Key Facts

Location : Southeastern Europe/Asia Minor.

Time : GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Area : 783,562 sq km (302,535 sq miles).

Population : 70.6 million (2008 estimate).

Capital : Ankara.

Geography

Turkey borders the Black Sea and Georgia and Armenia to the northeast, Iran to the east, Iraq to the southeast, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Mediterranean to the south, the Aegean Sea to the west and Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest. Asia Minor (or Anatolia) accounts for 97% of the country's area and forms a long, wide peninsula 1,650km (1,025 miles) from east to west and 650km (400 miles) from north to south. Two east-west mountain ranges, the Black Sea Mountains in the north and the Taurus in the south, enclose the central Anatolian plateau, but converge in a vast mountainous region in the far east of the country. It is here that the ancient Tigris and Euphrates rivers rise.

Government : Republic since 1923.

Language : Turkish. French, German and English are widely spoken in major cities and tourist areas.

Religion : Muslim, mostly Sunni, with a very small Christian minority. Turkey is a secular state which guarantees complete freedom of worship to non-Muslims.

Electricity : The electric current is 220V AC with a frequency of 50 Hertz. European standard plugs with two round pins are used. British and USA appliances need an adaptor.

Social Conventions

Shaking hands is the normal form of greeting. Hospitality is very important and visitors should respect Islamic customs. Informal wear is acceptable, but beachwear should be confined to the beach or poolside. Smoking is widely acceptable but prohibited in cinemas, theatres, buses, coaches and dolmuşes (collective taxis).

Passport/Visa

Participants from a country requiring a visa for entry to Turkey are strongly advised to make their application in their home country at least three months before the intended date of travel. If in doubt, information can be obtained from your nearest Turkish Embassy or Consulate. The Congress will not be responsible for these matters. The most updated visa information can be received from the web-site; www.mfa.gov.tr

Passports

Passport valid for at least six months from date of arrival in Turkey required by all nationals referred to in the chart above, except:
1. nationals of Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands and Spain, who can enter with a national ID card (which must have a validity of one year).

Visas

Sticker-type entry visas: Tourists and business visitors from the following countries do require visas and can obtain a sticker-type entry visa at the point of entry for a fee (prices are dependent on nationality):
(a) 2. Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Malta, The Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, the UK* and USA for stays not exceeding 90 days.
(b) 3. Greek Cypriot Administrative Region, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovak Republic for stays not exceeding 30 days.
Except 4. Nationals of Bulgaria who do not require a visa for stays up to 90 days, but do require a visa for transit and for entry at certain points in Turkey; please check with consulate.

Visa Note

(a) *British National Overseas passport holders should contact the visa section of the consulate general before travelling. (b) Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Types of Visa and Cost

British passport holders can obtain a tourist visa either at the port of entry in Turkey for £10 or from the consulate general in the UK for £74. Single-entry (six months): £66. Single-entry (one year): £207. Multiple-entry (up to five years): £207. Single transit: £66. Study: £66 (six months) or £207 (one year). Work: £207 (one year, plus work permit document fee). These prices are provided by The Consulate General for the Republic of Turkey in London; prices may vary according to nationality.

Validity

Single- and multiple-entry: up to six months or one year. Multiple-entry: up to five years. Transit: six months. Work: one year. Study: six months or one year.

Applications to:

Consulate (or consular section at embassy); see Contact Addresses. Applicants must pre-book an appointment with the relevant consulate. An online appointment system is available for The Consulate General for the Republic of Turkey in London (website: www.turkishconsulate.org.uk/en/visa). Travel agencies can also make visa applications.

Working Days Required

Usually three, but dependent on nationality of applicant and type of visa. Some applications may be referred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara, which may take much longer (minimum six to eight weeks).

Money

Currency

Turkish Lira (TRY; symbol TL) = 100 Kurus (Kr). Notes are in denominations of TL200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1. Coins are in denominations of TL1 and 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 Kurus.

Currency Exchange

Cash can usually be exchanged commission free in currency exchange offices (döviz bürosu). Banks usually charge commission. Traveller's cheques can only be exchanged in banks with a passport. Travellers planning to exchange currency back before leaving Turkey, or making a major purchase which may need to be declared to customs, must retain transaction receipts to prove that the currency was legally exchanged.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

Visa is the most popular, closely followed by MasterCard. American Express is accepted in top-flight hotels, restaurants and some gift shops. ATMs are widely found in most areas.

Traveller's Cheques

Traveller's cheques can only be exchanged in banks. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in Pounds Sterling or US Dollars. Credit cards are far more convenient.

Banking Hours

Mon-Fri 08:30-12:00 and 13:30-17:00. Some banks in tourist areas and large cities are open daily.

Exchange Rate Indicators

Duty Free

The following goods may be imported into Turkey without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars or 200g of tobacco and 200 cigarette papers or 50g of chewing tobacco or 200g of pipe tobacco or 200g of snuff tobacco* (see Note below).

• Five bottles (1l) or seven bottles (700ml) of wine and/or spirits.

• Five bottles (up to 120ml each) of perfume.

• Gifts up to a value of €255.65 (or equivalent).

• Electronic articles up to a value of €255.65 (or equivalent).

• Reasonable amounts of coffee and tea.

Note: (a)* A further 400 cigarettes, 100 cigars and 500g of pipe tobacco may be imported if purchased on arrival at a duty-free shop. (b) Very specific amounts and categories of personal belongings may be imported duty-free, according to a list available from the Turkish Embassy, Financial and Customs Counsellor's Office.

Prohibited Imports

Narcotics, sharp implements (including camping knives) and weapons.

Prohibited Exports

(a) The export of souvenirs such as carpets is subject to customs regulations regarding age and value. (b) The export of antiques is strictly forbidden, with harsh penalties for those caught doing so. (c) Minerals may only be exported under licence from the General Directorate of Mining Exploration & Research.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.
2010

Note

Muslim festivals are timed according to the phases of the moon and change each year. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Ramazan Bayrami, Muslims fast during the day and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Some restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Generally, centres of tourism are unaffected. Some disruption may continue into Ramazan Bayrami itself. Ramazan Bayrami and Kurban Bayrami may last anything from three to 10 days, depending on the region. Transport and hotels are very busy during these holidays, so book in advance.

Going Out

Food and Drink

Turkish food combines culinary traditions from the people's nomadic past in Central Asia with influences of the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Guests are usually able to go into a kitchen and choose from the pots if they cannot understand the names of the dishes. A wide range of international cuisine is also available in the major cities, and standard German and British dishes along the coasts.

Things to know: Turkey is a secular state and alcohol is widely enjoyed, although during Ramadan it is considered polite for visitors to avoid drinking alcohol in public. Some local restaurants do not serve alcohol.

National specialities:

National drinks:

Legal drinking age: 18.

Tipping: A service charge is included in hotel and restaurant bills. It is customary to leave a small tip (10 to 15%) for barbers, hairdressers, Turkish Bath attendants and waiters in smarter establishments. In inexpensive cafes and restaurants a small gratuity is appreciated. When using taxis, passengers should just round up the fare.

Nightlife

Turkey's newfound economic prosperity and cultural shift to the West has stimulated many new nightclubs to open for business in recent years. Istanbul has the largest variety with an abundance of clubs in the Taksim Square area that stay open until the early hours. Some clubs have a strong Turkish character, with live Turkish music, while others are fairly indistinguishable from those in western Europe and play anything from house and techno to heavy metal. Istanbul also has quite a few jazz bars. Cover charges tend to be on the high side.

Belly dancing is a Turkish tradition but these days it tends to be put on mostly for the tourists. Shows are often staged at large hotels. The tradition is to tip the dancer by placing a folded note in an appropriate part of her costume.

Turks like to dine in tavernas called meyhane, where traditional food is accompanied by folk music and dancing. Traditionally these were all-male, rather sleazy establishments but most modern-day meyhane are comfortable places for foreign visitors to visit.

There are theatres with concerts in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir and most towns have cinemas, although the recent advent of home DVD payers is now taking its toll. Turkish baths (hamam) are popular and a Turkish institution. Even the smallest town will generally have a hamam and larger towns and cities usually have one for each individual neighbourhood. Baths are either designated specifically for men or women, or a single hamam will have separate opening times to accommodate males and females.

Shopping

Istanbul's Kapali Carsi Bazaar has jewellery, carpets and antiques for sale. There are also a large number of shops selling carpets and Turkish handicrafts in the Sultanahmet district. The Egyptian Bazaar near Galata Bridge is a good place to buy food products. Turkish handicrafts include a rich variety of textiles and embroideries, articles of copper, onyx and tile, mother-of-pearl, inlaid articles, leather and suede products, jewellery and, above all, carpets and kilims. Nargiles (water pipes) and musical instruments also make good, reasonably priced souvenirs, as do spices like saffron and sumac.

Shopping hours: Daily 09:30 - 19:00 in tourist areas. Closing hours vary, with some shops staying open until midnight. Outside tourist areas shops may close at lunchtime and on Sundays. Istanbul covered market: Mon-Sat 08:00-19:00 (closed Sunday).

Top Things To Do

• Shop in the world's largest covered market, Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, then head uptown to browse for cut-price fashion goods and clothing in the department stores along Istiklal Caddesi or upmarket Nisantasi.
• Take a ferry from the Eminönü dock in Istanbul to the Princes' Islands, a tranquil summer getaway popular with Istanbulis where cars are banned and horse-drawn carriages and bicycles are the transport of choice.
• Sip tea or smoke a nargile as you watch the sunset at one of the traditional cafes beneath Istanbul's Galata Bridge.

• Relax in a steamy Turkish bath, known as a hammam, and have a scrub and massage. In Istanbul, the most popular historic baths are the Galatasaray Hammam in Beyoğlu and Cağaloğlu Hammam in Sultanahmet, though local baths are often just as good.

• Catch a ceremony by the renowned Whirling Dervishes (website: www.whirlingdervishistanbul.com), who are members of the Mevlevi Order and who perform the famous whirling dance (Sema). Their amazing ceremony can be seen in Konya, where the Order originated, or in Istanbul.

• Discover Istanbul's Old City which was the capital of the Christian Byzantines and then the Islamic Ottoman empire. Highlights include the Blue Mosque, the Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofya Museum and the city's Archaeological Museum.

Climate

Temperatures in Istanbul vary between 9°C (25ºF) and 34°C (86ºF) during September in Istanbul. Marmara and the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have a typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild, wet winters. The east of the country is mountainous with warm summers and very cold, snowy winters. The southeast has very hot summers and cold winters. The Black Sea coast is the wettest part of the country, especially in the northeast.

Overview

Turkey proudly sits astride two continents: a position that has given rise to a culture that reflects both East and West. It is a country where European aspirations sit comfortably alongside Asian traditions and the volatile atmosphere of the Middle East morphs seamlessly into the relaxed outlook of the Mediterranean world.

Turks have only lived here since medieval times when they arrived as land-hungry nomads from Central Asia. Before that it was Byzantine territory and Istanbul - then Constantinople - was the political centre of a vast Christian empire. Romans, Persians, Lycians and Phrygians were former occupants of the same territory, and earlier still, Hittite tribes had built an Anatolian empire before collapsing around the time of the Trojan Wars.

Such a rich history has left an indelible mark and Turkey abounds with historic sites and archaeological wonders set in a varied and beautiful landscape. The Mediterranean coastline is punctuated with well-preserved Greco-Roman cities such as Pergamom and Ephesus, while the austere and rugged Anatolian plateau has cave churches hidden away in the improbable fairytale landscape of Cappadocia. Istanbul, still very much the pulse of the nation, has even more to offer, with Roman aqueducts, Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques and palaces.

With history at every turn, it is tempting to portray Turkey as a quaint, time-locked country that adheres to tradition but this is far from the truth. The modern republic's first leader, Kemal Atatürk, saw to it that Turkey was reinvented as a modern secular state following the demise of the Ottoman Empire. What you see today, thanks to Atatürk's comprehensive modernization, is a healthy combination of ancient tradition and contemporary outlook. This outlook sees little contradiction in having modern European ways tempered by Islam and time-honored traditions of hospitality.

Office hours: Mon-Fri 08:30-12:00 and 13:30-17:30.

Getting Around

Getting Around by Air

Turkish Airlines (website: www.turkishairlines.com) provides an important network of internal flights from Istanbul, Ankara, Adana, Antalya, Dalaman, Izmir and Trabzon to all of the major Turkish cities. Recent liberalisation of the domestic air industry has allowed the proliferation of cheap, no-frills carriers operating routes from Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya and Izmir to the main regional airports. Private airlines include Atlasjet (website: www.atlasjet.com), Onur Air (website: www.onurair.com.tr), Pegasus Airlines (website: www.flypgs.com) and SunExpress (website: www.sunexpress.com.tr).

Getting Around Towns and Cities

Bus and trolleybus: Extensive conventional bus (and some trolleybus) services operate in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. There are buses in all other large towns. These are generally reliable, modern and easy to use. Tickets are bought in advance from kiosks and validated on board. In Istanbul, an Akbil electronic pass can save money on bus, tram, ferry and metro journeys.

Taxi: There are many types of taxi, share-taxi and minibus in operation. Taxis are numerous in all Turkish cities and towns and are recognisable by their chequered black and yellow bands. All taxis have a meter which must be switched on at the start of the journey. For longer journeys, the fare should be agreed beforehand. A dolmuş is a collective taxi or minibus which follows specific routes. Each passenger pays according to the distance travelled to specific stops. The fares are fixed by the municipality. The dolmuş provides services within large cities to suburbs, airports and often to neighbouring towns. This is a very practical means of transport and much cheaper than a taxi. Taxis may turn into a dolmuş and vice versa according to demand.

Ferry: There are extensive cross-Bosphorus and short-hop ferries in Istanbul.

Metro: Istanbul has a two-line metro system.

Telephone

Country code: 90. The cheapest way to make calls is from PTT telephone booths, which are found in all areas. These operate using phone cards, which can be bought from kiosks, or by using major credit cards.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is mostly good, but can be patchy in some rural areas in eastern Turkey.

Internet

Internet cafes exist in main urban areas. Some restaurants and most of hotels have Wi-Fi Internet access.

Post

Turkish post offices are recognisable by their yellow PTT signs.

Post office hours: major outlets Mon-Sat 0800-2400, Sun 09:00-19: 00; smaller post offices have the same opening hours as government offices.

Consulates