Despite recent changes, Turkish dating culture remains conservative, especially outside of the larger cities. Theres no living together before marriage, and sex before marriage simply isnt discussed. However, one aspect of modern dating has taken off in Turkey: online dating.

Is Dating common in Turkey?

“Dating” (in the Western sense of the word) is not common in Turkey outside of universities or large urban areas. There is a strong social expectation that unmarried people from opposite genders should not show interest or affection towards one another alone in public.

Are marriages still arranged in Turkey?

But in Turkeys more rural communities the old traditions still live on: arranged marriages, strange rituals like womens single status being “advertised” with an empty bottle on the roof of a house (a man would knock the bottle off in order to be assessed for marriage suitability - by the womans father, of course).