A
Antiquities
Antiquities
Please note that it is strictly forbidden to export
antiquities or antiques from Turkey and there are severe
penalties for those who attempt to do so. In order to export
such items legally it is necessary to obtain a certificate
from a directorate of a museum.
B
Buses see Public Transport
C
Children • Currency • Customs
Regulations
Children
Family is very important to Turkish people, and you will find
that children are welcomed everywhere, which makes for a very
relaxing and enjoyable holiday. It is perfectly normal for
even very young children to eat out in the evening with their
parents. Many restaurants do provide high chairs, and those
that don't seem to be very good at improvising. Formula milk
and nappies are easily available, although if you want a
specific brand, then it is probably best to take it with you.
It is not always easy to find baby food in jars, but
restaurants and hotels are very accommodating and will usually
be pleased to puree food for you. Again, if your child is used
to a specific brand it may be better to take it with you. UHT
milk is widely available in small cartons, with a straw, which
is useful for toddlers and older children. Most hotels will
provide cots if these are requested in advance. These can vary
quite widely in standard, however, so it is a good idea to
check in advance what type of cot is being provided and
whether or not it is suitable for your child - some have lower
sides than those common in the UK, for example, so are fine
for a baby but not suitable for a more mobile toddler.
Children's car seats are still seen as a luxury item in Turkey
but most tour operators and car hire companies will be able to
provide them for you on request. You should not, however,
assume that this will automatically be the case. Many of the
larger hotels have children's clubs and are able to arrange
babysitting services. There are also some tour operators who
provide these services.
In general, Turks and Turkey have
a welcoming, relaxed approach to children and will go out of
their way to be accommodating and helpful. As long as you are
flexible you should have no problems.
Currency
Turkish Lira is available in the following denominations:
Banknotes: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 &100 TL Coins: 1, 5, 10, 25 & 50
Kuruş and 1 TL
You can obtain currency before travelling to Turkey or on
arrival. Exchange rates are usually slightly better in Turkey
and all international airports have exchange facilities.
Usually, cash can be exchanged without charging commission in
exchange offices, banks or hotels. Please note that Scottish
notes are not accepted in Turkey. Travellers' cheques can be
exchanged in banks only. Cash point machines (ATM) are
available in most areas, which accept major UK credit and
debit cards and give instructions in English. It may be a good
idea to inform your bank in advance that you are travelling to
Turkey as some will automatically put a stop on cards after
the first usage in an attempt to combat fraud. Exchange rates
are published daily in Turkish newspapers. If you are planning
to exchange currency back from TL before leaving the country,
or are making a major purchase, which may need to be declared
to customs, you will need to keep your transaction receipts in
order to show that the currency has been legally exchanged.
Customs Regulations
Please note that the
following information is intended to give an idea about
customs regulations, and our portal does not accept any
responsibility for inaccuracy or mis-information. For further
and accurate information please visit:
www.turkish-consulate.org.uk and
www.gumruk.gov.tr.
On Entry:
It is permitted to bring the
following items into Turkey as duty free goods:
Wines, Tobacco & Other
Luxury Items
EU Regulations applied.
Valuables
In order to avoid any problems when leaving the country it is
recommended that you register valuable items with the customs
office on entry to Turkey. All personal belongings and
articles made of precious stones or metals (with no commercial
purposes) worth under US$ 15,000 may be brought into and taken
out of the country. Jewellery worth more than this amount may
only be taken out of the country providing it has been
registered on entry or that you can prove that it was
purchased in Turkey with legally exchanged currency.
Sports Equipment
Two partitioned camping tent; one diving suit for underwater
diving sports (The quality and efficiency of the suit to be
determined by the undersecretary.); glider (a pair); one boat;
one surfboard with sailing equipment for water sports;
flippers (one pair); other personal belongings one apiece (except
for sea motorcycle and sledge); chess set; Draughts set; five
packs of playing cards.
Medical Items
Beds belonging to a patient; motorised and non-motorised
wheelchair; drugs for personal treatment; gas mask and similar
protective clothing (maximum 2 pieces).
On Exit:
For valuable gifts and souvenirs,
such as a carpet, proof of purchase is necessary, together
with receipts showing that any currency used in its purchase
has been legally exchanged.
Please note that it is strictly forbidden to export antiques
from Turkey. Minerals can only be exported with a special
document.
Currency
Up to US$ 5,000 worth of Turkish or foreign currency can be
taken out of the country, providing that it can be shown that
the currency has been obtained from authorised banks. Larger
amount of foreign or Turkish currency must be transferred
abroad through banks. Cash brought into the country to be
exchanged for export out of Turkey must be declared on entry.
D
Disabled travellers •
Driving • Drugs • Duty Free See: Customs Regulations
Disabled Travellers
If you have any queries relating to any special needs for your
holiday, it is best to check direct with us and/ or your tour
operator before booking your holiday. The resorts which are
located in relatively flat areas, and are, therefore, better
suited to wheelchair users are: Marmaris, Ifmeler, Dalyan,
Fethiye/ Calig Beach, Side. Anyone who has difficulty in
walking should certainly avoid resorts on steep hills such as
Kalkan and Turunc. Obviously, hotel locations vary so do check
before booking. Some of the newer and larger hotels have rooms
specifically designed for wheelchair users, however, even
where hotels do not have specific facilities they will usually
try their best to be helpful by, for example, allocating a
ground floor room. Many Turkish resorts and cities are not
planned for wheelchair access, which can make life difficult,
however, you will find that Turks always try their best to be
helpful and will gladly improvise to find a solution.
Driving
You can drive in Turkey with EU, US or International driving
licence. You should have your driving licence, your passport
and insurance documents of the vehicle with you in the car at
all times, as you will need it if you are involved in an
accident. All of the major international car rental companies,
as well as a number of local ones, have offices at airports
and all major centres.
Driving in Turkey is on the right,
as in continental Europe. Turkish road signs conform to the
International Protocol on Road Signs and archaeological and
historic sites are indi¬cated by yellow signs. Turkey has a
good network of well-maintained roads. There is a 50 km per
hour speed limit within urban centres and 90 km outside urban
centres (120 km on Motorways). Petrol stations are fairly easy
to find and on main highways, they are often open 24hrs and
have restaurants and other facilities attached. Unleaded
(kurşunsuz) petrol is easily available. Garages for repairs
are often concentrated on certain streets within a town or can
be found on highways.
If you are planning on driving to
Turkey, as well as your passport, you will need to take your
international driving licence, car registration documents and
international green card (insurance card) with the TR sign
clearly visible (NB: This can be purchased on arrival at the
border). You can bring your own car into the country for up to
six months. If you wish to keep you car in Turkey for more
than six months, you are liable to pay import tax.
Drugs
Please note that bringing into or out of the country, together
with consumption of, marijuana and other narcotics is strictly
forbidden and is subject to heavy punish¬ment. If you have
prescribed medication, which you need to take on holiday with
you, you will need a doctor's note and/ or a copy of your
prescription which can be sent to our office for translation.
Please call our office for further details.
E
Electricity • Emergencies, Police,
Medical Treatment see Useful Numbers, • Exports see Customs
Regulations
Electricity
The mains voltage for electricity is 220V and 50Hz. Central
European type wall socket (two-pin plugs) is standard in
Turkey.
F
Ferry Services •Filming
in Turkey
Ferry Services
Local ferry services operate from Istanbul across the Sea of
Marmara. For details visit
www.ido.com.tr
The other ferry services and
routes are as follows:
Between Turkey and the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus:
Alanya - Girne;
Mersin - Gazimagosa (Famagusta).
Taşucu - Girne (Kyrenia);
Between Turkey and the Greek
Islands:
Ayvalık - Lesbos;
Bodrum - Kos;
Çeşme - Chios;
Datça - Symi.
Kuşadası - Samos;
Marmaris - Rhodes
Between Turkey and Italy:
Çeşme - Ancona
Çeşme – Brindisi
Filming in Turkey
If you are planning to film in Turkey for commercial or
broadcast purposes, you will need to obtain the relevant
permission in advance. The process usually takes a minimum of
two weeks.
Members of the Press do not need
filming permission or filming visas to follow news stories in
Turkey. They need to inform the Press Office of the Turkish
Embassy which will inform the Press Office at the Prime
Minister's Office, prior to going to Turkey.
I
Imports see Customs
Regulations
H
Health see Medical Treatment
L Language •
Living &Working
Language
The official language is Turkish. English and German are
widely spoken in major cities and tourist resorts, and you
will find that most Turks welcome the opportunity to practise
their language skills and will go out of their way to be
helpful. Foreign visitors who attempt to speak even a few
words of Turkish, however, will definitely be rewarded with
even warmer smiles. It is not an easy language to learn,
however, it does have one huge advantage in that it is
completely phonetic. Unlike English, each letter of the
alphabet has only one sound and is always pronounced in
exactly the same way, apart from in combination with 'y' or
'g'. Even foreign words used in Turkish are adapted into
Turkish phonetic spellings, which can offer some clues towards
pronunciation - try saying the following out loud: ketçap,
taksi, futbol, ofsayt. There is no 'q', 'w' or 'x' in Turkish
and there are some additional characters. The accent usually
falls on the first syllable in the word. The following should
give you a rough guide to pronunciation:
a a cross between a long and short
'a' somewhere between the 'a' in
'man' and the 'a' sound in 'are'
c pronounced 'j' as in 'jam'
ç pronounced 'ch' as in 'church'
e a short sound as in 'egg'
g a hard 'g' as in'go'
ğ this character is silent but elongates
the vowel to either side of it
ı pronounced 'er' in 'number'
i a short sound as in 'ink'
o pronounced as in 'off'
ö pronounced as in the 'or' sound (with a
silent 'r') in 'word'
s is a hissing sound as in 'seven'
ş pronounced 'sh' as in 'shut'
u pronounced 'oo' as in 'cool'
ü pronounced 'u' as in 'fuse'
y is generally used to separate vowels and
creates some slightly different sounds in combination
as follows:
'ay' pronounced 'eye';
'ey' pronounced as in 'they';
'iy' pronounced 'ee'
Living and/ or working In Turkey
If you wish to stay in Turkey longer than the three month
period allowed to tourists or to set up a business with or
without a Turkish partner, you will need a residence visa. You
will need to apply to the Turkish Consulate in London for your
visa and it is advised that you submit all documents relevant
to your application at least eight weeks before your intended
date of departure. Your application will be referred to the
relevant Turkish authorities for their approval.
After obtaining the visa, you are required to register with
the local police within a month following your arrival in
Turkey in order to obtain a residence permit. If you wish to
extend your permit for a further period, you should apply to
the same police headquarters before the permit expires.
Household items may be taken into Turkey through a system
called "temporary import" provided that the validity of the
residence permit is at least one year. For details of the
relevant regulations please contact the Office of the Finance
and Customs Counsellor at the Turkish Embassy in London which
can also provide information on the regulations concerning the
temporary import of a car into Turkey.
Those who wish to apply for a work permit will need to supply
various additional documents to the Turkish Consulate
including proof of a job offer, normally in the form of a
letter from the prospective employer,
M
Medical Treatment •
Medication see Drugs • Mobile Phones • Museums
Medical Treatment
You will need to pay for any medical treatment which you
receive in Turkey. For this reason it is advisable to take out
medical insurance before travelling. It is not difficult to
find English-speaking doctors in all but the most remote areas.
There are also foreign run hospitals in many of the larger
towns and resorts. There are pharmacies in most places with
trained pharmacists who are able to offer advice on minor
illnesses.
For further information please visit:
www.healthinturkey.org
Mobile Phones
The major GSM operators in Turkey are Turkcell, Vodafone and
Avea. You can use your mobile phone in Turkey if your provider
has enabled international roaming. However if you intend to
stay for a long time in the country or make several calls, it
may be preferable to buy a local prepaid SIM card. Take your
mobile phone and passport to a Turkish mobile phone shop where
your new SIM will be registered along with your handset's IMEI
number and your personal information. (Unregistered phones
will be blocked and unable to receive or make calls.) Turkey
has very wide mobile coverage networks so you shouldn’t have
any problems in the main cities and tourist resorts.
Museums
Most museums and palaces are open every day of the week except
Mondays. There are a few notable exceptions: Topkapi Palace is
closed on Tuesdays instead of Mondays; Dolmabahce Palace is
closed Mondays and Thursdays and the Chora Church is closed on
Wednesdays.
For further information on museums visit: www.kulturturizm.gov.tr
P
Phone see Mobile
Phones • Police • Post Office Services •Property • Public
Holidays •Public Transport
Police
There are two types of police in Turkey - civil police polis
and military police jandarma. In many areas you will find that
there is just one or the other, and that both fulfil the same
function. In some places, there are also specialist tourist
police. If you need to report a crime you should go to the
nearest police station to where the crime occurred. In tourist
areas there will usually be someone available who speaks
English or you can request a translator. You will usually be
asked to submit and sign a statement. It is advisable to
request a copy of any documents in case you need them at a
later stage.
Post Office Services
Turkish post offices are easily recognizable by the yellow and
black 'PTT' signs. Major post offices are open from
08.00-00.00 Monday to Saturday and from 09.00-19.00 on Sundays.
Smaller offices are open from 8.30-12.30 and from 13.30 -
17.30 and may be closed at weekends.
As well as selling stamps and telephone tokens and cards, some
post offices will exchange cash as well as international
postal orders and travellers' cheques.
Public Holidays
There are two types of public holiday in Turkey: those which
are decided by the government and which fall on the same day
each year; and the religious festivals which change according
to the lunar calendar and, therefore, fall on different dates
each year.
On public holidays, banks and government offices are closed.
In general, life in seaside resorts is not affected as these
are the times when Turkish people also go on holiday. Shops
and businesses away from tourist areas may close, however, so
you should bear this in mind when travelling inland or to city
areas.
Public Holidays
New Years Day, 1 January
National Sovereignty and Children's Day, 23 April
Ataturk Commemoration and Youth Sports Day, 19 May
Victory Day, 30 August
Republic Day, 28 (half day) 29 October
Religious Festivals
Ramazac
Bayramı (Eid)
This is the festival which falls at the end of Ramazan, a period of fasting. Traditionally, sweets are exchanged as
gifts. In more rural and conservative areas, you may find it
more difficult to eat or drink in public during Ramazan period.
Kurban Bayramı (Great Eid)
Traditionally, a sheep or cow is
sacrificed at this time and the meat distributed to the needy
and friends, family and neighbours.
Public Transport
The preferred means of transport in Turkey is by coach, and
the air-conditioned intercity coach services are comfortable,
fast and inexpensive. Each town has a bus station (otogar),
where each bus company has its own office, where you can make
reservations and buy tickets. Alternatively, you can buy
tickets from local travel agencies.
There are good services, between
Istanbul and Ankara and the overnight sleeper services are
both comfortable and convenient. You can buy tickets and make
reservations at local train stations or through travel agents
based in Turkey.
Within towns and between local
villages, there are local bus services as well as the dolmus
services. These are shared taxis, usually a minibus, and
sometimes a large car, which operate along set routes, picking
up and setting down passengers as they go. There is a set fare
depending on how far you are travelling and you pay this to
the driver. They are an inexpensive way of getting around. The
name “dolmus” literally means 'stuffed' - from the fact that
they do not have a set timetable but wait until they are full
before setting off.
R
Residence see Living &
Working
SStudent
& Youth Travel
Student & Youth Travel
All students and young people holding ISIC, IYC and IYHF cards
or travelling through member organisations of BITS, FIYTO or
ISTC may take advantage of the youth holiday opportunities
available in Turkey.
T
Taxis • Time
Difference • Trains see Public Transport • Turkish see
Language
Taxis
Taxis are easy to spot as they are all bright yellow in colour.
All have a meter, and you should ensure that this is switched
on at the beginning of your journey. There are two tariffs 'gunduz'
for journeys which take place during the daytime and 'gece' for those which take place at night, which are charged at a
higher rate. If you are travelling outside the city boundaries
it is usual to agree a fixed rate in advance.
Time Difference
Turkey is GMT+2, that is to say
two hours ahead of the UK and one hours of the Central Europe.
U
Useful Numbers
Useful Numbers
Emergency 112
International Operator 115
Directory Assistance 118 80
Police 155
Jandarma (Gendarme) 156
Fire Department 110
V
Visas
Visas
While planning your trip to Turkey do not forget to check your
passport if it is valid for at least 90 days. Depending on
your nationality, most probably your stay as a tourist is
limited up to 3 months (for one entrance). For tourist visas,
there is no need to apply in advance or to fill in any forms.
If you are flying to Turkey, you will buy your visa at the
Turkish airport on arrival. You will see the visa desk,
situated just before passport control. You must buy your visa,
which will be stamped on your passport by the official, before
you join the queue for passport control. The visa for UK
passport holders currently costs £10 and must be paid for with
a Sterling note. The visa for other EU state-passport holders
currently costs € 10 and must be paid for with a Euro note.
Visas are multiple entries and are valid for three months.
Each passport-holder, including infants, must purchase a visa.
With tourist visas you will not have the right to take up paid
or unpaid employment or to reside, or to study (including
student exchange program) or to establish yourself in business
in Turkey.
W
Water • Weather
Water
Although tap water is chlorinated and, therefore, safe to
drink, bottled water is recommended, which is readily and
affordably available.
Note
: quoted from goturkey.com