'Foreigner' Or 'Local' -- It All Depends How You Define Yourself

Today I wish to address a subject that at first sight seems theoretical, but is indeed a hot pick among many expats I have the pleasure to regularly speak with.
On the one hand, it concerns how we position ourselves in our wider community, and on the other, how we expats are seen by our local neighbors.
This involves a number of scenarios. First, do we basically stick together and mostly meet and socialize with fellow internationals? Or do we interact with our Turkish neighbors, and if so, to what extent? And third: How is any of this perceived by our wider, non-foreign host community?
The first possibility is tempting, I know, particularly if we live in a region where tourism dominates the agenda. It is the soft option, so to speak. There will be enough places where English is spoken, where menus are printed in English and where the hospitality sector is mostly aimed at expats and/or tourists.
But I realized over time that this can be interpreted as a trap as well, an “expat trap,” if I may use this term. The moment we feel as if we are back home, except for the sunshine and the clear knowledge that we are thousands of kilometers away, we might just as well continue to live as if we are still back home. And from that point onward, when other English speakers become our main contact group, we even refrain from learning the local language, as there is no need, supposedly.
Rest assured, I did the same for at least a couple of months. It was nice and comforting to continue speaking in English, to swap details about where we last lived, what we are doing over here, and so on and so forth. But for me, something was missing soon thereafter: to interact and talk with, and eventually learn from, my Turkish acquaintances and begin to integrate into a new community.
This brings us to the second choice: go local, perhaps completely. There are of course various levels of doing just that. They range from casual encounters and just a few conversations in the local language while going out for a meal or shopping, to a complete immersion in the new culture and ways of life. In some instances, I have come across cases where a foreign resident stopped having close encounters with fellow expats completely and preferred to stay with the locals.
So we arrive at the reverse angle, which is: How are expats perceived by our hosts? There are opposite ends, and I'll overdo it for the purpose of clarity for a moment: Do they see us as strangers of some kind and feel its best not to get too close? Or do they regard us as one of their own, with whom it is a must to have as much contact as with a non-expat?
As it is with our own choice of how much or how little we communicate with non-expats, they have a choice, too, with regards to how much contact is sought, beyond paying for our bills or groceries.
It is difficult to suggest a certain pattern, to write about the one and only best practice, as each and every person is indeed an individual who must decide for himself or herself.
Personally, I have come to the conclusion that as long as neither side patronizes the other, mixes and mingles with each other on an equal footing, that is, by respecting each other's backgrounds and perhaps differing traditions, tastes and preferences regarding how to conduct day-to-day affairs, it is highly advisable to integrate as much as possible. It enriches you intellectually and makes your life so much more enjoyable. You become part of the social fabric. You become an “integrated expat.”

KLAUS JURGENS (Cihan/Today's Zaman)