Being a part of both Europe and the Orient, Turkey is very rich in culture.
In Istanbul, the City of two Continents, the cultural melting pot of western and oriental influences is clearly noticeable. Although the country has been strongly orientated towards the west, both politically and culturally, for many years now, it still seems somewhat strange to some Europeans due to various cultural differences. However, if one looks closer, one will see that the cultural distance is much less than first thought!

From the "sick man upon the Bosphorus" to one of the strongest growing markets in the world

Whilst in Germany the public perception of Turkey is focussed more on the hotly discussed negotiations on its entry into the EU, or maybe also on the problems involved with the integration of citizens of Turkish origin, Turkey has been continuously developing into an enormous growth market and industrial location since the 1980s. Because of the growing prosperity, more and more businesses are in the meantime discovering Turkey not only as an inexpensive location for purchasing, but also more and more as an important sales market.

Turkey is fundamentally characterised by a strong east-west gradient, whereby the West is more Europe-oriented, the East more conservatively structured.
In order to enter the Turkish market successfully, cultural characteristics must be considered in all cases in order to minimise company-internal resistance and/or conflict between the corporate partners.