I believe that, if there is such a thing as “common business practices” of a country, it solely represents that nation’s approach to free market.
From the foundation of Turkish Republic, until the Ozal administration (that began in early 1980′s), the economic regime in Turkey has often been referred to as “mixed economy”. Neither capitalism, nor socialism!
This is common in countries where there’s a lack of capital, so, the market should be supported by public resources.
Despite all the liberalisation and privatization process that took place in the last three decades, if you ever do business in Turkey, you most probably will experience a lot of intervention, not only from the government, but also from consumers!
I’m not suggesting that it is difficult to do business in Turkey, in fact, it is much easier in many industries, even the most regulated ones like finance and telecom, compared to many other countries in Europe. My point is, don’t expect a strong belief from the majority of Turkish people, to the fact that, in a free market, good products with better prices will ultimately prevail. Most of us believe that we, as consumers, have the right to demand anything and everything from companies. Normally, if you find a product or a service overpriced, the worst case scenario is that you say “what a rip off!” and walk away. In Turkey, you might see a consumer arguing with the seller (even if the seller is simply a salesman, not the business owner) on what the “right” price should be. We intervene. We even call the government to duty, asking them to regulate (rather, reduce) the prices!
This is simply a matter of traditions. Erdogan administration has given full speed to privatization, so i don’t think this tradition will last more than another decade.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: | business in Turkey, business practices in Turkey
