Emre: Hi, My name is Emre Öklük, I am a student in Ordu Fatih Anadolu Highschool- Turkey. I know you are interested in Turkey. Can I please ask some questions about this?

Wina: Of course! I would be very happy to answer some questions for you. I feel so inspired by the Turkish people I’ve met so far, both on Facebook and face to face. It will be a pleasure for me to write about it. And I would love to help you to improve your English. Maybe you can help me with my Turkish too…

Emre: Thanks, Could you introduce yourself briefly?

Wina: My name is Wina, and I’m Dutch. I live in Oxfordshire, England. I have lived here for 19 years. I’m married and have two children. I’m a professional translator and am fluent in four languages: Dutch, English, French and German. I grew up and went to school in Luxembourg. I was very fortunate to live in an international environment as a child. After that, I lived in Holland for many years, and studied French at university there. I love languages. I have also learned Italian, and a little Romanian. Turkish is a very different language. I really enjoy learning it. A whole new world is opening up for me.

How long have you been interested in Turkey?

When I lived in Holland, in the 1980s, I did some Turkish dancing, but never went any further. About a year ago, in Spring 2009, I found a video of Joan Baez singing Yiğidim Aslanım and Kız Çocuğu, by Zülfü Livaneli. This is when I became really very interested in Turkey. My love affair with Turkey has started with folk music. I love the very old music traditions of Turkey, the bards, the aşık tradition, as well as modern folk.

Why did you want to learn about Turkish music and Turkish culture?

It is hard to put it into words. I have loved the music from the Balkans and the Middle East for a long time, for 40 years or more, since my childhood. Turkey is located in the middle. I think it was inevitable that I would fall in love with Turkey one day. I even wonder why it has taken me so long. I love the richness and the diversity of Turkish music. There are so many styles, cultures and languages in Turkey. Those songs from Livaneli really touched me. It felt like they changed my life.

Which music and dance styles of Turkey do you like?

I love all the Turkish folk music styles: both the European styles and the Asian styles; Kurdish, Armernian, Azeri and Alevi music; Sephardic, Balkan and Greek influences. There just seems to be no end to the diversity. I have developed a special interest in music from the Karadeniz area. I can’t explain it but the music from that area really moves me. I have become a big fan of Kazım Koyuncu, and the young, very talented artist Salih Gündoğdu. I love the human voice most of all, and the voices of Ruhi Su and Sümeyra Çakır are amongst my favourites. I’ve become a fan of Tülay German, Leman Sam, Suavi, Arif Sağ, Selda Bağcan, Aşık Mahzuni Şerif, Ilkay Akkaya, Kardeş Türküler, Hasan Yükselir, and many more.

I love folk instruments, especially the bağlama (saz) and the kemençe, and I love the Turkish drums. I also seem to have a preference for “nostalgic” music from the 1970s, for example Fikret Kızılok. I love Turkish folk dances, and can’t wait to learn more. So far, I love dances from the Karadeniz area (Horon) and from the Izmir area (Zeybek) most of all, but I know there is a lot more for me to discover. I also love Turkish traditional costumes.

Salih Gündoğdu is one of my friends, so I want to ask a special question about him. To be honest, hearing his name in the same sentence with other professional Turkish artists has surprised me. How did you get to know him?

I was introduced to his music by my very good friend from Ankara. He also introduced me to the TV program Bir Şarkısın Sen, and I’ve been able to watch it live online and on YouTube. I think Salih has a special quality about him. This is purely my intuitive opinion, because I’m hardly an expert, but he comes across as a very talented, genuine and authentic music artist, really mature for his young age. Personally, I really like his simple presentation within this very glamorous show. I love his version of Ötme Bülbül Ötme for example.

Could you comment on Salih's interest in folk music, given his young age?

I’m thrilled to see someone so young with such a strong passion for folk music, and it makes me really happy to know that there are young people who are interested in these music traditions. In Holland and England for example, the people who are interested in traditional music are getting older, and we need young people to get involved. I’ve heard that the same thing is happening in Turkey. Salih could definitely be an inspiration for young people in Turkey. Folk is actually getting more attention now, and more artists are playing acoustic music and using traditional songs in their new material. This may be an ideal time for Salih to bring the music he loves to a younger audience, and get more young people to play folk music.

How did you learn more about Turkey?

For me personally, Livaneli was an ideal starting point. And I used Facebook to make Turkish friends. My friends and Livaneli are my sources of inspiration, and my sources of knowledge. I have made some amazing friends. Every time we discuss a certain topic, I do research on the internet, and my knowledge has spread in all directions. I think I have a realistic impression of Turkey because I talk to people who live there. I don’t want to be a simple tourist: I really love the country. My friends have also helped me to start learning Turkish. I’m a total beginner and it’s not easy. Without my friends I would have no chance. I have also made some wonderful Turkish friends here in England. This is very important to me.

What have you learned until now? Could you sum up?

I have learned about many aspects of Turkey. I’ve found Turkish newspapers in English online to learn about current news in Turkey today. I have learned about many famous places in Turkey, famous for their culture (Istanbul), history (Selçuk), and nature (Pamukkale, Capadocia). I have learned about Istanbul and this is now my top favourite travel destination. I have learned about Atatürk, about whom I knew remarkably little. I have learned a lot about poetry, about Nazım Hikmet in particular. I’ve learned about Turkish food and can’t wait to try it. I have tried Dolmas and Baklava  – heavenly! Obviously I have learned a lot about Turkish music. Most of all I have learned about the people of Turkey, about their amazing generosity and enthusiasm, and I feel truly honoured to know them.

What is the most interesting side of Turkey for you?

I think the diversity of Turkey is the most interesting side for me. The people of Turkey are what I love most about Turkey. Everything I like about Turkey is connected. It’s hard to pick out one thing.

Has this information about Turkey ever been useful for you?

So far, it has been useful for me in terms of feeling inspired and happy, but not yet in a practical sense. I have always loved people, cultures and languages. So far, I’m learning about Turkey purely because I love the people and the music. I’m enjoying myself. I have no practical plans with this. I certainly want to travel to Turkey, and I’m hoping to be able to go to Istanbul this year for the first time. I don’t know what the future will bring. Once I know the language, it would be wonderful to use this in a professional way. But at this point that is not the purpose. The use for me is making friends and learning…

Who has affected you the most from Turkey as an artist, singer, poet and a person in history?

Zülfü Livaneli, Nazım Hikmet, Ruhi Su, Hasret Gültekin, and… Atatürk… Those are the names that have had the biggest impact on me so far. But the list of people is growing.

From the film world I’ve learned about Can Dündar, and I’ve watched his film “Mustafa”. I’m looking forward to see Livaneli’s “Veda”. Other names are Yilmaz Günley, and Fatih Akin for example, and I’m waiting for the film “The lost songs from Anatolia” (Anadolunun Kayıp Şarkıları). I’ve learned about authors such as Orhan Pamuk, and many poets such as Nazım Hikmet, Atilla Ilhan, Orhan Veli (Istanbul’u dinliyorum), Cahit Külebi, Ahmet Telli, Can Yücel. I’ve learned about philosophers like Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, and about the Mevlana more generally. I’ve learned about the Epic of Köroğlu. I particularly love Aşık Veysel, and the whole aşık tradition, including the call-and-response duet of bards (aşık atışması). I like Turkish classical composers, particularly the violinists Fahir Atakoğlu and Cihat Aşkın. I like Mehter displays and music too.

On a lighter note, I also enjoy comedians like Cem Yilmaz, and I like Beyazıt Öztürk.

Do you want to visit Turkey? Where would you like to go?

I would like to visit all my friends in Turkey: in Ankara, Sinop, Izmir, Gaziantep and of course Istanbul. I didn’t realize until now how big the country is, and as you can see the places I want to visit are very far apart. Probably Istanbul will become my first destination in Turkey, but it may be Ankara or Gaziantep, because my friends are more important to me than the places. The places only take a meaning because of the people who live there. Of course I do have an interest in culture and history too, and Istanbul is a magical, irresistible place…

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to reflect on why I love Turkey. Best wishes and good luck to you, for now and for the future,

Emre: Thank you very much!

Wina, in Oxfordshire, England