detail from: KRK Art dizajn

WORLD CULTURES & FOLK CUSTOMS - TURKEY

      SIMO JELAČA, PhD

FOREWORD

This book summarizes information about culture and customs of different nations. Noticeable differences in customs are among Christian, Islamic and Buddhist’s nations, although in all prevails intention for nice and greatest.  

It will be too much to include every country, as there are similarities among many nations of the same or close nationalities. Characteristic are Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Belarus, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, or as well as Germany and Austria. The similar conclusion values for Latin nations, among themselves too.

Readers will find basic information about each country, such as its location and size, population and Ethnic Make-up, Religion, Climate, Language, Etiquettes and others. 

This book can equally be used for travelers, either as tourists or business people, therefore everyone will find necessary information about Etiquette of people at their homes as well as at the business.

My intention was to find as much good information as possible. How much I have succeeded readers will judge it. 

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TURKEY
 CULTURE AND FOLK CUSTOMS

Facts and Statistics

Location: south-eastern Europe and south-western Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria.

Size: 780.580 sq.km.

Capital: Ankara, population about 4.6 million.

Climate: temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior.

Population: About 70 million.

Ethnic Make-up: Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20% (estimated).

Religions: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews).

Government: republican parliamentary democracy.The modern Turkish state, officially named the Republic of Turkey.

The Turkish Language

The official language, Turkish, is the first language spoken by 90% of the 63m population. Minority languages include Kurdish, spoken by 6% of the population. Arabic is spoken by 1.2% of the Turkish population; most of those speakers are bilingual Arabic and Turkish speakers. Other minority languages include Circassian, spoken by more than 0.09% throughout the country, Greek, Armenian and Judaism, a Romance language spoken by Jews.

Islam

Islam is the religion of the majority of Turks although the state is fiercely secular. Islam emanated from what is today Saudi Arabia. The Prophet Muhammad is seen as the last of God's emissaries to bring revelation to mankind. He was distinguished with bringing a message for the whole of mankind, rather than just to a certain people. As Moses brought the Torah and Jesus the Bible, Muhammad brought the last book, the Quran, used as the basis for all guidance in the religion. 

Among certain obligations for Muslims are to pray five times a day - at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening. The exact time is listed in the local newspaper each day. Friday is the Muslim holy day. However, most males will attend the congregational afternoon prayer. During the holy month of Ramadan all Muslims must fast from dawn to dusk. Fasting includes no eating, drinking, cigarette smoking, or gum chewing.

Meeting and Greeting Etiquette

. When meeting shake hands firmly, when departing it is not always customary to shake hands although it is practiced occasionally

. Friends and relations would greet each other with either one or two kisses on the cheek. Elders are always respected by kissing their right hand then placing the forehead onto the hand.

. When entering a room, if you are not automatically met by someone greet the most elderly or most senior first. At social occasions greet the person closest to you then work your way around the room or table anti-clockwise.

. Greet people with either the Islamic greeting of 'Asalamu alaykum' (peace be upon you) or 'Nasilsiniz' (How are you? pronounced na-sul-su-nuz). Other useful phrases are 'Gunaydin' (Good Morning, pronounced goon-ay-dun), 'iyi gunler' (Good Day, pronounced ee-yee gun-ler) or 'Memnun Oldum' (pleased to meet you).

Gift Giving Etiquette

. Gift giving has no real place in business relationships or etiquette. However, if a gift is given it will be accepted well. It is always a good idea to bring gifts from your own country such as food stuffs or craft items.

. Be aware that Turkey is a Muslim country. Before giving alcohol to anyone be 100% sure that they drink.

. The only time you would need to give any great thought to gifts would be if you were invited to a Turk's home for dinner. The most usual gifts to take are pastries, (especially 'baklava') and decorative items for the home such as ornaments or vases. Flowers are not usually taken to a host. It is best to ask a florist for advice on what is best to take. If the host has children, take some expensive sweets or candy.

Dining Etiquette

. Most business entertaining will take place in restaurants. Turks enjoy food and the meal is a time for relaxing and engaging in some good conversation.

. The protocol of Turkish hospitality dictates that the host always pays for the meal. The concept of sharing a bill is completely alien. The best policy is to graciously thank the host then a few days later invite them to do dinner at a restaurant of your choice. Evening meals may be accompanied by some alcohol, usually the local Raký (pronounced rak-uh). Turks smoke during meals and will often take breaks between courses to have a cigarette and a few drinks before moving onto the next.

. Tea or Turkish coffee is served at the end of a meal. Turkish coffee is a national drink and should at least be sampled. Turkish coffee is sipped and allowed to melt, so do not gulp it down as you would instant coffee. Never drink to the bottom of the cup as it will be full of ground coffee and taste awful.

Business Etiquette and Protocol

·         Turks prefer to do business with those they know and respect, therefore spend time establishing a personal relationship. 

·         Relationships are fostered in the office, over extended lunches, dinners, and social outings.

·         Courtesy is crucial in all business dealings.

·         Turks do not require as much personal space as many other cultures and will stand close to you while conversing. 

·         Do not back away, as this can be construed as unfriendly.

·         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. 

·         Ask about his/her family without prying. Questions about children will be welcomed.

·         The Turks are proud of their country and will enjoy answering questions on their culture and history although be sure to avoid political history.

·         Most Turkish men love football (soccer). Asking after their team's recent fortunes will always produce lively and animated responses.

·         Once a relationship has been established, communication is direct. 

·         It is vital that you maintain eye contact while speaking since Turks take this as a sign of sincerity.

Business Meeting Etiquette

·         Appointments are necessary and should be made 1 to 2 weeks in advance, preferably by telephone. 

·         Many Turks take vacation during July or August, so it is best not to try to schedule appointments at that time.

·         It is also not a good idea to schedule meetings during Ramadan. 

·         Punctuality is expected although you should be prepared to be kept waiting. 

·         First appointments are more social- than business-oriented since Turks prefer to do business with people they know.  

·         Small talk helps establish a rapport. Do not immediately begin discussing business.  

·         Have all printed material available in both English and Turkish. 

·         Presentations should be well thought-out, thorough, and backed up with visual aids such as maps, charts and graphs.

Business Negotiation Etiquette

·         Always come to Turkey knowing two things. Your success is defined by your ability to build effective personal relationships combined with a clearly outlined and well presented proposal.

·         Business is personal. Although this is changing with the influx of big multinationals and a more corporate culture in some of the larger companies, many businesses are still family owned and run.

·         Turks will want to do business with those they like, trust, feel comfortable with and with those that can provide a long term relationship. If they feel you are hiding something or there is an element of suspicion about your motives you may not get very far.

·         Building a relationship with your Turkish counterpart(s) is therefore critical. The first meeting at least should be solely focused on getting to know each other. Once a relationship has been established you can safely move on to business matters.

·         As well as looking at the person, Turks are also astute business people. Ensure your proposal clearly demonstrates the mutual benefit and profitability of any agreement or partnership.

·         Turks are primarily oral and visual communicators so in addition to written statistics, projections and the like try to present information vocally or with maps, graphs and charts.

·         Decision making can be slow. It is most likely that you will meet and negotiate with less senior members of a family first. Once you are seen as trustworthy and your proposal financially viable you will then move on to meet more senior members. A decision is ultimately made by the head of the family/company.

·         When negotiating, the Turks will start at extremes in order to gauge your response. Prior to negotiations, know your target figure and work slowly towards it through meaningful concessions. Try and concede only once you have gained agreement. 

·         Do not use deadlines or pressure tactics as the Turks will use this to their advantage and reverse the tactic by threatening to cancel agreements or end negotiations. 

·         It may not always be necessary to focus on financial benefits when negotiating. It is just as useful to point to areas such as power, influence, honor and respect. 

Business Dress Etiquette

·         Business dress is conservative. You will be expected to wear a suit and tie. Similarly women should wear smart professional outfits.

·         In the summer, and especially in the cities of Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara the weather is very hot and humid. It is acceptable to just wear a shirt with trousers and in most cases to not wear a tie. 

·         Outside the big cities and especially in the East of Turkey both women and men should wear more conservative clothing. Women are advised to refrain from exposing their legs and arms and to ensure clothes are not tight-fitting. Men should not wear shorts.

Naming Conventions

·         When addressing a Turk the most common method is to call a man by his first name followed by 'bey' (pronounced bay). So, Ertan Gonca, would be Ertan Bey. Similarly a woman's first name would be followed by 'hanim' (pronounced ha-num).

·         Where professional titles exist such as Doctor or Professor, always use them either on their own or before the first name. Curiously this is also the case with many other professions such as lawyers 'Avukat' or engineers 'Muhendis'. Within Turkish companies and organizations senior ranking staff will be addressed accordingly. A common example is Mr. Manager, 'Mudur Bey'.

·         A common phrase you will hear Turks using is 'efendim' (literally 'my master'). You may hear this from a waiter, a secretary, taxi driver, doorman, shop staff and many others. It is simply a polite way of addressing people you are not familiar with.

Business Card Etiquette

·         Business cards are exchanged without formal ritual. 

·         Use both hands to exchange cards. 

·         Present your business card to the receptionist when you arrive.  

·         Have one side of your business card translated into Turkish. Although not a business necessity, it will impress your business colleagues. 

·         Quite often Turks do not give their business card unless they are certain that they wish to establish a business relationship. 

Turkish Traditions

Turkey is part of Turkish culture and involves being very sociable. Turkish people love to meet new friends and think nothing of spending half the day talking to a complete stranger while putting the world to rights. 

You will hear the phrase HosGeldiniz often in Turkey, more so if you visit the traditional restaurants and bars rather than establishments aimed at tourists. It means “welcome” and the phrase that you should return is “Hos bulduk” which means we feel welcome.

You will probably find yourself invited to a wedding or a circumcision party by a Turkish person even if you have only known them for a couple of days. Turkish people just want you to relax and enjoy yourself.

An Invitation To Their House

Turkish people invite anybody and anyone around to their house. It might just be for breakfast or a formal evening meal. Remember to say “Hos bulduk” when entering in response when they tell you that you are welcome. Shoes in the house are generally not allowed. Instead you will be given a pair of slippers.

 The main meal will be big and then afterwards will be popcorn, nuts, fruits, cake followed by tea and Turkish coffee.

General education

Pre-school, primary, secondary and higher education institutions are part of the formal educational system in Turkey. There are tuition fees for public higher education institutions. However, students can be granted financial support. According to the National Education Statistics for Turkey, there were “168 universities in Turkey.

The Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Turkey has raised the quality and access to education through the implementation of projects aiming to upgrade and strengthen the education system. Its main objective is to increase attendance in the twelve years of compulsory education and also the rate of uptake at other education levels, particularly at the pre-school level. 

Public Transport 

Turkey has excellent bus services, which are the main form of public transportation, as they are inexpensive and rather frequent.

Istanbul is a major metropolitan city, which is divided by the Bosporus strait between the two continents and hosts another significant form of transportation. There are private passenger boats and public municipality boats, which carry passengers from one side of the continent to the other. Traveling by train is not as popular, although it can be more comfortable and safer in bad weather conditions. 

There are numerous taxis all over Turkey, which are recognizable by their checkered black and yellow bands. Taxis operate using a metering system which starts at a base fare of 2.95 TL. 

Turkey has a network of five international airports and twelve additional domestic airports that are serviced by Turkish Airlines. While Ankara is the major connection point for domestic flights, Istanbul is the busiest airport and the main airport for international routes. 

Cultural taboos 

Being in a Muslim country avoid speaking with Turkish people:

·         Family is sacred; don’t disrespect their family.

·         Turkish people stand close to you during a conversation. 

·         Certain gestures and body language have different meanings and should be avoided:

·                     Standing with your hands on your hips or in your pockets.

            Pointing at someone with your finger.

·         Discussing business right away without getting to know your partner first.

·         Showing a lack of respect for cultural values.

·         Talking about sensitive historical issues, such as the division of Cyprus.

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