STORY: Turkish woman tells of fond memories of China and Chinese people
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 4, 2023
DATELINE: Dec. 13, 2023
LENGTH: 00:04:34
LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye
CATEGORY: CULTURE/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
2. photo of Elif Pervane in China
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
6. photo of Pervane in China
7. SOUNDBITE 5 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
8. SOUNDBITE 6 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
9. SOUNDBITE 7 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
10. photos of Pervane in China
11. SOUNDBITE 8 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
12. SOUNDBITE 9 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul

STORYLINE:

Elif Pervane, director of corporate affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul, brought to Türkiye impressive memories and experiences about China and Chinese people from her two-month stay in China.

"Friendly, cozy, warm, culturally rich, historically rich, that's what comes to mind when I think of China and Chinese people," said Pervane.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
"What impressed me most was the kindness of the people, the warmth, the touch, the gratuitous, benevolent feeling, and the closeness. You see people you have never met, the way they approach you, the friendship they show you. They act generously without any thought of personal gain or expectation. It was like a gift to me. That impressed me the most."

She traveled to Beijing in July to attend classes at Beijing Language and Culture University for over a month to improve her Chinese.

She had as much contact with the Chinese people as possible during her stay, made friends, and traveled a lot, including cities like Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Tianjin.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
"I thought traveling in such a vast geography would bring the loneliness that comes with size, but I found the opposite.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
"Because it was so crowded. I thought everyone would be strangers to each other, but I became very close friends with everyone I met. Even though I am back in Türkiye, we still maintain this closeness with the messages we send each other as if I was still there."

SOUNDBITE 4 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
"This intimacy touched me in today's world, where people are increasingly alienated from each other and become more and more lonely."

Before traveling to China, Pervane had many prejudices, many of which were based on false reports from some Western media. But after experiencing the culture, the daily life, and the people, she saw that all were baseless.

SOUNDBITE 5 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
"I thought I would find a huge air pollution problem when I went there. I did not. I believe this is a (Western) media misconception. I had read and seen (articles) that the Chinese are hostile to foreigners. This is also a completely false perception."

SOUNDBITE 6 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
"I saw the opposite of what I read in the Western media, and I wanted to tell all these really false perceptions when I returned to Türkiye and share my personal experiences. One of these false perceptions was about the food culture. They told me that I would be hungry in China and that I should definitely take some canned food with me, or I would not be able to eat. That is not true. Chinese cuisine is very close to our cuisine. I didn't consume any fast food. I ate (all) the Chinese food comfortably."

For Pervane, it is now a duty to expose such misconceptions and tell the truth to the people at home.

SOUNDBITE 7 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
"I have told my own children not to take everything they read and hear as accurate (in the Western media). They should experience everything for themselves when they visit China."

During her stay there, Pervane visited other cities by high-speed train whenever she had time from her studies. She said the rail transport network was more than excellent in terms of quality and speed.

She also praised the cities for building beautiful ecological structures existing in harmony with nature.

SOUNDBITE 8 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
"I didn't notice any pollution. I always had my mask in my pocket just to be on the safe side, but I didn't use it even once, neither in the subway nor in the open air. There was such a beautiful city structure that dates back thousands of years. There are parks and lakes all over the city, creating spots to breathe. There is a park that you can reach by taking two steps from the subway or your bus journey as soon as you feel a little tired."

After returning to Istanbul at the end of August, Pervane has already started looking for opportunities to visit China again and to tell more about the Turkish culture to her friends there, and experience more in China.

SOUNDBITE 9 (Turkish): ELIF PERVANE, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association in Istanbul
"I definitely want to go back to China every year at every opportunity. What would I like to do most? Firstly, I would like to see the friends I made there again. I would like to visit them. I would like to bring gifts from my hometown. I want to introduce my culture to them a little further. I would like to go to places I have not visited."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Istanbul, Türkiye.
(XHTV)