TURKIYE – GENERAL INFORMATION

Health:

Travelers are advised to drink only bottled water or water that has been filtered and boiled. Bottled beverages are considered safe to drink. Most local dairy products, including milk, yogurt, and cheese, are safe to consume. However, care must be taken when purchasing all perishable products, as many vendors do not have adequate refrigeration. Travelers are advised to wash vegetables and fruits carefully and to cook meat thoroughly before eating.

Travelers to Turkiye are cautioned to avoid poultry farms and contact with animals in live food markets. For the most current information and links on avian influenza in Turkiye, see the State Department's Avian Influenza Fact Sheet or visit the website of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara.

 

Tuberculosis is an increasingly serious health concern in Turkiye. For further information, please consult the CDC's information on TB.

 

Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) hotline for international travelers at 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) or via the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the infectious diseases section of the World Health Organization (WHO) website at http://www.who.int/topics/infectious_ diseases/en/. The WHO website also contains additional health information for travelers, including detailed country-specific health information.

 

Banks & Currency:

New Turkish Lira (TRY; symbol YTL) = 100 New Kurus (Ykr). Notes are in denominations of YTL200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1. Coins are in denominations of YTL1 and 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 New Kurus.

 

Cash can usually be exchanged commission free in currency exchange offices (döviz bürosu). Banks usually charge commission. Travelers planning to exchange currency back before leaving Turkiye, or making a major purchase which may need to be declared to customs, must retain transaction receipts to prove that the currency was legally exchanged.

Visa is the most popular credit card, closely followed by MasterCard. American Express is accepted in top-flight hotels, restaurants and some gift shops. ATM’s are widely found in most areas.

There are no restrictions on the import or export of local currency. The import and export of foreign currency exceeding US$5,000 must be declared.

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 08:30am-12pm and 01:30pm-5pm.

Communication:

Country code: 90.

Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is mostly good, but can be patchy in some rural areas in eastern Turkiye.

Check with your hotel for Internet access.

Turkish post offices are recognisable by their yellow PTT signs. Post office hours are Mo – Fr during morning and afternoon hours with a break over lunch.

 

Cell Phone Usage:

Please contact your cell phone provider to determine whether your contract includes coverage in the country you are visiting. Depending on your contract you may have to add international services and/or country specific services.

 

ENTERTAINMENT

Food & Drink:

Turkish food combines culinary traditions from the people's nomadic past in Central Asia with influences of the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Guests are usually able to go into a kitchen and choose from the pots if they cannot understand the names of the dishes. A wide range of international cuisine is also available in the major cities, and standard German and British dishes along the coasts. Turkiye is a secular state and alcohol is widely enjoyed, although during Ramadan it is considered polite for visitors to avoid drinking alcohol in public. Some local restaurants do not serve alcohol.

National specialities:

• Köfte (spicy sausage-shaped meatballs made of minced lamb)

• Shish kebab (pieces of meat threaded on a skewer and grilled)

• Pide (the Turkish equivalent of pizza topped with cheese and eggs)

• Dolma (vine leaves or vegetables stuffed with pine nuts and currants)

• Lokum (Turkish Delight - originally made from dates, honey, roses and jasmine bound by Arabic gum and designed to sweeten the breath after coffee).

National drinks:

• Raki (anisette), known as 'lion's milk', which clouds when water is added. Drinking raki is a ritual and is traditionally accompanied by a variety of meze (small savoury appetizers).

• Ayran (a refreshing yoghurt drink)

• Çay (tea - usually drunk black and strong and served in small tulip-shaped glasses)
• Strong black Turkish coffee (traditionally brewed over hot coals and served very sweet)
• Turkish beer, red and white wines.

 

Nightlife:

Turkiye's newfound economic prosperity and cultural shift to the West has stimulated many new nightclubs to open for business in recent years. Istanbul has the largest variety with an abundance of clubs in the Taksim Square area that stay open until the early hours. Some clubs have a strong Turkish character, with live Turkish music, while others are fairly indistinguishable from those in western Europe and play anything from house and techno to heavy metal.

Istanbul also has quite a few jazz bars. Cover charges tend to be on the high side. Belly dancing is a Turkish tradition but these days it tends to be put on mostly for the tourists. Shows are often staged at large hotels. The tradition is to tip the dancer by placing a folded note in an appropriate part of her costume. Turks like to dine in tavernas called meyhane, where traditional food is accompanied by folk music and dancing. Traditionally these were all-male, rather sleazy establishments but most modern-day meyhane are comfortable places for foreign visitors of either sex to visit.

There are theatres with concerts in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir and most towns have cinemas.  Turkish baths (hamam) are popular and a Turkish institution. Even the smallest town will generally have a hamam and larger towns and cities usually have one for each individual neighbourhood. Baths are either designated specifically for men or women, or a single hamam will have separate opening times to accommodate males and females.

Shopping:

Istanbul's Kapali Carsi Bazaar has jewellery, carpets and antiques for sale. There are also a large number of shops selling carpets and Turkish handicrafts in the Sultanahmet district. The Egyptian Bazaar near Galata Bridge is a good place to buy food products. Turkish handicrafts include a rich variety of textiles and embroideries, articles of copper, onyx and tile, mother-of-pearl, inlaid articles, leather and suede products, jewellery and, above all, carpets and kilims. Nargiles (water pipes) and musical instruments also make good, reasonably priced souvenirs, as do spices like saffron and sumac.

Outside Istanbul, most other cities and larger resorts have a market area where visitors can buy souvenirs and handicrafts. Often this is a covered bazaar area where the goods on sale are manufactured in workshops adjacent to the shops that sell the produce. Bargaining is essential, although you are unlikely to reduce the asking price by all that much unless it was completely unrealistic to start with. Begin bargaining at a price somewhat below what you are genuinely willing to pay. If buying an old carpet or kilim, it is important that the seller issues an invoice (fatura) that states the carpet's estimated age and purchase price in order to satisfy customs that it is not an antiquity. Beware of so-called ‘antiques' peddled at some archaeological sites like Ephesus. These are of very doubtful antiquity and, besides, would be illegal to export if they were genuine.

Shopping hours: Daily 09:30am-7pm in tourist areas. Closing hours vary, with some shops staying open until midnight. Outside tourist areas shops may close at lunchtime and on Sundays. Istanbul covered market: Mon-Sat 8am-7pm (closed Sunday).

 

BAGGAGE

Baggage rules for international and domestic air travel have changed much in recent years, differ from carrier to carrier and these days even may cover your on-board bags. Checking luggage may cost a separate fee or may be free depending on your personal status with the carrier. We therefore encourage you to read your ticket’s small print and/or contact your carrier for exact rules.

 

TIPPING

A service charge is included in hotel and restaurant bills. It is customary to leave a small tip (10 to 15%) for barbers, hairdressers, Turkish Bath attendants and waiters in smarter establishments.  In inexpensive cafes and restaurants a small gratuity is appreciated. When using taxis, passengers should just round up the fare. A recommended tip for your tour guide is $5 to $10 per person per day.

 

LAUNDRY

Most hotels will arrange affordable laundry services for guests.

PHOTOS & VIDEOS

In some countries you must refrain from photographing sites such as Military bases and industrial installations. Also be aware of cultural sensitivities when taking pictures of or near churches, mosques, and other religious sites. It is always courteous to ask for permission before taking photographs of people.

USE OF DRONES 

The use of drones is being legislated by many countries. In some cases drones are forbidden and their unauthorized use may carry severe penalties. If you plan to travel with a drone please contact the embassy or consulate of the country you wish to visit.