Business and Social 101: Turkey's Culture

Turkey's business is expanding and there are many opportunities to do business here. But, remember, relationships are very important in this Muslim country. Turks put great emphasis on relationships and friendships, so in order to do business with them, you would have to develop a friendly relationship with them first. In order to better assimilate into their culture, get to know their customs and etiquette. Win your way into their hearts with your charm, grace and knowledge of their lifestyles.

Most Turks are Sunni Muslims and roughly 80% of the population is Turkish and 20% are Kurdish. The women, are less conservative then other Muslim countries, so it perfectly all right to shake a women's hand as a greeting. Turks usually shake hands when meeting and departing and give kisses on the cheek to close friends. When kissing the hands of an elder, you would kiss their right hand and then place the forehead onto the hand. When introducing friends at a social event, Turks usually start with the person closest to them and work counterclockwise around the table.

When referring to a male, the Turk's custom is to call his name, followed by "bey." For females, Turks use their personal name followed by "hanim." Note that Turks put emphasis on professional titles such as Doctor and Professor. They even go as far as using professional titles when calling lawyers, "Avukat" or engineers, "Muhendis." Also, it is common for those who work in the service industry or those who provide a service (waiters, maids, secretaries, laborers) to call the people who they work for "efendim." This literally translates to "my master."