Turkish Delight

Think you know Turkey?  Think again and a brilliant article by Claire Berlinski will tell you why:http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/articles/2010-JulyAugust/full-Berlinski-JA-2010.html.  Her analysis is largely applicable to the entire middle eastern world and I learned that in spades during the short time I spent there.  Biggest lesson?  Over here, when we make some type of agreement or deal in business or otherwise, it's typically intended to benefit both parties.  "I'll buy this product from you.  You'll get money and I'll get the benefit of the product."  Not there.  No, it's more of a process of one of the parties in the agreement screwing the other--there's not the expectation of a mutually beneficial outcome that assumes both parties will walk away satisfied and/or it will be a building block for a long term relationship.  And, Berlinski's right when she says that Americans are out of their element when trying to accomplish things in that setting.  Unless or until we have negotiators who firmly understand how that part of the world thinks, we'll continue to flail about and wonder at the end of the day why the hell our wallet is so much lighter.