Turkish Customs – All You Need To Know

• When someone serves you tea.

If someone serves you tea, don’t say am okay. In Turkish, tea is a sign of hospitality. But at what time is it usually served? Surprisingly, tea is served after meals in the accompaniment of fruits by most people.

If you’re allergic to tea make sure you turn down after being served respectively. Just a reminder, forget about your nutritional conversations here of how many teacups you’re supposed to take. It’s about friendship and hospitality.

• Gifts and wedding ceremonies.

Gold is highly valued in Turkey. If you’re invited to a wedding, there is a moment where people gift the bride and the groom with gold. Take with you gold coins or bracelets for the special occasion.

Your friend will remember you for eternity. This is because the gold is reserved and a sign that the marriage will last long like gold. If you only thought for cash, now you know!

• Sacred Places.

Whoa..! Whoa..! Whoa..! Sacred places are highly respected here. Majority of Turks are Muslims. If your friend invites you to the mosque, be sure to cover up. The important places to cover include arms and legs for men.

For women, cover your head, hands, and legs.
Wearing your beach clothes isn’t a good idea in Turkey. Be decisive.

• Turkish Expectations.

Always take something with while visiting someone in Turkey. As part of their customs- going empty handed is a bad show.

Take something small. You can carry with you some foodstuffs or even flowers. Avoid taking drugs and alcohol.

• Dining Rules.
Turks are generous people. If they invite you to a restaurant be sure to dine out properly. There is no such thing as sharing costs there much often.

However, be cautious not to dine every day at the expensive of your friend. You can also invite them over and pay some other time.

• . Dinner and Accompaniments.

In Turkey, bread should always be taken after a meal. That should be a tip for you when deciding which foodstuffs you should carry with you.

I bet you can ask your friend about investing on this part. Bread, when consumed after meals, is aimed at helping in digestion, especially for young children.

• Hugs and Kisses.

Kissing both cheeks is part of Turkish customs. Unlike other parts of the world where hugs have no limits, you’ve to control yourself here.

Too bad if thought you can hug everyone. Hugs are only reserved for family and close friends. Did you get it? Am not done yet. Women are supposed to do this greeting when both genders are in attendance.

• How greetings should be done/ Respect.

Turks are into traditions. If you are visiting a friend’s parents, be sure to be careful when greeting especially your elders. Say ABLA and ABI for women and men respectively shaking hands.

On the other hand, saying either TEYZE or AMCA after someone full names is a sign of respect. You can apply this in older people slightly above you but not elder people.
Turks will like you a lot if you embrace this one.

• Inside Turkish homes.

Hey there! There isn’t a debate here. It’s customary to remove shoes while entering someone’s house. It helps so that you don’t take mud into the house. Fret not! There are slippers reserved for special guests like you.

This isn’t a big deal anyway. You can easily learn.

• Special Coffee.
For coffee lovers, you’re not left out. If tea isn’t your thing, you can prefer to take coffee as well. They are thick and are consumed similarly to tea-after meals.

On the contrary, coffee isn’t embraced by many people. It’s only made on special occasions.

More about Turkey’s unique holidays & Coasts of Turkey : Best place to be on a Gulet.