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About Turkey
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Facts for
the Traveler
Visas: Citizens from a long list of countries do not require a Visa to enter
Turkey. This list includes some South American, European, Asian and Middle
Eastern countries, so it is worth checking out whether or not you will need
a Visa. However, travelers from Canada, the UK, the USA, Australia, Hong
Kong, and a number of other countries do need a visa to enter Turkey.
Holders of UK and American passports can obtain a Visa on arrival at the
point of entry to Turkey. Those from the UK will pay 16 and Americans 20.
All other travelers who require a Visa must apply for one before leaving for
Turkey. Fees vary as do the lengths of time travelers are permitted to stay.
Health risks: malaria (Travellers to Turkey's steamy regions (the
Mediterranean coast east of Mersin and the irrigated areas of southeastern
Anatolia around Sanliurfa) should stock up on their favourite anti-malarial
gear. This serious and potentially fatal disease is spread by mosquito bites
and is endemic in most countries of the region (the exceptions being
Singapore and Brunei). If you are travelling in endemic areas it is
extremely important to avoid mosquito bites and to take tablets to prevent
this disease. Symptoms range from fever, chills and sweating, headache,
diarrhoea and abdominal pains to a vague feeling of ill-health. Seek medical
help immediately if malaria is suspected. Without treatment malaria can
rapidly become more serious and can be fatal. If medical care is not
available, malaria tablets can be used for treatment. There is a variety of
medications such as mefloquine, Fansidar and Malarone. You should seek
medical advice, before you travel, on the right medication and dosage for
you. If you do contract malaria, be sure to be re-tested once you return
home as you can harbour malaria parasites even if you are symptom free.
Travellers are advised to prevent mosquito bites at all times by wearing
light-coloured clothing, long trousers and long-sleeved shirts; use mosquito
repellents containing the compound DEET on exposed areas, sleeping under a
mosquito net impregnated with mosquito repellent (it may be worth taking
your own) and refraining from using perfumes and aftershave)
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +2
Dialling Code: 90
Electricity: 230V ,50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric
When to Go
Spring and autumn are the best times to visit, since the climate will be
perfect in İstanbul and on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. It will be
cool in central Anatolia, but not unpleasantly so. Visiting before mid-June
or after August may also help you avoid mosquitoes. The Black Sea coast is
best visited between April and September; there will still be rain but not
so much of it. With the exception of İstanbul, Turkey doesn't really have a
winter tourism season. Places catering to backpackers usually see Anzac Day
as the official start of the season; those catering to package
holiday-makers get going in early May. Peak season is from July to
mid-September, when most Turks take their holidays. The best time to visit
eastern Turkey is from late June to September. Don't plan to venture east
before May or after mid-October unless you're prepared for snow. Try to
avoid travelling during Kurban Bayramı, Turkey's most popular public
holiday; you may also want to avoid the fasting month of Ramazan.
Events
The dates for Muslim religious festivals are celebrated according to a lunar
calendar; the dates are locked in every few years by Muslim authorities.
Only two religious holidays are public holidays: Seker Bayrami, a 3-day
festival at the end of Ramazan (30 days in December-January when a good
Muslim lets nothing pass the lips during daylight hours), and Kurban Bayrami
(March-April) which commemorates Abraham's near-sacrifice of Ismael on Mt
Moriah. In commemoration of God permitting Abraham to sacrifice a ram
instead of his son, every Turkish household who can afford a sheep buys one,
takes it home and slits its throat right after the early morning prayers on
the actual day of the bayram. Family and friends immediately cook up a
feast. You must plan for Kurban Bayrami: most banks close for a full week,
transportation will be packed and hotel rooms will be scarce and expensive.
Secular festivities include camel-wrestling in mid-January, in the village
of Selçuk, south of Izmir, and National Sovereignty Day, April 23, a big
holiday to celebrate the first meeting of the republican parliament in 1920.
Celebrations abound in summer: there's a sloppy oiled wrestling festival in
early June at Sarayiçi, near Edirne; the country Kafkasör Festival near
Artvin in northeastern Turkey in the 3rd week of June; the International
Istanbul Festival of the Arts (late June to mid-July); Bursa's Folklore and
Music Festival in mid-July and Diyarbakir's Watermelon Festival in mid or
late September. The whole country stops, just for a moment, at 9:05am
November 10, the time of Atatürk's death in 1938.
Public Holidays
1 Jan - New Year's Day
10 Nov - Anniversary of Atatürk’s Death
30 Aug - Victory Day
23 Apr - National Sovereignty & Children’s Day
21 Mar - Nevruz
29 Oct - Republic Day
19 May - Youth & Sports Day
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