Practical Information about Turkey

Facts and Figures
Official Name : Republic of Turkey
Capital : Ankara
Area : 780,000 Square Kilometers, 301,000 Square Miles Population : 71,000,000 (EST. 2007)
Population Growth Rate : 1,05 percent
Population Density : 92 per square kilometers, 239 per square miles
Life Expectancy : 73
Literacy Rate : 88 percent
Languages : Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic
Religion : Muslim : 99 percent, Other : 1 percent
Government : Presidential Republic
Formation : 29 October 1923 (Succeeded Ottoman State) Constitution : 7 November 1982
Voting : Universal at age 18
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) : 400,000 million US $
GDP per capita : 5,477 US $
Monetary Unit : 1 Turkish Lira (TL) divided to 100 Kurus Exports : Textiles, metals, tobacco, leather, wheat, cement, dried fruits, nuts, iron and steel products, olive oil, automobiles and trucks, chemicals
Imports : Liquid fuels, machinery, iron and steel, transportation equipment, chemicals, electrical and electronic equipment, plastics, rubber
Industries : Textiles, food processing, mining, steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper
Agriculture : Wheat, tobacco, cotton, olives, sugar beets, pulses, citrus fruits, nuts, barley, oilseeds, tea, vegetables, rice; sheep, goats, cattle, poultry, dairy, eggs, meat, honey, hides
Natural Resources : Antimony, coal, petroleum, natural gas, bauxite, manganese, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulfur, iron ore  

While You´re in Turkey

As in all countries, foreigners in Turkey have to comply with their host country's rules. Please always keep in mind the following:

The use and sale of drugs is prohibited.

Turkish Criminal Code No. 5237 prohibits sale of child, child prostitution and child pornography. Articles 103, 104, 226 and 227 of the said code lay down clauses on punishment for sexual abuse of children, child photography and obscenity.

The Turkish Flag it shall not be used on desks and podiums as a cover for any purpose except for official oath ceremonies. It shall not be put on places where people sit or stand. The shape of the flag shall not be made to these places and similar things. It shall not be worn as a dress or uniform. The Turkish Flag shall not be insulted or shown disrespect by speech, writing, action or any other means. The flag shall not be torn, burned, thrown or used without care. Any action that is against the Turkish Flag Law and the charter shall be prevented and relevant investigation shall be performed.

Transgressions could be punished by detention or other penalties. You are subject to local laws. A serious violation may lead to a jail sentence. The sentence will be served in local prisons.

Explicit authorization is needed for the purchase and/or removal of Turkish antiquities and other cultural artifacts. A receipt and the official "museum export certificate" are needed to legally export an item.

Selling, altering, or allowing another person to use your passport is a criminal offence. It could lead to the laying of charges and imprisonment if convicted. It could also lead to the denial of future passport services.

With the Maid

Here are some Turkish words and short sentences you may need while communicating with your maid.

Wash the dishes Bulasiklari yika
Dry the dishes Tabaklari kurula
Clean the top of the refrigerator Buzdolabinin üstünü temizle
Clean the refrigerator a sponge Buzdolabinin içini süngerle temizle
Clean the outside of the kitchen cupboards Mutfak dolaplarinin disini sil
Clean the oven Firini/ocagi temizle
Clean the inside of the kitchen Mutfak dolaplarinin içini temizle
Tidy up the drawers Çekmeceleri düzenle
Put everything away Herseyi yerine koy
Sweep Süpür
Scrub Ov
Wipe up Sil
Shake the rugs Halilari silkele
Do not shake the rugs Halilari silkeleme
Clean Temizle
Use the vacuum cleaner Elektrik süpürgesini kullan
Don't use the vacuum cleaner Elektrik süpürgesini kullanma
Mop the floor Yerleri sil
Dust Tozlari al
Straighten/tidy up Her tarafi topla
Do the laundry Çamasirlari yika
Make the beds Yataklari düzelt
Empty the ashtrays Sigara tablalarini dök
Empty the wastebasket Kagit sepetlerini dök
Clean the silver Gümüs takimlari parlat
Polish Parlat
Wash the balconies Balkonlari yika
Tide up the drawers Çekmeceleri düzenle
Clean the wall Duvarlari sil
Clean the toilets and the sink Tuvaletleri ve lavaboyu temizle

Change the bed sheets Çarsaflari degistir
Wax Cilala
Cook Pisir
Hang up the clothes Çamasirlari as
Wash the windows Camlari sil
Open the door Kapiyi aç
Shut the door Kapiyi kapat
Open the window Pencereyi aç
Shut the window Pencereyi kapat
Please watch the children while I am not here Burada olmadigim zaman çocuklara bakar misin lütfen
I want istiyorum Name or show what you want first then say istiyorum
For your maid to bring you an item or object, name what you want first then say getirir misin
For the maid to put something, name first the object, than the place and koyar misin

Your Right Hands

From the moment you set foot into your new home, your Kapici (person responsible for cleaning of a building and daily shopping) and his entire family will become your most trusted helpers. Besides your Kapici, the salesmen like Bakkal (small grocery), Manav (green grocer) and Kasap (butcher and poultry)scattered around your district are eager to help solve your daily problems and are there to meet your daily needs. Don’t be surprised if they consider you a family member!
Once better acquainted, a basket or shopping bag you happen to hang on your door knob will begin to mean fresh bread, milk, or anything else you require daily. Your kapici will be the one to pick-up your trash and dispose of it, however trash pick-up times vary from building-to-building. Body language is really all you need to communicate with this fellow or his family.

Your kapici's wife, often for a reasonable fee, can take care of any housecleaning you may need and if she doesn't seem to have any available days, you can be certain that she will definitely have a relative who does!

In Turkey, the person dealing with all the troubles of the apartment is called the Yönetici. He/she is selected among the inhabitants of the apartment at an annual meeting and he/she holds this post for a one-year period. In most apartments the inhabitants take turns holding this post. In some big apartments or sites this job is carried out by professional teams for an agreed payment.

The duties of the yönetici include: keeping a record of expenses, collecting rent, the general care of the garden and organizing the duties of kapici. If the heating of the apartment is with natural gas, the yönetici collects the amounts of the invoice against receipt. In some apartments this money is collected as cash (usually with the assistance of the kapici) or the inhabitants directly deposit the amount into a specified bank account.

The name and the flat number of the yönetici, together with necessary information are usually written at entrance of the apartment buildings.

The official representative of the state in each district is called Muhtar. He/she is elected by the votes of the district inhabitants during general elections. Generally the candidates are retired individuals who have lived in the district for a long period of time.

The responsibilities of the Muhtar include: listing the addresses of all the people living in the district and preparing ikamet senedi (authentication of address) and nüfus sureti (authentication of birth record) two fixed certificates that are requested in almost every official employment.

When you move to a new apartment the first thing you should do is learn the address of the muhtar either from your kapici or yönetici. Then drop by the muhtar's office to get a registration form, which needs to be filled out and approved by your yönetici then returned to the muhtar. It is also necessary to inform the old muhtar when you leave a district and before registering in your new district.

The Muhtar is the most important authority in a village. If you live in a small village you can be certain that the muhtar can be instrumental in helping you adjust to your new environment.

Smoking Habits

Photo: Hayri Çaliskan
Smoking cigarettes is the Turks’ favorite national pastime. Their smoking habits are known worldwide and even some sayings such as “Smoking like Turk” which is used for heavy smokers or “Gives off smoke like a Turk” which is used for smoking chimneys.
In theory, smoking is prohibited on public transportation vehicles, in terminals, airports, banks and the like. On the other hand when you see the thrown bits of cigarettes on the floors you can question how much people obey this rule. Some 5-star hotels have floors for non-smokers. However you may not have a chance to find even a non-smoking room at ordinary hotels. Most restaurants do not have separate parts for non-smokers.

Nargile (hubble-bubble) is among the most interesting and joyous smoking habits. Tourists, who visit Turkey, are attracted to the hubble-bubble and try once. Moreover they often buy nargile and its tobacco as souvenirs to take home to their family and friends.

Cigarettes, pipe and cigar tobaccos are produced and sold by Tekel (Turkish Tobacco Monopolies). However it is hard to say they are the best quality. Tekel also imports cigarettes, pipe and cigar tobaccos of well known international brands and you can find them almost everywhere, even at peddlers on the streets. Don’t hesitate to bargain when shopping at these peddlers.

Despite all these various alternatives we recommend you not to smoke for the sake of your health. We wish you nicotine-free days.