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Turkey
Travel Support
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Turkey considered as the gateway between Europe and Asia as it is located on the Mediterranean, in the Anatolian region of West Asia, with a small section in Mediterranean Europe separated by the Turkish Straits. This fascinating country is a very popular tourist destination and one of the most intriguing countries on the planet. Because of its strategic location astride two continents, Turkey's culture has a unique blend of Eastern and Western tradition. A powerful regional presence in the Eurasian landmass with strong cultural and economic influence in the area between the European Union in the west and Central Asia in the east, Russia in the north and the Middle East in the south, Turkey has come to acquire increasing strategic significance. Turkey boasts peaceful harbors, quiet gardens, golden sandy beaches and lively nightclubs and hectic bars, is also the perfect place for leisure and sports.
The sole official language of Turkey is Turkish. Turkish is an Altaic language and its closest living relatives are other Turkic languages, which are spoken in Eastern Europe, southwestern, central and northern Asia. English is also increasingly popular among the younger generation.
The diverse nature of the landscape, and the existence in particular of the mountains that run parallel to the coasts, there is a significant difference in climatic conditions of Turkey from one region to the other, although it is situated in temperate geographical location. In the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts the climate is cool with rainy winters, and hot moderately dry summers in contrast to the Black Sea coast that receives the greatest amount of rainfall. The coastal regions have milder climates, the inland Anatolia plateau experiences hot summers and cold winters with limited rainfall. The climate in the Black Sea area is wet and warm on summer the average is 23 C and on winter 7 C.
Turkish cuisine combines Mediterranean, Caucasian, and Arabic influences, and is extremely rich. Beef is the most important meat (lamb is also common but pork is very hard to find although not illegal), and eggplant (aubergine), onion, lentil, bean, tomato, garlic, and cucumber are the primary vegetables. An abundance of spices is also used. The main staples are rice (pilav), bulgur wheat and bread, and dishes are typically cooked in vegetable oil or sometimes butter.
During spring (April-May) and autumn (October-November) there are chances of rain, and the air may be cool or even chilly at night, but comfortable during the day; so it is advised to carry a warm jacket or a sweater and windbreaker. In summer (June-September) cool cotton clothing, a hat, and sunblock lotion will do, but evenings are quite cool. Although many days are sunny in winter (December-March) still you'll need warm woolen clothing and rain gear. In general, weather is warmer along the seacoasts and in the Mediterranean coast and Southeast, cooler at higher elevations.
Telephone system covers all the country with efficiently working direct local and international dialing system. Public telephones have two different systems: Phone cards, Tokens. They are both sold at Turkish Telecom offices. Tokens are called "jeton" in Turkish. Phone cards are in 3 different capacities. Cards are available in 30, 60 or 120 units and can be obtained at post offices, newspaper and tobacco kiosks. All phones in the booths have Turkish and English instructions and menus; many also have German and French in addition. All over Turkey, phone numbers consist of two sections, area code (3 digits) and the number itself (7 digits). Calls are comparatively cheaper during weekdays from 18:00 to 06:00 and on weekends. Internet services are wide spread and "Internet-cafés" or "net-cafés" are available even in small towns. Most of these have good DSL connections.
Turkish currency is easily obtainable at banks, exchange booths, post offices, airports and ferry ports. Banks are open mainly from Monday to Friday, but some are open until Sunday in tourist areas. ATMs are widely available in major cities and tourist areas. Most bank branches have ATMs which accept Cirrus and Plus. Major Credit Cards and Traveler's checks are accepted in big cities however it will be good to carry some cash. Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted but American Express is not that popular. Cash in the form of US dollars and Euros are also widely accepted.
Ordinary and official passport holders are required to have visa to enter Turkey. They can obtain three month-multiple entry visas at the Turkish border gates.
It is recommended receive inoculations for Polio and Typhoid before traveling to Turkey. Also there is a risk of malaria in the South-eastern, but there are no reports of infection in main tourist areas.
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