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.
Foreign persons are allowed to establish either a joint stock company or a limited liability company in Turkey under the provisions of the Foreign Capital Promotion Law to invest directly in Turkey. Therefore, general basics about these two companies are explained under this title.
For the traveler initially unfamiliar are the license plates on motor homes and camper vehicles starting with numbers that meet us on the roads so far and increasingly in Western Europe which are reflecting the numbers of the provinces of Turkey.
Anyone traveling through Turkey as a holidaymaker or business-traveller in a car, truck or motorhome will encounter toll stations on the Turkish motorways that are comparable to European standards.
Because of the rapid development in tourism and more requests for flats and villas, the duties of the architects have changed. Today clients want modern designed villas and technically equipped flats.
Together with the increasing number of foreigners living over here in Turkey, the faces of the villages and towns are changing too. More and more attention is being paid to the planning and construction of modern traffic areas, to large, well-kept green areas and in general to the development of a modern infrastructure.
In order to make the Turkish laws as similar as possible to the European ones, the Legal Board of Construction is introducing new ones. Most of the newly introduced regulations are quite similar to the ones we know from Europe, especially from Germany.
During the last weekend the team of “alaturka” has got a very special invitation by the company BDC-Construction, to join a topping-out ceremony based on German tradition in Kargicak.
‘A passive house is a building in which a comfortable interior climate can be maintained without active heating and cooling systems’ (Adamson 1987 and Feist 1988). Proper ventilation of a Passive House is critical due to the air tightness within the home. The health and comfort of the inhabitants are the most important objectives of a Passive House design.
Whenever you are in Turkey, you may be surprised that a lot of Turkish people notice your orign just by watching you and they are able to use your language properly. Listening to all the different people in a bazaar, you will hear a lot of different nationalities as there is English, German, Dutch and Danish, but also Norwegian and Russian.
Post offices are mainly small and sometimes hard to find. You need to look for signs showing PTT or, in tourist areas, post office. Post office business hours vary. Main post offices in the centres are always open from Monday to Saturday from 8.00 am to 12.00 noon, and on Sundays from 9.00 am to 7.00 pm.
One thing every visitor to Turkey would like to avoid, is to need a lawyer. However, as usual in daily life, there can be certain situations where you are absolutely helpless and may need the experience of a well - trained lawyer, whether it is because of a traffic problem or something more serious.
These numbers are valid anywhere in Turkey and put you immediately in contact with the Turkish emergency services. Calling these services are offered free of charge, 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
Flats, plots and beautiful villas for a reasonable amount of money! European buyers of real estate in Turkey will get the full guarantee and security of the Turkish government concerning their property.
In appropriate sections of the European laws concerning Civil Rights, the broker is described as a person who is responsible for creating and signing a contract ordered by his principal and, in return, is paid. In these circumstances, contracts with brokers can be obligatory for one side only.
If legitimate real estate is offered to you, you should always follow these guidelines:
Within the last 15 years the number of inhabitants of Turkey and its big cities has increased enormously. It is not just the foreign citizens who have settled over here who are responsible for that. Lots of Turkish people have moved to big cities as well. Because of the development here, they think that they will easily find jobs and earn their money.
Import of household goods to Turkey by foreigners
It doesn't matter if you are the owner of a villa or flat or whether you just have rented it, household insurance offers protection in the following cases:
With the Foreign Capital Law No. 6224 which went into effect in 1954, Turkey adopted the most liberal law of the period. The liberalization policies adopted in the 1980s, and the changes in the regulation of currency exchange have made foreign capital investments quite attractive.
The term "New Turkish Lira" has had its day. From January 1, 2010, the currency will only be called the "Turkish Lira", said central bank chief Durmus Yilmaz.