Some time ago I was talking with a friend of mine and she told me about her vacation in Turkey. She was there with her parents, they were sightseeing and from time to time they would buy some souvenirs. She told me about the behaviour of Turkish people who sell things. One day when her parents were watching the products, with no intention of buying them, Turkish sellers would encourage them by offering items for a lower price. There was even a situation when her parents were invited to a room and were given tea, only to feel comfortable while haggling. When they clearly said they were not interested, the seller said 'Well, then what are you doing here? You should go out.'. I didn't know it before, but when you go to Turkey you should be careful with checking out things, as coming to a shop without buying anything can be seen as offending the seller. Of course it doesn't concern supermarkets but smaller shops and bargains. However, I still think it's different from the behaviour in many European countries.
The story of my friend made me realise how different some cultures can be, even when the countries are not very far from each other. It's important to remember that if we travel to a seemingly similar country, there are always at least tiny differences in behaviour which may not matter to us, but may matter a lot to them.
