Turkey, the ancient bridge between East and West and the cultural link between Europe, Asia and the Middle East, has seen the rise and fall of many dynasties and empires, from the Hittites to the Ottomans. As a strategic crossroads, Turkey has long drawn a wide range of travelers and remains a culturally and historically rich destination.
The mold for modern-day Turkey was cast by Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk), who westernized Turkey in the early 20th century and brought about sweeping political, social, legal and economic reforms. He even changed the Turkish alphabet from Arabic script, which had been used for over 1,000 years, to the Latin alphabet.
Though the country is predominantly Muslim (99 percent), Turkey's government is a democratic, pluralist parliamentary system and the only secular state in the Islamic world. Turkish is the official language, but French, German and English are widely spoken particularly in the cities such as Istanbul, Bodrum, Antalya, Izmir, Marmaris, Ankara and Samsun.
Turkey's climate and weather varies across regions. The Aegean and Mediterranean costal region has hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Along the Black Sea coast, summers are warm and winters mild and very wet. Central Anatolia has a steppe climate with hot, dry summers and cold winters. Eastern Anatolia winters are long, bitterly cold and snowy. Southeast Anatolia has hot summers and mild, rainy winters. Istanbul's average July temperature is 23C (73F) and in January the temperature hovers around the freezing mark.
Tourism to Turkey is growing and numerous tours are available. Visitors have plenty of hotel options in the cities and resort towns also offer villas. Turkish food is delicious and regional variations add variety. Turkish coffee is an important part of social life at homes and local cafes or Turkish coffee houses. Tourists can experience the cultural heritage of Turkey dating back to the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Many cafes feature traditional Turkish music and dance. Adventurous travelers can experience a Turkish bath in a traditional Turkish bathhouse.
Telecommunications systems in Turkey are reliable. Pay phones are readily available in the cities and larger towns. Turkey also has a GSM 900 mobile phone network with coverage across much of the country. Internet cafes are growing in popularity and are numerous, especially near universities, tourist areas and main shopping areas across the nation.
Turkey is accessible by air (Turkish Airlines is the largest), sea, rail or road. There are numerous options for internal transport. Taxis are plentiful in towns and cities. Private companies operate comfortable, efficient intercity buses, and trains with sleeping and restaurant cars connect most major cities. Rental cars are available and can be hired with drivers. Highways, especially in the southwestern, coastal region of the country are well maintained, but rural roads are sometimes poor; visiting drivers need an International Driving Permit.
Violent crime targeting foreigners in Turkey is rare; however, petty crimes such as pickpocketing, purse snatching and simple assaults occur most frequently in metropolitan and tourist areas, particularly in Istanbul. Safeguard yourself and your belongings. Be advised that there are police and Jandarma checkpoints on roads throughout the southeast due to the presence of Kurdish organizations opposed to the Turkish government. Be sure to have travel documents in order and be prepared to provide identification. Do not accept letters, parcels or other items from strangers for delivery within or outside of Turkey; members of the Kurdish Workers' Party have attempted to use foreigners to deliver messages and packages.
Please see our Destinations Report Section for a FREE map of Turkey and more current updates on the country.