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.
Gümbet stretches to the west of Bodrum and there is just a distance of about 3 kilometres between the centre of Bodrum and Gümbet. The region developed rapidly and became an alternative entertainment centre to Bodrum.
Akyarlar, the village of fishermen and formerly of the notorious sponge divers with its traditional whitewashed houses, is located just 22 kilometres from Bodrum.
Turgutreis, a small town on the west coast of the Bodrum peninsula, is probably just known for its most famous inhabitant, the pirate and later admiral of the Ottoman fleet, Turgut Reis. The naming of the town is at least based on his person.
Midway along the north shore of the peninsula, Göltürkbükü nestles in a pretty bay surrounded by hills. The once separate fishing hamlets of Türkbükü and Gölköy came together a short time ago. It is 20 kilometres away from Bodrum on the northern side of peninsula and is a good spot for a quiet relaxing holiday.
On the north-eastern coastline along the Bodrum peninsula lies the small town of Torba, well hidden in a charming little bay that offers protection and is only 6 kilometers from the city center of Bodrum.
Gaziemir is a district of İzmir Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. It is one of the metropolitan districts of Greater İzmir and is situated to the south of central İzmir (Konak) on the road to the İzmir harbour,
The construction of Bodrum Castle was begun in 1406 by the Knights of Saint John. It was built on top of the old Turkish and Byzantine castles and given the name of Saint Peter. The construction of the castle continued until 1522.
Bodrum Museum is the biggest and most important archaeological underwater museum in the world and the only one in Turkey. A great majority of the relics on show consist of those raised during underwater excavations and those brought to the museum by sponge divers, now on display in the museum located in Bodrum Castle.
Bagla nestles 14 kilometres away from the city of Bodrum in one of the most beautiful coves on the southern peninsula. The dazzling cove to the west of Bağla Cape with its beautiful beaches is popular with boat tours and the region is an excellent place to camp.
This sleepy and outstanding hamlet nestles in a very beautiful bay and is one of the oldest settlements on the peninsula od Bodrum. The original Lelegian city of Myndos once stood southeast of here.
Turkey is the most important producer of bathing sponges. In May, the men of the villages around Bodrum set sail on their narrow boats along the western coast for five months to look for sponges.
The centre of Muğla is situated on a plain surrounded by mountains stretching from the foot of the Asar Mountain (Castle). Some of the most famous and impressive tourist centres are within the boundaries of the region of Muğla.
The Mausoleum is the oldest of the ancient sites in Bodrum (originally called Halicarnassus) and was built by Artemisia II in honour of her husband, the Persian King Mausolos.
Datça is a pretty, quiet harbor where the Aegean and the Mediterrenean Seas meet. It is about 70 kilometres to the west of Marmaris on the south of the Datça Peninsula. The small town is lapped on one side by the waters of the Aegean Sea and on the other side by the Mediterrenean.
Bodrum, ancient Halicarnassus, is famous mainly due to the Mausoleum once located there, a tomb, the Persian satrap of Caria King Mausolus II. erected during his lifetime. The huge mausoleum was considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Miletus is located (an hour away from Didim) in the city of Soke's Balat village. In ancient times it was on the western coast of Anatolia (currently the province of Aydın), near the Maeander River in ancient Caria.
Akbük is a place with a beautiful bay and surrounded by protected forests and olive groves. Located on the south west coast of the Aegean Region, approximately 19km from the lively resort of Altınkum, 65km from Kuşadası and about 70km from the Bodrum Airport.
Bafa Lake is situated in southwest Turkey, part of it within the boundaries of Milas district of Muğla Province and the northern part within Aydın Province's Soke district, approx. 30 km from Didim.
Euromos, one of the antique cities of Carian lands, located between Lake Bafa and Milas town, is about 12 km away from the town center of Milas.
The small Turkish town of Söke is located on the A 525 between Kuşadası and Milas. Located as both a city and a district in the province of Aydın on the Turkish Aegean coast, the district had a population of 115,490 in 2008.