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Key Facts

Key Facts
Area:
total: 780,580 sq km land: 770,760 sq km water: 9,820 sq km (slightly larger than Texas)
Climate: temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
Population: 69,660,559 (July 2005 est.)
Ethnic groups: Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20% (estimated)
Religions: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
Government type: republican parliamentary democracy
Capital: Ankara
Independence: 29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire) = Republic Day (National Holiday)

Introduction to Turkey from World Factbook

Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was later honored with the title Ataturk, or "Father of the Turks." Under his authoritarian leadership, the country adopted wide-ranging social, legal, and political reforms. After a period of one-party rule, an experiment with multi-party politics led to the 1950 election victory of the opposition Democratic Party and the peaceful transfer of power. Since then, Turkish political parties have multiplied, but democracy has been fractured by periods of instability and intermittent military coups (1960, 1971, 1980), which in each case eventually resulted in a return of political power to civilians. In 1997, the military again helped engineer the ouster - popularly dubbed a "post-modern coup" - of the then Islamic-oriented government. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island and has since acted as patron state to the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which only Turkey recognizes. A separatist insurgency begun in 1984 by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - now known as the People's Congress of Kurdistan or Kongra-Gel (KGK) - has dominated the Turkish military's attention and claimed more than 30,000 lives, but after the capture of the group's leader in 1999, the insurgents largely withdrew from Turkey, mainly to northern Iraq. In 2004, KGK announced an end to its ceasefire and attacks attributed to the KGK increased. In 1964, Turkey became an associate member of the European Community; over the past decade, it has undertaken many reforms to strengthen its democracy and economy, enabling it to begin accession membership talks with the European Union.

Customs regulations

Customs regulations
For tourists are following rules defined
- Import of foreign currencies unlimited
- Export of foreign currencies up to ca. 3800 Euro
- Articles of daily use inclusive medical articles and medicine and also gifts up to a total of 300 Euro
Small presents
- 200 cigarettes
- 50 cigarillos
- 10 cigars
- 200 gram tobacco
- 1 bottle alcohol (à 100cc) oder 2 bottles à 70 or (75cc)
- Up to 5 bottles perfume or essences (à 120ml
- 1kg cafe, 500gram tea, 1kg chocolate, 1kg sweets

VISA Information

Visa Fees at Border Gates for 2006

States Visa Duration and Fee
1. USA 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
2. Albania 2 Months 15 $ - 10 Euro
3. Australia 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
4. Austria 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
5. Azerbaijan 2 Months 12 $ - 10 Euro
6. Bahrain 1 Month 15 $ - 10 Euro
7. Belarus 2 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
8. Belgium 3 Months 15 $ - 10 Euro
9. Armenia 1 Month 15 $ - 10 Euro
10. Estonia 1 Month 15 $ - 10 Euro
11. Greek Cypriot Adm. 1 Month 15 $ - 10 Euro
12. Netherlands 3 Months 15 $ - 10 Euro
13. Hong Kong (BNO) 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
14. United Kingdom 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro - 10 £
15. Ireland 3 Months 15 $ - 10 Euro
16. Spain 3 Months 15 $ - 10 Euro
17. Italy 3 Months 15 $ - 10 Euro
18. Canada 3 Months 60 $ - 45 Euro
19. Latvia 1 Month 15 $ - 10 Euro
20. Lithuania 1 Month 15 $ - 10 Euro
21. Hungary 1 Month 30 $ - 20 Euro
22. Moldova 1 Month 15 $ - 10 Euro
23. Norway 1 Month 30 $ - 20 Euro
24. Poland 1 Month 15 $ - 10 Euro
25. Portugal 3 Months 15 $ - 10 Euro
26. Romania 1 Month 12 $ - 10 Euro
27. Russian Fed. 2 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
28. Serbia and Montenegro 1 Month 15 $ - 10 Euro
29. Slovakia 1 Month 15 $ - 10 Euro

30. Slovenia 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
31. Tajikistan 1 Month 15 $ - 10 Euro
32. Turkmenistan 1 Month 15 $ - 10 Euro
33. Ukraine 2 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
34. Jordan 1 Month 30 $ - 20 Euro
35. Malta 3 Months Gratis
36. Oman 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
37. UAE (*) 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
38. Qatar (*) 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
39. Kuwait (*) 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
40. Saudi Arabia (*) 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
41. Antigua - Barbuda 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
42. Bahamas 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
43. Barbados 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
44. Dominica 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
45. Dominican Republic 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
46. Grenada 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
47. Haiti 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
48. Jamaica 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
49. Maldives 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
50. St. Christopher Nevis 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
51. St. Lucia 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
52. St. Vincent and the
Grenadines 3 Months 20 $ - 15 Euro
(*) Only until 31 October 2007.