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Banking in Turkey

I learned by accident last time that there is no better place to visit the nuances of Turkish culture than in the bank. This time is no different. Today, it took an hour to just get some U.S. Dollars exchanged for Turkish money. Traveler checks - forget it. Although banks are ubiquitous in Turkey, the lines are long and each service is an ordeal. Last year it took 20 minutes to negotiate each check. Too bad for you if you use 25 Dollar checks and need 500 Dollars changed. Better book another night in town.

If you visit Turkey, force yourself to wait for the bank door to open in the morning. They close at noon for lunch. Go after lunch at your own peril. There are usually only two tellers. So ingrained is the dot-matrix-speed banking culture here, you must take a number - waiting areas with chairs are for your convenience. Members of the bank - which come in a steady stream - take a number that will jump ahead of your non-member number.

People finally get fatigued with the wait and not so subtly sneak in line. The teller must also answer the phone which rings constantly. People sneak next to you while you wait at the counter and lean and hover over your business. Having rode on many packed buses in Viet Nam and Turkey this hovering no longer bothers me. If you are doing business in a cubicle, they bring you tea. Last year because I was a foreign visitor, I was given tea as well.

Today a weathered farmer got mad at the female teller while at the counter. The security guard took him back to a cubical for tea, a cigarette, and a chat. In a bit they had to throw him out. Before my number in line came up, the farmer came back with wife and kids to yell his complaints some more. The guard, bank manager, and some bystanders then had to usher them all out again.

While the ruckus was going on, the female teller said she remembered me from last trip. That should not surprise anyone, considering I twice spent a couple hours in her line. She said she lived in New York for a bit so this was actually an easy day. I told her, "Go Yankees."

Great theater - this job is easy - I do not have to search for the culture - it finds me.

Bob Keith
Mardin, Turkey