Practical information
Money & costs
Costs
Turkey is no
longer Europe’s bargain-basement destination, but it still offers good value
for money. Costs are lowest in eastern Anatolia, and Cappadocia, Selçuk,
Pamukkale and Olympos still offer bargain prices. Prices are highest in
İstanbul, İzmir, Ankara and the touristy coastal cities and towns. In these
places you can get by on €30 to €40 per person per day, provided you use public
transport, stay in pensions, share bathrooms and eat out at a basic eatery once
a day (add extra for entry to sights). Away from İstanbul, and the Aegean and
Mediterranean coasts, budget travellers can travel on as little as €25 to €35
per day. Throughout the country for €35 to €55 per day you can upgrade to
midrange hotels with private bathrooms and eat most meals in restaurants. On
more than €55 per day you can enjoy Turkey’s boutique hotels, take occasional
flights, and wine and dine out every day.
Although
inflation has dropped from the stratospheric levels of the 1990s to around 9%,
if we quoted Turkish new lira, prices would probably be out of date before
long.
Tipping
In the
cheapest restaurants locals leave a few coins in the change tray. Elsewhere you
should tip about 10% to 15% of the bill. Some more expensive restaurants
automatically add a 10% or 15% servis ücreti (service charge) to your bill, but
there’s no guarantee this goes to the staff, so you may want to tip the staff directly.
Tips are not
expected in cheaper hotels. In more expensive places a porter will carry your
luggage and show you to your room. For doing this (and showing you how to turn
on the lights and the television) he’ll expect about 3% of the room price.
It’s usual
to round up metered taxi fares to the nearest 50 kuruş, so round up YTL4.70 to
YTL5. Dolmuş drivers never expect a tip.
In Turkish
baths you should tip around 10% to 20% to the masseuse/masseur. In the
tourist-oriented hamams the fixed price may already be so high that you may
assume that service is included, but it usually isn’t and a tip is appreciated.
If you are
shown around a site that is not normally open to the public or are given a
guided tour by the custodian, you should certainly tip them for their trouble.
A few YTL for 10 or so minutes is usually fine.
Economy
Turkey is
infamous for a galloping inflation rate that tipped 77.5% in the 1990s, with so
many zeros regularly added to the currency that having a tea for 1, 000, 000
Turkish lira no longer seemed a joke.
An economic
collapse in early 2001 compounded the country’s woes. Inflation skyrocketed and
the value of the Turkish lira plummeted. Kemal Derviş, a newly appointed
Minister of the Economy, succeeded in sweet-talking the IMF for loans and made
much-needed economic reforms, thus avoiding a potentially disastrous downward
spiral.
By January
2005, under the direction of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the
economy was considered robust enough to introduce the new Turkish lira (Yeni
Türk Lirası) and finally do away with six zeroes on each and every banknote.
For a year or so the yeni lira looked fairly stable, but in early 2006 a global
downturn saw an exodus of international money and the currency lost some 18% of
its value. Investors were left feeling shaky, sadly reminded of Turkey’s
vulnerability due to its high debt and current-account deficit. While the AKP
had been boasting about bettering their IMF repayments, they were left
red-faced. With the aid of the Central Bank the currency is back on track – for
now.
Money
Turkey’s
currency is the Yeni Türk Lirası (New Turkish Lira; YTL). Lira comes in coins
of 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 kuruş and a 1 lira coin, and notes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and
100 lira.
After
decades of rampant inflation – as high as 70% – the Turkish lira started to
stabilise in 2003; by 2004 inflation was down to around 12%. The Yeni Türk
Lirası was introduced in January 2005. However, it still makes sense to wait
until you arrive in Turkey to change your money into lira since you will
probably get a better exchange rate inside the country than outside. Turkish
lira are virtually worthless outside Turkey, so make sure you spend them all
before leaving.
Restaurateurs
and shop owners don’t often carry large-denomination notes on them, so try to
keep a supply of small money on you for small payments.
ATMs
ATMs
dispense new Turkish lira to Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus and Maestro card holders.
Look for these logos on the machines; they are found in most towns. Virtually
all the machines offer instructions in English, French and German. It’s
possible to get around Turkey using only ATMs, provided you remember to draw
out money in the towns to tide you through the villages that don’t have them,
and keep some cash in reserve for the inevitable day when the machine throws a
wobbly, or it’s a holiday. You can usually draw out about €350 per day.
Note that if
your card is swallowed by a stand-alone ATM booth, it may be tricky getting it
back in a hurry – these booths are often run by franchisees rather than by the
banks themselves.
Cash
US dollars
and euros are the easiest currencies to change, although many banks and
exchange offices will change other major currencies such as UK pounds and
Japanese yen. You may find it difficult to exchange Australian or Canadian
currency except at banks and offices in major cities.
Credit
cards
Visa and
MasterCard/Access are widely accepted by hotels, shops, bars and restaurants,
although not by pensions and local restaurants outside main tourist areas. You
can also get cash advances on these cards. Amex cards are rarely accepted.
Moneychangers
It’s easy to
change major currencies in exchange offices, some post offices (PTTs), shops
and hotels, although banks tend to make heavy weather of it. Places that don’t
charge a commission usually offer a worse exchange rate instead.
Although
Turkey has no black market, foreign currencies are readily accepted in shops,
hotels and restaurants in many tourist areas.
Travellers
cheques
Our advice:
don’t bring them! Banks, shops and hotels usually see it as a burden to change
travellers cheques and will either try to get you to go elsewhere or charge you
a premium for changing them.
Health & safety
Before you go
A little
planning before departure, particularly for pre-existing illnesses, will save
you a lot of trouble later. See your dentist before a long trip; carry a spare
pair of contact lenses and glasses (and take your optical prescription with
you); and carry a first-aid kit with you.
It’s
tempting to leave it all to the last minute – don’t! Many vaccines don’t ensure
immunity until two weeks after they are given, so visit a doctor four to eight
weeks before departure. Ask your doctor for an International Certificate of
Vaccination (otherwise known as the yellow booklet), which will list all the
vaccinations you’ve received. This is mandatory for countries that require
proof of yellow fever vaccination upon entry, but it’s a good idea to carry it
wherever you travel.
Travellers
can register with the International Association for Medical Advice to
Travellers (IMAT; www.iamat.org). Its website can help travellers to find a
doctor with recognised training.
Bring
medications in their original, clearly labelled, containers. A signed and dated
letter from your physician describing your medical conditions and medications,
including generic names, is also a good idea. If carrying syringes or needles,
be sure to have a physician’s letter documenting their medical necessity.
Insurance
Find out in
advance if your insurance plan will make payments directly to providers or
reimburse you later for overseas health expenditures (in Turkey doctors
generally expect payment in cash). If you are required to pay upfront, make
sure you keep all documentation. Some policies ask you to call a centre in your
home country (reverse charges) for an immediate assessment of your problem.
It’s also worth ensuring your travel insurance will cover ambulances or
transport either home or to better medical facilities elsewhere. Not all
insurance covers emergency medical evacuation home by plane or to a hospital
in a major city, which may be the only way to get medical attention in a
serious emergency.
Your travel
insurance will not usually cover you for anything other than emergency dental
treatment.
Recommended
vaccinations
The World
Health Organization recommends that all travellers, regardless of the region
they are travelling in, should be covered for diphtheria, tetanus, measles,
mumps, rubella and polio, as well as hepatitis B. While making preparations to
travel, take the opportunity to ensure that all of your routine vaccination
cover is complete. The consequences of these diseases can be severe and
outbreaks do occur in the Middle East. Rabies is also endemic in Turkey, so if
you will be travelling off the beaten track you might want to consider an
anti-rabies jab.
Internet
resources
There is a
wealth of travel health advice on the internet. For further information, the
Lonely Planet website (www.lonelyplanet.com) is a good place to start. The
World Health Organization (www.who.int/ith/en) publishes a superb book,
International Travel and Health, which is revised annually and is available
online at no cost. Another website of general interest is MD Travel Health
(www.mdtravelhealth.com), which provides complete travel health recommendations
for every country, updated daily, also at no cost. The website for the Centers
for Disease Control & Prevention (www.cdc.gov) is a very useful source of
traveller’s health information.
Further
reading
Lonely
Planet’s Travel With Children is packed with useful information on topics such
as pretrip planning, emergency first aid, immunisation and disease information
and what to do if you get sick on the road. Other recommended references
include Traveller’s Health by Dr Richard Dawood, International Travel Health
Guide by Stuart R Rose MD and The Travellers’ Good Health Guide by Ted
Lankester, an especially useful health guide for volunteers and long-term
expatriates working in the Middle East.
Dangers &
annoyances
Although
Turkey is by no way a dangerous country to visit, it’s always wise to be a
little cautious, especially if you’re travelling alone. Be wary of pickpockets
in buses, markets and other crowded places. Keep an eye out for anyone lurking
near ATMs.
In Turkey
safety seems a low priority. Holes in pavements go unmended and unlit at night;
precipitous drops go unguarded; safety belts are worn only as long as it takes
to drive past a police officer before being released; lifeguards on beaches are
conspicuous by their absence. Don’t even ask yourself how safe it is for a
dolmuş driver to be negotiating a bend while simultaneously counting out
change! Things are changing slowly, but parents of young children in particular
will need to be on their guard at all times.
At the time
of writing, travelling in the southeast is safe as the unrest there appears to
have largely subsided. However, the Kurdish issue is far from resolved, so be
sure to check the situation before setting out.
Scams
& druggings
Turkey is
one of the friendliest and most welcoming countries on the planet, but there
will always be a few sharks in the mix. Although it wouldn’t do to be paranoid
about potential scams, it does pay to be careful, especially in İstanbul.
One of the most
popular scams targeted at single men is the nightclub-bar shake-down – it
mostly happens in İstanbul. You probably know the scene: you’re strolling
through Sultanahmet, when you’re approached by a dapper young man who starts up
a conversation. After your initial hesitation, and once you realise he’s not
affiliated with a carpet shop, you start chatting away. He’s says he’s off to
meet friends for a drink in Beyoğlu, as there’s nowhere to party in
Sultanahmet. Would you like to go along? Woohoo! You go into a bar and are
approached by some girls by which time it’s way too late to back out. When the
bill arrives, lo and behold the girls’ outrageously expensive drinks appear on
it. It’s no good claiming you have no cash on you – you’ll be frogmarched to the
nearest ATM and ‘persuaded’ to cough up. If this happens to you make sure you
report it to the tourist police; some travellers have taken the policeman back
to the bar and received some or all of their money back.
Drugging
isn’t a common problem, but it’s worth mentioning nonetheless. In this
situation a single guy is approached by two or three so-called friends, often
claiming to be from Egypt or Lebanon or Romania and often accompanied by the
fig leaf of a woman. Fall for this one, and you risk finding your drink spiked
and waking up in some unexpected location with all your belongings, right down
to your shoes, missing – or worse. When the missing person billboards in 2005
went up for a Korean tourist, most locals knew the fate of this unlucky young man
– a month later his body was found on the outskirts of İstanbul. Most likely he
was a victim of a drugging gone wrong.
Moral of
these stories? Single men should not accept invitations from unknown folk in
large cities without sizing the situation up very carefully beforehand. You
could also invite your new-found friends to a bar of your choice; if they’re
not keen to go, chances are they are shady characters.
We’ve also
heard reports about two female travellers claiming to have their drinks drugged
at a camp in Olympos.
While you're there
Availability &
cost of health care
The standard
of the health care system in Turkey is very variable. Although the best private
hospitals in İstanbul and Ankara offer world-class standards of care, they are
expensive to use. Elsewhere, even private hospitals don’t always offer
particularly high standards and their state-run equivalents even less so. Some
patients may have contracted hepatitis during their stay in hospital.
For basic
care for things such as cuts, bruises and jabs you could ask for the local
sağulık ocağuı (health centre), but don’t expect anyone to speak anything but
Turkish. The travel assistance provided by your insurance may be able to locate
the nearest source of medical help, otherwise ask at your hotel. In an
emergency, contact your embassy or consulate.
Medicine,
and even sterile dressings or intravenous fluids, may need to be bought from a
local pharmacy. Nursing care is often limited or rudimentary, the assumption
being that family and friends will look after the patient.
Standards of
dental care are variable and there is a risk of hepatitis B and HIV
transmission via poorly sterilised equipment, so watch the tools in use
carefully. Your travel insurance will not usually cover you for anything other
than emergency dental treatment.
For minor
illnesses, such as diarrhoea, pharmacists can often provide advice and sell
over-the-counter medication, including drugs that would require a prescription
in your home country. They can also advise when more specialised help is
needed.
Diphtheria
Diphtheria
is spread through close respiratory contact. It causes a high temperature and
severe sore throat. Sometimes a membrane forms across the throat requiring a
tracheostomy to prevent suffocation. Vaccination is recommended for those
likely to be in close contact with the local population in infected areas. The
vaccine is given as an injection alone, or with tetanus, and lasts 10 years.
Hepatitis
A
Hepatitis A
is spread through contaminated food (particularly shellfish) and water. It causes
jaundice, and although it is rarely fatal it can cause prolonged lethargy and
delayed recovery. Symptoms include dark urine, a yellow colour to the whites of
the eyes, fever and abdominal pain. Hepatitis A vaccine (Avaxim, VAQTA, Havrix)
is given as an injection: a single dose will give protection for up to a year
while a booster 12 months later will provide a subsequent 10 years
of
protection. Hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines can also be given as a single-dose
vaccine (hepatyrix or viatim).
Hepatitis
B
Infected
blood, contaminated needles and sexual intercourse can all transmit hepatitis
B. It can cause jaundice and affects the liver, occasionally causing liver
failure. All travellers should make this a routine vaccination, especially as the
disease is endemic in Turkey. (Many countries now give hepatitis B vaccination
as part of routine childhood vaccination.) The vaccine is given singly, or at
the same time as the hepatitis A vaccine (hepatyrix). A course will give
protection for at least five years. It can be given over four weeks or six
months.
HIV
HIV is
spread via infected blood and blood products, sexual intercourse with an
infected partner and from an infected mother to her newborn child. It can be
spread through ‘blood to blood’ contacts such as contaminated instruments
during medical, dental, acupuncture and other body-piercing procedures and
sharing used intravenous needles.
Leishmaniasis
Spread
through the bite of an infected sandfly, leishmaniasis can cause a slowly
growing skin lump or ulcer. It may develop into a serious, life-threatening
fever usually accompanied by anaemia and weight loss. Infected dogs are also
carriers of the infection. Sandfly bites should be avoided whenever possible.
Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis
is spread through the excreta of infected rodents, especially rats. It can
cause hepatitis and renal failure that may be fatal. It is unusual for
travellers to be affected unless living in poor sanitary conditions. It causes
a fever and jaundice.
Malaria
You stand
the greatest chance of contracting malaria if you travel in southeastern
Turkey. The risk of malaria is minimal in most cities, but you should check
with your doctor if you are considering travelling to any rural areas. It is
important to take antimalarial tablets if the risk is significant. For
up-to-date information about the risk of contracting malaria in a specific
country, contact your local travel health clinic.
If you’re
travelling in southeastern Turkey it’s as well to be aware of the symptoms of
malaria. It is possible to contract malaria from a single bite from an infected
mosquito. Malaria almost always starts with marked shivering, fever and
sweating. Muscle pain, headache and vomiting are common. Symptoms may occur
anywhere from a few days to three weeks after a bite by an infected mosquito.
The illness can start while you are taking preventative tablets if they are not
fully effective, and may also occur after you have finished taking your
tablets.
Poliomyelitis
Generally,
poliomyelitis is spread through contaminated food and water. It is one of the
vaccines given in childhood and should be boosted every 10 years, either orally
(a drop on the tongue) or as an injection. Polio may be carried
asymptomatically, although it can cause a transient fever and, in rare cases,
potentially permanent muscle weakness or paralysis.
Rabies
Spread
through bites or licks on broken skin from an infected animal, rabies is fatal.
Animal handlers should be vaccinated, as should those travelling to remote
areas where a reliable source of post-bite vaccine is not available within 24
hours. Three injections are needed over a month. If you have not been
vaccinated and you suffer a bite, you will need a course of five injections
starting within 24 hours or as soon as possible after the injury. Vaccination
does not provide you with immunity, it merely buys you more time to seek
appropriate medical help.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
(TB) is spread through close respiratory contact and occasionally through
infected milk or milk products. BCG vaccine is recommended for those likely to
be mixing closely with the local population. It is more important for those
visiting family or planning on a long stay, and those employed as teachers and
health-care workers. TB can be asymptomatic, although symptoms can include a
cough, weight loss or fever months or even years after exposure. An X-ray is
the best way to confirm if you have TB. BCG gives a moderate degree of
protection against TB. It causes a small permanent scar at the site of
injection, and is usually only given in specialised chest clinics. As it’s a
live vaccine it should not be given to pregnant women or immunocompromised
individuals. The BCG vaccine is not available in all countries.
Typhoid
This is
spread through food or water that has been contaminated by infected human
faeces. The first symptom is usually fever or a pink rash on the abdomen.
Septicaemia (blood poisoning) may also occur. Typhoid vaccine (typhim Vi,
typherix) will give protection for three years. In some countries, the oral
vaccine Vivotif is also available.
Yellow
fever
Yellow fever
vaccination is not required for any areas of the Middle East; however, any
travellers coming from a yellow-fever-endemic area will need to show proof of
vaccination against yellow fever before entry to the Middle East – this
normally means if a traveller is arriving directly from an infected country or
has been in an infected country during the previous 10 days.
The
yellow-fever vaccination must be given at a designated clinic, and is valid for
10 years. It is a live vaccine and must not be given to immunocompromised or
pregnant travellers.
Traveller’s
diarrhoea
To prevent
diarrhoea, avoid tap water unless it has been boiled, filtered or chemically
disinfected (with iodine tablets). Eat only fresh fruits or vegetables if
they’re cooked or if you have peeled them yourself, and avoid dairy products
that might contain unpasteurised milk. Buffet meals are risky since food may
not be kept hot enough; meals freshly cooked in front of you in a busy
restaurant are more likely to be safe.
If you
develop diarrhoea, be sure to drink plenty of fluids, preferably an oral
rehydration solution containing lots of salt and sugar. A few loose stools
don’t require treatment, but if you start having more than four or five motions
a day, you should start taking an antibiotic (usually a quinolone drug) and an
antidiarrhoeal agent (such as loperamide). If diarrhoea is bloody, persists for
more than 72 hours or is accompanied by fever, shaking chills or severe
abdominal pain, you should seek medical attention.
Heat
illness
Heat
exhaustion occurs following heavy sweating and excessive fluid loss with
inadequate replacement of fluids and salt. This is particularly common in hot
climates when taking unaccustomed exercise before full acclimatisation.
Symptoms include headache, dizziness and tiredness. Dehydration is already
happening by the time you feel thirsty – aim to drink sufficient water such
that you produce pale, diluted urine. The treatment of heat exhaustion consists
of fluid replacement with water, fruit juice, or both, and cooling by cold
water and fans. The treatment of the salt-loss component consists of consuming
salty fluids such as soup or broth, and adding a little more table salt to
foods than usual.
Heat stroke
is much more serious. This occurs when the body’s heat-regulating mechanism
breaks down. An excessive rise in body temperature leads to sweating ceasing, irrational
and hyperactive behaviour, and eventually loss of consciousness and death.
Rapid cooling by spraying the body with water and fanning is an ideal
treatment. Emergency fluid and electrolyte replacement by intravenous drip is
usually also required.
Insect
bites & stings
Even if
mosquitoes do not carry malaria, they can cause irritation and infected bites.
Using DEET-based insect repellents will prevent bites. Mosquitoes also spread
dengue fever.
There is a
risk of bee stings along the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal areas. Bees and
wasps only cause real problems for those with a severe allergy (anaphylaxis).
If you have a severe allergy to bee or wasp stings you should carry an
adrenaline injection or something similar. There is a particularly higher risk
of bee stings in the area around Marmaris in southwest Turkey.
Sandflies
are located around the Mediterranean beaches. They usually only cause a nasty,
itchy bite, but can carry a rare skin disorder called cutaneous leishmaniasis;
use a DEET-based repellents to avoid bites.
Scorpions
are frequently found in arid or dry climates. Turkey’s small white scorpions
can give a painful bite which will bother you for up to 24 hours, but they
won’t kill you.
Snake
bites
Do not walk
barefoot or stick your hand into holes or cracks. If bitten by a snake, do not
panic. Half of those bitten by venomous snakes are not actually injected with
poison (envenomed). Immobilise the bitten limb with a splint (eg a stick) and
apply a bandage over the site, with firm pressure, similar to applying a
bandage over a sprain. Do not apply a tourniquet, or cut or suck the bite. Get
the victim to medical help as soon as possible so that antivenin can be given if
necessary.
Water
It’s
probably not wise to drink Turkey’s tap water if you’re only here on a short
visit. Stick to bottled water, boil water for 10 minutes or use
water-purification tablets or a filter. Do not drink water from rivers or lakes
since it may contain bacteria or viruses that can cause diarrhoea or vomiting.
Travelling
with children
All
travellers with children should know how to treat minor ailments and when to
seek medical treatment. Make sure children are up to date with routine
vaccinations, and discuss possible travel vaccines well before departure as
some vaccines are not suitable for children aged under one year. You may want
to consider giving children the BCG vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) if they
haven’t already had it.
In hot,
moist climates any wound or break in the skin may lead to infection. The area
should be cleaned and then kept dry and clean. Remember to avoid contaminated
food and water. If your child is vomiting or experiencing diarrhoea, lost fluid
and salts must be replaced. It may be helpful to take rehydration powders for
reconstituting with boiled water. Ask your doctor about this.
Children
should be encouraged to avoid dogs or other mammals because of the risk of
rabies and other diseases. Any bite, scratch or lick from a warm-blooded, furry
animal should immediately be thoroughly cleaned. If there is any possibility
that the animal is infected with rabies, seek immediate medical assistance.
It always
pays to double-check the drug and dosage your child has been prescribed by
doctors or pharmacists in Turkey as they may be unsuitable for children.
Women’s
health
Emotional
stress, exhaustion and travelling through different time zones can all
contribute to an upset in the menstrual pattern. If you’re using oral
contraceptives, remember that some antibiotics, diarrhoea and vomiting can stop
the pill from working and lead to the risk of pregnancy. Remember to take
condoms with you just in case. Condoms should be kept in a cool, dry place or
they may crack and perish.
Emergency
contraception is most effective if taken within 24 hours after unprotected sex;
ask at a pharmacy for the ertesi gün hapı (the morning-after pill). The
International Planned Parent Federation (www.ippf.org) can advise you about the
availability of contraception in Turkey and other countries. Sanitary pads are
fairly readily available in the country, but tampons are not always available
outside major cities and are expensive – bring your own from home.
Travelling
during pregnancy is usually possible, but there are important things to
consider. Have a medical check-up before embarking on your trip. The most risky
times for travel are during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, when miscarriage
is most likely, and after 30 weeks, when complications such as high blood
pressure and premature delivery can occur. Most airlines will not accept a
traveller after 28 to 32 weeks of pregnancy, and in the later stages long-haul
flights can be very uncomfortable. Antenatal facilities vary greatly in Turkey
and you should think carefully before travelling in out-of-the-way places,
bearing in mind the cultural and linguistic difficulties, not to mention poor
medical standards you might face if anything goes wrong. Take written records
of the pregnancy, including details of your blood group, which is likely to be
helpful if you need medical attention while away (in Turkey you have to pay
for blood infusions unless a friend supplies the blood for you). Ensure your
insurance policy covers birth and postnatal care, but remember that insurance
policies are only as good as the facilities available.
If you are
pregnant or breastfeeding it always pays to double-check the drug and dosage
you have been prescribed by doctors or pharmacists in Turkey. The
appropriateness of some drugs and correct dosage for pregnant or lactating
women is sometimes overlooked. You can use the earlier websites to check the
generic drug and its recommended dosage.
Visas
Working visas
It’s best to
obtain a çalışma vizesi (working visa) from the Turkish embassy or consulate
before you leave your home country. At least two months before your departure
date submit in person the completed visa form, your passport, a photo of
yourself, your proof of employment (a contract or letter from your employer)
and the required fee (between €140 and €200, depending on your nationality).
After about three weeks (Inşallah, God willing), your passport will be returned
with the visa stamped inside.
Once you
arrive in Turkey with a work permit, you must obtain a ‘pink book’ (a combined
work permit and residence permit) from the emniyet müdürlüğü (security police).
If your employer doesn’t do this for you, apply with your passport, five
passport photos and the processing fee (€320 for a year, but check as it rises regularly).
Your pink book should be ready in three or four working days and replaces the
visa in your passport. It’s renewable every year as long as you can prove
you’re still working.
Most people
who are working in Turkey illegally (as private English tutors, for example)
cross the border into Greece, Northern Cyprus or Bulgaria every three months
rather than bother with the cost and hassle of trying to extend their visa or
get residency. In theory an immigration officer could query a passport full of
recent Turkish stamps. However, in our experience most of them happily turn a
blind eye to this bending of the rules.
Note that
rules seem to change regularly, so see www.e-konsolosluk.net and the Turkish
embassy or consulate in your home country for the latest information about visa
requirements.
Travel insurance
Find out in
advance if your insurance plan will make payments directly to providers or
reimburse you later for overseas health expenditures (in Turkey doctors
generally expect payment in cash). If you are required to pay upfront, make
sure you keep all documentation. Some policies ask you to call a centre in your
home country (reverse charges) for an immediate assessment of your problem.
It’s also worth ensuring your travel insurance will cover ambulances or
transport either home or to better medical facilities elsewhere. Not all
insurance covers emergency medical evacuation home by plane or to a hospital
in a major city, which may be the only way to get medical attention in a
serious emergency.
Your travel
insurance will not usually cover you for anything other than emergency dental
treatment.
Source: http://www.lonelyplanet.com
