There’s an obscene number of podcasts out there. Though the medium was practically unheard of a few years ago, there are now over a million shows, and that number is growing exponentially. This glut has both good parts and bad parts. On the bright side, it means that no matter your interests, you can find content that will appeal to you. So if you’re looking for Turkish podcasts, you have plenty of options. But on the not-so-bright side, it means finding good content can be tough. Searching for the perfect show is like looking for a needle in a haystack sometimes.
To save you time, we collected some of the best Turkish podcasts out there for learners. We also divided them by difficulty, so no matter how far along you are, there’s something here for you. And for more information on using podcasts to learn a language, check out our guide to the topic.
Beginner Turkish Podcasts
Turkey Book Talk
A language is in many ways inseparable from the culture that it comes from, and so you’ll probably need to learn about both. Turkey Book Talk is entirely in English, but it explores many parts of Turkey and its surrounding areas. It’s called a “book” talk because most of the interviewees are authors, but this isn’t specifically about literature. Episodes cover everything from the politics of the Middle East to the time James Baldwin spent in Turkey.
Learn Turkish With LinguaBoost
We’ll preface this by saying that to get all the episodes of Learn Turkish with LinguaBoost, you have to pay for them on their website. But even without a subscription, you can get access to the first 10 episodes for free on any podcast app. The first episodes are great for a beginner just looking to get some listening and learning under their belt.
Intermediate Turkish Podcasts
Let’s Learn Turkish
Let’s Learn Turkish is hosted by two people: Meltem, a native Turkish speaker, and her Spanish partner Lázaro, who wants to learn more about the language. (Don’t let the Spanish part confuse you, though, because the podcast is only in English and Turkish.) In each short episode, you follow along as they cover a different topic about the language. Because it gets harder as it goes along, it’s best to scroll back and start with the earliest episodes.
Learn Turkish With Turkish Coffee
This show is still for learners, but it introduces a new level of difficulty because there’s no English at all. The idea behind Learn Turkish with Turkish Coffee is that after a certain point, the best way to improve your Turkish is to listen to the language as much as possible. The topics in each of the roughly 10-minute episodes vary widely — from keeping a diary to why Turkish people drink salty coffee — but there are learning terms sprinkled throughout. The podcast’s website also provides a transcript, so you can follow along as you listen.
Advanced Turkish Podcasts
SBS Turkish
It may seem random, but the Australian broadcaster SBS has some of the best multilingual content out there, and SBS Turkish is no exception. It’s a regular news show, covering world events (though there is a bit of an Australian tilt to it, as you might expect). This show might be a little bit easier than other Turkish news shows because it includes quotes from English speakers pretty often, which can help reorient you if you get lost in the news story.
Açik Bilim
Açik Bilim (“Open Science”) is a science podcast that’s been around for almost 10 years, so it’s certainly not new to the game. The show covers any number of science topics, from atoms to galaxies. The show also sometimes tackles current events (COVID-19, for example) so you can get timely information in Turkish. And if science isn’t your thing, you might want to venture out and find podcasts that are! There are Turkish podcasts that cover all kinds of topics, so look for one you’re interested in and click play.
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