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.
Brian Webb - experienced Australian Pilot
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 5547
I have been flying paragliders since 1986, before that hang gliders for several year. I started my paragliding school in Bright, Australia in 1988 and taught over 3,000 people to fly before moving on to specialise in paragliding XC Tours and XC skills development clinics.
Gunther Lawer - Paraglider and Tour Guide
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 13092
I'm flying paragliders since 1996. I was hooked from the moment when my feet lost contact to the ground for the first view seconds - I was flying!
Murat Iştın - flying meteorologist
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 4885
Murat Iştın, who is a meteorologist and at the same time, paragliding pilot, was born in Balıkesir in 1980. After completing his primary and secondary education in Balıkesir, he graduated from Ankara Anadolu Meteorology Vocational High School in 1998 and started his professional meteorology career by working at Van Ferit Melen Airport.
Pal Takats - most skilled acro pilot
- Written by Portal Editor
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 20553
Pal Takats is among the most skilled acro pilots ever. The young Hungarian pilot is a real paragliding and acro zealot – in a positive way. Please read what he is telling about himself:
Wild Water Rafting on Alara River in Turkey
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 8110
For professional rafters and beginners. There are lots of wild water streams coming down from the Taurus Mountains, but a few of them are really difficult to handle on rafts. You need a well-trained body with powerful muscles to move down safely. Permission is also required.
Martin Jovanoski - Competition Paraglider and test pilot
- Written by Portal Editor
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 4268
Our explorations in the area of Lake Ohrid had surprisingly let us to two take-off spaces for paragliders situated in the Galicica National Park or above Struga in the border mountains to Albania.
Gazipaşa - still rural coined Green Area
- Written by Portal Editor
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 5753
An excursion tour together with our co-author Detlef Heinzel, who has lived in Gazipasa for several years, had led us again to Gazipasa, the still green and rural small town with a predominantly rural bustle, please follow his short report:
Alanya Museum - Bronze Age to modern surround findings
- Written by Portal Editor
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 1642
The museum in Alanya, which opened in 1967, consists of two main sections, in which archaeological and ethnological treasures are exhibited.
Kahramanmaras and the specialities of the region
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 5261
Kahramanmaraş is a provincial centre in the east of Turkey and has got 465.370 inhabitants (number from 2007). Up to the end of the Turkish Independence War the town and the province was only called Maraş.
Tarsus the Capital of ancient Cilicia
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 221793
Tarsus was the Capital of Cilicia, situated on the banks of the river Cydnus and commanding the road from the Mediterranean Sea to Central Anatolia through the Cilician Gate.
Anamur - Ancient Roman Settlement and Medieval Castle
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 18860
After leaving Alanya and driving for about two hours along very small, winding but breathtaking roads, past beautiful bays and lonely beaches, you will reach Anamur, a place not yet touched by mass tourism.
Alahan Monastery in Mut at Göksu Valley
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 12450
We headed from Mut towards Karaman on Highway 715, which is currently being improved. After the first bend about 22 kilometres after leaving Mut, we are struck by the silhouette of the Alahan Monastery higher up on the mountain.
Mut, the City of Apricot
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 7584
We went to Karaman again with regard to preparation of the 2011 Paragliding Weeks. Here, the district governor drew our attention to the ancient city of Claudiopolis and invited us to see the district centre called Mut and its vicinity. This region is especially famous for growing of Mut Apricot, which is an aromatic apricot type.
Kilise Tepe at River Göksu
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 7686
Our invitation from the Municipality of Mut, especially by the Kaymakam….. includes one more special event when we were going to Kilise Tepe, about 25 Kilometers outside of Mut. Always following the Göksu River we at least were leaving the main road going into a farm road, then even going cross country.
Turkey - Bird Watching at Göksu River
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 16057
Turkey is one of the richest countries in wetlands among the countries in Europe and the Middle East. These wetlands have great importance especially for wildlife as well as for local economy.
The Cave Church of Alaoda
- Written by Portal Editor
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 4911
If you drive the road between Karaman and Mut, you should take a short break at the village of Geçimli (Malya) and ask passers-by for directions to the church grotto and the monastery of Alaoda. There was no signage at that time.
Adana Airport - Şakirpaşa Havalimanı
- Written by Portal Editor
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 7127
Adana Airport (Turkish Adana Şakirpaşa Havalimanı) is one of the largest Turkish airports and is located near Adana.
Taşucu - Ferry to Girne-Kyrenia on Northern Cyprus
- Written by Portal Editor
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 7425
A really nondescript town on the Turkish Riviera, which has got its fame almost exclusively due to its car-ferry harbor: Taşucu - Ferry to Girne / Kyrenia on Northern Cyprus.
The ruins of Tokmar Kalesi near Silifke
- Written by Portal Editor
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 3898
After visiting Yilan Kalesi near Ceyhan and the Lambron Castle near Camliyaila, we drove back to Tarsus and then took the coastal road D 400 in the direction of Silifke via Anamur and Gazipasa to Alanya.
Free climbing with courage - two climbers show their skills
- Written by Portal Editor
- Category: Turkish Riviera
- Hits: 2336
What do paragliders, at least some of them, do when wind and weather conditions do not offer good flight conditions? Yes, right, you climb freely and without any equipment on the rocks of the take off.