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Prerequisites for this Turkish Culture Lesson
Survival vocab and travel guide for your first visit to TurkeyBasic pronunciation
Survival words & phrases
Cultural guidelines
Understanding the Turkish Concept of Time
Time in Turkey is often perceived and managed differently than in many Western cultures. Rather than viewing time as a strict commodity to be budgeted by the minute, Turkish society tends to take a more fluid, event-oriented approach. Scholars classify Turkey as a polychronic culture – meaning people commonly handle multiple matters at once and place greater emphasis on relationships and than on rigid schedules1. In practice, this translates to a flexible attitude toward punctuality and planning. This cultural lesson explores how Turkish people experience time in various settings, how it compares to Western “monochronic” time management, and what that means for daily life and cross-cultural interactions.
Flexible and Event-Oriented: General Time Perception in Turkey
In Turkish culture, time is flexible and event-driven. Schedules are seen as useful guidelines but not unyielding rules. People typically prefer to let events and personal interactions unfold at their natural pace rather than forcing a strict timetable. For example, a meeting or dinner will usually last “as long as necessary” to achieve a comfortable conclusion or enjoyment, rather than ending abruptly because the clock says so. In polychronic societies like Turkey, activities often have an organic start and finish based on context, and several things can happen simultaneously without much distress. This is in contrast to monochronic cultures (e.g. Germany or the U.S.), where people do one thing at a time and expect each event to begin and end at precise hours.
Being “on time” in Turkey does not carry the same urgency as it does in highly time‑oriented societies. Lateness and cancellations are usually tolerated, and daily life operates on what some call “Turkish time,” which flows more slowly and unpredictably. Research on Turkish culture shows a split focus: one broad multi-national study suggests that Turkish culture is mildly future-oriented, meaning they think a lot about the future and long term goals2. But another study that focused on different aspects of Turkish culture argues that their strong ties to tradition and stability pull them more toward the present, focusing on today’s needs over rigid schedules1. This aligns with cultural concepts like kısmet or fate: there is an underlying acceptance that things will happen in their own time. As a result, Turks often approach time with patience and a degree of optimism that everything will work out eventually, saying “Inşallah” (“God willing”) about future plans. While deadlines and clocks do exist, they are not the supreme dictators of action in the way they might be in a New York or London office.
Time in Formal vs. Informal Settings
Time management in Turkey varies by context. In formal settings like business or government, punctuality is valued as a sign of respect, with companies and offices scheduling meetings and interviews at specific times—arriving very late risks a poor impression. Foreigners are advised to be prompt for professionalism. Yet flexibility persists: meetings often start or run late due to prior commitments, traffic, or extended conversation, and patience is expected as delays rarely cause alarm.3
Formal meetings prioritize relationship-building over strict agendas. An event scheduled for one hour might stretch longer if the conversation is going well or if the host insists on another cup of tea. Initial conversations often focus on personal topics and small talk before business begins.
In contrast, informal settings embrace loose timing. Turkish social life thrives on spontaneity. Plans are often made on short notice—friends might call for coffee “now or tomorrow”—and rarely fill calendars or schedule informal social events more than a few days in advance or at specific times other than “in the evening” of a specific day. Social and family gatherings operate on “event time” rather than “clock time.” If someone does invite you to come over at a certain time, it’s actually polite for guests to arrive a bit later than the planned time so the hosts have the time they need for last minute preparations. Showing up exactly on the dot might catch your host off guard. Likewise, an evening get-together will likely stretch for many hours.
In more schedule-based cultures, people often try to keep social interactions short enough to respect the other person’s time. However, in Turkish culture, the ending time of a social interaction is usually left unscheduled and open-ended. More often than not, you show more respect by staying longer than you do by cutting an interaction short. If you leave a social interaction too early and without sufficient reason or apology, it can be taken as a sign that you don’t value the relationship. Turkish social visits commonly continue late into the night, filled with extended conversation, multiple rounds of tea, and perhaps backgammon or TV, depending on the setting. No one is watching the clock; the evening winds down naturally when people grow tired or run out of things to say. When a guest thinks it is getting late, it is normal to give a heads-up that they will probably need to go soon. This gives the host an opportunity to insist on one more round of tea or coffee or to bring out the last plate of fruit or sweets that they were planning to serve the guest.
References
- Yahyagil, M. Yusuf, and A. Begüm Ötken. “Cultural values from managers’ and academicians’ perspectives: The case of Turkey.” Management Research Review, vol. 34, no. 9, 2011, pp. 1018–1041, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254192871_Cultural_values_from_managers%27_and_academicians%27_perspectives_The_case_of_Turkey.
- Sircova, Anna, et al. “Time Perspective Profiles of Cultures.” Time Perspective Theory; Review, Research and Application: Essays in Honor of Philip G. Zimbardo, edited by Maciej Stolarski et al., Springer, Oct. 2015, pp. 169–187, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268150942_Time_Perspective_Profiles_of_Cultures.
- Evason, Nina. “Turkish Culture – Business Culture.” Cultural Atlas, SBS, 2019, https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/turkish-culture/turkish-culture-business-culture.