Selling to Turkiye – People and culture

Selling to Turkiye, some advice from a foreigner who knows the country. I lived and worked in Turkiye for over 4 years and during that time I had the opportunity to travel around most regions of the country and gain a thorough understanding of the culture and the people. Turkiye is a very dynamic culture and economy with many people who are natural entrepreneurs and prepared to take risks to achieve success. At the same time a lot of Turkish business people think primarily in the short term with too many people preferring profit now rather than building good long term business relations.

A few facts about the Turkish economy that may help when selling to Turkiye. Turkiye is a large country with land mass of nearly 770,000 km2 and a population of over 85 million. Turkiye is a member of the G20 and currently ranked as the 11^th largest economy in the world. The main exports are vehicles, clothing, textiles, plastics, machinery and electrical equipment. If you are selling to Turkiye then the main imports are oil, computers, medical equipment, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Selling to Turkiye – Which countries can do business in Turkiye

I would say that Turkiye is a unique country in the world and almost the ultimate east meets west and north meets south country. This is particularly the case for Istanbul which is the country’s main economic and business center. Is Turkiye Europe or Asia? It is very definitely both.

In terms of culture, opportunity and demand Turkiye is an opportunity for export and import for most businesses around the world although there are stringent regulations on establishing an office or company in Turkiye including initial capital requirements and the number of Turkish nationals you must employ. Capital requirements vary over time but currently it is around 1 million TL ($50,000 approx). The primary trading partners for Turkiye at this time are Germany, UK, USA, Italy, France, Spain and UAE.

Selling to Turkiye – Turkiye business culture

Although Turkiye has embraced the internet and new technology to an extent, the national culture is still very much to favour face to face meetings where possible. So when selling in Turkiye building a strong relationship with the people you want to deal with is important. Even buying household goods from a family shop you will be offered a cup of tea

One vital thing to understand is that some Turks view what most people would see as a scam as being just a business tactic to achieve the desired outcome. So as with everywhere it is important to proceed with caution at every stage. Purchasing property can be particularly hazardous so hiring a good lawyer and dealing with a reputable property company will help.

Selling to Turkiye – Closing the deal

Turks love a good negotiation so expect a long and difficult haggle over most aspects of the deal but especially price. In Turkiye tough negotiations are just part of business and no offence is usually meant so stay cool and calm and be prepared to give and take a little on the overall deal. When possible do the negotiation face to face and over some refreshments. Also be prepared to celebrate the deal over a meal in a good Turkish restaurant with your Turkish associates when the deal is done.

Many quality Turkish suppliers available on blackcat360.com

Selling to Turkiye – Other useful information

Our website includes other useful articles on the subject of selling to Turkiye or exporting and importing with Turkiye, a link to one of those articles is below:

Main exports and imports of Turkiye

https://blackcat360.com/main-exports-imports-of-turkey/

We have found this article to give a good overview on the Turkiye economy and some useful information for exporters and importers from Turkiye:

https://odinland.vn/general-information-about-turkey-economy/?lang=en

If you are interested in exporting or importing with Turkiye and need help or advice then please email to info@blackcat360.com

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Selling to Turkiye