ABOUT TURKEY

Turkey is a geographically diverse country with snow capped mountains and broad rivers in the east to green coasts and rich agricultural valleys in the west, to a lush, rainy, temperate climate in the north and a hot, dry climate in the south.  Stretching from the nation’s border with Greece to its frontier with Syria, the Turkish Coast is a coastal strip that has thousands of miles of unspoiled sandy beaches and coves fringed by pine forests, hundreds of pristine fishing villages and market towns, and a wealth of ancient ruins found nowhere else in the world.

   
Tomorrow's weather in Antalya, Bodrum, Fethiye and Marmaris (from left to right)

The nation is one of the largest in Europe and is about the size of Britain and France combined.  The population of Turkey is approximately 65 million.

For more information about Altinkum and Turkey visit these sites:

www.turizm.gov.tr 
www.turkey.org

The country is unique in that 97% of it is in Asia and 3% is in Europe.  The Asian side is known as Anatolia and the European side, Thrace.  The two are separated by the Dardanelles (Canakkale) and by the Bosphorous Straights in Istanbul.  Istanbul is Turkey’s largest and most famous city and its capital is Ankara.  Although Turkey is 99% Muslim, it is a secular state that guarantees complete freedom of worship to non-Muslims.

From April to October, most places in Turkey have an ideal climate that is perfect for relaxing on sandy beaches or enjoying the tranquillity of mountains and lakes.  The winter months are from November and March.

Time Zones
Turkish Standard Time is seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Electricity
Electricity in Turkey is 220 volts.  The speed for electronics is fifty cycles. Two-round prongs are the standard plugs for normal appliances.

Customs
Visitors to Turkey may bring in the following duty free:  400 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 1kg tobacco, 1kg coffee, 1.5kg instant coffee, up to seven bottles of spirits of which no more than three shall be of the same brand. 

Valuable items such as electronics, antiques and sports equipment brought into the country will be registered into the owners’ passports.  Travelers leaving without these imported items would have to pay duties.  Gifts not exceeding $285 in value may be brought into the country duty free.