It can be a sign of respect but in this case the ones who kiss give the respect and not the ones who let their hand kissed ask for respect. There is reason to be suspicious since the person should not ask for her hand to be kissed.

I agree that it is a sign of respect but it is more common for children. Kissing hands between adults is very limited to certain relatives.

In any case there is strong reason for being suspicious. Most of our members in this website are from West Turkia and they have no idea about these traditional families. If it had been reletad to themselves they would automaticaly avoid contact with those people.

Signs to be suspicious of:

1. If adults kiss another adults hand
2. If there is economical relation inside the bigger family
3. If the family owns lots of land but is very poor
4. If there is a female living in a house of relatives that you can not explain
5. If young female members of the family wear headscarf
6. When walking in the street if female family members are walking behind a male family member (age of this male is unimportant).
7. If your boyfriend has no normal female friend at all
8. If your botfriend listens arabesk music
9. If your boyfriend can't wear a short and t-short in public or he shows some resistance for wearing either shorts or t-shorts.
10. If any of the male members of the family wear a silver ring

You should be suspicious about this family.

well, my husbands family and family friend sall expect me to kiss their hands-theres nothing starnge or weird about it.but they are from a village
and i am fully accepted and appreciated despite not being turkish.....could be because im muslim and dont look english neway
so think that some people here are wrong and highly judgemental yaw

and by the way to answer ur question yes being presented to the family is serious

OK I stand corrected. Free drinks at the bar for Chantal and Cyrano!

probabluy because we arent so judgemental about people..but take them on the person that they are..rather than where they come from..or wot they do

and i AM FULLY ACCEPTED and active in life where i live..in the turkish community that we know just 2 put da record straight

YEY CYRANO

İ see it as a sign of respect too,i don't think it is a rule applying to every family,each family is different with its own believes,and there are some educated turkish people,who live in a modern and educated turkish families,and has a very open prospect to the western life style,they already lived there,and they STİLL kissing the parents hands,it shows respect,although i never done such a thing before,it is not easy,but,i appreciate it,even they are from the high member of the society,but they don't see no harm in kissing parents hands,out of respect,they have done the hard thing and thats lovely

YEY CHANTAL TOO