Turkey (official name Republic of Turkey) is a country with territory on two continents. Geographically, most of the country AsiaEastern Thrace is part of Europe and has many Turkish-European identities.
Turkey offers travelers a wide variety of routes. Istanbulfrom the silhouette of the dome and minaret, Aegean and Mediterrenian Roman ruins on the shores of Lyciato the mountainous backdrop of Pamphyliato the wide and sunny beaches of Eastto the cold and snowy mountains of BasementFrom the crazy "foam parties" of ' to the rugged coastline, Middle Eastern flavored Southeastern Anatolia to their cities, East Blackseafrom the green foggy mountains of Central AnatoliaIt has something for everyone's taste, whether it's hitchhiking or traveling on million-dollar yachts and on an exorbitant budget, to the vast steppe landscapes of .
Turkey; in the northwest Bulgaria, in the west Greece, in the northeast Georgia, in the east Armenia, Iranian and Azerbaijan'of exlav soil Nakhchivan, in the southeast Iraq and Syria is adjacent to. south of Mediterrenian, west Aegean Sea and its north Black Sea circles. Marmara Sea if Bosphorus and Hellespont It separates Anatolia from Thrace, that is, Asia from Europe. Turkey has a significant geostrategic power as it is located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.
Regions
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| Aegean Region Greek and Roman ruins between the azure sea on one side and the silvery olive groves on the other, |
| black Sea region Densely forested mountains that offer great outdoor sports such as trekking and rafting, |
| Central Anatolia Region Capital Ankara, Hittite and Phrygian ruins and moon-like Cappadocia and its treeless central steppes, |
| Eastern Anatolia Region High and mountainous eastern part with harsh winters. Historically, where Armenians lived, |
| Marmara Region The most urbanized area with some of the country's largest cities and Byzantine and Ottoman monuments. |
| the Mediterranean region Pine forest-covered mountains rising from the heavily jagged coastline of the crystal-clear sea, and Ancient Roman and Greek ruins, |
| Southeast Anatolia Region Semi-desert/mountainous part of the country. There are Roman ruins and settlements from the polished stone age such as Göbeklitepe, Nevali Çori, Karahantepe and Çayönü. Kurds, Zazas and Arabs live mainly in the region. |
Holidays
When traveling in or around Turkey you should remember that there are a few holidays to keep in mind as they can cause travel delays, traffic jams, reserved accommodation and crowded venues. Banks, offices and businesses are closed on public holidays and traffic is heavy on all holidays that follow, so do your research before visiting. Do not book these holidays, traveling on Turkish holidays is often difficult and often uninteresting.
public holidays
- January 1: New Year's Eve
- April 23: National Sovereignty and Children's Day — Celebrates the anniversary of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Flags and portraits of Atatürk are usually everywhere.
- May 1: Labor and Solidarity day (also known as Labor Day) has been banned as a holiday for almost 40 years and was reinstated as a national holiday only in 2009. Today it has often turned into violence in the past years. It is not recommended to participate in parades today.
- May 19: Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day — Atatürk's Samsunand the beginning of the War of Independence.
- 15 July: Democracy and National Unity Day
- August 30: Victory Day — Celebration of the end of the Turkish War of Independence against the invading forces. A large armed forces or military force parade is usually held.
- October 29: Republic Day is the anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey. For example, if it falls on a Thursday, then Friday and weekend should be considered in your travel plans. October 29 is the official end of the tourist season in many resorts and a big celebration is usually held in the town squares.
- November 10, 09:05 — Traffic usually stops and sirens are heard by Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, in 1938. Istanbulin Dolmabahçe PalaceIt rings for two minutes starting at 09:05 on the day of his death. However, venues are not usually closed during the day. With this; if you are on the street, you hear a loud noise and suddenly all the people and traffic stand on the sidewalk and streets to pay homage to this event.
Religious holidays
Ramadan It is a time of fasting, prayer and celebration during a month when Muslims do not eat or drink water while the sun is out. Businesses, banks and official places are not closed during this time. In some parts of Turkey, many of the locally inland and eastern locations are more conservative than people in the rest of the country; it is considered bad to eat snacks or drink sodas in front of locals, or to eat in public places. To be on the totally safe side, here's how locals are behaving, but restaurants are usually open and it's okay to eat inside as usual, although some restaurant owners are using it as an opportunity for a much-needed vacation (or refresh) and 30 days out of business. they closed completely. However, you will not see a closed structure in big cities, central parts of cities and touristic cities in the west and south of Turkey. Banks, businesses and government places are NOT CLOSED during this time.
during Ramadan, many municipalities are setting up tent-like structures in the main squares of cities that are specifically aimed and served for the needy, especially for those who are poor or the elderly or disabled. Sunset (iftar), free (like soup kitchens, full meal service). It was first practiced by the Islamic prophet Muhammad during the advent of Islam.
Ramadanimmediately after Feast of Ramadan It will be a 3 day holiday. also Candy Day Also known as It is the holiday when banks, offices and businesses are closed and travel is difficult. However, many restaurants, cafes and bars are open. Eid al-Fitr falls on different days each year.
Eid-al-Adha It is the most important Islamic religious holiday of the year. It lasts for a few days and is a public holiday. Almost everything will be closed during this time (though many restaurants, cafes, bars and some small shops will be open). Eid-al-Adha as well as the annual pilgrimage to Mecca (Cross), so both domestic and international travels are heavy in Turkey. If you are in smaller towns or villages, you may observe an animal being killed in a public place, usually a goat but sometimes even a cow.
The dates of these religious holidays vary according to the Muslim lunar calendar, thus taking place in 10-11 days (the exact difference between the Gregorian and Lunar calendars is 10 days and 21 hours at the beginning of each year). According to this,
- Candy/Ramadan Feast
- Eid-al-Adha continues for four days.
On both religious holidays, many cities free public transport (excluding minibuses, minibuses and taxis). It depends on place and time. For example, Istanbul's public transport authority provided free transportation. For some years, both holidays were free, while others were not discounted. To be sure, check if other passengers are using tickets/tokens.
Entry into the country
Turkey is one of the three Middle Eastern countries that accept Israeli citizens into their country. Entry into Turkey is not a problem for Israeli passport holders.
Visa
Citizens of the countries listed below, unless stated otherwise,Visa free for 90 days they can enter. stated: Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Azerbaijan (30 days), Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (60 days), Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica (30 days), Czech Republic, North Cyprus (The Turkey side), Denmark, Equator, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, Hong Kong (SAR Passport), Iranian, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhistan (30 days), Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan (30 days), Latvia (30 days), Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau (30 days), Malaysia, Moldova (30 days), Monaco, Mongolia (30 days), Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, Russia (60 days), San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan (30 days), Thailand (30 days), Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan (30 days), Ukraine (60 days), Uruguay, Uzbekistan (30 days), Vatican City and Venezuelan.
German, Italian and French nationals do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days and can even enter with their own national identity card.
Citizens of the following countries can obtain a tourist visa [1]. E-Visas cost US$15-60 (for most EU countries: US$20, for US/Canada/Australia: US$60) plus a service fee of US$0.70. According to the Turkish MFA, Visa-free visitors to Turkey can obtain their e-visas via interactive kiosks placed at Turkish airports., but the fee is higher than for an online e-Visa (approximately $10). Some carriers have previously denied passengers without an e-Visa (Pegasus Airlines, Italy, June 2014).
Valid for three months: Antigua and Barbuda, australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Dominican, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Hong Kong (BNO Passport), Ireland, Jamaica, Kuwait, Maldives, Malta (free), Mexican (with valid Schengen, UK, Canada or Japan visa), Holland, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Train, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United Nations.
Valid for two months: Belarus
Valid for one month: Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh (with valid Schengen, Ireland or UK visa), Chinese, Republic of Cyprus, Hungary, India (with valid Schengen, Ireland or UK visa), Indonesia, Mauritius, Moldova, Pakistan (with valid Schengen, Irish or UK visa), Philippines you hold a valid Schengen or OECD member visa or residence permit, Slovakia, South Africa, Taiwan
Payments in sterling must be made to the Bank of England.
On the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs You can find more information.
By plane
Turkey's international gateway by air, opened in October 2018 'Istanbul Airport' (IST). Traffic between Europe and the Middle and Far East takes place here; it also serves all major Turkish cities. It is possible to reach the city by bus, 40 km northwest of the city center. But the road takes a long time.
Former main airport Atatürk Airport closed in April 2019. Beware of up-to-date road signs and maps and rogue taxi drivers who may try to take you to the demolition area airport.
Another gateway, Istanbul's second airport, 'Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW), IstanbulIt is on the Asian side, 50 km east of the city. Especially Pegasus Used by budget airlines such as Flight connections are not as extensive as Istanbul Airport's, but include major Turkish cities, Ercan in Northern Cyprus and some Gulf States. This airport is also suitable for Pendik train station, high speed trains to Eskişehir, Ankara and Konya. There are shuttle buses from Taksim Square to the airport.
Antalya, Basement and Dalaman Beach resorts such as Europe have direct package tour flights: it may be possible to book them as flights only.
There are direct international flights in summer to other Turkish cities such as Ankara, Adana and Izmir.
by train
The route from Western Europe to Turkey by train passes through Budapest, then overnight in either Bucharest or Sofia to Istanbul. The night train departs from Sofia at 21:00, passes through Kapıkule border and Edirne, and ends at Halkalı at 07:40. TCDD uses a connection bus between Halkalı and Sirkeci city centre. On another night from June to September, the Bosphor Express departs from Bucharest at 12:45, heading for Kapıkule from Ruse. Here it passes through Sofia and all passengers have to go through border procedures before continuing to Halkali. The westbound train arrives from Halkali at 21:40 to Sofia at 09:00 and to Bucharest at 19:00 the next day. From October to May there is no train passing through Bucharest, so you change trains in Ruse again at Kapıkule with a similar timetable. The other westbound trains (i.e. Budapest and Belgrade) do not connect with trains to Turkey, so you need to spend the night in Sofia or Bucharest. Second class individual fares are around €20 from Sofia and €40 from Bucharest. Accommodation standards on board are similar to domestic trains.
From June 2019, another train leaves Plovdiv only at 08:40 on Saturday and Sunday and arrives in Edirne at 13:00 and returns at 17:00. It is designed for day trips but creates a useful route between Bulgaria and Turkey.