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Cars 4 Rental Information on Turkey

General

Area: 779,452 sq km (300,948 sq miles).

Population: 67,829,000 (official estimate 2001).

Population Density: 87.0 per sq km.

Capital: Ankara. Population: 2,937,524 (1997).

GEOGRAPHY: Turkey borders the Black Sea and Georgia and Armenia to the northeast, Iran to the east, Iraq to the southeast, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Mediterranean to the south, the Aegean Sea to the west and Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest. Asia Minor (or Anatolia) accounts for 97 per cent of the country and forms a long, wide peninsula 1650km (1025 miles) from east to west and 650km (400 miles) from north to south. Two east-west mountain ranges, the Black Sea Mountains in the north and the Taurus in the south, enclose the central Anatolian plateau, but converge in a vast mountainous region in the far east of the country. It is here that the ancient Tigris and Euphrates rivers rise.

Government: Republic since 1923. Head of State: President Ahmet Necdet Sezer since 2000. Head of Government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan since 2003.

Language: Turkish. Kurdish is also spoken by a minority in the southeast. French, German and English are widely spoken in cities and tourist areas.

Religion: Muslim with a small Christian minority. Turkey is a secular state which guarantees complete freedom of worship to non-Muslims.

Time: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Communications:

Telephone

IDD is available. Country code: 90. Outgoing international code: 00. There is an extensive internal telephone network, but often an interpreter will be needed for more remote areas. To phone from PTT telephone booths, which are found in all areas, telephone cards and tokens are used. Local, intercity and international calls can be made from all PTT offices.

Mobile telephone

GSM 900 and 1800 band networks exist. Main network providers include TELSIM Mobil Telekomuniksyon (website: www.telsim.com.tr) and Turkcell (website: www.turkcell.com.tr). Coverage is available in most urban areas.

Fax

All hotels and PTT offices have facilities.

Internet

Main ISPs include: EfesNet (website: www.efes.net.tr). Internet cafes exist in main urban areas.

Telegram

These may be sent from all post offices.

Post

Airmail to Europe takes 3 days. Turkish post offices are recognisable by their yellow PTT signs. Post office hours: major outlets Mon-Sat 0800-2000, Sun 0900-1900; smaller post offices have the same opening hours as government offices. It is also possible to use the 'Valuables Despatch Service' for valuable belongings or important documents.

Press

The main newspapers are Hrriyet, Milliyet, Sabah and Zamam. English-language daily newspapers include The Turkish Daily News.

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

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Money

Currency: Turkish Lira (TL). Notes are in denominations of TL20,000,000, 10,000,000, 5,000,000, 1,000,000, 500,000, 250,000 and 100,000. Coins are in denominations of TL250,000, 100,000, 50,000, 25,000, 10,000 and 5000.

Currency exchange: All exchange certificates and purchase receipts must be retained to prove that legally exchanged currency was used. Money and travellers cheques can be exchanged at all PTT branches. Many UK banks offer differing rates of exchange depending on denominations of Turkish currency being bought or sold. Check with banks for details and current rates.

Credit & debit cards: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Travellers cheques: Can be cashed immediately upon proof of identity. However, it may take several days to cash cheques from private accounts. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in Pounds Sterling or US Dollars.

Currency restrictions: There are no restrictions on the import of local or foreign currency, though visitors bringing in a large amount of foreign currency should declare it, and have it specified in their passport upon arrival to avoid difficulties on departure. No more than the equivalent of US$5000 in local currency may be exported. Foreign currency may be exported up to US$5000, but no more than the amount imported and declared.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Turkish Lira against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date Aug ’03 Nov ’03 Feb ’04 May ’04
£1.00= 2,223,472.0 2,492,707.1 2,437,314.9 2,701,476.5
$1.00= 1,395,483.0 1,489,853.5 1,339,000.0 1,512,500.0

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1230 and 1330-1700.

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Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever No No
Cholera No No
Typhoid and Polio 1 N/A
Malaria 2 N/A

1: Outbreaks of typhoid may occur in rural areas.

2: Potential malaria risk (exclusively in the benign vivax form) exists from May to the end of October in the ukorova/Amikova areas and in southeast Anatolia, Adana and Antalya (Side). There is no malaria risk in the main tourist areas in the west and southwest of the country.

Food & drink: Mains water is usually chlorinated in larger towns and cities, but should not be assumed to have been so treated: if used for drinking or making ice it should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. If a water source bears the words iilmez, it means that it is not for drinking; sources labelled iilir, ime suyu or iilebilir are safe to drink. Bottled spring water is widely available. Milk is pasteurised. Eat only well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot.

Other risks: Hepatitis A, B and C are present. Cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis, meningitis and TB occur.
Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, see the Health appendix.

Health care: Turkey has a large health sector. A great number of Turkish doctors and dentists speak a foreign language, particularly at major hospitals. Private health insurance is recommended; ensure that it covers Asiatic as well as European Turkey.

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Climate

Temperatures in Ankara vary between -4C (25F) and 30C (86F). Marmara and the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have a typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters.

Required clothing: Light- to medium-weights and rainwear.

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Passport

Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required
British Yes 4 Yes
Australian Yes 4 Yes
Canadian Yes 4 Yes
USA Yes 4 Yes
OtherEU 1 2/4/5 Yes
Japanese Yes 3 Yes

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least six months from date of arrival in Turkey required by all, except the following nationals:
1. Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland, who can enter with a national ID card.

VISAS: Required by all except the following:
(a) 2. nationals of EU countries for stays of up to three months (except those listed under notes 4 and 5 below in Sticker-type entry visas, and nationals of Czech Republic and Slovenia who must apply to the Consulate General to obtain a tourist visa a minimum of six weeks prior to departure.
(b) 3. nationals of Argentina, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR), Iceland, Iran, Israel, Japan, Korea (Rep), Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Monaco, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, San Marino, Singapore, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Uruguay and Vatican City for stays of up to three months;
(c) nationals of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia and Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of) for stays of up to two months;
(d) nationals of Costa Rica, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Macau (SAR) for stays of up to one month;
(e) tranist passengers continuing their journey by the same of first connecting aircraft within 24 hours, provided not leaving the airport and in possession of confirmed onward tickets.
Note: Visa exemption for Bulgarians does not apply to those who enter Turkey through certain custom points (contact Consulate for details). Bulgarians must always obtain a visa for transit passages.
Sticker-type entry visas: Tourists and business visitors from the following countries do require visas and can obtain a sticker-type entry visa at the point of entry for a fee. Prices are dependent on nationality (for British nationals, the cost is £10, and for US nationals, the cost is US$45):
(a) 4. Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Malta, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the UK and USA for stays not exceeding three months;
(b) Algeria for stays not exceeding two months;
(c) 5. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Greek Cypriot Administrative Region, Hungary, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovak Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Ukraine for stays not exceeding one month;
(d) Georgia and Guatemala for stays not exceeding 15 days.

Types of visa and cost: Tourist; Transit; Study; and Long Term Business/Multiple-entry. Prices vary according to nationality. Some visas must be obtained in advance. Contact the Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy); see Contact Addresses section.

Validity: Dependent on nationality of applicant.

Application to: Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy); see Contact Addresses section.

Application requirements: (a) Valid passport. (b) One recent passport-size photo. (c) Application form. (d) Latest bank statement and photocopy. (e) Fee (varies for different nationals), payable by postal order and cash only. (f) £5 administrative fee (g) Registered, stamped, self-addressed envelope if applying by post. (h) For business visas, a letter of invitation from a company in Turkey. For other types of visas, enquire at the Embassy.
Note: Application requirements may vary according to nationality and type of visa sought. Some nationals may also need to show proof of sufficient funds for the duration of their stay; enquire at the Embassy.

Working days required: Minimum of one, dependent on nationality of applicant. Some applications may be referred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara, which may take much longer (minimum six to eight weeks).

Temporary residence: Apply to the Turkish Consulate General (see Contact Addresses section) or to the Turkish Diplomatic Mission in the country of residence.

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