Hemera Properties - All About Turkey

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Time Zones: Turkish time is 2 hours ahead British Time.

Currency: YTL
(Yeni Turkish Lira) meaning
‘new' Turkish lira

Weights and Measures:
Metric and Kilo system



	Turkey is a country located at a point where the three continents of the old world (Asia, Africa, and Europe) are closest to each other and where Asia and Europe meet. Because of its geographical location, Turkey has always been important throughout history and is the birth place of many great civilizations.
Turkey is a paradise of sun, sea, mountains, and lakes that offers a complete change from the stress and routine of everyday life. From April to October, most places in Turkey have an ideal climate that is perfect for relaxing on sandy beaches or enjoying the tranquility of mountains and lakes. Turkey also has a magnificent past, and is a land full of historic treasures from 13 successive civilizations spanning 10,000 years.

Yet Turkey is also a modern country, with good communications, transport and an expanding stable economy but still with a low cost of living and a very low crime rate. Turkey is also one of the few countries in the world that is totally self sufficient in food production. Add in the investment in airports, roads, golf courses, marinas, and the possibility of joining the EEC, and you can understand why people from around the world are investing in property in Turkey. Year on year property prices have been raising but prices for property in Turkey are still considerably lower than property for sale in other major tourist areas such as Spain and France.

Geography:Turkey covers an area of approximately 300,000 square miles of varying landscapes. The coastline is 4,500 miles long, extending from the Black Sea in the North to the Mediterranean Sea in the South. Found in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey is located on two continents Europe and Asia and shares borders with 7 countries , with Greece and Bulgaria in the West, Georgia and Armenia to the Northeast, Iran to the East and Iraq and Syria in the Southeast.

Exchange rate: Approximately 2.8 YTL: £1

Population and people: Turkey has a population of approximately 70 million. There are a growing number of British people living in Turkey especially in the south coastal areas.

Religion: 98% Muslim Turks with practicing communities of Jews and Christians in the large cities. Other religions are respectfully acknowledged.

Government: Turkey has been a Republic since 1923. The form of government is a secular, Multiparty Democracy with a unicameral legislature, a President and a Prime Minister.

Society and conduct: Republican Turkey has adopted much of the Western lifestyle especially in the cities and major coastal resorts.
Economy: Turkey has an industrialised economy with a large agricultural sector. Major sectors are automotive, iron and steel, household appliances and electronics, textiles and apparel, consumer goods, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, cement, building materials, glass, ceramics and financial services. The economy is based on free-market principles, although the state sector is still quite large.

Language: Modern Turkish has been written in Latin script since 1928. English and German are widely spoken in most tourist areas.

Climate: Summer: Dry, long, hot

Winter: Short, warm, rainy The sea temperature rarely falls below 16C making swimming possible for much of the year.

Getting there: There are scheduled flights to Istanbul all year round where you can get a connecting flight to Antalya and Dalaman. Summer season (May – October) many chartered flights are available operating from an increasing number of UK regional airports direct to Dalaman. Dalaman airport is currently being expanded and now offers all year round flights with budget airlines expected to follow. Charter flights to Antalya are also available all year round. Bodrum airport is still seasonal.