GENERAL
Official name of the state
Republic of Turkey.
Capital
Ankara.
Geography
According to topschoolsintheusa, Turkey borders in the northeast on the Black Sea and Georgia, in the east on Iran, in the southeast on Iraq, in the south on Syria and the Mediterranean Sea, in the west on the Aegean Sea and in the northwest on Greece and Bulgaria. Asia Minor (or Anatolia) covers 97% of the country and lies on a large, wide peninsula that is 1,650 km wide from east to west and 650 km long from north to south. The Pontic mountain range in the north and the Taurus mountain range in the south enclose the central plateau of Anatolia and then merge into the vast mountain range in the east of the country. The rivers Euphrates and Tigris have their source here. The tourist coastal region is home to the ancient sites of Troy, Pergamon and Ephesus, and the landscape is characterized by vineyards with cypresses and olive trees.
Government
Presidential system. Republic since 1923. Constitution from 1982, last changes in 2017. Unicameral Parliament (Grand National Assembly) with 600 members who are directly elected for five years. The people elect the president, who is also head of government, for five years. The first election will take place on November 3, 2019. Independent since 1923.
Head of state
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, since August 2014.
Head of government
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, since April 2017.
Electricity
230 V, 50 Hz.
Time zone
Turkey Time: CET +4
LANGUAGE
Overview
The official language is Turkish. Kurdish is sometimes spoken in south-east Turkey, and Arabic, Greek and Armenian are sometimes heard. German is often spoken in cities and tourist locations, along with English and French.
COMMUNICATION
Phone
The country code is 0090. The internal telephone network is extensive. You either need phone cards or coins (tokens) to make calls. These are available from post offices and newsstands. Local calls, national and international telephone calls can in PTT – offices (post offices) are performed. Emergency numbers are: Police 155 and Fire Brigade 110.
Cellphone
GSM 900/1800. The main network operators are Turkcell (Internet: www.turkcell.com.tr), Avea (Internet: www.avea.com.tr) and Vodafone Turkey (Internet: www.vodafone.com.tr). Roaming contracts exist with European and international providers. Possibly. it is worth buying a Turkish SIM card. The network coverage is good and only a little patchy in the east of the country in some rural areas.
Internet
Internet provider is among others EfesNet (Internet: www.efes.net.tr). Internet cafes are available in all cities and numerous villages. Almost all hotels and numerous restaurants, cafes and bars offer free Wi-Fi service.
Post Office
Airmail to Europe takes around three days. Post offices have a yellow sign that says PTT. Post office opening times: Mon-Sat 8 a.m.-12 a.m. and Sun 9 a.m.-7 p.m. (main post offices). Small post offices have the same opening times as public authorities.
Radio
Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.
CULINARY
ACCOMMODATION
Hotels
Most of the big hotels are located in big cities like Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. There are numerous hotels, motels and campsites in the coastal towns and tourist areas. In the remote parts of the country, the accommodations are quite simple and hardly correspond to western standards.
All accommodations must have a complaint book, in which positive comments or suggestions can also be entered. Complaints can also be addressed directly to the Ministry of Tourism (see addresses) or to the local tourist office. General information also from: TUROB (Turistik Otelciler ve Isletmeciler Birligi),Yildiz Posta Cad. Dedemen Ticaret Merkezi, 52/1 Cat. 6, TR-Esentepe Istanbul. (Tel: (0212) 275 05 50, 274 33 53. Internet: www.turob.org).
Categories: Hotels have 1 to 5 stars (1-5 Yildizli). Motels and vacation homes are either 1st class or 2nd class (1/2 Sinif).
Camping
There are many fairly simple campsites. A camping brochure is available from all information departments (see addresses).
Other accommodation options
Holders of an ISIC student card or an international youth hostel card receive discounts in youth hostels. More information from Yücelt Interyouth Hostel, Caferiye Sok No 6/1, Sultanahmet 34400, TR-Istanbul. (Tel: (0212) 513 61 50).
CULTURE
Religion
Islam (99.8%, mostly Sunnis); Christian and Jewish minority.
Social rules of conduct
Manners: Shake hands to greet you. Turks are very hospitable. Visitors should respect Islamic customs and traditions.
Clothing: Casual clothing is accepted everywhere, but swimwear should be worn on the beach.
Smoking: It is forbidden to smoke in all public buildings such as hospitals, shopping centers, sports stadiums, cinemas, theaters, restaurants, bars, discos, cafes and on public transport.
Tip: Service charges are already included in the hotel’s bills. However, housekeeping and porters expect a tip. A 10% tip is usual in the restaurant. In the taxi, the fare is rounded up.
CLIMATE
Best travel time
The climate in Turkey varies depending on the region. The areas on the coasts of the Aegean, the Mediterranean and the Marmara Sea have a typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters. In Central Anatolia, the continental climate brings hot and dry summers and cold and snowy winters. The time from April to November is considered to be the best travel time for all of Turkey, but Istanbul and the Turkish Mediterranean coast are popular travel destinations all year round.
COUNTRY DATA
Area code +90 Area (sqkm) 783 562 Population 79414269 Population density (per sqkm) 101 Population in 2015 Member of the EU No main emergency number 112
