Factfile

Coastline:  7,200 km of the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Syria

Border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 352 km, Syria 822 km

Ethnic groups:  Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20% (estimated)

Religions:  Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

Capital: Ankara

Literacy  (definition: age 15 and over can read and write)
Total population: 86.5%
Male: 94.3%
Female: 78.7% (2003 est.)

Internet country code:    .tr 

Turkish etiquette

Turkey may have the prospect of being the first Muslim state to join the EU, but it’s worth remembering that this country, which is rich in culture and history, has a different economy and manner of business. By observing some simple forms of etiquette, visitors – for work or pleasure – will orient themselves more quickly and get far more out of this thriving country.

Greetings: Greet people with either the Islamic greeting of ‘Asalamu alaykum’ (peace be upon you) or ‘Nasilsiniz’ (how are you?, pronounced na-sul-su-nuz). More useful everyday greetings include ‘Gunaydin’ (good morning, pronounced goon-ay-dun), or ‘iyi gunler’ (good day, pronounced ee-yee gun-ler).

Public behaviour: Keep your legs together or cross your legs when seated opposite someone. While holding hands with someone from the opposite sex is acceptable in the cities and beach resorts, it is frowned upon in rural Turkey and the East. Queue-jumping is not uncommon and patience is recommended. To wave down a bus or taxi, stretch out your right arm and move your wrist inwards repeatedly. The Turkish gesture for ‘yes’ is indicated with a nod of the head upwards, while ‘no’ is also an upward nod but accompanied by the raising of the eyebrows (a ‘tsk’ is often added for emphasis).

Negotiating business: Every visitor is always served coffee and it’s impolite to refuse (‘sade’ without sugar, or ‘orta’ with). Trust is fundamental, and Turks look for reassurance right at the start. Make sure your business proposal clearly demonstrates mutual benefit and profitability. Decision-making can be slow and is ultimately made by the head of the family, with initial meetings with younger members to vet for trustworthiness and viability. Turks will always barter and begin with extremes to gauge your response. Start with a target figure and work towards it. Do not use deadlines or pressure tactics as it will often end negotiations. Money isn’t always the most important bargaining point as power, influence and honour are highly regarded.

Visas & Work Permits

All UK passport holders visiting Turkey need a visa, with three-month visas obtainable at border posts for £10 (sterling only). For visits longer than three months, or for employment, work permits can be obtained from the Turkish Embassy or the Turkish Consulate in London.

Recent changes in Turkish legislation relating to the calculation of residence permit fees for foreigners living in Turkey mean they are more expensive. Check with the Turkish Embassy for costs for the first month and subsequent months as well as permits for 2 and 5 years.

For a range of enquiries relating to living and working in Turkey, contact the Turkish Embassy at: 43 Belgrave Square, London, SW1X 8PA, tel. +44 (0) 207 393 0202, email: turkish.emb@btclick.com or visit the site at www.turkishembassylondon.org. For the Turkish Consulate, call +44 (0) 207 589 0360 or +44 (0) 891 347 348 for recorded visa information. Opening hours for visa information are 09.30 to 12.00 Monday to Friday and 09.30 to 16.00 for all other enquiries. 

Healthcare

No specific vaccinations are required before entering Turkey although hepatitis vaccinations and anti-malarial tablets are recommended for travel to eastern Turkey (recent cases of bird flu have recently been identified in this area). Foreign visitors are also advised to drink bottled water. Health insurance is also recommended as there are no reciprocal healthcare agreements between Turkey and the UK. While private healthcare and dental facilities are very good, state run public facilities are more basic. 

Transport

Transport is one of the five major issues in the EU accession agenda and, as the economy continues to evolve, more strain is being placed on the current network. Fortunately, an enormous amount of investment has been earmarked to improve infrastructure, and on roads in particular, where road safety and motorway design need considerable attention.

Trains: Most of Turkey’s trains are old and slow, but cheap. Expresses and Super Expresses between Ankara and Istanbul are slower than buses but offer more seating-room for less money (useful on public holidays when more people are traveling). It is recommended that tickets are purchased in advance, however.

Planes: Turkish Airlines has flights among major cities for long distance travel and Onur Air, Fly Air and Atlasjet are slowly expanding routes with lower fares. Apart from the international airports in Istanbul and Ankara, there are several smaller airports serving the Turkish coast.

Automobiles: Traffic congestion is a major problem in the cities although massive road improvements are currently underway on all major coastal routes as part of the government’s tourism plan. This congestion, particularly in cities like Istanbul, means that buses are preferable to cars as parking spaces are limited. There are plenty of cheap taxis available as well.

Ferries: Local ferries are convenient. The Sea of Marmara ferry services run between Istanbul on the north shore and Yalova and Bandirma on the south shore, and across the Dardanelles. There are also Greek Island ferry services between the Aegean islands and the Turkish mainland.

Public holidays

The hours of business in Turkey are generally between 08.30 and 18.00 Monday to Friday and government offices shut for lunch from 12.00-14.00. However, there are also a number of public holidays that should be taken into consideration. In 2006, for example, these are as follows:

Festival of Sacrifice: 9-13 January
National Sovereignty and Children’s Day: 23 April
Victory Day: 30 August
Ramadan Festival: 22-25 October
Republic Day: 28-29 October
Festival of Sacrifice: 30-31 December