Turkey

SAFETY: fair
In recent times the country has suffered a number of attacks by Kurdish separatists and radical Islamist fringes; although no direct, specific threats against tourists have been identified so far, the utmost caution is recommended throughout the country, including at tourist attractions.
Petty crime tends towards small-scale scams and theft rather than violence. Travel is not advised in the border areas with Iraq (owing to the Kurdish presence, Turkish cross-border military operations and the presence of landmines) and with Syria, because of the ongoing conflict.  Mount Agri (Ararat) is a military zone and access is granted only to those who apply in good time through a travel agency.

TRANSPORT: good
The road network is extensive and functional, though rather congested with traffic. The railway network is broad and well structured, but the level of service is very low. Air links, both domestic and international, are excellent.

Main airports: Adana, Ankara (Esenboga and Etimesgut), Antalya, Bursa, Dalaman, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Istanbul (Sabiha Gökçen and Ataturk), Isparta, Izmir (Adnan Menderes and Cigli), Kars, Samsun, Sinop, Trabzon, Van.
Main ports: Aliaga, Ambarli, Eregli, Haydarpasa, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Toros.

HOSPITALITY:excellent
The country's vocation for tourism is plain to see in the quantity and quality of what it offers visitors.

COUNTRY FACTS: Full name: Republic of Turkey – Location: Middle East. Borders: the Aegean Sea to the west, Greece, Bulgaria and the Sea of Marmara to the north-west, the Black Sea to the north, Georgia to the north-east, Armenia and Azerbaijan to the east, Iraq to the south-east, Syria and the Mediterranean Sea to the south – Time zone: UTC+2, 1 hour ahead of Italy –  Area: 779,000 km² – Capital: Ankara – Population: 71,159,000– Religion: 99.8% Sunni Muslim, 0.1% Christian, 0.1% Jewish – Languages: Turkish (official language), Kurdish, Azeri, Kabardian – Measures: metric system.

CURRENCY: New Turkish lira (TRY). There are no restrictions on temporary visitors bringing in foreign currency – Credit cards: normally accepted, as are traveller's cheques, except in the more outlying regions – Exchange: bring euros, which are easily converted and accepted for payment in the main urban and tourist areas.

ELECTRICITY: 230 V and 50 Hz – Sockets: two-pin type; bring an adapter.

DOCUMENTS: for tourist stays an identity card valid for foreign travel is sufficient; for other types of stay a passport is required. Italian citizens can obtain a tourist visa free of charge at the border, valid for a maximum of 3 months –Driving: Italian driving licence– Car: Green Card valid for the whole of Turkey, on both sides of the Bosphorus, or a short-term local policy.

COMMUNICATIONS AND TELEPHONES: International dialling code.: 0090 – GSM: coverage available across the entire country. Standards: GSM 900/1800 and 3G 2100 (as in Italy). Local operators: Avea Iletisim Hizmetleri, Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri and Vodafone Telekomunikasyon – Internet: service available throughout the country – Web domain: .tr – Emergency numbers: tourist police (English-speaking): Ankara 0090 312 3840606; Antalya 0090 242 2431061; Istanbul 0090 212 5285369; Izmir 0090 232 4173785; roadside assistance 0212 278 62 14

RULES, LAWS AND CONDUCT: possession of narcotics (even in small quantities) is punishable by up to 2 years' imprisonment, and dealing by 10 to 20 years' imprisonment. Sexual offences and violence against minors are severely punished. Any hiking activity in the Ararat area is subject to obtaining authorisation from the Turkish diplomatic or consular mission in Italy. Homosexuality is legal and the age of consent is 18. In any event, the utmost discretion is recommended, Turkey being a predominantly Muslim country.

HEALTH: no vaccinations are compulsory. Some endemic diseases, such as intestinal infections and hepatitis, are still present in small towns. On medical advice, malaria prophylaxis may be recommended for those travelling to south-eastern Anatolia from mid-March to mid-September. The health situation can be described as reasonably satisfactory, even though some public hospitals are lacking.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: 1 January, New Year's Day; 23 April, Independence Day and Children's Day; 19 May, Youth and Sports Day; 30 August, Victory Day; 29 October, Republic Day; 6 October, Liberation of Istanbul Day; 10 November, anniversary of the death of Atatürk; Islamic holidays.

OPENING HOURS: Post offices: Mon-Fri 08:30-12:30, 13:30-17:30. In Istanbul and Ankara the main post offices are open 24 hours – Banks: Mon-Fri 08:30-12:00, 13:30-17:00 – Shops: Mon-Fri 08:00-13:30, 15:00-18:00, Sat 08:00-13:00.

CLIMATE: three main climatic regions: the Mediterranean (with dry summers, mild winters and an almost subtropical climate in the southernmost areas), the Pontic region facing the Black Sea (with a mild climate, plentiful rainfall spread across the year, cool summers and cold winters) and the interior plateau (with a continental climate marked by wide daily and seasonal temperature swings, very hot summers and freezing winters).

Monthly min/max temperatures (in °C)

Rainfall table (days with at least 1 mm of rain)/monthly mm

USEFUL ADDRESSES IN ITALY

Embassy and Consulate of Turkey
Via Palestro 28 – 00185 Rome – Tel. 06 445941 (consular section: 06 445941) – Fax 06 4941526 – E-mail:roma.be@libero.it – Website: www.ambasciataditurchia.it

Consulate
Via Larga 19 – 20122 Milan – Tel. 02 5821201 – Fax 02 58212081

Culture and Information Office of the Turkish Embassy
Piazza della Repubblica 56 – 00185 Rome – Tel. 064871190/4871393 – Fax 064882425 – Web: www.turchia.it – E-mail: turchia@turchia.it

USEFUL ADDRESSES IN TURKEY

Italian Embassy
Ataturk Bulvari 118 – Ankara – Tel. 0090 312 4574200 – Fax 0090 312 4574280 – Web:www.ambankara.esteri.it – E-mail: ambasciata.ankara@esteri.it

Consulate General
Tom Tom Kaptan Sokak 15 – 34100 Beyoglu – Istanbul – Tel. 0090 212 2431024/2431025 – Fax 0090 212 2525879 – Web: www.consistanbul.esteri.it – E-mail: consolatogenerale.istanbul@esteri.it

Consulate
Cumhuriyet Meydani 12/3 – 35210 Pasaport – Izmir – Tel. 0090 232 4636676/4636696 – Fax 0090 232 4212512 – Web: www.consizmir.esteri.it – E-mail: consolato.izmir@esteri.it