Türkiye – broad history and mass tourism today

Since the founding of the republic in 1923 as the successor state to the Ottoman Empire, Turkey has been secular and Kemalist in orientation. The country's founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, initiated a modernization of Turkey through social and legal reforms modelled on various European nation states.

The current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been at the helm of the country since 2003. Since around 2012, he has led the country in an increasingly authoritarian manner. Freedom of expression and freedom of the press in particular are considered to be severely restricted. The currency and debt crisis triggered by its economic policies as well as high inflation have continued since 2018, which makes Turkey quite attractive from a tourist perspective.

The culture of today's Turkey is a fusion of the ancient Turkish nomadic culture of Central Asia and Siberia, the Greco-Roman era, the culture in the Ottoman Empire with its Byzantine, Persian, Arabic, Caucasian, Armenian and Kurdish influences, as well as the strong European direction since the founding of the Republic Ataturk. The cultural centre of the country is the metropolis of Istanbul.

With the political changes, the content of Turkish literature also changed. Early representatives include Fakir Baykurt, Sabahattin Ali, Sait Faik Abasıyanık and Yaşar Kemal, who put ordinary people at the centre of their work. With the turn to describing living conditions, social and political criticism of the state is inevitable. The state reacts with censorship and political violence. Authors like Nâzım Hikmet, Yaşar Kemal and Aziz Nesin spend many years in Turkish prisons because of the persecution of their publications. Kemal therefore referred to the prison as a “school of Turkish literature”.

Turkish cuisine has also influenced Greek and the rest of the Balkan cuisine - including etymology. For example, tzaziki comes from the Turkish cacık, and Ćevapčići comes from kabapcik. Yogurt also comes from Turkish Yoğurt. Doner kebab is made from beef, veal or poultry. In Turkey, but also in other countries, the kebab is also served on a plate.

Legal Investments

Prior to 1980, Turkey followed an economic policy based on the substitution of imports. Instead of importing, her goal was to manufacture products in the country which would meet the domestic demand. For long periods of time, newly established industrial branches were protected by customs tariffs and other equally effective taxes.

Hints and Tips for Travellers to Turkey

Friendly behaviour is always treated with kindness. Show some respect to elderly people and learn some Turkish words and phrases. Women should dress suitably if they don't want too much publicity and harassment. 

Paragliding in Turkey. It is always fun!

Paragliding sport is to take off by means of running from a high hill instead of plane with a parachute similar to free style jumping parachute on the first look. Parachute, which is lied on a inclined and high hill, is filled with air with the running of pilot and take off with pilot.

The Blue Glas Eye - Nazar Boncugu

All over Turkey you will see these blue wall eyes, called Nazar Boncugu. In Arabic, Nazar means view or look. This word has the same meaning in the Turkish language. There is a strange belief held by people that there are sometimes negative, bad, and even destructive forces at work. This is what they call the evil eye.

Turkey - Country on two Continents

Whenever travelling to Turkey, don´t forget that Turkey belongs to the Eastern European Time zone. In relation to CET (Central European Time), you need to add one hour.

World Wide Known Tradition - Hookah - turkish nargile!

With great relish Ahmed is leaning back and blowing a thick cloud of white smoke into the air. After a gulp of tea and a few words with his neighbour he turns back to his hookah. With the help of a pair of small tongs he puts several pieces of coal into the correct position on the wooden head of the hookah.

Festivals and Celebrations in Turkey

On this date in 1920, during the War of Independence, the Turkish Grand National Assembly was established in Ankara by Mustafa Kemal and laid down the foundations of a new independent state from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.

Diving - What picturesque surroundings!

The rough rock drops down vertically into the depths. The stones seem to shine. Like the flowers of the dandelion, huge amounts of long-tentacled plate corals grow on the rocks. Starfishes of orange and red are everywhere.

Winter Sports - Skiing in the Taurus Mountains?

Nobody spending a summer holiday on the beach would believe it, but it is true! There are lots of skiing-resorts all over Turkey. Some of the biggest ones are close to Antalya. There will always be enough snow to guarantee skiing until late spring. 

Start-up capital in Turkish companies

Shares of the proceeds to which foreign investors are entitled from a complete or partial liquidation of a company that is subject to the Foreign Capital Promotion Act can be obtained through sale at a reasonable price.

Euro transfers to Turkey are showing a rapid decline

Since the time of the German economic miracle with a rapidly increasing number of Turkish guest workers in the 1960s and 1970s, the amounts of monthly transfers from Germany to Turkey to support the family members who remained there had also increased continuously.