Turkey may have the prospect of being the first Muslim state to join the EU, but it’s worth remembering that this country, which is rich in culture and history, has a different economy and manner of business. By observing some simple forms of etiquette, visitors – for work or pleasure – will orient themselves more quickly and get far more out of this thriving country.

Greetings: Greet people with either the Islamic greeting of ‘Asalamu alaykum’ (peace be upon you) or ‘Nasilsiniz’ (how are you?, pronounced na-sul-su-nuz). More useful everyday greetings include ‘Gunaydin’ (good morning, pronounced goon-ay-dun), or ‘iyi gunler’ (good day, pronounced ee-yee gun-ler).

Public behaviour: Keep your legs together or cross your legs when seated opposite someone. While holding hands with someone from the opposite sex is acceptable in the cities and beach resorts, it is frowned upon in rural Turkey and the East. Queue-jumping is not uncommon and patience is recommended. To wave down a bus or taxi, stretch out your right arm and move your wrist inwards repeatedly. The Turkish gesture for ‘yes’ is indicated with a nod of the head upwards, while ‘no’ is also an upward nod but accompanied by the raising of the eyebrows (a ‘tsk’ is often added for emphasis).

Negotiating business: Every visitor is always served coffee and it’s impolite to refuse (‘sade’ without sugar, or ‘orta’ with). Trust is fundamental, and Turks look for reassurance right at the start. Make sure your business proposal clearly demonstrates mutual benefit and profitability. Decision-making can be slow and is ultimately made by the head of the family, with initial meetings with younger members to vet for trustworthiness and viability. Turks will always barter and begin with extremes to gauge your response. Start with a target figure and work towards it. Do not use deadlines or pressure tactics as it will often end negotiations. Money isn’t always the most important bargaining point as power, influence and honour are highly regarded.