I, an American, have been in a relationship with my partner, a Turk, for nearly 10 years now. Needless to say, there have been ups and downs and a learning curve of each other's customs and habits. However, we are happy together, which I attribute to our love and the mutual respect we both have for each other's culture.There are some expected and unexpected differences that can pose as wonderful advantages as well as annoying hurdles to intercultural relationships with Turks. Especially if you're living in Turkey, Turks have the "home turf," so it is up to me, the foreigner, to adapt to these cultural divides, which I do for the most part. Nevertheless, there are times even I slip up and pick fights, and when I do, it most definitely has to do with timing.Not only do I always try to adhere to some sort of time schedule in this country where the clock is designated more by spontaneity than time restraints, but when invited to a scheduled event, whether by a foreigner or a Turk, I am absolutely near obsessive about getting there on time or at least I used to be. When I first began dating my Turkish husband-to-be, we were constantly quibbling about getting somewhere on time. He would always lollygag around having a final tea as he geared himself up to go out and I ran around frantically trying to get out of the house in a timely manner. However, more times than not, we would be the first to arrive only to sit around miserably with my partner carrying that smug "I told you so" grin. I would then apologize for pestering him for being late to which he would say, "Don't apologize, just don't ruin our night again." We have now reached a silent compromise where he makes extra effort to be timely when the event involves foreign parties and I have given up nagging by adopting the state of mind that when we arrive it will be when fate has decided we need to arrive.For my Turkish partner, apologizing by saying the words "I'm sorry" was a foreign concept, whereas for me it was an integral part of solving any strife. I would need to either officially apologize myself or in rare cases demanded it from my partner, who rightfully considered this to be yet another bizarre construct of my own culture. I have since stopped being such a "sorry" stickler and maybe as a result the need for any apologies in our relationship has nearly disappeared. "Thank you" is also a term that is near nonexistent in our repertoire. I have been told time and time by my Turkish friends that there is no need to thank them, and my Turkish partner tells me it makes him feel like he is just an acquaintance when I say thank you because the things he does for me are just what lovers do.Turkish men are very romantic and love making grand gestures. When I was a teenager, once a Turkish suitor bought out the balloon peddler and handed a bunch of strings tied to dozens of balloons to me in front of applauding onlookers on Istanbul's Bağdat Avenue. In another romantic gesture, one boyfriend bought out the daisy stall and secretly filled my room with the flowers, while once a boy in my neighborhood carved my name into the snow on my street. The most romantic gift of all in the '80s and early '90s were the mixed tapes that were done so professionally by cassette shops that would mix-up personalized tapes at your discretion to give to your loved one by the buck. In later years came cellphones and text messages turned into poetry scrolls sent incessantly throughout the day.Turkish males tend to be true gentlemen, as they are not only patient but extremely courteous. They will offer you their seat, carry your bags and will even accompany you to the lavatory in a public setting, which can be a bit annoying. They also love to be the driver, which for me after 10 years of courtship is a sacrifice I have had to make, literally saying goodbye to nearly never driving again.I have also learned to try to fly by the seat of my pants and roll with the punches with pleasure and grace, while my partner has learned to respond to all of my questions and be extra sensitive to informing me as much as possible of what is unfolding in this country where time can take you on a variety of spontaneous adventures.Turks don't necessarily have "the conversation" that takes place in most budding romances in the States to establish what the status of the relationship is and what both sides' expectations are. Instead, they fall head over heels in love. In which case, for the most part I believe them to be loyal, trustworthy, loving and sensitive partners that are not afraid of commitment.If you do end up committed to a Turk, then suddenly you become a "yenge," which means sister-in-law but is also reserved for the partners of friends, or "enişte" for brother-in-law. Being given this title pretty much means you are under the protective care of your partner's close community due to your relationship status.If you do date a Turk, you may end up also proverbially dating his family. Turkish males are known to be babied by their mothers and having their every whim catered to; therefore, it should come of no surprise that most of the time the female party takes on the majority of the housework and caretaking. I am one of the lucky ones as my partner enjoys cleaning the house and cooking dinner; however, for some reason, he absolutely refuses to do the laundry. When guests come over, we sort of put on a little show taking on the traditional roles of me being the homemaker serving our guests. Family can certainly be one of the greatest sources of strife among couples from different cultures. Foreign brides are forever terrified of the "kaynana," the mother-in-law, who can sometimes have a hard time letting their sons go. As in many cultures, family is incredibly important for Turks and they will drop everything to come to the aid and assistance of their family – as it should be; however, sometimes to the fear or detriment of the foreign party. If Turkish family comes to stay, it is actually rude to ask how long they plan on staying for. For me this indefiniteness is unfortunately still torturous because I still love to plan the days ahead of me almost as much as I love my privacy. So, I practice grace and gratitude for such strong family ties and hope I will be able to show the same patience and understanding my partner would if the tables were turned as Turks, if nothing else, are extremely patient and understanding. If the situation were indeed reversed, I know he would never ask me when my family would leave and even if I asked if they could move in, he would eagerly say yes.When it comes to foreigner-Turkish love connections, there is of course a very uneven playing field, which is Turkey. Therefore, it is par for the course that your partner may win most fights, after all they have Turkey on their side. But it shouldn't be about who is right or wrong, all that matters is that you get along and are happy. Thus, for this, I recommend the Turks in romance to no end!