The Land of The Blue Mosque, The Topkapi Palace,

The Temple of Artemis & Mount Ararat

Information on Relocating to Turkey

• The capital city of Turkey is Ankara with about 3.9 million people. The political centre is also in Ankara. Turkey is a republican parliamentary democracy. The biggest city is Istanbul with 14 million people. Istanbul is a very European city.

• Language: The language spoken are Turkish (official), Kurdish, Armenian and Greek however French, German and English are also spoken. The TV programs are in Turkish.

• Population: The population is about 67.8 million people with ethnic groups Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20%.

• Expat areas: Popular areas for the Expat community are Bebek, Etiler, Yeniköy, Emirgan, Rumelihisarı, Levent, Ulus, Tarabya, Zekeriyaköy and Kemer. These are villages next to each other with the exception of artificial residential areas designed for the communal living such as Alkent 2000 and Kemercountry and Zekriyaköy where rich people live in houses with swimming pools and even horse riding and golf. However, if you prefer to live in the city, you have the choices of (1) living in a compound in comforts or (2) having a nice Bosphorous view with less comforts.

• Housing: There are more apartments than houses. However you can also live in a house if you are ready to pay more and be a little bit away from the city.

• Cost of housing: Varies from area to area and the size of the house or apartment; you'll pay anything from $ 1000 - $ 5000 for an apartment and $ 4000 - $ 15,000 for a house. The local currency is the Turkish Lira (TL). But rents may be asked to be paid in US Dollars.

• Schools: Apart from the schools for local people, there are various international schools for expats. (1) British School located in Zekeriyaköy and Etiler, (2) International school located in Hadımköy and Rumelihisarı, (3) MEF school located in Ulus.

• Transportation: There is a good public transportation system: Plains, trains, trams, busses, subways, ferries and taxi's.

• Banking: The banking hours are generally Monday - Friday 9.00 am until 17.00 pm. The banks are closed on Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

• Shopping: All the shopping malls are open 7 days a week from 10.00 am - 10.00 pm. Other stores are generally open Monday - Saturday from 9.30 am - 8.00 pm and the covered market in Istanbul is open from Monday - Saturday 8.00 am - 7.00 pm.

• Climate: Although Turkey is situated in a geographical location where climatic conditions are quite temperate, the diverse nature of the landscape , and the existence in particular of the mountains that run parallel to the coasts, results in significant differences in climatic conditions from one region to the other. While the coastal areas enjoy milder climates, the inland Anatolian plateau experiences extremes of hot summers and cold winters with limited rainfall.

• Culture: A rich ethnic mix borne of countless invasions has left its mark on Turkey. Armenians, Greeks and Mongols have all been incorporated into the Turk majority throughout the centuries of invasions, resulting in a wide range of racial types. Perhaps because of the mixture of nationalities, as well as the country's religious principles, the Turks are naturally hospitable to foreigners and no patience for racial prejudice.

• Public holidays: Jan 1st, New Year’s Day, Feb 12th Kurban Bayrami (Feast of the Sacrifice), Apr 23rd National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, May 19th Commemoration of Atatürk and Youth and Sports Day, Aug 30th Victory Day, Oct 29th Republic Day.

• Religious holidays: There are 2 of them: Ramazan Bayramı - 3 days and Kurban Bayramı- 4 days varies though they take place sometime in November and February. The inclination is to round them up for the whole week and have 9 days holiday each!