BY YAREN SAĞLIK (TRIN/III)
Name: Deni Emurzaev
Department: II/IR
Country of Origin: Russia
What do you like best about Turkey?
I like Turkey because of how open minded people are. It’s very easy to make friends and get to know everyone around you.
Are there any similarities between Turkey and your home country?
I can’t come up with major similarities between Russia and Turkey, but gas is very expensive in both countries.
What will you miss most about Bilkent/Turkey?
I’ll miss the people I’ve met, but everything else is replaceable.
What’s your favorite place on campus, and why?
My favorite place on campus is behind Meteksan, where I sit with a really good friend of mine during lunchtime.
What’s your favorite Turkish food and/or favorite part of Turkish culture?
Turkish coffee is the best. Enough said.
Where do you expect to see yourself 10 years from now?
Ten years from now I’ll probably be working for the United Nations somewhere in Canada.
What’s the hardest challenge you’ve handled in Turkey?
I’ve handled a couple of challenges in Turkey. The hardest was my mother being diagnosed with cancer, but Turkish medicine really got things done, and she’s doing great now.
What places have you visited in Turkey, and which one is your favorite?
Antalya, İstanbul and Ankara are the only cities I’ve visited, but my favorite is İstanbul, because its architecture really catches the eye.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I have a couple… I know a little bit about everything so it’s really easy to keep a conversation going. Also, my fingers are extremely flexible. (Is that a talent?)
What’s an interesting question or comment you hear frequently about Bilkent/Turkey?
After people find out that I was an exchange student in the US, they always ask why I chose Turkey over the US. The answer is, I came here because of my parents, who live in Ankara.