Turkish Minor

More than 75 million people speak Turkish, most of them in Turkey, where Turkish is the official language. Turkish is also spoken by many living in areas that had been governed by the Ottoman Empire, such as in the Balkans, Cyprus, and areas of the Middle East.

Turkish is an important minority language in many European countries, especially Germany, where Turkish “guest workers” have been contributing to the German economy and enriching German culture and cuisine since the 1970s. In the United States, Turkish communities, think tanks, business associations, and cultural organizations are increasingly visible.

Many students study Turkish in order to communicate with Turkish speakers, to travel in Turkey, and to accomplish various types of academic study of the Republic of Turkey, which is a strategic partner of the West, a NATO member, a fascinating center of deep-rooted, regionally significant, and diverse culture, as well as a legitimate contender for the title of “Bridge between East and West.”

Modern Turkish, written since 1928 in the Latin script (like English), is also an excellent language to study in preparation for working with Ottoman Turkish documents. It is also helpful as background for the study of the related Turkic languages of Azerbaijani, Gagauz, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tatar, Turkmen, Uyghur, and Uzbek. Because of features such as “vowel harmony” and “agglutination” and its regular grammar with a logic unrelated to Indo-European and Semitic languages, Turkish is also a favorite of scholars in the field of linguistics.

Due to our long-standing commitment to a minimum of three full years of language courses, along with the availability of a range of courses about Ottoman history and modern Turkish politics, history, security issues, and culture, Georgetown has one of the strongest Turkish programs in the U.S. Students who pursue the minor in Turkish from Georgetown will have a strong background in the language, culture, and regional affairs of a major power connected to the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia.

For more information about the minor, visit the program website or contact the Head of the Turkish Program, Prof. Sylvia Önder, at onders@georgetown.edu. 

Requirements for the Minor

The minor in Turkish requires a minimum of six courses. All students minoring in Turkish are required to take:

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
TURK 1011	Intensive Beginning Turkish I	6
TURK 1012	Intensive Beginning Turkish II	6
TURK 1501	Intermediate Turkish I	3
TURK 1502	Intermediate Turkish II	3
Select one of the following tracks:		9
Turkish Language Track:
TURK 2001	Advanced Turkish I
TURK 2002	Advanced Turkish II
Select one Turkish Studies elective
Turkish Studies Track:
Three Turkish Studies electives
Total Credits		27

Note: Students who begin their study of Turkish beyond the beginning or intermediate levels may substitute additional courses in Turkish Studies with approval of the Head of the Turkish Program.

Students may choose from two tracks, the Turkish Language track or the Turkish Studies track, to complete the minor.

Turkish Language Courses Taught Occasionally:

• Media Turkish
• Ottoman Turkish
• Contemporary Issues in Turkey
• Presentation Skills in Turkish
• Academic Turkish
• Delicious Turkish: Learning the Language through Cuisine
• Dramatic Turkish: Learning Turkish through TV Drama

Courses in Turkish Studies will vary by semester, in topics such as:

• Ottoman History 
• Modern Turkish History
• Turkish Culture 
• Turkish Domestic Politics 
• Turkish International Affairs and Security Studies
• Central Asian Turkic History and Culture
• Turkish Literature in Translation

Additional courses in Turkish Studies can count in the minor with approval of the Head of the Turkish Program. Transfer courses or study abroad courses in Turkish language may also be counted in the minor, on the basis of a placement exam and with the approval of the Head of the Turkish Program.