Currency: YTL (Yeni Turk Lirasi)

Exchange rate: € 1 for 9.41 YTL (12/20)

Time zone: UTC + 2

Prefix: +90

Climate for the capital: continental

Entry and residence regulations

Anyone who spends up to 90 days in Turkey for tourist purposes can do so as a German citizen without a visa. If a longer stay is planned, a visa must be applied for at the Turkish consulate / embassy before entering the country.

This regulation, which has been tightened since February 1, 2012, is adapted to German law. If you are already in the country, your stay can also be approved on site. However, the total stay in Turkey at the time of departure may not exceed 90 days within the last 180 days.

The previous regulation of re-entering the country one day after leaving the country, for example to Greece, and staying for 90 days is no longer possible.

Entry takes place with a passport or an identity card as a travel document. Children need their own ID or must be entered in their parents’ passport.

A work permitis very difficult to obtain and in most cases can only be requested by the employer. It is thus also tied to the workplace. It has to be renewed regularly, if you change employer you have to apply for it again.

Travel, transportation and traffic

Traveling in the country is uncomplicated and flexible. You can reach almost any place, no matter how remote.

In the city center, the Dolmus, a minibus, does its job, which stops for hand signals on a certain route at any corner. As the name (filled) suggests, it only starts its journey when almost all of its approx. 10 seats are occupied. The fare is handed to the driver directly with details of the exit point.

Urban buses run their scheduled route, but depending on the time of day they are very crowded and not always comfortable. Taxis can be found everywhere and are very common as a means of transport. There are also metro and subway trains in Istanbul, Bursa, Ankara and Adana.

The intercity buses serve their purpose between the cities. Numerous bus companies offer their services at different levels and almost every hour. Departure is from central bus stations with a shuttle to the centers. Regular breaks and good service are part of it. Tickets can be purchased at the bus station itself, in a sales office of the respective bus company or on the Internet. A certain space is purchased, whereby care is taken that women traveling alone do not have a male neighbor. The following can be recommended: Pamukkale, Ulusoy, Varan, Metro, Kamil Koc.

According to payhelpcenter, the railway network in Turkey is still little developed and – though attractive – not really recommended as transportation. Important railway lines are, for example, Ankara – Istanbul / Haydarpaşa (Asian side).

Turkish Airlines (Turk Havayollari) flies to many cities in Turkey.

Traveling is very time-consuming: in the city centers traffic jams block progress; Overland, it is the nature of the roads and long distances that take up time. The goals are worthwhile. Turkey offers attractive and unique places in every corner for culture and nature enthusiasts.

Security

The safety standards are at a high level nationwide. Nevertheless, according to the Foreign Office, there are increasing attacks against Turkish security forces as well as military and police facilities by the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization. Not only the regions of the southeast are affected, but also central locations and tourist-relevant points. Numerous recent attacks with a high number of fatalities are attributed to the “Islamic State” movement.

The Federal Foreign Office further recommends avoiding busy places in the inner city, public transport, local and long-distance public transport, as well as government and military facilities, or limiting the presence in such places to what is absolutely necessary.

The special security situation also applies to the border region with Syria. When traveling to the east and south-east of Turkey, severe disabilities due to roadside checks and military movements are to be expected.

The Turkish General Staff has declared six areas in the provinces of Siirt, Sirnak, Mardin and Hakkâri to be temporary security zones and restricted military areas, entry into which is strictly prohibited until further notice and which are subject to strict controls. This applies in particular to the area southeast of Hakkâri along the border with Iraq (in the mountains, around and between Sirnak and Hakkari there are several restricted zones) as well as northwest of Diyarbakir and southeast of the town of Cizre (border triangle Turkey – Syria – Iraq).

World Heritage Sites

Cultural sites of Unesco World Heritage Site in Turkey

• Archaeological Site of Troy (1998)
• Safranbolu City (1994)
• Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital (1985)
• Hattusha, the capital of the Hittites (1986)
• Historic Areas of Istanbul (1985)
• Nemrut Dag (1987)
• Selimiye Mosque, Edirne (2011)
• Xanthos-Letoon (1988)

Also included as world natural heritage

• Goreme National Park and the Rocks of Cappadocia (1985)
• Hierapolis-Pamukkale (1988)

Money (exchange rates and money transfer)

Getting cash is easy. With EC cards you can withdraw cash from almost all Maestro ATMs. Foreign currencies are exchanged in lira in exchange offices and banks (worse rate). In many cases, larger purchases can also be paid for in euros or dollars, which are then converted at the daily rate.

Many banks also offer the option of keeping a foreign exchange account. This means that money can be transferred to Turkey from a foreign account with relative ease. The largest banks are Yapi Kredi, Türkiye Is Bankasi, Garanti Bankasi, Ak Bank. Some of them also have branches in Germany. There are also banks, for example the Arap Bankasi, which work according to Islamic law and do not take interest.

The national currency of Turkey is the Yeni Türk Lirasi (New Turkish Lira).