Business, medical and legal contact with Turkey often does not start in writing: a negotiation, a clinic consultation, a court hearing or a trade fair calls for live conversation, where the interpreter works in seconds and has no chance to correct a mistake. This page describes the formats in which we interpret in Turkish, where each format is used in Georgian-Turkish relations, and how to prepare a meeting so that interpreting does not slow the business down.
Simultaneous, consecutive and whispered interpreting: which where
Simultaneous interpreting runs in parallel with the speaker, without delay, usually from a booth via headsets. With Turkish this format is especially in demand at business forums, government visits and international conferences where a Turkish delegation communicates with a Georgian and an English-speaking audience at the same time. By international standard two interpreters alternate in a simultaneous booth every 20-30 minutes, because at this intensity one person cannot work longer without losing quality.
Consecutive interpreting goes with pauses: the speaker says a few sentences, stops, the interpreter renders them. This is the most common format at Georgian-Turkish negotiations, at the notary, in court, at customs and in the clinic, where accuracy matters more than speed. Whispered interpreting (chuchotage) is the minimal version of simultaneous, when the interpreter sits next to one or two people and interprets without equipment: a typical case is a Turkish investor at the general meeting of a Georgian company, or a Georgian patient at a Turkish clinic's case conference.
Business negotiations and Turkish business etiquette
Turkish business culture is built on relationships: a negotiation often begins with tea, personal questions and a long preamble, and only then moves on to figures. An interpreter who does not know this etiquette considers the preamble "superfluous" and shortens it, making the Georgian side miss important signals. Our interpreters have worked in the Turkish business environment and know when a pause is politeness and when it is a sign of refusal, how "we will think about it" (düşünürüz) sounds in Turkish, which is often a soft no, and how to convey Georgian directness so that it does not sound rude to a Turkish partner.
Typical contexts are: meetings with textile and building materials suppliers, discussion of resort and hotel investments in Adjara, technical meetings on energy projects, franchise negotiations and the founding of joint ventures. Before every meeting we ask for the agenda, presentations and previous correspondence so that the interpreter can absorb the terminology and context in advance.
Trade fairs in Istanbul and Tbilisi
Istanbul's exhibition centres (CNR Expo, TÜYAP, Istanbul Expo Center) attract thousands of Georgian entrepreneurs every year: to construction, furniture, textile, food industry and hotel equipment fairs. At a fair the interpreter plays several roles at once: consecutive interpreting while moving from stand to stand, whispered interpreting at the negotiating table, and when discussing technical specifications often on-the-spot translation of tables and catalogues as well. For this format we prepare the interpreter with the terminology of the specific industry and, where needed, compile a short bilingual glossary that the Georgian entrepreneur can still use after the fair. We work by the same logic at fairs in Tbilisi and Batumi, where Turkish exhibitors meet Georgian buyers.
Medical accompaniment in Turkish clinics and in Tbilisi
For a Georgian patient the most critical moment in a Turkish clinic is the first consultation with the doctor, where the diagnosis, treatment plan and risks are discussed within an hour. The clinic's own coordinator often communicates in Russian or English, which is a double barrier for a Georgian patient. Our medical interpreter interprets the consultation consecutively, conveys the terminology in a way the patient can understand but without distortion, and, with the patient's consent, prepares a short written summary of the consultation that the Georgian doctor can use afterwards.
This service works remotely too: at a Turkish clinic's online consultation, by video call, the interpreter joins as the third participant. In the same format we serve Turkish patients being treated in Tbilisi clinics and representatives of Turkish insurance companies clarifying the circumstances of an insured event in Georgia.
Court and notarial interpreting
In a Georgian court where a party or witness is a Turkish citizen, the interpreter is an official participant in the proceedings and is responsible for the exact, uninterpreted rendering of testimony. This format is consecutive, with the possibility of recording in the minutes, and the interpreter is obliged to ask for repetition or clarification in case of misunderstanding, not to fill the gap with their own assumption. Typical cases are trade disputes, breaches of construction contracts, customs cases, family disputes in mixed marriages and administrative cases on residence status.
When a transaction is executed at the notary in the presence of a Turkish citizen (purchase of an apartment in Batumi, transfer of a company share, a power of attorney), Georgian legislation requires the participation of an interpreter who signs the notarial act and confirms that the party has understood the text. This is a responsible role: the interpreter reads the notarial act to the party in full, article by article, and explains the terms.
Press conferences, official visits and the media
Turkish official delegations, business associations and professional unions visit Georgia regularly, and the programme of such visits often includes a press conference, a signing ceremony and a public address. Here the interpreting is public: the audience and the media hear the result directly, with no chance of correction. For this format the interpreter needs not only the language but a stable voice, pace and knowledge of protocol: in a Turkish official address the forms of address, titles and courtesy constructions follow a strict sequence that must sound equally adequate in Georgian.
Remote interpreting in Zoom and Teams
The time difference with Turkey is negligible, so online meetings are held at any time of the day. The language channel function of Zoom and Teams makes simultaneous interpreting possible online as well: the Turkish participant listens to the Turkish channel, the Georgian to the Georgian one, and the interpreter works in both directions. At small meetings the consecutive format in a shared call is enough. For technical preparation we ask for a sound test 15 minutes before the meeting and the sharing of presentations in advance, because the interpreter must see the tables and figures shown on screen beforehand.
Telephone interpreting for urgent cases
An urgent call with no time for video or planning is an everyday event in the Turkish direction: a truck is stopped at Sarpi customs and the Turkish driver or forwarder needs an explanation immediately; a Turkish clinic calls about a post-operative condition; a Turkish partner is urgently clarifying a contract term. In such cases the interpreter joins the call as a third party and interprets consecutively. This format lacks visual contact, but it is irreplaceable for speed, and during working hours we provide it within minutes.
Technical training and equipment installation
Turkish-made machine tools, construction machinery, hotel systems and food industry lines are often installed in Georgia by Turkish engineers, and the installation is followed by several days of training for Georgian staff. This is a special interpreting format: the interpreter works in the plant, in noise, next to the machine, the terminology is strictly technical, and a mistake puts safety at risk. For such a project we select the interpreter by technical speciality, ask in advance for the equipment manual and diagrams and, where needed, translate the training material in writing too, so that the Georgian operators are left with a reference document after the training. We work in the same format on construction sites where Turkish and Georgian engineers work together and the daily production meeting runs in two languages.
Customs, logistics and transport companies
Cargo moving through Sarpi and Vale is accompanied by live communication: Turkish driver and Georgian customs inspector, Turkish forwarder and Georgian broker, transport company dispatcher and terminal operator. For logistics companies we offer both an on-site interpreter and telephone interpreting that joins within minutes during a customs procedure. The terminology here is narrow but specific: TIR carnet, transit declaration, customs control zone, inspection report, and the interpreter must know the logic of the customs procedure in both countries in order to convey to the driver not only the words but the substance of the requirement.
Event planning checklist
Half the quality of interpreting depends on preparation. When organising a Turkish-language event we recommend:
- Determine the meeting format and number of participants in advance, so that we choose correctly between simultaneous, consecutive and whispered formats
- Send the agenda, presentations and list of speakers at least three days before the event
- For a technical subject, provide a list of terms or minutes of previous meetings
- For the simultaneous format, inspect the hall in advance: booth location, line of sight to the stage, power source
- For the online format, enable the platform's language channels in advance and run a sound test 15 minutes before
- For a long event, plan breaks, because consecutive interpreting loses quality after more than 2 hours without a pause
- Define confidentiality requirements in advance so that the interpreter signs a non-disclosure agreement before the event
Equipment and logistics
Full simultaneous interpreting requires a soundproof booth, an interpreter console, a transmitter and headsets for listeners; at small meetings a portable "whisper" system (one transmitter, several receivers) is enough and is far more flexible when the venue changes. In Tbilisi we provide equipment together with a partner technical company, in Batumi and the regions with advance logistical planning. For an event in Turkey the interpreter travels with the client, or we cooperate with a partner interpreter working locally in Turkey.
The tourism sector: hotels, guides, resort services
The share of Turkish guests in Batumi and Tbilisi hotels is high, and interpreting is needed here in two forms: a guide-interpreter for group visits and a working interpreter for hotel staff in conflict or difficult situations (a medical case, an insurance incident, dealing with the police). Beyond interpreting, a guide-interpreter also manages to explain the Georgian cultural context to a Turkish audience, which is especially important on wine tours, at historical monuments and at sites of a religious character, where the terminology and context differ for a Turkish guest. For resort sector companies we offer a seasonal package in which the interpreter works on predetermined days or on call.
Church, cultural and academic events
Georgian-Turkish cultural relations form a separate category of events: literary evenings, Turkology conferences at Tbilisi universities, events of the Yunus Emre Institute, symposia of historians where Ottoman and Georgian sources are discussed at the same time, and meetings of descendants of the muhajirs, where family history is shared in two languages. Academic interpreting is the most demanding in terminology, because historical, philological and religious terminology goes beyond standard business vocabulary, and at these events we select the interpreter by the relevant education. If the text of a paper exists in advance, the interpreter studies it beforehand, and quotations and the names of sources sound in the established form in both languages.
Police, border and administrative procedures
Interpreting does not always happen at a planned meeting. A Turkish citizen needs an interpreter, and often urgently, when giving an explanation at a Georgian police station, during additional checks at the border, when a road accident is recorded with the patrol police, or at an interview at the migration service. In this format the interpreter is involved in an official procedure, signs the record and translates the explanation of the party's rights exactly. We work in the reverse cases too: a Georgian citizen at a Turkish police station or customs, by remote telephone interpreting, when there is no Georgian-speaking interpreter on the spot. During working hours we join such a call within minutes.
The interpreter's impartiality and confidentiality
In court, notarial and medical contexts the interpreter is only a linguistic bridge: they give no advice, make no assessment and add no explanation of their own, even if what was said seems vague or contradictory. In a business context, at the client's request, the interpreter can explain the cultural context, but always separately: an "interpreter's note" is clearly set apart from the interpretation. The content of every meeting is confidential, and for commercially sensitive negotiations the interpreter signs a non-disclosure agreement in advance.
Frequently asked questions
How many interpreters are needed for a full-day conference?
For the simultaneous format two, alternating every 20-30 minutes. In the consecutive format one interpreter works for half a day, and for a full day we advise engaging two to maintain quality.
Can you send an interpreter to Turkey, to a trade fair or a clinic?
Yes. The interpreter travels with the client, or we cooperate with a partner interpreter working in Istanbul and Ankara. We choose between these options depending on the timing and duration.
What material do you need before the meeting?
The agenda, presentations, previous correspondence and, for a technical subject, specifications or the draft contract. The earlier we receive them, the more accurate the terminology will be.
Is an interpreter definitely needed for a transaction at the notary in the presence of a Turkish citizen?
Yes, if the party does not understand Georgian. The interpreter reads the notarial act to the party in full, explains it and signs the act. We send an interpreter with the appropriate qualification for this role.
How quickly can you provide telephone interpreting?
During working hours, usually within minutes. Outside working hours by prior arrangement, for example for a scheduled event at customs or in a clinic.
Does the interpreter know the terminology of my specific field?
We select the interpreter by field: specialised in medical, construction, textile, energy or legal subjects. So when ordering we ask about the field of the meeting and request the material in advance.