Cross-border commercial activity strategies of businesses in the border province Edirne

The aim of this study is to reveal the strategies to enter the international markets applied by the enterprises that entered the international markets in Edirne, which is an important border province, and to provide basic information to researchers as well as different organizations and managers, since there is no previous study on this subject in the literature.For this purpose, exploratory research design, one of the qualitative research designs, and semi-structured interview method as data collection method were used. In the research, interview requests were made for all of the businesses, except the closed ones, which could not be reached from the list of 56 companies operating internationally and obtained from the Edirne Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECCI), but 20 companies accepted the interview request.In the research, it has been seen that the enterprises that opened to international markets in Edirne generally apply export strategy directly or indirectly, as well as make a little direct investment. It has been understood that partnership strategies (strategic partnership, joint venture, assembly operations, etc.) are not preferred to avoid risk. It has been stated that businesses that have started their international operations have increased their profitability and transaction volumes, they have been recognized in international markets, and they have been able to catch up with developments and opportunities in the international arena. In addition, it has been observed that international businesses in Edirne have expectations from managers such as legal guarantees, financial stability arrangements to be less affected by the exchange rate difference, informing ETSO and other public institutions about international opportunities, and deciding for Edirne’s geographical proximity to Europe to provide more benefits to the region and the country.