Cultural Exploration

Turkish is spoken by approximately 80 million people, primarily in Turkey, but also in Cyprus and in many communities of Turkish speakers around the world. By learning Turkish you gain access to a rich and diverse culture, which includes literature, music, art and history. Being able to connect with the traditions, customs and values of Turkish society opens up new avenues for exploration and understanding.

Communication Opportunities

Learning Turkish provides you with the ability to communicate with native Turkish speakers. It allows you to engage in real conversations, build relationships and foster cross-cultural understanding. Whether you’re planning to travel to Turkey for leisure or business purposes, knowing the local language can enhance your experience and make interactions far more enjoyable.

Professional Advantages

Turkey an attractive destination for business opportunities. Knowledge of Turkish can be a valuable asset for those interested in pursuing careers in areas such as international business, tourism or diplomacy.  Being able to speak Turkish demonstrates your commitment to cross-cultural communication.

Travel and Tourism

Turkey is a remarkable travel destination. It is known for its stunning landscapes, historical sites and vibrant cities. By learning Turkish you can navigate through local markets, order traditional dishes, negotiate prices and connect more deeply with the local population. Your travel experience will be enriched and as you will be able to immerse yourself in the cultural fabric of the country.

Linguistic Insights

Turkish belongs to the Turkic language family. It has a distinct structure and grammar. Learning Turkish can expand your understanding of language diversity and offer insights into linguistic concepts such as vowel harmony and word formation. A knowledge of Turkish helps you develop new perspectives on language and communication.

For more information about the Turkish language and word formation, please watch our video.

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Asgari sipariş miktarı ne kadar?                                               

What is the minimum order quantity?

Örnek koleksiyonu ne zaman gönderebilirsiniz?                 

When can you send the sample collection?

Üretim ne kadar sürer?                                                              

How long do you need for the production?

Malları nasıl paketliyorsunuz?                                                 

How do you package the goods?

Malları hangi yolla gönderiyorsunuz?                                   

How do you ship the goods?

Hangi nakliye firmasıyla çalışıyorsunuz?                             

Which shipping company do you work with?

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Relationships between business partners are fostered over a period of time in the office, over extended lunches, dinners, and during social outings. Discussions may start slowly, with many questions that may seem irrelevant to the purpose of your visit. It is extremely rude to insist that your colleagues get to the point.

You will find that evening meals often consist of several courses. The main course nearly always consists of meat or fish, accompanied by bread and a salad. Your hosts may order alcohol with the meal. If they do, it is perfectly acceptable to drink it.

You may be offered rakı, an unsweetened anise-flavoured drink that is popular in Turkey. It is served as an apéritif or with a meze.

Take care not eat, drink or smoke in front of Muslim business associates during the holy month of Ramazan.

Turkish coffee is a national drink and should at least be sampled at the end of a meal, even if it is late. Turkish coffee is sipped slowly, so do not drink it quickly and never drink the bottom of the cup as it will be full of ground coffee and will taste awful.

If you have been invited to dinner by Turkish business partners, they will insist on paying the bill. You may try and offer to pay in order to appear polite. However, your hosts will never allow this. The best policy is to thank your hosts at the end of the meal and then a few days later invite them to do dinner at a restaurant of your choice. 

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More facts are in the video below. Enjoy.

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After a dip in growth due to the coup attempt in 2016, Turkey’s economy grew even faster in the past year than China’s. The Turkish economy grew in 2017 year on year by 7.4 percent, as the Turkish statistics office in Ankara announced in March 2018.

The value slightly exceeded analysts’ expectations. The year before, the retrospectively adjusted economic growth had been 3.2 percent. In China, growth in the world’s second-largest economy in 2017 was 6.9 percent year-on-year, according to official figures. In Germany, gross domestic product increased by 2.2 percent over the same period.

Despite the political tensions with Germany and other major trading partners, Turkey achieved strong growth last year. At the same time, however, Turkey is fighting high inflation and unemployment rates of more than 10 percent and a continued decline in the value of the local currency.

For the first time this week, more than four Turkish lira were bought for one dollar. Compared to the euro, the lira is close to an exchange rate of five to one. Turkey also has a large current account deficit.

Economics Minister Nihat Zeybekci welcomed the numbers and spoke of a “spectacular success”, with Turkey rising to the top of the G20 countries. London analyst Timothy Ash also said: “With growth of 7.4 percent, Turkey is clearly at the forefront of growth in Europe and in the same stratosphere as China or India.”

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When meeting new business partners for the first time, it is a good idea to get to know them on a personal level. Ask about your contact’s family (without being too prying or personal). Questions about children will always be welcomed.

When greeting, always greet the oldest person first; Turks have a great respect for the elderly.

When speaking, it is important to maintain eye contact since this conveys sincerity and helps build a trusting relationship.

Turkish people usually do business with those they trust, like and respect.

Turks are very proud of their country and will be happy to answer questions about their culture and history.

Most Turkish men love football and usually support one of three teams: Galatasaray, Beşiktaş or Fenerbahçe. A good way to ‘break the ice’ and establish rapport is to ask how their favourite team is doing. This will always produce a lively response.

Turkey has had a turbulent political history and you should try and avoid this subject wherever possible. Avoid discussing sensitive issues involving Turkey, especially Turko-Kurdish relations, Cyprus and EU membership.

There is a West-East divide in Turkey over the question of Islam. Generally, Eastern Turks are more conservative, whereas Western Turks, especially those in Istanbul, Ankara or İzmir are usually more westernised. Over time you will learn to recognise whether you are dealing with a more conservative or a more westernised colleague or company.

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It is important to show patience when dealing with Turkish business partners. Initial meetings hardly ever lead to decisions and are used primarily to get to know each other. So don’t try to rush into business or limit the discussion to business only.

It may take some considerable time before a decision about a business proposal will be made. Turkish people want to get to know you first and it is highly likely you will be talking about subjects completely unrelated to business, from topics like football to your family life.

Although Turkish culture has a slightly different relationship to time compared to Western Europe, foreign visitors are expected to be on time for a business meeting.

The importance of tea

Tea is usually offered at the start of any meeting and it is always wise to start initial conversations with small talk before beginning any business discussions.

Keep your presentations short

Presentations should be short and to the point. Proposals should be clearly structured and presented. It is always a good idea to translate important documents or information into Turkish, in order to get your message across.

Useful phrases when talking with Turkish business people.

Saat onda Deniz Bey’le bir görüşmem var.
I have an appointment with Mr. Deniz at 10 o’clock.

Bell Moda Firması’ndan geliyorum.
I come from Bell Fashion.

Adınız nedir?
What is your name?

Adınızı söyler misiniz lütfen?
Can you tell me your name, please?

Birçok ülkeyle iş ilişkileriniz var mı?
Do you have business relations with many countries?

Hangi ülkelerle iş bağlantılarınız var?
With what countries do you have business connections?

Britanya’yla iş bağlantılarınız var mı?
Do you have business connections with Britain?

Üçüncü slayt ile ilgili bir sorum var.
I have a question concerning the third slide.

Taşaron firmalarla çalışıyor musunuz?
Do you work with subcontractors?

Çok bilgilendirici bir sunumdu.
That was a very informative presentation.

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Turkish employees work some of the longest hours in Europe, but this isn’t always reflected in productivity figures.

Tea breaks and smoking breaks

The business culture in Turkey allows for a lot of smoking and tea breaks and often discourages employees from acting without explicit orders from above. However, when orders do come, they are expected to be carried out quite quickly, leading to a stop-start form of working.

Working hours and women

Workers are expected to be time flexible from their employers’ perspective, which sometimes makes it very difficult for women to keep working after they have children. On the other hand, employers in some workplaces, especially those with a strong Islamic ethos, are willing to give their female employees lots of paid time off work during pregnancy and lactation.

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Conservative attitudes are still common in Turkey. However, on the whole you will find a wide mix of people and attitudes.  At the start of the meeting, greet your Turkish partner with a firm handshake. Most women will also shake hands with business associates, although some Muslim women will be more conservative and not shake hands. If you are unsure, it is better to wait for a woman to offer her hand first. Once women are on more friendly terms, the handshake on meeting may be supplemented with a kiss on each cheek.

Gestures are significant in Turkey, but may be confusing if you are not aware of their meaning. Nodding your head forward and down indicates “yes”, while nodding your head up and back indicates “no”. Shaking your head from side to side indicates that you haven’t understood something.

In the summer the weather can be very hot and humid, especially in Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara. It is then acceptable to wear just a shirt with trousers. In most cases it is not necessary to wear a tie. Women are advised to refrain from exposing their legs and arms and to ensure clothes are not tight-fitting. Men should not wear shorts.

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An interesting Turkish perspective on cultural difference in the workplace appeared in Sabah newspaper in 2012.

“A CEO who comes over from the US may compliment your wife or daughter [on her looks], but this is very ill-advised in Turkey. In their culture, it’s seen as a good thing. Foreign CEOs must be careful when talking about topics like family, football and politics. They shouldn’t be deceived by our criticism of ourselves, because the same criticism from a foreigner may not be taken well.”

Zafer Parlar, who works with foreign businesses arriving in Turkey, quoted in Sabah newspaper, 22.04.2012.

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