living together for years has affected this country’s culture a lot. You can experience the sentimentality of the East in Turkey and yet, you can sense the Western rules and the secular mindset overall. You can see all types of different-looking people in the streets and you will see this is a very natural thing in Turkey.

3. Budget Friendly

Especially now, Turkey is cheaper than ever for European students since 1 Euro equals 10+ Turkish Liras. You can basically have everything you are going to have in a European country and everything will cost way less. You can have a full meal with only 2-3 euros for instance. Also, there are multiple opportunities to pay less if you are a student in Turkey. What else can one ask for?

4. Rich History

The historical background is also very complex and diverse in Turkey. This geographical area has sheltered, for thousands of years, very important ancient groups. The earliest evidence of human settlements in the world (Göbeklitepe) is found in Urfa, Turkey. It is the place of many important events in mythology, the home of so many historical figures like Santa Claus, Diogenes, etc. In summary, you will enjoy studying in Turkey a lot if you are a history geek like us!

5. Turkish Hospitality

Turkish people really are quite warm and kind towards foreigners. They love to talk to foreigners and try to make them feel at home. You can ask for help from anyone whether you know them or not, and they will try their best to solve your problem at the moment. It is especially fortunate to be a university student in Turkey because in a lot of the universities, the language of education is English and that can make the whole adaptation process way easier. 

6. 4 Seasons

The weather differs so much from city to city in Turkey. And the best part is, in most of them there are nearly no extreme weather conditions. You can experience all four seasons evidently in most of the cities. Another advantage of this diversity is probably being able to decide the weather conditions you want to live in. You can travel to very sunny cities of Turkey in the summer, and if you are not a fan of hot weather, that’s okay too! You can just choose to spend your time in a city with mild weather without any trouble. 

7. Many Cities with World-Famous Tourist Attractions

Turkey hosts many touristic attractions and beauties that are worldwide known! There are 81 cities in Turkey and we can say that each of these cities has something specific to visit, different types of foods to taste with their unique characteristics. But especially some of these cities host very famous tourist attractions like Cappadoccia, Pamukkale, Ephesus, and many more of them! So, once you are in Turkey for your Erasmus, you can visit any of these attractions during the school breaks that you would always have some travel options to see new places.

8. Beatiful Nature

There are infinite natural places that you can visit in Turkey. If you are a fan of swimming, for instance, Turkey is the right place for you since it is the third country in the world that has the most Blue Flag Beaches. If you like winter sports, there are multiple resorts for them, the most famous of them being Uludağ, Bursa. There are also many natural parks and mountains for hiking and camping options in the different parts of the country.

9. Wide Range of Activities

There are many wide ranges of activities in Turkey that you can probably try the first time in your life. You can go have a swim in the healing thermal water of Afyon, or you can try the famous Turkish Baths (Hamams) if you’d like. Other than that, Turkish Markets are also destinations worth seeing and shopping at as well. Not to think about only historic and cultural activities, but there are also full of sports events, concerts, etc all around the country. So many options for every taste!

10. Removing the Stereotypes

In Western Media, Turkey is mostly demonstrated as a non-safe country. In fact, some people even think there is war in Turkey. And many people believe that life in Turkey is the same as how a typical Hollywood movie represents Middle Eastern countries. However, if you choose to study in Turkey, you’ll see how these stereotypes do not reflect reality and how wrong these conceptions actually are.

How much did you know about Turkey before? Are these reasons enough to make you convince to go on Erasmus in Turkey? Let us know what do you think about Turkey and making your Erasmus in Turkey in the comments below!