Türkiye🕣
Country in Western Asia (97%) and Southern Europe (3%). Official name – the Republic of Türkiye. Population – 85.9 million (as of 2020). Capital – Ankara. Official language – Turkish. Government type - unitary presidential republic. Main religion – Islam.
Türkiye
Greeting
When meeting, business partners exchange a firm handshake. If there are older individuals among the Turkish colleagues, greetings should begin with them.
In Türkiye, older people are treated with great respect: they should be the first to be introduced to others, greeted, served, or invited into a room. Even today, it is common in Turkey to see a young person bow their head and kiss the right hand of an elderly person (and in some regions, then touch it to their forehead).
Foreigners who come to Turkey for business purposes should behave accordingly — with particular respect — if there are older individuals among the hosts.
People who know each other well greet one another with hugs and kisses on both cheeks. Greetings between relatives and friends are especially warm and emotional. In business situations, when partners meet, this happens rarely.
Muslim traditions are very strong in Türkiye, and according to them, physical contact between genders is not customary. Foreign women should wait for the man to take the initiative before offering a handshake. The same applies to foreign men, who should pay attention to the woman's behavior in such situations.
• It’s a good idea to learn at least a few greeting phrases in Turkish, such as: Hello! Hi! – Merhaba, meraba/selam; Good morning! – Günaydın.
• Interestingly, Turkish has two different expressions for saying goodbye. The person staying says Güle güle, while the person leaving says Görüşürüz.
Introduction
Traditionally, every person in Türkiye is given three names. The first is assigned in honor of a relative and is used only in formal legal documents. The second is the given name, and the third is the surname, which is inherited from the father. Most surnames commonly used in Turkey today appeared after the 1934 reforms related...
Exchange of Business Cards
In Turkish business practice, business cards are often exchanged at the end of a meeting rather than at the beginning, so that all participants have the option to contact the partner at any time afterward.
A business card should include all necessary information about its owner, such as full name, company name, job title, and up-to-date contact details.
Ideally, the text on ...
Small Talk: Overview
In Turkish business culture, small talk is highly valued and serves as a kind of prelude to the actual negotiations. Turkish businesspeople consider it important to get to know their potential partners better, as building relationships is the foundation of doing business. Such conversations help establish a sense of trust between partners—a key concept in Türki...
Preferred Topics
Sports, especially football. Many men in Turkey are passionate about football and will gladly engage in a conversation on the topic, sharing their impressions of the latest national or international championship.
Family and family members. If you have photos of your family with you, consider showing them to your Turkish partner. This can be the starti...
Taboo Topics
Family is generally a popular topic, but don’t speak about the female members of the family—wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters.
Religion and anything related to Islam is a rather sensitive topic that should be avoided in conversation. Even if the topic comes up, try to steer the discussion in another direction, citing, for example, a lack of knowledge on the subje...
Personal Space
In Turkish culture, people tend to stand closer when they talk compared to what you might be used to in Central or Northern Europe, or the U.S. It’s often closer than arm’s length. That might feel a bit too close at first, but it’s normal there and not meant to be rude or aggressive.
If someone feels like they’re standing a bit too close for your comf...
Communication Specifics
When talking, Turks can sometimes come across as rather expressive – they might speak loudly or passionately defend their point of view. But that doesn’t mean they’re in a bad mood or upset. It’s just normal in Turkish culture to show emotion and speak with feeling, especially when talking about something important to them.
Turks don’t always go for direct
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