Turkish

Meet Mine Nurdogan. Hi my name is Mine Nurdogan and I am Turkish.

Heritage
I grew up on the Eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey in a city called Mersin. Ships from all around the world stop at Mersin to pick up and drop off goods. I came over to Britain about 6 years ago and moved to Forest gate in Newham with my husband and son.

Religion and culture
My family is Muslim and I follow the religion of Islam. Religion is an important part of my family life and we go and pray at the local mosque. Family life is very important and there is a strong solidarity between family and respect for elders.

Celebrations
We celebrate many of the Muslim festivals that take place over the year like Ramadan where we fast for one month between sunset and sunrise. As well as religious festivals, I also celebrate Turkish festivals like the Turkish Independence Day on 23 April and annual Youth and Sports Festival that takes place every year on 19 May.

Food
My favourite traditional dish is called Imam Bayilidi (Imam Swooned) and my mother makes this. In Newham if I want to eat Turkish food, I normally have to settle for a kebab from the local Turkish take-away shop. However, for a full authentic Turkish meal, we will usually go Haringey, Hackney or Tottenham where there is a larger Turkish community and it is easier to find shops and restaurants for the Turkish community.

Living in Newham
One of the things I like about living in Newham is that it is easy to live in an area with so many different communities. I am amazed at the different cultures, ways of life and people that I have met while working and living in Newham.

Language
If you meet me on the street you would really impress me by saying "merhaba" which is Turkish for hello. Although I speak Turkish, the other main languages spoken in Turkey are Armenian, Kurdish and Arabic.