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kindly provided by the Turkish Ministry
of Culture & Tourism.
Turkey and the European Union
As a property investor you
are most likely aware that Turkey continues talks October
3rd 2005 regarding its EU candidacy. This is one of
the many factors driving Turkish property investment
forward.
Turkish property is still remarkably good value compared
to many other European and traditional overseas investment
countries (for cost comparison refer to our Why
Turkey? page).
Investing in Turkey now offers great capital
growth potential as Turkey heads towards full EU membership.
Our very own Taoiseach Bertie Ahern held talks with the
Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to kickstart
the process in July 2003.
"I underlined (to Erdogan) our
readiness in Ireland to assist in whatever way we can,
particularly while we are holding the EU presidency"
- Bertie Ahern
Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister)
Story from AFP (July 17, 2003)
Turkey is fast becoming the destination of
choice in Europe and as such is an ideal place for purchasing
a holiday villa or for investment.
A Brief overview of Turkey
aerial view, islands,
SW Turkey
Stretching
across two continents, Turkey is a diverse and
fascinating country with a rich cultural heritage
and stunning beaches. From divers to beach lovers,
archaeologists and botanists, there really is
something for everyone.
Surrounded by the crystal clear waters of the
Mediterranean Turkey boasts 8000km of coastline
including the best beach in the world –
the 13km stretch of golden sand of Patara - according
to tour operators in a 1998 Sunday Times survey.
Turkish
maps
Turkey map (22k)
Click thumbnail
>> <<
Distances within
Turkey (250k)
Click thumbnail >><<
Twenty civilizations and 10,000
years of history have left Turkey with an awe-inspiring
legacy of ancient ruins and archaeological sites,
many of which are still under excavation.
The Turkish landscape may yet still reveal more
secrets of our ancestors – more statues
of gods and goddesses, more temples, theatres
and mosques. No matter what your interests, it
would be difficult to tire of Turkey.
Turkey is a land of breathtaking natural beauty
with a long and fascinating past. Often dubbed
the "Crossroads of Civilisation", the
country has been inhabited for thousands of years
by a long list of great peoples, including the
Ancient Greeks, the Romans and the Byzantines.
Indeed, it's impossible to travel far in Turkey
without coming across some intriguing archaeological
remains, be they the magnificent Lycian rock tombs
or an awe-inspiring Roman amphitheatre. In fact,
Turkey contains more Roman sites than Italy and
more ancient Greek ruins than Greece. So, there
is plenty to explore!
Area Profiles
Pine-forested mountains, olive groves and meadows,
carpeted with wild flowers in spring, descend
to one of the most unspoilt coastlines on the
entire Mediterranean. The shores of south-western
Turkey boast arching beaches of fine white sand
and sheltered coves of aquamarine.
Nemrut mountain
head carvings
A string of picturesque coastal towns
and fishing villages look out across the calm sea
to the Greek islands floating on the horizon. Lively
and colourful markets attract locals and tourists
alike to browse the stalls of fresh, locally grown
fruit and vegetables. The region's climate is excellent
too, with rain generally falling during the mild
winter leaving blue skies and sunshine for most
of the year.
Fairy chimneys, Cappadocia,
central Turkey
In the centre of the
country, Cappadocia is a land of magic and mystery
beyond compare. Over thousands of years nature has
carved a unique geological wonderland of strangely
shaped pinnacles, crags and canyons from the soft
volcanic rock. Inhabited since the earliest times,
people have added to this breathtaking landscape
by excavating homes, villages and even whole cities
under the ground. A centre of early Christianity,
the area is also dotted with subterranean churches
and monasteries, some decorated with stunning frescoes.
Today, Cappadocia is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination
protected inside a national park centred on the
village of Goreme, but which also encompasses the
towns and villages of Urgup, Nevsehir, Uchisar,
Ortahisar and Cavusin. Cool in the summer and warm
in the winter, many of the area's cave houses are
still inhabited, with a growing number of foreign
property buyers discovering the benefits of living
underground. Cappadocia can be easily reached from
the UK with frequent Turkish Airlines scheduled
flights via Istanbul or Ankara.
Wherever you go in the country
you'll be sure of a warm and friendly welcome.
Hospitality has been perfected to a fine art by
the Turks and the words "Hos Geldiniz"
-which literally means 'Your coming brings pleasure'-
will ring frequently in your ears.
There's also far more to Turkish food than kebabs,
with local restaurants serving a large and varied
selection of delicious dishes, at exceptionally
reasonable prices. Typically, a meal starts with
a selection of meze - small, mouth-watering starters,
such as stuffed peppers, mild white cheese, tender
calamari, octopus salad and traditional deep-fried
pastries. In true Turkish style these appetisers
are washed down with an aniseed spirit, known
as raki, although there are also some excellent
local wines.
Family-oriented
culture
Economic Indicators
Turkey is a $200 billion economy (SIS,1998), which
ranks it as the 17 the largest economy in the world.
It is only one of 7 net agricultural exporters in the
world and attracted 10 million tourists in 2001. Its
exports have increased from less than $ 1billion in
1980 to $ 38 billion in 1999.
Tourism
Turkey is the 18th most visited country in
the world and ranks 13th in tourism income.
The Turkish Ministry of Tourism expects Turkey
to be the 11th most popular tourist destination
in the world by 2005 with over 20 million tourists
arriving to Turkey each year.
The tourism industry in Turkey generates in
excess of 8.1 billion USD per year accounting
for all most 30% of earnings from export of
goods.
Registered employment in the tourism sector
exceeds 1,000,000, constituting 5.5% of the
total employed work force.
64% of all tourists that take holidays in
Turkey are from Europe
European Union
Turkey was accepted as a candidate member
of the EU in 1999 after a customs union
agreement effected in 1996. Its close ties
with the EU date back to 1963.
GDP
The average annual growth rate of the Turkish
economy, as measured by the rate of growth
of real GDP, averaged around 4% in the post-liberalisation
era (OECD, 1996a). This rate, though fluctuating
widely, is above the average attained by
the middle-income countries (around 2-3%)
during the same period (The World Bank,
1996).
Both the overall domestic production and
per capita income have been increasing at
above average rates as compared to the other
lower-middle-income developing countries.
Construction
The Turkish construction sector is one
of the major contributors to the international
Turkish services sector. Today Turkey is among
the top countries that export services to the
construction sector. In the 1972-1999 period the
total value of services undertaken by Turkish
contractors abroad reached $ 40 billion.
Currently the share of Turkish share of international
global contracting services is about 2-3%. Today,
Turkish Construction contractors are working in
4 continents and 49 countries, using all the financial,
managerial and technological tools of international
contracting standards.
Monetary System
January 1st 2005 Turkey introduced the
new Turkish lira (YTL). This new currency essentially
removed six zeros from the currency and makes
it easier for tourists to comprehend what they
are spending.
The old monetary unit was the Turkish lira (TL)
and will be phased out by end 2005. Similar to
the Italian currency pre- European monetary union,
foreigners had to adjust to the larger numbers,
as distict from greater value, involved when dealing
with TL. The coinage is in 10,000, 25,000, 50,000
and 100,000 lira pieces. Bank notes are of 100,000,
250,000, 500,000, 1,000,000, 5,000,000 and 10,000,000
lira.
Old 10 million
Turkish Lira note
New 10 Turkish Lira (YTL) note
Spot anything familiar about the new
Turkish coins below (check your euro!)
1 lira
<<Click on calculator image to obtain the daily
exchange rate.
In Turkey the exchange rates for foreign currencies
are published daily. Euro ()
checks can be cashed immediately as can traveller's
checks upon producing identification.
The most widely accepted
credit cards are American Express, Eurocard, Diner's
Club, Visa and Mastercard. Exchange offices in touristic
places are generally open until midnight. The Euro is
widely accepted throughout Turkey.
Transport
Getting to Turkey is getting easier and easier as tourists
flock to this popular holiday destination. Charter flights
operate from Ireland between may and October. Charter
and scheduled flights depart from the UK several times
a week all year around.
Airports
Turkey has 105 airports. In 1992 the total number
of passengers carried to, from, or within Turkey on
all airlines landing in Turkey reached about 13.8 million
(about 2.8 million domestic and 11 million international).
Dolmus
The 'dolmus' is essentially a mini-bus,
found only in Turkey, that acts as a collective
taxi which follows specific routes. Each passenger
pays according to their distance travelelled and
can get off at specific or requested stops. To get
off, the passenger need only say, "Inecek var."
The relatively cheap fares are fixed by the municipality.
The "dolmus" provides a service within large
cities, to suburbs, airports, and often to neighboring
towns. This is a very practical means of transportation
and much cheaper than a taxi.
Taxis
Taxis are numerous in all Turkish cities
and are recognizable by their yellow color.
The fare shown on the meter reads according
to distance travelled.
Coaches (Inter-city)
Many private companies provide frequent
day and night services between all Turkish
cities. Coaches depart from the bus station
(otogar) in large towns, and from the center
of town in smaller cities.
Turkish Cuisine
Turkish cuisine is world famous, and
is frequently quoted as one of the top three world-wide
cuisines.
All Turkish food is prepared from fresh ingredients.
The country produces a wide variety of fruits
and vegetables, and, being surrounded on three
sides by sea, the range of fish to be found is
considerable. The painstaking preparation of simple,
but fresh ingredients brings out the richness
of their flavours in a way that never fails to
delight.
The range is enormous, from the many soups to
an astonishing variety of hors d'oeuvres (meze)
followed by meat and fish dishes. Then treat yourself
to one of the range of exotic Turkish sweets and
pastries before finishing with Turkish coffee.
You may find yourself offered tea or coffee when
simply browsing ina shop. This offering is a gesture
of Turkish hospitality and you will find it a
pleasant change from the service offered back
home.
Among alcoholic drinks are the light Turkish beer,
local wines, and the national drink, 'raki' (aniseed
based), which clouds when water is added, giving it
the popular name of "lion's milk." The drinking
of raki is a rite in itself, and it is traditionally
accompanied by a variety of "meze" (hors d'oeuvres).
Bottled mineral water is readiliy available. Tap water
is generally drinkable but a for most cities world-wide
not universally advised.
Wherever you travel to in Turkey, especially the cities
you can also find restaurants offering cuisines of the
world and many resorts have cafes offering Irish / English
breakfasts.
Communications
Turkish postal and telephone offices
are easily recognizable by their "PTT"
and "Turk Telekom" signs. Major post
offices are open
8:00 - 24:00, Mon.- Sat.; and
9:00-19:00, Sun.
Small post offices have the same hours as government
offices
FREE Holiday
for 2
Draw
Automatic entry to our FREE Turkish Holiday draw
simply by
1 lira
)
checks can be cashed immediately as can traveller's
checks upon producing identification. 
