TURKEY. Travel Documents, Health Care, Vaccinations, Electricity, Telephones and Internet, Money and Banks, Shopping, Typical Products

USEFUL INFORMATION FOR A TRAVEL TO TURKEY

TURKEY

Travel Documents: Nationals of EU-member states and of some other states only need an official identification card or, in special cases, a passport that has expired within less than five years.

U.S. citizens must have a valid Passport and a visa to enter Turkey. U.S. citizens may obtain a visa upon entry into Turkey or in prior to departure from one of the five Turkish Consulates in the United States.

Health: The sanitary situation of the Country can be defined satisfactory, even if deficiencies in infrastructures are recorded; some publics hospitals are in bad status while of better level are the private clinics. In the small centers are still present endemic diseases (internal infections, hepatitis, amoebas etc.). In summer and in particular in the Turkish south-east, particular attention must be done to the purchase of beverages (the water is not drinkable) and foods to avoid gastrointestinal affections that could give origin to more serious infectious pathologies. In particular, it is adviced against the purchase of milled meat and various types of mixed appetizers and salades already manifactured. It is advised to stipulate, before undertaking the travel, a sanitary assurance that previews, beyond to the cover of medical expenses, also the eventual medical repatriation with aircraft or the transfer in other Country.

Telephones: Country Dialing Code 0090.

The cheapest way to make calls is from post offices (PTT) telephone booths, which are found in all areas. Telephone cards are available for these.

Mobile Telephones: Turkey use digital GSM mobile phone within the 900-MHz range or a Digital PCN mobile phone within the 1800-MHz range. Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Urban areas have strong mobile phone coverage but there can be some problems in rural areas.

Mobile Telephone Companies: Turkcell, Vodafone, Avea.

Internet: Internet cafes exist in main urban areas. Most hotels offer Broadband Internet connection.

Money and Banks: The Turkish currency is the New Turkish Lira or Yeni Turk Lirasi. There are banknotes in 1 , 5 , 10 , 20 , 50 and 100 Lira denominations in general circulation. There are also 1 Lira coins. The Lira consists of 100 Kurus. There are 1, 5 , 10 , 25 and 50 Kurus coins.

Euros and Dollars can be easily changed into Turkish Lira at all banks, post offices (PTT) and change offices. The majority of the banks have ATMs and there are a huge number of free-standing ones at strategic points. Major credit cards are widely accepted, the most popular are Visa or MasterCard. Travellers cheques can be exchanged at some banks and currency exchange offices.

Banking Hours: Typical banking hours are: 8.30 am-12.30 pm and 1.30 pm-5 pm, Monday to Saturday.

Electricity: 220 V, 50 Hz. The Continental two-round-pin plug is standard.

Shopping hours: Monday-Saturday (9,30-13,00), (14,00-19,00) Sunday (closed). Istanbul Covered market: Monday-Saturday (8,00-19,00) Sunday (closed).

Post office hours: major outlets Mon-Sat 08.00-24.00, Sun 09.00-19.00; smaller post offices have the same opening hours as government offices.

Typical Products: Fine apparel of silk, cotton, leather and wool; artful jewelry; leather accessories; brilliant faience (colored tiles); vessels of copper, brass, marble, meerschaum and alabaster worked by master artisans; and of course heirloom-quality Turkish carpets and kilims, are among the most popular purchases. Traditional Turkish handicrafts crafts including carpets, ceramics and pottery, tiles, copper items, woodcarvings, decorative glass, and embroidery. The Grand Bazaar, or "Kapalicarsi," in Istanbul is a unique combination of fantastic merchandise and a memorable shopping experience. The Grand Bazaar is a maze of some 4,000 shops, selling treasures of every type. Still the commercial center of the old city, the Grand Bazaar's 80 roads and streets form the original shopping mall.

Cuisine: For those who travel engaged in culinary pursuits, the Turkish Cuisine is a very curious one. The Turkish Cuisine is based on ingredients like fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, cooked in typically Mediterranean way. The typical plates are made up of lamb and ram. Famous are the sis kebap, spit of meat of lamb or ram with onions, tomatoes and capsicum. Between the specialties one finds also the mantles, stuffed pasta with milled meat, yogurt, garlic and chili pepper; the cig köfte, meatball of raw meat worked with grain and chili pepper; the kuzu kapama, stew of lamb with onions; the cerkez tavugu, circassa chiken, in stock with walnuts and capsicum. TURKISH CUISINE RECIPES.

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