November 10, at five past nine in the morning all the traffic is to a halt in Turkey. A deafening noise rises, as all drivers keep their horn button. Sirens of police, ambulance and fire brigade are on. It takes two minutes and public life in Turkey is slowly moving again. During the two minutes the Turks commemorate the death of their great leader Atatürk in 1938 on the tenth of November at five past nine.
A large part of the year the weather is perfect for a beach holiday in Turkey. In the early-and late fall f on the south coast you can still enjoy the sun. On the popular south coast you will find numerous beach resorts, each with its own charm. There are large resorts with all amenities and cozy little resorts with a unique atmosphere. Most beaches are on the south coast. Some hotels have a private beach. The Black Sea coast is mostly visited by Turkish holidaymakers.
Tourists who go on holiday to Turkey can have their visa applications from November 2014 only in advance online. Now it is still possible to get a Turkish at the airport. The cost of the online visa to be introduced in November will be € 15, - and must be paid by credit card. You will receive the electronic visa after payment by email. This should be printed out and taken.
The capital city of Turkey is Ankara. Kemal Atatürk, he moved the capital from Istanbul to Ankara. But Istanbul remained the focal point of culture and economy.
Eastern Turkey and Central Anatolia have a continental climate with very hot summers and cold winters. The areas along the Mediterranean have a Mediterranean climate, the north coast has a temperate climate.
Turkey has a kitchen with a long tradition. Each region in Turkey has its own, often ethnic cuisine. Usually one meal is a combination of various dishes.
About half of the population of Turkey is working in agriculture. Wheat, olives, cotton, tobacco, nuts and vegetables are grown for export (13.1% of GDP). The raw materials (coal, petroleum, iron ore) are the basis for the heavy industry. The largest share in the GDP comes from the service sector (59.6%), especially tourism.
Turkey has signed the Bologna Declaration. Also exchanges with Erasmus scholarship are possible.
Electricity in Turkey is 230 volts.
Rare mammals and birds can still be found in Turkey, such as the wolf, brown bear, the griffon vulture, the golden eagle and the eagle owl. Furthermore, Turkey is rich in butterflies.
Turkey has a very rich flora, there are about 9222 different species of plants. Turkey possesses many places, vast marshes with many species gladiolus, lily species and Lamiaceae. Netherlands may consider themselves tulip country, all tulips grown in the Netherlands originate in Turkey and neighboring countries.
The flight time from the Netherlands to Turkey is between 3.5 and 4 hours.
Turkey is a transcontinental state located both in Asia and Europe. Few countries are as diverse as Turkey. From beautiful beaches to Istanbul, Cappadocia to the oldest temple in the world: Gobekli Tepe, it's all there. And then there's the icing on the cake: the friendly, hospitable people.
Turkey is a republic. Turkey is divided into 81 provinces. Turkey is a candidate country of the European Union.
Generally the quality of health care in Turkey is good. Vaccinations are not mandatory for Turkey. A DTP vaccination and protection against hepatitis A is recommended. Inquire for always leaving for the current state of affairs. Tap water in Turkey is not always of good quality, which is why water bottles (unopened) strongly recommended.
Turkey has 74.7 million inhabitants.
ADSL is widely available in Turkey in the larger cities and on the coast areas. Wifi is available in most Turkish hotels and airports (almost every hotel and airport also has cable access).
Turkish is the official language in Turkey. Minority languages are: Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Aramaic, and other.
The currency in Turkey is the Turkish lira (TRY). 1 Turkish lira is 0.37 euros (2014). Turkish Lira consists of 100 kuruş (kr). There are coins of 5, 10, 25 and 50 kr and 1 TL. There are banknotes of 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200 TL.
İstiklâl Marşı is the national anthem of Turkey. It was officially adopted on March 12, 1921. The text is written by M. Akif Ersoy and music by Zeki Ungor.
Post offices are open Monday to Friday between 8.30 am and 12.30 pm and from 13.30 to 17.30.
Turkey is no longer the cheap country that it has been. The resorts on the Turkish Riviera have their prices increased significantly. In the rest of the country life is still a lot cheaper than in the Netherlands.
In the cities in Turkey modern buses follow a tight schedule. Luxury coaches and trains connect the major towns and small towns in the area. Domestic flights are also popular and many airline tickets are relatively cheap.
During Ramadan in Turkey, which is celebrated every year at another time, the Muslims eat thirty days nothing between sunrise and sunset. In big cities, you see little of Ramadan: restaurants are still open and you can still buy food on the street. In little more conservative villages restaurants often close their doors. At the end of Ramadan Eid, Id-al-Fitr, the feast of breaking the fast is celebrated. Ramadan in Turkey in 2014 is on Saturday, June 28 till Sunday, July 27th.
Due to the secular nature of the Turkish state, the Turkish Constitution makes no reference to Muslims or Islam. Nevertheless, there are major differences in lifestyle between the secular - often urban - elite and the religious part of the population. Approximately 97% of the Turks are Muslims.
Emergency numbers: 155: police, 112: ambulance 110: fire department.
Since 2008 there is a smoking ban in Turkey in public places and from 2009 also in bars, restaurants and koffieshops.
The country code of Turkey is +90. You can call cheap with a Turkish SIM card.
The time in Turkey is UTC +0200 and during summer UTC +0300.
Giving a tip is customary in Turkey.
Turkish people are very proud of their country. Family is very important and the elderly deserve a lot of respect iin Turkey. If you are invited to a turkish home it is polite to bring a gift. Put off your shoes entering the house.
The main roads in Turkey are generally in good condition. Since many road users and traffic signs are not too scrupulous, some caution is necessary. The traffic in big cities can be very chaotic. It is not recommended to drive in the dark. Roadside assistance in Turkey is the TTOK call 0212-2828140. The maximum permitted blood alcohol level is 0.5 ‰. You must handsfree. Seat belts are mandatory only in the front car in Turkey. In your car, you must have two warning triangles to you, the one you have to place the car and the other behind.
Argentina, Aruba, Austria, Bali, Belgium, Bonaire, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chechia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Curacao, Cyprus, Denmark, Dubai, Florida, France, Gambia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ibiza, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Mallorca, Malta, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sint-Maarten, Slovakia, South-Africa, Spain, Surinam, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey,Tuscany