Anyone who has done business with Turkish entrepreneurs quickly notices that negotiations in Türkiye often work differently than in many Northern European business environments.
The process is usually not only about numbers, contracts, or pricing. Relationships, trust, flexibility, and mutual understanding often play an equally important role.
For Dutch and international companies working with Turkish partners, understanding this cultural dimension can make business cooperation significantly more effective.
Recently, the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) published an interesting article in its Business Diplomacy publication 39 titled “The Strategy at the Table: The Culture of Negotiation and Bargaining, Turkish Style.”
The article explains how negotiation in Turkish business culture is deeply connected to communication, trust-building, and long-term relationship development rather than purely transactional bargaining.
According to the publication, Turkish businesspeople often see negotiation not as a battle of numbers, but as a process in which both sides get to know each other, test intentions, establish mutual trust, and search for common ground.
One of the key observations in the article is that Turkish entrepreneurs generally do not like to move directly into price discussions. Conversation, hospitality, and informal interaction are often part of the negotiation process itself.
While this may sometimes appear indirect from a Western European perspective, in Turkish business culture it serves an important purpose: building confidence before committing to long-term cooperation.
Another important element highlighted in the article is flexibility.
In many business cultures, the first offer is often considered close to the final proposal. In Turkish negotiation culture, however, the opening offer is frequently viewed as the beginning of a dialogue rather than the end point of a negotiation.
This flexible approach has historical roots in Anatolia’s centuries-old trading traditions, where bazaars and caravan trade routes functioned not only as commercial centers, but also as places where relationships and reputations were built over time.
The article also emphasizes that Turkish business culture strongly values continuity of relationships. Maintaining communication and preserving trust — even during difficult moments — is often considered just as important as the commercial outcome itself.
In an increasingly transactional global business environment, this relationship-oriented approach may actually become more valuable rather than less. For companies active between the Netherlands and Türkiye, understanding these dynamics can help create stronger, more sustainable, and more resilient partnerships.