About Turkey

TURKEY

Turkey is a country of massive diversity: within just one nation you can find unlimited vibrancy and positive energy in the form of Istanbul which is in the north west of Turkey and which is without doubt one of the most exciting and vivid cities worth visiting in the whole world. Alternatively you can find some of the world’s most dramatic and incredible natural landscapes such as those in the central region of Cappadocia, from there you can travel back in time, stepping back generations when you visit the rural, rustic agricultural communities that exist in incredibly basic conditions in the east before you head south to sample a combination of history, culture, great climate and fantastic entertainment and lifestyle along Turkey’s southern Riviera.

LANGUAGE

One of the best ways to reward the inevitable hospitality of your hosts is to speak a few words of Turkish to them. They are very proud of their nationality and they will see your attempts to speak their language as a compliment and a sign of respect. You will find that a lot of Turkish people speak at least some English, yet if you can’t make yourself understood, Turks are very good at sign language!!

CUISINE

Would someone come to Turkey just to eat out? Yes, they would. Turkish food is famous throughout the world. The painstaking preparation of simple, but fresh ingredients brings out the richness of their flavors in a way that never fails to delight. The range is enormous, from a number of soups to an astonishing variety of meze (hors d’oeuvre), followed by meat and fish dishes. Then pause awhile to contemplate the famous Turkish sweets and pastries before finishing with a Turkish coffee. All Turkish food is prepared from fresh ingredients. The country produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, and, being surrounded on three sides by sea, the range of fish to be found is also considerable. Along with world famous Turkish coffee. Wherever you go, coffee or tea will be offered to you. Bottled drinking water and mineral water are easily found everywhere. Tap water is drinkable but the taste is not good because it is chlorinated.

TRANSPORTATION & DRIVING

Many of the major airlines have direct flights to Turkey. The principal airports for international scheduled flights are in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Dalaman, Bodrum and etc. There are rail and road connections to Asia and Europe and hydrofoil or ferry services to several Greek islands. For local travel there is an excellent bus network, some rail sectors, domestic flights to the major cities, and coastal ferries.
Taxis, buses, trams, dolmus (shared taxis), and ferries provide public transport.
Around major urban areas, the roads are paved and in good condition. In rural areas, the infrastructure is generally adequate but not always well maintained.

Driving is on the right hand side of the road. Excellent signage in English script and well-maintained road network.

Beaches

Beach vacations and Blue Cruise, particularly for Turkish city-dwellers and visitors from Western Europe, are also central to the Turkish tourism industry. Most beach resorts are located along the southwestern and southern Aegean coast, especially along the Mediterranean coast near Antalya. Antalya is also accepted as the tourism capital of Turkey. Major resort towns include Bodrum, Fethiye, Marmaris, Kusadas?, Cesme, Didim and Alanya.

SPORTS

Turkey is one of the rare countries in the world which has an article related to sports in her Constitution. Article 59 of the Constitution says, “The State takes measures to develop the physical and mental health of Turkish citizens of all ages and encourages the spread of sports among the masses. The State protects successful athletes.” In recent years, with investments made in the field of sports, scientific research and the increase in importance placed by the State on sports policy, sports in Turkey became a well-liked and interesting event both as a performance sport and for the utilization of free time. Here is the list of some sports you can practice in Turkey:

Sailing and Boat Trips, Gulet Cruising
Scuba Diving
Rafting & Canoeing
Windsurfing
Fishing
Flying & Ballooning
Caving (Spelunking)
Hunting
Football
Skiing
Mountaineering
Horseback riding and etc...

GOLF

In recent years, as golf courses with international standards have opened up, Turkey has become an elite golfing centre where players from around the world can meet in an environment of quality and prestige. Top-class courses are also being planned for Istanbul, Ankara and Mugla. In Turkey, most courses are in the vicinity of tourist resorts, around the coastal regions which have the necessary facilities like accommodation, restaurants and entertainment. The Ministry of Tourism plans to establish another 11 golf courses in these tourist areas.

You can play golf at these facilities: Gloria Golf Resort, Nobilis Golf Hotel, Klassis Golf and Country, Kemer Golf Country Club, National Golf Club, Tat Golf. And many others are on the way.

EDUCATION

There are two main reasons why the demand for international schools in Turkey is growing and they are 1) because there are more expatriates than ever moving to live in Turkey with their children to enjoy the quality of life and the affordable cost of living, and 2) because the business environments in the likes of Istanbul and Ankara are rapidly expanding and attracting more international professionals who are moving with their families to live and work in Turkey.

The first and most important thing to state is that in Turkey children are treated like mini-Gods! They are generally so highly prized that their education is considered to be important by parents, teachers, local authorities and even the government meaning that the state of the education system in Turkey is under constant review. All children, even those not born in Turkey have the right to a free state education for eight years in Turkey but because in many areas of the country the availability of decent teaching materials is limited due to affordability constraints, most expatriate parents prefer to send their children to be educated privately.

Education in Turkey is free of charge and compulsory in government schools. Primary school is for children age 6-14; secondary school is for another three years. There is a number of international English speaking schools open in the Mediterranean due to the thriving international community. There is a wide range of universities in Turkey.

TOURISM

Tourism in Turkey is focused largely on a variety of archaeological and historical sites, and on seaside resorts along its Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. In the recent years, Turkey is also becoming a popular destination for spa and health care tourism.

Major cultural and historical attractions elsewhere in the country include the sites of Ephesus, Troy, Pergamon, House of Virgin Mary, Pamukkale, Hierapolis, Konya (where the poet Rumi had spent most of his life), Didyma, Church of Antioch, religious places in Mardin (such as Deyrülzafarân Monastery), and the ruined cities and landscapes of Cappadocia. (see List of Archaeological Sites Sorted by Country-Turkey)

Diyarbak?r is also a important historic city, although tourism is on a relative small level due to armed conflicts. They are decreasing little by little.

Ankara has an historic old town, and although is not exactly a touris city, is usual as a stop for travellers who go to Cappadocia. The city enjoys a excellent cultural life too, having a lot of museums and cultural events. The An?tkabir is also in Ankara. It is the mausoleum of Atatürk (father of the Turks), the founder of the Republic of Turkey.

Characteristics of Turkey’s tourists

Foreign tourists mainly come from the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia and Japan, but tourists from Arab countries, Iran, the USA, France and Scandinavia are not uncommon. There seems to be a trend in which British tourists tend to go on holiday to Aegean resorts such as Bodrum or Marmaris, whilst German and Russian tourists almost exclusively go to resorts on the Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey (e.g. Antalya) and Japanese tourists mainly visit Istanbul and historical sites such as Ephesus (although in both cases, tourists from almost all over the world can be found in these places, Japanese tourists visit them in very large numbers).

People from Spain have become usual tourists in recent years. In 2006, 200,000 Spaniards visited Turkey, although that number is well below the number of tourists from other countries, it tends to improve each year. Most Spaniards book hotels in Istanbul (that is becoming a top-favourite city for Spaniards) and a lot of them also visit Cappadocia.

Statistics of tourism in Turkey

Foreign tourist arrivals increased substantially in Turkey between 2002 and 2005, from 12.8 million to 21.2 million, which made Turkey a top-10 destination in the world for foreign visitors. 2005 revenues are US$17.5 billion which also made Turkey the top-10 biggest revenue owners in the world.
Investment opportunities
With a steady increase in annual tourism, Turkey is experiencing an unprecedented level of international exposure and this, in turn is creating more tourist interest and increasing demand for Turkish property.

The value of Turkish property is expected to appreciate in beach front areas by as much as 50% initially, with forecasts for the next two to three years reaching 100%. When the Turkish law changes to allow mortgage facilities to become more widely available, property prices are expected to continue to rise accordingly.

The Turkish Riviera is particularly popular amongst Turkey property investors as the Turkish government is improving the tourism infrastructure in an attempt to make this area one of Turkey’s top tourist attractions.