Location
Turkey is amid in south/western Asia (the allotment that is west of the Bosphorus is included with Europe, or referred to as the ‘European side’) and borders south eastern Europe. In the arctic it borders the Black Sea. To the west is the Aegean Sea, Greece and Bulgaria and to the east are Georgia, Armenia & Iran. In the south it borders the Mediterranean Sea, forth with Iraq and Syria. It occupies a landmass of 780,580 aboveboard kilometres and its basic is Ankara.
Geography
Turkey is disconnected into 7 geographic regions: Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranean, South-eastern, Eastern, Black Sea and Axial Anatolia. Over bisected Turkey's acreage accumulation is aloft 1000 metres, with abundance ranges extending in an east-west administration alongside to the arctic and south coasts. The accomplished abundance of Turkey is the Mount Ararat in the east, on which Noah's Ark is believed to be, and it is not far from Basin Van, the better basin of the country. The country has seven river basins, all of which acquire their sources aural its borders and breeze into the sea, into neighbouring countries. Turkey is a country of assorted landscapes, abundant plains, amaranthine beaches, top mountains, continued rivers like Euphrates and Tigris, which breeze south as the acclivity decreases rapidly.
Government System
The Turkish Grand Civic Assembly (TGNA) consisting of 550 members, is democratically adopted by voters for a 5 year term. Voting is compulsatory for all humans 19 years and over. The TGNA afresh elects the Prime Minister and President to allotment controlling admiral and aswell The Civic Security Council, who is fabricated up of high-level government and aggressive officials, who accommodated consistently to admonish the admiral of accustomed issues.
Population
The citizenry of Turkey is about 74 million. 60% of its citizenry is beneath 26 age.
Major industry
Agriculture, mining, accomplishment and tourism are the basic industries in Turkey.
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Climate
Although Turkey is anchored in a bounded area area acute distance are absolutely temperate, the assorted attributes of the landscape, and the actuality in accurate of the mountains that run alongside to the coasts, after-effects in cogent differences in acute distance from one arena to the other. Istanbul is allotment of Europe and the acclimate reflects that. You'll acquisition a wet algid winter (3-8 degrees Celsius) boring axis into a damp, balmy Spring and a balmy to hot (18-32 C°) summer that doesn't adhere about any best than feels is necessary. The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts acquire a archetypal Mediterranean distance with hot summers (24-36°C) and balmy winters (4-16 °C). Cappadocia shares the distance of abundant of civil Turkey. Summers can be actual hot and your distance is anon proportional to the bulk of snow you get in the winter. Being a ample country there is no ‘average’ acute action and there are ample variations amid Istanbul, Cappadocia and the littoral regions. In Axial Anatolia (Cappadocia) there is a ample aberration amid day and night time temperatures, with summer peaking at about 26°C. About Izmir and Ephesus the distance is warmer still, with boilerplate summertime temperatures occasionally beyond 30°C. Added south on the Mediterranean in Fethiye balmy winter for a few months and continued hot summers with 30°C average. As for eastern Turkey The distance of the arena can be acrid and unpredictable, summers tend to be hot and acutely dry. Winters are bitterly algid with frequent, abundant snowfall. Villages can be abandoned for several canicule during winter storms. Spring and autumn are about mild, but during both seasons abrupt hot and algid spells frequently occur.
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Country Festivals & Official Holidays 2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
23 Apr Civic Sovereignty and Children’s Day.
19 May Commemoration of Ataturk and Youth & Sports Day.
30 Aug Achievement Day.
1-4 Oct Ramazan Bayrami (End of Ramadan).
28-29 Oct (28th is a half-day) Republic Day.
7-11 Dec Kurban Bayrami (Feast of the Sacrifice).
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Visas
Please ensure that you acquire all appropriate visas for your trip. Rules and regulations administering the arising of visas are consistently changing, and alter for altered nationalities and you should analysis acceptance requirements with your biking abettor or accordant consular ascendancy able-bodied afore travel. www.mfa.gov.tr
Most Nationalities crave a acceptance for Turkey which can be purchased aloft accession at Ataturk Airport. There are commonly two types of day-tripper visas. A single-entry acceptance allows you to admission Turkey once. Afterwards you leave, no bulk how continued you've backward in Turkey, you acquire to pay for addition acceptance to admission Turkey again. A multiple-entry acceptance allows you to admission and leave Turkey assorted times aural its aeon of authority (normally 30, 60 or 90 days) at no added charge.
Make abiding you acquire banknote (US dollars, euros, or pounds sterling) to pay for your acceptance if you admission Turkey as no travellers cheques or acclaim cards are accepted, banknote only!
If you are accession overland from Syria, Greece, Bulgaria or with a cruise, a lot of nationalities will be able admission a Turkish acceptance at the bound or anchorage customs.
Vaccinations
Currently there are no compulsatory vaccinations for Turkey; however, amuse argue your doctor for added advise.
Working Hours
Government Offices
Monday-Friday (8:30-12:30) , (13:30-17:30)
Saturday-Sunday (closed)
Banks
Monday-Friday (8:30-17:00)
Saturday-Sunday (closed)
Shops
Monday-Saturday (9:30-19:00)
Sunday (closed)
Istanbul Covered market: Monday-Saturday (8:00-19:00)
Sunday (closed)
During summer months, the government offices and abounding added establishments in the Aegean and Mediterranean Regions are bankrupt in the afternoon. These anchored summer hours are bent by the administering bodies of the provinces.
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Time
GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from endure Sunday in March to Saturday afore endure Sunday in October).
Telephone
The all-embracing dialling cipher for Turkey is +90. IDD is broadly available. The approachable all-embracing cipher is: 00. There is an all-encompassing centralized blast network, but about an analyst will be bare for added bound areas. To buzz from PTT blast booths, which are begin in all areas, blast cards and tokens are used. Local, inter-city and all-embracing calls can be fabricated from all PTT offices. Mobile phones plan beyond 99.9 % of the country and there are internet cafes in all cities.
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Email & Internet
Internet cafes are broadly accessible throughout the cities and rural areas and the bounded accuse are about actual low. This is calmly the cheapest anatomy of communication. A few internet cafes are starting to action VOIP casework (using Skype or a agnate host network).
Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Two pin plugs are acclimated throughout Turkey.
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Food
The appearance of Turkish aliment owes some of its origins from the drifting affairs of the humans of this arena during the administration of the Sultans. Even today the black meal is about the evenings entertainment. Mezze, the agnate of the western 'starter', consists of a huge alternative of appetizing dishes served abandoned in the centre of the table which awning vegetables, meat, craven and seafood all able in abnormally altered ways. It is accustomed for anybody to sample a aftertaste from every dish, which about abide of the aforementioned vegetable able in a bulk of actual altered ways. There are for archetype over 100 means to adapt Aubergines alone. Eating in a adequate Turkish restaurant is never a abrupt activity and humans tend to yield their time. The alteration from mezzes to the basic advance is not consistently obvious. The accession of skewers of delicious lamb or chicken, supplemented by appetizing rice dishes has to be advancing at the mezze date in adjustment to abstain debauchery the aboriginal course. Deserts are actual candied (similar to Greek desserts) accompaniment the predominantly savoury aspect of Turkish food.
Transport
Turkey has a adequate long-distance bus arrangement with air-conditioned buses, aloof seats and about adequate annual quality, at atomic with the big operators. There are a few firms now accommodate comfortable buses with 1st chic seats and service. Buses are staffed by adequate drivers and a bulk of assistants. On continued booty biking a additional disciplinarian will yield over if the aboriginal gets exhausted. During the ride you will be offered chargeless drinks, a chaw or two, and stops will be fabricated every two hours and a bisected or so at abounding alley restaurants. The added East you travel, the beneath common busses will be, but even places as far as Dogubeyazit or Van will acquire approved casework to abounding places hundreds of kilometres away.
Major cities are served by airlines as well, with reasonable prices, assault the bus biking acquaintance abnormally over best distances. Tickets can be calmly bought from us or at admission offices of Turkish Airlines , Onur Air , Fly Air , Pegasus Airlines and Atlasjet a allotment of others . Abounding of the ample cities acquire circadian admission to the cartage hubs Ankara and Istanbul, others will acquire flights on specific canicule only. Aloft accession at bounded airports there will about be a abutting Havas bus, which has actual bound stops. They may delay for bisected an hour, but will be accessible afterwards the accession of above flights.
Shopping
Shopping is one of abundant pleasures of a cruise to Turkey, and the affluent array of Turkish crafts accomplish it absurd to abide affairs a allowance for accompany or for yourself. Alongside the a lot of avant-garde objects, adequate handicrafts from villages and cities can be found. The a lot of accustomed altar for the anniversary makers are, of course, carpets; but the assorted covering and suede goods, chestnut and brownish wares, silver, ceramics, handicrafts, embroidery, and the acclaimed Turkish meerschaum and atramentous are on abounding arcade lists.
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Airports
Ataturk All-embracing Airport is amid 24km (15 miles) west of Istanbul. There are 17 All-embracing & 47 calm airports. All-embracing airports facilitate banks, ATMs and barter bureaus. At All-embracing airports there are 24-hour arcade facilities, including assignment chargeless shopping, 24-hour left-luggage accessories and porter casework are aswell available. In Istanbul to get into the city, there is a ablaze abuse busline arrangement connects the airport to Esenler. Taxis or dolmus (shared taxis) are accessible from the airport. Havas airport buses run to axial Istanbul (Taksim Square) and to the bus terminal on appeal (journey time: 30 minutes).
Places of Worship
If you ambition to admission a abode of worship, ask first. Shoes acquire to consistently be removed afore entering a mosque. Some mosques are out of bound to tourists. Consistently dress conservatively, as admitting you were entering a Church, Synagogue or any added abode of worship. In general, annual the locals wishes and footstep cautiously wherever you go.
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Dress Standards
When it comes to dress codes, apprehension that women will dress conservatively. Skimpy accouterment is abhorrent to abounding bounded people, decidedly the beforehand bearing and will be frowned upon. About it is accomplished for women to abrasion shorts in the added accustomed day-tripper areas, there is absolute abandon on a lot of beaches. A adequate advantage is a ablaze affection dress, or billowing affection pants. You will charge a dress if visiting mosques.
Men's accouterment is beneath accountable to scrutiny. We recommend, however, that you yield a mix of affection pants and shorts. If visiting a mosque, both men and women should awning their limbs. Men can get abroad with trousers and a short-sleeved shirt; women should abrasion a dress (below the knees) with continued sleeves, and if swimming, apparel acquire to be beat at all times and a swimsuit, for women, is far added adequate than a bikini.
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Safety
Please yield abundant affliction with your passport, airline tickets and monies. A lot of adaptation will acquire assurance drop facilities, which you are acerb apprenticed to use. Do not backpack added banknote than required. A money belt beat beneath your accouterment is suggested. If you are affairs something, you should not beam ample amounts of money around. Amuse acutely mark all your accoutrements with your name and address. Common faculty and acquaintance will abundantly abate the absurd accident of accident or theft. We aswell advance you backpack baby padlocks for your luggage.
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Currency
For abounding years Turkey had a somewhat ambagious bill for foreigners, with a Euro annual about 1,900,000 Turkish Lira. Literally anyone with 1 US dollar was a millionaire. In 2004, the 'New Turkish Lira' was introduced, with the Euro acceptable 1.9 New Turkish Lira (YTL). A lot of of the old addendum acquire been phased out but you may still appointment them in some areas so amuse analysis your change carefully. New addendum are as follows, the old addendum had 6 zeros more. 100 YTL, 50 YTL, 20 YTL, 10 YTL, 5 YTL, 1 YTL (TL 1,000,000). There are aswell bill for 1 YTL. The New Turkish Lira is disconnected into 100 Kurus (YKR) and these are all coins. Bill can be exchanged at airports, banks and barter booths of which there are many. Banks accessible mainly Monday to Friday from 8.30pm to 5.00pm. All coffer branches acquire ATMs which acquire Cirrus, Plus and just about every acclaim agenda and ATM's can aswell be begin at alluringly in abounding places. Above acclaim cards are broadly accepted. Traveller's cheques can be exchanged at banks and hotels. US$ or Euros are preferred. Post Offices in the beyond towns will sometimes change bill and travellers cheques for a abundant lower agency than banks. The bounded bill is New Turkish Lira (YTL). Analysis out www.tcmb.gov.tr for accustomed barter rates.
Money
Money is safest agitated in the anatomy of traveller's cheques; however, these are difficult to change in bounded areas. With affluence of ATM's in above cities added and added humans are bringing a aggregate of banknote and acclaim cards. Look for ATMs announcement either the Maestro, Cirrus, Acceptance or MasterCard or whatever your agenda attribute is. ATMs will acquiesce you to admission banknote (in bounded currency) from your acclaim agenda and possibly from your accumulation annual if it is affiliated to Maestro or Cirrus or Acceptance Plus network. Withdrawn money or the acquirement bulk will be adapted absolutely by www.tcmb.gov.tr official rates.
If you are bringing cash, afresh the best currencies are US Dollars, Euro's or British Pounds. Be acquainted that a lot of allowance behavior will not awning for accident or annexation of cash. Acclaim cards are advantageous for ample purchases but they may not be accustomed in baby restaurants, mini markets, bounded transport, taxis. Added acceptable they will alone acquire banknote as transaction for appurtenances or services.
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Airport taxes
There are no abandonment taxes payable locally if abandonment Turkey by air (it's included in your air ticket).
Local prices
Eating out in Turkey is almost inexpensive. Adequate superior bite foods, such as baby pizzas, cheese puffs or doner kebab sandwiches are adequate for a ablaze lunch, will amount about 2-5 Euro. A archetypal banquet will awning mezzes and kebabs and will set you aback about Euro 6-12 Euro. Soft drinks amount about 1 Euro and a beer about Euro 2 in shops. In pubs and bars, beer is about 3-6 Euro.
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History
Earliest annal of the Turkish humans appearance that their ancestors in Axial Asia date aback to some time afore 2000 BC. The chat ‘Turk’ comes from Chinese and the Abundant Wall was congenital to accumulate out Turkish tribes. Roaming broadly throughout Asia and Europe, the Turks accustomed all-inclusive empires throughout these continents.
By the 10th century, a lot of Turks had adopted the adoration of Islam. Following this abundant change, the Karahanid Authority of axial Asia (10th and 11th centuries) and the Ghaznavid Authority (10th and 12th centuries) developed in areas accepted today as Iran, Afghanistan and Northern India. Some Turks travelled southwest to Anatolia (Asia Minor) advised to be the cradle of civilisation because it has accepted added than 20 cultures and civilizations. These civilizations included the Hittites, Assyrians, Lydians, Greeks, Persians, Macedonians, lonians, Romans, Byzantines and Turks. In AD 1071, the Turks fought a acute war with the Byzantine Empire. Settling in Anatolia (which today covers a lot of of Turkey), they accustomed abounding baby feudal states and some empires.
The Seljuk Authority was the aboriginal Turkish Authority in Anatolia. Afterwards the Seljuk's' access declined, Anatolia burst into a bulk of baby states. The Ottoman Turks unified these abstracted units, which eventually became the better authority in contempo history, the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans disqualified for added than six centuries (1281 - 1922), in allotment because their arrangement of government accustomed adaptability in the convenance of assorted religions, languages and cultures.
By the end of Apple War I, the Ottoman Authority had burst completely. In 1922, a axiological political and amusing anarchy took place, and the Sultanate, or Kingship, of Turkey was abolished. A man called Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was adopted President of the Grand Civic Assembly in December and led the War of Liberation adjoin such apple admiral as Greece. The next move of Kemal's was the acknowledgment of a Republic, occurring in 1923, to which he was afresh adopted President. A beachcomber of change swept through the country. The Arabic Software was abolished and abounding religious schools and convents were closed. Ataturk is advised the architect of Avant-garde Turkey and afterwards actual beforehand assassination attempts he died in 1938. His associate and continued time acquaintance Inonu became President of the Republic and the Turkish woman were accustomed their appropriate to vote and to be elected.
During the advance of Apple War II, Turkey remained divided; humans adjoin government. Alone if it became bright that the Allies would win did Turkey's added advanced ancillary appearance itself. The final Allied victory, in fact, was the axis point of Turkey's authoritative system. Capitalism flourished, aperture new doors of escape from the access of austere governing. As new parties emerged, the Democrat Party became the a lot of prominent, eventually overshadowing all others. In 1949, baby measures of adoration were re-introduced to the academy system. By 1990, Turkey's government had become a republican aldermanic democracy, back then, there are 82 ambit of the Republic of Turkey. The arch one of the 82 is the arena of Ankara which is Turkey's capital.
Historical contest of contempo years including the War on Terror, the Gulf War, the end of the Algid War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union (which gave ability to Turkish republics in Axial Asia) acquire added Turkey's accent as a ability for accord and adherence in the region.
Turkey is an aspect of adherence in an contrarily agitated allotment of the world. As a modern, civil capitalism with a chargeless bazaar economy, Turkey will abide to aggrandize its role as a commercial, political and cultural hotlink amid the Middle East, the Caucasus, the Balkans and the West.
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People
The Turks are racially diverse. Abounding are the birth of refugees, about from the Balkans, but a able faculty of civic character is abiding in a aggregate accent and religion. A lot of are Sunni Moslems, although a Shia association including the Alawite camp is growing fast. The better association are the Kurds, authoritative up about 20% of the citizenry and the blow are Turks. There are some 500,000 Arabic speakers.
Language
Turkish, English, German and French are broadly announced in cities.
Religion
99 % Moslem with a baby Christian and Jewish minority. Turkey is a civil accompaniment which guarantees complete abandon of adoration to any religion.
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Economy
Turkey is one of the alone bounded countries that consign agronomical aftermath such as cotton, tobacco, bake-apple and vegetables. Agriculture accounts for over 15% of absolute bread-and-butter achievement and is a above employer, decidedly of women. There are aswell abundant mining and accomplishment industries. Tourism is one of the better annual sectors and serves as a key antecedent of adopted exchange. Turkey is attempting to become allotment of the European Union and as a aftereffect abounding amusing and bread-and-butter reforms are demography abode throughout the country. As a aftereffect of this European alignment, Turkey’s trading ally acquire broadcast broadly from the Middle East, Europe, Balkans, Asia, Australia to America.
