I don't know a lot of Turkish...how many of the locals speak English?

John McCarroll
31 March, 2016

Not many, really. Except for Tourism professionals, students, or business people, most turks don't speak english (except for a few phrases that everyone knows). This doesn't seem to really hurt anyone, as turks are good at pantomime and are generally quite patient as you speak Turkish.  If you are trying to make friends, look for student bars, rock clubs, or fancy cafes- anywhere where you might find students chilling.

Foreigner Language Turkish English Locals Language Barrier Speaking Turkish Language
John McCarroll

Irresponsible anthropologist and fiction writer. Used to be an expat in Istanbul. 

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