Keyfacts about Turkey - A Property Investment
Key facts for travellers to Turkey
Geography:
Turkey is a large country of 780,000 square km (about the size of Texas USA) of which 97% is in Asia and 3% in Europe. It has 7,200 km of coastline on three different seas – the Aegean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.
Population: 69 Million
Religion:
99% Moslem. Turkey is a secular state with complete freedom of worship for non-Moslems.
Visa:
All British passport holders are required to obtain a visa for entry in Turkey. Visas for tourist visits not exceeding 3 months are issued at all ports of entry in Turkey. The fee for each visitor is £10 (payable in sterling) and applies to every individual, even if travelling on a single passport. Turkish Consulate
Health:
Vaccination is not required by Turkish Authorities. The Turkish health care system is of a good standard, with many modern, clean hospitals. Walk in private clinics are commonly available which offer an exceptional level of service at a very reasonable price. Turkey is not in the EU so you MUST HAVE travel insurance. Most travel insurance companies cover Turkey under standard European policies. Please check with your insurance company.
Currency: Turkish Lira. It is approximately 2.4 TL to one GBP.
Dialing Code: 90
Electricity: 230v, 50 HZ
Weights and Measures: Metric
Local Time: GMT + 2
Opening Hours:
Government Offices: 08:30 – 12:30 & 13:30 – 17:30 (Mon-Fri)
Banks: 08:30 – 12:00 & 13:30 – 17:30 (Mon-Fri)
Offices & Banks are closed Saturdays and Sundays
Shops: 9:30 – 13:00 & 14:00 – 19:00 closed on Sundays
Official Holidays:
1st January – New Year’s Day
21st March – Nevruz
23rd April – National Sovereignty & Children’s Day
19th May – Youth & Sports Day
30th August – Victory Day
29th October – Republic Day
10th November – Anniversary of Ataturks Death
When to Go:
Turkey is a great place to visit from spring through to autumn, with the peak season being from July through to mid-September. Turkey doesn’t really have a winter tourism season, with many of the airports closing to international flights and many tourist towns becoming empty.
Costs:
Turkey is a comparably cheap country with meals available from just a couple of pounds upwards. £10 will buy a good two-course meal with drink. Tipping is customary in restaurants and is appreciated by the taxi drivers.
Essential Purchases:
Firstly for gentlemen, do not worry about getting your haircut before going on holiday to Turkey. The barbers are exceptional, and for just £5 you can have haircut, a shave and a little disconcerting the first time, naval and ear hair removed with a low heat flame. Turkish delights are a personal favourite with a huge range of flavours to choose from, as is the apple tea.
Leather goods and all clothing are of excellent quality yet very cheap in price. Expect to pay £3-£4 for a good quality shirt. The rugs are of the finest quality, again at an excellent price. Negotiate with the shop owner for a good discount to get an excellent bargain.
Turkish Climate:
Although Turkey is situated in a geographical location where climatic conditions are quite temperate, the diverse nature of the landscape, and the existence in particular of the mountains that run parallel to the coasts, results in significant differences in climatic conditions from one region to the other. While the coastal areas enjoy milder climates, the inland Anatolian plateau experiences extremes of hot summers and cold winters with limited rainfall.
Getting to Turkey:
There are plenty of ways to get into and out of Turkey by air, sea, rail and bus, across the borders of six countries. Flights go direct from every airport in the UK to Izmir, Bodrum, Dalaman and Antalya throughout the holiday season.
In the winter Bodrum and Dalaman airports close to international flights, but you can still travel to them with schedule flights with Turkish Airlines from Heathrow and Manchester via Istanbul. The greatest choice of flights to Turkey in the holiday season is with the charter airlines such as Thomas Cook, Thomson flights, First Choice and My Travel etc.
Getting Around Turkey:
Car Hire
The standard of driving compared with the UK is generally poor but the
Turkish government is trying hard to raise standards. Roads are being
constantly improved and the police regularly carry out roadside checks,
speed checks and drink driving testing. Traffic calming measures are also
being introduced into many towns and strict parking rules are reducing
congestion. Petrol is a similar price to the UK.
Public Transport
For pottering around cities, resorts and between villages do as the Turkish
do and use a dolmus – a shared minibus or car that stops when someone wants
to get out. If you are walking along a road, Dolmuses will beep their horn
as they approach you to enquire whether you want a ride. Taxi’s as always are a reasonable cost alternative that provide an added security. Always get taxis from the taxi rank using registered drivers.
For long distances, travel by coach as train services are infrequent and
slower.
The Future:
With the market now open for UK residents to purchase property in Turkey, there will be a huge demand for more flights to the main tourist destinations such as Bodrum. Low cost carriers already have Turkey on their target list for new destinations. Turkish Airlines have already released news in their most recent in-flight magazine about creating a low cost, no frills flight brand from the UK to Turkey.
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Climate
Although Turkey is situated in a geographical location where climatic conditions are quite temperate, the diverse nature of the landscape, and the existence in particular of the mountains that run parallel to the coasts, results in significant differences in climatic conditions from one region to the other.
While the coastal areas enjoy milder climates, the inland Anatolian plateau experiences extremes of hot summers and cold winters with limited rainfall.
