Hospitality

Turks are famous for making one welcome. You will find that the majority of people you meet will be friendly and courteous to strangers, whether they're foreign or not. The way in which this manifests itself will vary, of course, depending on the situation you find yourself in but as a visitor it will probably be most obvious when shopping.

The carpet shop tea

As a tourist you'll find yourself offered tea by almost anyone who is trying to sell you something. It's not rude to refuse and it most cases it's probably not a pressure sell tactic, a lot of people are more than happy to talk to you about where you're from, what you do, how much you earn, whether you're married (these are probably the four most asked questions). If you're comfortable in a shop and fancy looking at the stuff that's there then have a tea. This is common sense stuff anyway. No one's going to expect you to spend $500 on a carpet because you got a free glass of apple tea. If they do then you're better off out of there anyway.

In the home

If you find yourself invited to a home, which happens quite a lot, especially if you're out of the main resort areas, then you can probably play it by ear. It's more usual to take pastries, chocolates or flowers than something to drink. In the average Turkish home you will be treated as an honoured guest, as is any visitor, and it's an opportunity that shouldn't be turned down.