Turkey
Membership in EU:
Political system:Republic
Capital city:Ankara
Total area: 780 580 km²
Currency:Turkish lira (TRY)
Economy | Business Protocol | Legislative and Political System | More about the Country | Order a Business Information Report (BIR)
Economy
Statistical Office

Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Entrepreneurship in the Country

Tourism is the main source of income in Turkey.
Business Directories

Local Communities

Business Protocol
Business Communication

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.

Business Meetings

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 Ramazan (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, chart and graphs.

Business Negotiation

Business is personal. Although this is changing with the influx of big multi-nationals 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 to 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 gage your response. Prior to negotiations know your target figure and work slowly towards it through meaningful concessions. When conceding, ensure you present this as a favour and a decision made out of respect and liking for your counterpart(s). Try and concede only once you have gained agreement on a reciprocal concession on a separate or related issue.

Legislative and Political System
President

Government

Prime Minister

Ministries

Constitutional Court

Legislation

More about the Country
Geographical Characteristics

Located at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, Turkey has a rich cultural and ethnic diversity.
Languages

Turkish; also Kurdish, Arabic and Greek.
Short History

In 330 AD, Constantinople (today's Istanbul), which lies on the Bosporus between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, became the capital of the Byzantine Empire, the eastern half of the Roman Empire. The country's vast archaeological heritage is a major tourist attraction. At its height, the Ottoman Empire was the dominant power in the eastern and southern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Time Zone

GMT/UTC + 2

International Dialing Code

+90

Average Temperatures

July 23 0C, January 5 0C.

Opening Hours of Banks

Monday - Friday: 8.00am – 12.00pm and 1.30pm – 5.00pm.
Opening Hours of Post-Offices

Monday - Friday: 8.00am – 8.00pm.

 

Saturday: 8.00am – 1.00pm.

Opening Hours of Shops

Legally permitted opening hours:

 

Monday - Sunday: 9.00am – 8.00pm.

Credit Cards

The following credit cards are accepted in the majority of Turkish cities and holiday resorts:

MasterCard-Eurocard, Visa and Diners Club. They are accepted in numerous hotels, restaurants and shops. Almost all petrol stations will accept credit cards.

Foreign Currency Exchange

Apart from the banks, foreign currency can be also exchanged in exchange offices, hotel receptions, tourist agencies, petrol stations and larger department stores.
Mobile Telecommunications

The country is almost entirely covered by mobile telephony signal. The main operators have concluded contracts with larger European and world operators. Mobile phones in the country are designed to function within the network of frequency bands 900 MHZ and 1800 MHZ. You can host in the following mobile networks: Avea, Telsim, TurkCell.
Emergency Telephone Numbers

Police

155

Toll-free European emergency number (EEN)

112

Medical emergency

112

Fire emergency

110

Population of the State

Population of the Capital

Demographics

Religion

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