Neden Bir İnsanın Poposuna Bakarız? | Taner Çağlı | TEDxFabrika

Observations on Turkish Culture

• People in the world wear watches on their wrists, but in Turkey, it's common to see people wearing watches on their arms, with the only explanation being that it's a habit, (35s)
• The rest of the world gives birth to babies, but in Turkey, people say "you're giving birth to a child," which is a different way of expressing the same idea, (1m11s)
• When asked what time it is, people in Turkey often respond with the exact time, such as "9:52," whereas in other countries, people might respond with a more general answer, such as "almost 10," (1m29s)
• This is because the concept of time is emphasized in Turkish culture, and people are conditioned to respond with the exact time when asked, (1m47s)

Introduction of Taner Çağlı

• The speaker, Taner Çağlı, is an English teacher, but he also has a background in translation and interpretation, having graduated from the Eastern Mediterranean University, (2m54s)
• Taner Çağlı has also been a singer, poet, and entrepreneur, and he believes that being an entrepreneur is necessary to survive in Turkey, (3m9s)
• He used to have a negative perception of teaching, but after becoming a teacher himself, he realized the importance and value of the profession, (3m35s)
• Taner Çağlı considers himself a teacher and enjoys the TED environment, where he can connect with like-minded individuals, (2m44s)

Anecdote about Jacket Choice

• A person was planning to wear a specific jacket to an event in Diyarbakır, but their team advised against it due to the formal atmosphere and the presence of important individuals, including the kaymakam and students, so they decided to wear the team's preferred jacket instead (4m24s).
• The person mentioned that their surname is not Akdeniz, despite being told that Hakkı Akdeniz, who is from America, has a Kurdish surname, and they decided to wear the team's preferred jacket to avoid offending anyone (4m38s).
• The person expressed their desire to wear their own jacket and be themselves, but ultimately decided to wear the team's preferred jacket, which had a zipper in the front, and mentioned that they feel more comfortable with their own jacket (4m59s).

Speaker's Inquisitive Nature

• The person started their talk by mentioning that they have always been someone who likes to challenge the norms and has a history of opposition, which has been a part of their life since childhood (5m38s).
• They mentioned that they have always been curious and have asked many questions, especially about language, but often received unsatisfactory answers from their teachers, who would give excuses instead of explanations (6m0s).
• The person recalled that they were always interested in language and would often ask questions, but their teachers would respond with clichés, such as "this is just the way it is," which they found unconvincing (6m14s).
• They mentioned that they were trying to make a point about the importance of questioning and seeking answers, and that they would continue to do so, even if it meant challenging the norms (7m15s).
• The person shared that they have always been someone who asks questions and seeks answers, and that they would continue to do so, even if it meant going against the norms (7m23s).
• They mentioned that they were often told that certain things are just the way they are, and that they should accept them without questioning, but they never accepted this and always sought to find their own answers (7m31s).
• The person expressed their desire to share their own experiences and answers with others, and to encourage them to question and seek answers for themselves (8m1s).

Rhetoric Class and Observation

• In university, a student took a Rhetoric class that focused on the art of persuasion and convincing others, which included case studies and analyzing how people communicate and convince each other (8m10s).
• The student's professor asked them to explain why people look at others, specifically referencing a situation where the student was caught looking at another girl by their girlfriend, and the student realized that people don't look at others out of pleasure, but rather for a reason (8m34s).
• The student discovered that the reason people look at others is rooted in the way the Turkish language is structured, where people think about what they want to say before speaking and consider what words to use, which can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations (9m21s).
• In Turkish, people tend to think about the other person's perspective and intentions, which can lead to assumptions and incorrect conclusions, such as assuming someone needs a taxi because they are walking with someone, or assuming someone needs two chairs because they are with someone (9m47s).
• This way of thinking is unique to the Turkish language and is based on the assumption that the other person is not blind or visually impaired, which can make Turkish a challenging language for people with visual impairments (10m55s).
• The Turkish language is not well-suited for people with visual impairments, and very little has been done to accommodate them in Turkey, making Turkish one of the most difficult languages for visually impaired people (11m11s).

Language Research and Discovery

• The concept of questioning the origin of words and languages led to a significant turning point in life, with the realization that everything has a purpose (11m53s).
• The journey of researching the Turkish language and its connection to other languages began, despite not studying Turkish linguistics, and eventually led to exploring the Ural-Altay language family (12m1s).
• The question of what existed before the Ural-Altay language family, and what the ancestors were doing, sparked further research (12m28s).
• The conclusion reached was that God created everyone with the same language, and over time, people transitioned to different formats (12m42s).
• The curiosity about the origin of words, such as "Has," led to questions being asked, but often dismissed by teachers, with the response being "don't overthink it, or you'll go crazy" (13m26s).
• Despite this, the pursuit of knowledge continued, and even led to a humorous anecdote about a job application at a translation office, where the teacher who graduated the applicant warned the office about the applicant's inquisitive nature (13m52s).
• The experience of being discouraged from asking questions, such as the meaning of "Has," was a recurring theme, with the teacher not taking the time to research or explain the answer (14m23s).
• However, this did not deter the pursuit of knowledge, and with persistence and the help of God, answers were eventually found (14m32s).
• Everything has a logic and a reason behind it, and it's possible that we just haven't figured it out yet (14m37s).

Linguistic Analysis and Examples

• The English language has a rule where the verb "does" is dropped in certain sentences, such as "She has a car" instead of "She does have a car" (14m53s).
• This rule can be compared to the Turkish word "kahvaltı", which is derived from "kahvealtı" and has undergone a transformation to become the word we use today (15m15s).

Speaker's Teaching Philosophy

• The speaker decided to make their talk informative and educational, as they are a teacher and cannot help but teach (16m1s).
• Despite having a life story that could be made into a novel, the speaker believes that their life is not important, and what's important is the information they can share with others (16m17s).
• The speaker has a strong desire to learn and understand the reasons behind things, which led them to research and delve deeper into various topics (16m34s).

Speaker's Educational Journey

• The speaker's academic background is marked by contradictions, having been the top student in high school but the last to graduate from university (16m37s).
• The speaker's teacher handed them their diploma with a mix of surprise and teasing, saying "You graduated, at least" (16m49s).
• The speaker's curiosity and desire to learn led them to investigate and explore various subjects, including the Turkish language and cryptography (17m16s).
• The speaker's area of expertise is cryptography, which involves encrypted messages, and they have also studied the Turkish language and its differences from other languages, including English (17m23s).

Turkish Language Structure and Cryptography

• One of the main differences between Turkish and English is that Turkish is an agglutinative language, where suffixes are added to the end of words, whereas English is not (17m35s).
• Turkish is a language that adds suffixes to the end of words, but the reason behind this and who established this rule has not been researched in Turkish language departments, despite years of people studying and discussing the language (17m42s).
• After researching, it was discovered that Turkish is a cryptic or encoded language, using suffixes as a form of encryption or code, which serves as a sign or indicator that requires the listener to decipher the meaning (18m4s).
• The language uses these codes to convey meaning, and the listener is expected to understand the intended meaning through these indicators, rather than explicit statements (18m23s).
• For example, when saying "er" (meaning "man" or "soldier"), the listener is expected to understand the context and meaning, rather than the literal translation (18m30s).

Reflections on Teaching and Diyarbakır

• The speaker reflects on their own experience as a teacher, stating that teaching is a challenging task, and that they wish they could convey more information and ideas to their students (18m40s).
• The speaker mentions their fondness for Diyarbakır, a city in Turkey, and how they would like to share their appreciation for the city, but feels limited in their ability to express themselves (18m51s).

Turkish Language Peculiarities and Mother's Influence

• The speaker notes that Turkish language has unique characteristics, such as using the same root word with different suffixes to convey different meanings, and that this can be challenging for non-native speakers to learn (19m7s).
• The speaker shares an anecdote about their mother, who is from Van and learned Turkish later in life, and how she would use phrases like "giy ayağını" (meaning "put on your shoes") instead of "giy bacağını" (meaning "put on your pants"), and how this was a common expression in Turkish culture (19m28s).
• The speaker also notes that Turkish language has unique expressions and idioms, such as "tabağını bitir" (meaning "finish your plate") instead of "yemeğini bitir" (meaning "finish your food"), and that these expressions are unique to Turkish culture (19m39s).
• The speaker's mother would also use the phrase "o biri" (meaning "that one") instead of "öbürü" (meaning "the other one"), and the speaker would tease her about this, but later realized that "o biri" is actually a correct and common expression in Turkish (20m12s).

Gratitude and Dedication

• The individual is expressing gratitude for being in Diyarbakır, a place close to their mother's birthplace, which makes them happy (21m12s).
• They mention that they would have liked to incorporate Diyarbakır motifs into their attire, but instead, it has a connection to India (21m27s).
• The individual feels a strong sense of belonging in Diyarbakır, where they were warmly welcomed (21m34s).
• They dedicate this conversation to their late mother and their beloved daughter, who is watching from the second row (21m50s).
• The individual concludes by thanking everyone and expressing their hope to meet again (22m0s).