Turkey: Appointment Alert!
From ExecutivePlanet.com
Making appointments
Arrange appointments in advance. Try to do so via telephone and confirm it with a letter or an e-mail. It is a good idea to call a few days before to check that it is still convenient.
Business and banking hours are 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Friday is the traditional Islamic weekly holiday, although this is now Sunday in Turkey. Many Turkish males will attend the Friday congregational prayer - Cuma Namazi [pronounced juma namz-uh] which will take place from about 1-1:30 p.m.
Times to avoid travelling to Turkey on business are the main summer months of June, July, and August since most Turkish businesspeople take extended vacations to spend time with family.
In addition, Turkey has many secular and Islamic holidays.
January 1st is New Year's Day, August 30th is Victory Day and October 28-29th is Republic Day. In addition to these, there are a few minor celebrations.
Islamic holidays will fall on different dates each year due to their being calculated on lunar cycles.
Ramazan [called Ramadhan in other Muslim countries] is the month in which the Quran was originally first transmitted to the Prophet Muhammad. It is incumbent on all Muslims to fast from dawn until dusk. Before dawn you may hear drums being banged in the streets to wake people up to eat and at dusk a cannon or the call to prayer [ezan] is used to signal an end to the fasting.
In most Muslim countries, eating and drinking publicly during the day may be extremely inappropriate for a foreigner, however in Turkey you will often find locals doing so. It is best to err on the side of caution and avoid doing so.
Ramazan ends with the festival known as Ramazan Bayram or Şeker Bayram. Families will visit each other and children will receive presents, sweets or money. Work pretty much grinds to a halt.
The other major Islamic festival is Kurban Bayram or the 'sacrifice festival.' Marking the end of the pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, it is based upon the Quranic story of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for God. A few days prior to the festival you may see herds of sheep, goats or cows on the outskirts of towns and cities that will be bought by families and tied up outside houses until the day arrives. The animal is then slaughtered and the meat distributed among the family, neighbours and the poor.
Although Turks do not practice time keeping and punctuality perfectly, they will expect you to do so. If you do arrive on time it is not uncommon for you to be left waiting while a previous meeting is wrapped up or a telephone conversation is taking place.
If travelling a distance to get to an office or meeting place, it is a good idea to leave plenty of time for your trip. Turkish roads and transport can let you down.
Most Turkish businesspeople have a good command of English. Other international languages spoken included Arabic, Greek, French and German. If you are unsure as to your counterpart's linguistic capability, it may be worth investing in an interpreter. Remember to slow your speech down and to speak clearly. Always confirm meanings, conclusions and agreements.
Rather than 'get down to business', engage in some small talk and always wait for the other to initiate the change in topic.
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