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International Resources: Global Market Profile: Turkey

Turkey

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As part of its commitment to providing its members with market analysis and insight, PMA has compiled the following information about Turkey from the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Attaché Reports submitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, as well as the CIA World Factbook, embassy sites, and business etiquette reference guides.

Table of Contents

 

Fresh Fruit, Vegetable, and Flower Market

Fruit and Vegetable Market

Turkey’s geographical location and fertile lands give it favorable growing conditions for agriculture.  Turkey is a major fruit producer.  The main fruit commodities exported are apricots, cherries, citrus fruits, nectarines, table grapes, apples, pears and peaches.  The main destinations for Turkish fruit exports are countries in the Middle East and Europe: Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Germany, the Netherlands, Jordan, and Austria.

Fresh vegetables exported to these markets include pulses, onions, tomatoes, and spring onions.  A variety of organic vegetable and fruits are produced and mainly exported to the European Union.

Currently the agricultural sector in Turkey employs about 34% of the population.

Fresh Flower Market

Greenhouses and flower production are important areas for business in Turkey.  Major markets for fresh cut flowers from Turkey are the United Kingdom, Japan, Russia, and the Netherlands. Exports are dominated by carnations.  Other fresh flower exports are roses, gerbera, chrysanthemums, gysophilla, and gladioli.

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Consumer Trends

Turkey has a population of about 72 million, 50% of whom are under the age of 25.  More people are moving from rural areas to cities.  The number of supermarket and hypermarkets is expanding, though specialized neighborhood outlets continue to play an important role.  As the number of women in the workplace increases, consumers are driven towards convenience foods.  Lower income consumers send almost 50% of their income on food.  Those who live in the larger cities are more aware of international trends and have higher disposable incomes and better access to large stores and hypermarkets.

Turkish food preferences are rather conservative.  However, a large, young population and increased foreign travel by Turks and by tourists visiting Turkey are influencing attitudes and consumption patterns.  Consumers are showing greater awareness of the health aspects of food as the media reports more often on these issues.  Organic fruit and vegetable production is increasing, and over 90 different varieties of agricultural products are organically produced in the country.  In addition consumers have become more demanding as the spectrum of products, quality, and price is expanding and growing more diverse.

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Entering the Turkish Market

Personal contact is extremely important for most business transactions, and establishing a personal relationship with an importer will greatly help the exporter in meeting documentation requirements.  Many distributors and importers prefer direct contact with suppliers and exporters; the use of agents or middlemen is generally believed to complicate business dealings and lower profits. People who plan to work in or supply to the market are advised to read and learn about modern Turkish culture and business practices.

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Trade Agreements

Turkey has trade agreements with the following countries and organizations:

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Food Standards and Regulations

The Law on the Production, Consumption and Inspection of Food in 2004 led to the establishment of the National Food Codex Commission.  The commission is currently reviewing and altering the Turkish Food Codex , which lists standards and regulations for food.  The end objective is to be in tandem with European Union regulations.

The General Directorate of Protection and Control (GDPC) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) usually handles production, import, and food safety issues.  All packaged products must have a license number issued by the Directorate after laboratory tests on the product.  Products must be inspected at the point of entry, wholesale, and retail levels.  The process results in the issuance of an import permit.

An importer must submit a written application to the GDPC in order to important food products.  The importer must attach the following documents to the application letter:

1. A completed import permit form obtained from MARA/Protection and Control

2. A Proforma Invoice

3. An Analysis Report with physical, chemical, microbiological and heavy metal

specifications of the product being imported.

4. For consumer-ready products, a sanitary or phytosanitary certificate from a government

food inspection agency of the country of origin. The certificate must confirm that the product meets the phytosanitary requirements of the importing country and that it is fit for human consumption and is freely marketed in the country of origin.

5. A sample of the product’s Turkish label.

6. For alcohol products, a “distribution certificate” provided by the producer’s company to

the importer and/or distributor which indicates that the Turkish company is authorized to market

and deliver the product in Turkey;

7. For “special” foods such as diet foods, foods for diabetics, vitamins, baby foods, etc.  a written declaration is required of the important that states he will not advertise the product in such a

manner as to mislead the consumer.

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Business Protocol

  • When greeting, a firm handshake is standard.  Friends and relatives greet each other with one or two kisses on the cheek.  Elders are greeted by kissing their right hand and then placing one’s forehead onto the hand, as a sign of respect.
  • You should greet people with either the Islamic greeting of “Asalaamu alaykum” (peace be upon you) or “Nasilsiniz” (How are you?). 
  • The most common manner of address is to call a man by his first name followed by “bey”; for a woman, use her first name followed by “hanim” (pronounced ha-num).  Use professional titles, such as Doctor or Professor, if they exist, and use them on their own or before the first name.
  • If you are not immediately met by someone when entering a room, greet the most elderly or most senior persons first.  At social occasions you greet the person closest to you and then go around the room or table counterclockwise to greet the others.
  • Business attire is conservative.  Men should wear a suit and tie, and women should wear conservative professional outfits.
  • In the summer the weather may be hot and humid, and it may be acceptable to wear just a shirt with trousers.  Outside the large cities and especially in eastern Turkey women and men should wear more conservative clothing: men should not wear shorts, and it is advisable that women not expose their legs and arms or wear clothes that are tightly fitted.
  • Appointments are required and should be made one to two weeks in advance, preferably by telephone.  It is best to avoid making appointments in July or August, which are the main months in Turkey for taking vacations.  Also, avoid scheduling meetings during Ramazan (Ramadan).
  • You should always be punctual but prepared to wait.
  • There is no real protocol to exchange business cards. Hand your business card to the receptionist when you arrive at an office. Use both hands to exchange cards.  One side of the card should be translated into Turkish.
  • Turks often do not give their business cards unless they are sure they want to form a business relationship.
  • The initial appointment is used to establish a relationship.  Turks like to do business with people they know and trust.  Small talk is important.  Do not immediately discuss business; this is rude. 
  • A good topic of conversation is football (soccer).  It is also helpful to ask questions about your counterpart’s family (without being prying), particularly about children.
  • Once a relationship has been formed, communication is direct.
  • Maintain eye contact when speaking.  This shows sincerity.
  • Turks are sharp businesspersons.  Take care that your proposal clearly shows the mutual benefit of any agreement.  Generally Turks are primarily oral and visual communicators. Presentations should be well prepared, thorough, and supported by visual aids such as maps, charts, and graphs.
  • Decisions are made by the head of the family/company. Most likely you will first negotiate with less important members of a family; once you are deemed trustworthy and your proposal is acceptable, you will meet with more senior members.
  • Turks will often begin negotiating extremes in order to evaluate your response.  You should slowly work towards your target figure through concessions.  When compromising or conceding you should present this as a favor and a choice made out of respect and liking for your counterparts.  It is better to make concessions only once you have gained agreement or concessions on another issue.
  • Avoid using deadlines or pressure tactics; Turks will take advantage of this and mostly likely use tactics such as threatening to cancel agreements or end negotiations. It is important to be patient.
  • It is just as valuable to point out other benefits (power, influence, honor, etc.)  of a deal besides financial ones.
  • All printed material should be in both English and Turkish.
  • Restaurants are popular places for business entertaining. The host always pays for the meal.  You may offer to pay, which might be interpreted as being polite, but you will never be allowed to actually pay.  Graciously thank the host and a few days later invite them to dine at a restaurant.  It may be wise to tell the restaurant manager that you are paying and they should not accept money from your guests.
  • Gift giving is not common in business relationships; instead, relationships are built more through dining and sightseeing trips.  However, a gift will be accepted well, and it is always a good idea to bring gifts from your own country.
  • Turkey is a Muslim country.  Be absolutely sure that someone drinks before giving them alcohol.
  • It you are invited to someone’s home, however, you should always bring a small gift.  Common gifts are pastries (especially baklava) and decorative items for the home (vases or ornaments). Flowers are not as common to give, but may be given if it is appropriate. Ask the florist what flowers are best to take.
  • If the host has children, you should bring some expensive sweets or candy.

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Export Business Reminders

  • Use metric terms.
  • Ensure that all sales documentation is correct.
  • Be patient regarding requests for documentation, ingredients lists, production process, and quality assurance and respond to such requests with diligence and in a timely fashion.
  • Use letters of credit to reduce risk.
  • Hedge export values with your bank if you are concerned about exchange rate risk.
  • Set up wire transfers for payments.

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Related Links and Government Resources

Currency - the currency ofTurkey is the Lira. Use the free currency converter to compare to dollars, GBP or Euro.

News – Read the latest Google news on Turkey.

Dialing Code - the international dialing code is +90.

Time -Turkey is +2 hours GMT.

Government Resources

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

The Ministry of Health of Turkey

Organic Agriculture for Turkey

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

General Directorate of Protection and Control (GDPC)

Ministry of Culture and Tourism (in English) (link tohttp://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN/Default.aspx?17A16AE30572D313D4AF1EF75F7A79681D9DD78D03148A6E )

State Institute of Statistics http://www.tuik.gov.tr/Start.do (in English)

The Turkish Food Codex is available here. (in English)

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