According to itypeauto, Turkey (English: Türkiye, Turkish: Türkiye) is a country located partly in Asia and partly in Europe (transcontinental state). Turkey borders Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. The capital of Turkey is Ankara. Some major cities in Turkey are: Istanbul (Istanbul), İzmir, Bursa, Antalya, Konya and Adana.
The unrecognized state of Northern Cyprus can also be counted under the territory of Turkey.
Turkey is a country with a long history. This is reflected in many old towns, monuments and buildings. The landscape of Turkey is very mountainous. There are several mountain areas, some of which reach above 5000 meters and are perpetually covered with snow. On the coastline you will find many seaside resorts and sandy or pebble beaches where you can also practice water sports such as diving and sailing. Tourists often come for the coast and the historic buildings. Many historic buildings are still intact. In addition, there are tourists who come for winter sports or for medical procedures. Medical procedures in Turkey are quite cheap, and the doctors are known to be very professional and advanced. See bridgat for other cities and countries as well as climate and weather in Middle East.
Where is Turkey?
Travel information of Turkey
Official name: Republic of Turkey
Continent: Europe and Asia
Area: 783,562 km²
Capital: Ankara
Country code: TR, TUR
Population: 82,017,514 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 5,137 m (Ararat)
Distance (Amsterdam – Ankara): 2,539 km
Flight time: approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: All trips to certain border areas in Turkey are discouraged.
Current color code: Yellow, orange and red.
Due to this status, a partially negative travel advice is in effect for Turkey.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Turkey that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs in Turkey, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Turkey. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Turkey?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Turkey at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Turkey has several climate zones. The north has a maritime climate, the middle and east a continental climate and the south a Mediterranean climate. The temperatures are around 30 degrees during the summer months and around 15 degrees during the winter months. In the interior, temperatures drop to freezing in the winter months. As one goes more east, there is less chance of precipitation.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Turkey can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Turkey can be found at Climate info.
Best time
May, June, September and October are the best months to travel to Turkey. In these months you have the best chance of summer temperatures without being bothered by mass tourism.
Language
Turkish is the official language in Turkey. Kurdish, Arabic and Armenian are also spoken.
Would you like to translate from or into Turkish for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a valid identity card or passport that is still valid for at least 8 months when applying for a visa. When arriving by car, a passport is required.
A visa is required. You can apply for this online via the official website evisa.gov.tr (iDeal or credit card). This visa is valid for 90 days within a 180-day period.
Please note: From 1 November 2014 it is no longer possible to purchase a visa upon arrival!
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Turkey: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulates in Turkey: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Turkish Embassy in the Netherlands: lahey.be.mfa.gov.tr.
Turkish Consulate in the Netherlands: rotterdam.bk.mfa.gov.tr.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
For a visit to Turkey (with the exception of Istanbul, West Turkey and the Turkish Riviera) it is advisable to get one or more vaccinations.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Malaria Malaria
occurs in Turkey (with the exception of Ankara, Antalya, İzmir, Bursa, Ephesus, Istanbul, İzmit, Konya and Troy). Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.
Money and Currency
In Turkey, payments are made with the Turkish new lira (TRY). The euro can also be used in many places.
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Turkey can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Turkey are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -42% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (67% cheaper), food (35% cheaper), imported beer in catering (16% cheaper), cigarettes (49% cheaper) and public transport (77% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Turkey it is customary to tip, even though this is already included in the bill. Good service is about 10% tip. A small tip is generally considered an insult.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 1 hour later in Turkey.
During our winter time it is 2 hours later in Turkey.
Turkey has no difference between winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone for Turkey can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Turkey you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Turkey.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Turkey.
Electricity
In Turkey the same plugs and sockets are used as in the Netherlands.
More information about electricity in Turkey can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 155
– Fire: 110
– Ambulance: 112
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Turkey can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Turkey can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Turkey end in.tr.
Official websites of Turkey: goturkeytourism.com and welcomeinturkije.nl.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Turkey is 0090 or +90.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Turkey? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Turkey.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Turkey.
Holidays and school holidays
Turkey’s national holiday falls on October 29 (Republic Day).
An overview of all other holidays in Turkey can be found on Beleven.org.
You will find an overview of all school holidays in Turkey in the Eurydice school guide.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Turkey, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travel reports
Are you looking for a travel report (travel story) about Turkey?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Turkey. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Turkey can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Turkey can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Turkey? On the IATA website you will find an overview of the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money, medicines and perfume. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business in or do business with Turkey, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Turkey, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Studying and internship
Are you considering a study, internship or gap year in Turkey? You are by no means the only one and certainly not the first. To help you on your way, Nuffic (the Dutch organization for internationalization in education) has set up the WilWeg.nl website. On this website you will find all the information that can help you on your way, such as admission requirements, forms of education, accommodation, scholarships, internships, health insurance, study costs and of course experiences.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Turkey.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5.
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 18.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…Tulips officially come from Turkey?
…Yogurt is a Turkish invention?
…The word Turk means ‘strong’?
…Turkey only introduced surnames in 1934?
…More than 180 million people speak Turkish?
… Sinterklaas is not from Spain but from Turkey?
