A
Antiquities
Please note that it is strictly forbidden to export
antiquities or antiques from Turkey and there
are severe penalties for those who attempt to
do so. In order to export such items legally
it is necessary to obtain a certificate from a
directorate of a museum.
For further information visit: www.kulturturizm.
gov.tr
C
Children
Family is very important to Turkish people,
and you will find that children are welcomed
everywhere, which makes for a very relaxing
and enjoyable holiday. It is perfectly normal
for even very young children to eat out in the
evening with their parents. Many restaurants do
provide high chairs, and those that don’t seem
to be very good at improvising. Formula milk
and nappies are easily available, although if
you want a specific brand, then it is probably
best to take it with you. It is not always easy
to find baby food in jars, but restaurants and
hotels are very accommodating and will usually
be pleased to puree food for you. Again, if
your child is used to a specific brand it may be
better to take it with you. UHT milk is widely
available in small cartons, with a straw, which
is useful for toddlers and older children. Most
hotels will provide cots if these are requested
in advance. These can vary quite widely in
standard, however, so it is a good idea to check
in advance what type of cot is being provided
and whether or not it is suitable for your child
– some have lower sides than those common
in the UK, for example, so are fine for a baby
but not suitable for a more mobile toddler.
Children’s car seats are still seen as a luxury
item in Turkey but most tour operators and car
hire companies will be able to provide them
for you on request. You should not, however,
assume that this will automatically be the case.
Many of the larger hotels have children’s clubs
and are able to arrange babysitting services.
There are also some tour operators who provide
these services.
In general, Turks and Turkey have a welcoming,
relaxed approach to children and will go out of
their way to be accommodating and helpful.
As long as you are flexible you should have
no problems.
Currency
In 2005, the New Turkish Lira (YTL) was introduced.
Six zeros were deleted from the existing
Turkish Lira, which had become impractical to
use – prior to this there had been approximately
2,500,000 TL to £1. From 2006 only the new
currency will be in circulation and it will revert
to be known only as TL (Turkish Lira). There
are 100 Kurus¸ (Kr) to the Turkish Lira.
Turkish Lira is available in the following
denominations:
Banknotes: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 &100 TL
Coins: 1, 5, 10, 25 & 50 Kurus¸
and 1 TL
You can obtain currency before travelling to Turkey or on
arrival. Exchange rates are usually slightly better in Turkey
and all international airports have exchange facilities. Usually,
cash can be exchanged without charging commission in exchange
offices, banks or hotels. Please note that Scottish notes
are not accepted in Turkey. Travellers’cheques can be
exchanged in banks only. Cash point machines (ATM) are available
in most areas, which accept major UK credit and debit cards
and give instructions in English. It may be a good idea to
inform your bank in advance that you are travelling to Turkey
as some will automatically put a stop on cards after the first
usage in an attempt to combat fraud. Exchange rates are published
daily in Turkish newspapers. If you are planning to exchange
currency back from TLbefore leaving the country, or are making
a major purchase, which may need to be declared to customs,
you will need to keep your transaction receipts in order to
show that the currency has been legally exchanged.
Customs Regulations
Please note that the following information
is intended to cover items usually carried by
tourists visiting Turkey. If you are planning a
longer stay or are carrying anything unusual
into or out of the country, it is best to check
the regulations in more detail.
On Entry:
It is permitted to bring the following items into
Turkey as duty free goods:
Wines, Tobacco & Other Luxury Items
The following allowances apply to the import
of both domestic and foreign goods:
a) 200 cigarettes (1 Box) and 50 cigars.
Plus: 200 gms tobacco and 200 cigarette
papers or 200 gms pipe tobacco or
200 gms chewing tobacco or 200 gms
tobacco for nargile or 50 gms snuff,
b) In addition to the above allowances,
it is also possible to purchase 200
cigarettes, 100 cigars and 500 gm
pipe tobacco in the Turkish Duty Free
Shops when entering the country.
The following may also be imported: 1.5 kg
coffee; 1.5 kg instant coffee; 500 gms tea; 1 kg.
chocolate; 1 kg. confectionery; 1 (100 cl) or 2
( 75cl or 70 cl) bottles of wine and/or spirits;
cologne, lavender water, perfume, essence,
lotion (120 mls maximum of each).
Valuables
In order to avoid any problems when leaving
the country it is recommended that you register
valuable items with the customs office on
entry to Turkey. All personal belongings and
articles made of precious stones or metals
(with no commercial purposes) worth under
USD$15,000 may be brought into and taken out
of the country. Jewellery worth more than this
amount may only be taken out of the country
providing it has been registered on entry or that
you can prove that it was purchased in Turkey
with legally exchanged currency.
Electronic Equipment
One black-and-white television; one colour
TV (up to 55cm screen); one pocket colour
TV up to 16cm screen; one black-and-white
television-radio-tape (combination); one video
recording camera and 5 video tape casettes
(blank); camera with eightmm(with ten blank
films); one slide machine; pocket PC ( Up
to 128MB Ram ); compact disc player; one
portable radio and radio-tape (the properties
of the radio-tape will be determined by the
undersecretary.); one walkman or small taperecorder;
Game Boys without cassettes and
cartridge; record, cassette or compact disc
maximum of 5 for each; GSM-Pocket phone
(With SIM cards),
Sports Equipment
Two partitioned camping tent; one diving
suit for underwater diving sports (The
quality and efficiency of the suit to be
determined by the undersecretary.); glider
(a pair); one boat; one surfboard with
sailing equipment for water sports; flippers
(one pair); other personal belongings
one apiece (except for sea motorcycle and
sledge); chess set; Draughts set; five packs
of playing cards,
Medical Items
Beds belonging to the ill passenger; motorised
and non-motorised wheelchair; drugs
for personal treatment; gas mask and similar
protective clothing (maximum 2 pieces).
Other Items
One portable typewriter; one camera (plus
maximum 5 films); one pram for each child
passenger; one bicycle for each child passenger;
toys for child passengers (maximum
10 ); pocket calculator with battery; one
iron (with or without steam diffusion); 1 x
1.5 metre seccade (prayer rug) made from
wool, cotton or synthetic fabric); one pair
binoculars (except night binoculars); one
table clock; one gas stove,
On Exit:
For valuable gifts and souvenirs, such as
a carpet, proof of purchase is necessary,
together with receipts showing that any
currency used in its purchase has been
legally exchanged.
Please note that it is strictly forbidden
to export antiques from Turkey. Minerals
can only be exported with a special
document.
Currency
There is no limit to the amount of foreign
and Turkish currency to be brought into
Turkey. Up to US$5000 worth of Turkish
or foreign currency can be taken out of the
country, providing that it can be shown
that the currency has been obtained from
authorised banks. Larger amount of foreign
or Turkish currency must be transferred
abroad through banks. Cash brought into
the country to be exchanged for export out
of Turkey must be declared on entry.
For further information visit:www.turkishconsulate.
org.uk or www.gumruk.gov.tr
D
Disabled Travellers
If you have any queries relating to any special needs for
your holiday, it is best to check direct with us and/ or your
tour operator before booking your holiday. The resorts which
are located in relatively flat areas, and are, therefore,
better suited to wheelchair users are: Marmaris, Içmeler,
Dalyan, Fethiye/ CalÝs¸ Beach, Side. Anyone who has
difficulty in walking should certainly avoid resorts on steep
hills such as Kalkan and Turunç. Obviously, hotel locations
vary so do check before booking. Some of the newer and larger
hotels have rooms specifically designed for wheelchair users,
however, even where hotels do not have specific facilities
they will usually try their best to be helpful by, for example,
allocating a ground floor room. Many Turkish resorts and cities
are not planned for wheelchair access, which can make life
difficult, however, you will find that Turks always try their
best to be helpful and will gladly improvise to find a solution.
If you would like details of how to hire a wheelchair whilst
on holiday in Turkey please contact our office.
Driving
You can drive in Turkey with a full British
or Irish driving licence.You should have a
copy of this, together with your passport
and insurance documents with you in the
car at all times, as you will need it if you
are involved in an accident.All of the major
international car rental companies, as well
as a number of local ones, have offices at
airports and all major centres. Driving in
Turkey is on the right, as in continental
Europe. Turkish road signs conform to the
International Protocol on Road Signs and
archaeological and historic sites are indicated
by yellow signs. Turkey has a good
network of well-maintained roads. There is
a 50 km per hour speed limit within urban
centres and 90 km outside urban centres.
Petrol stations are fairly easy to find and on
main highways, they are often open 24hrs
and have restaurants and other facilities
attached. Unleaded (kurs¸unsuz) petrol is
easily available. Garages for repairs are
often concentrated on certain streets within
a town or can be found on highways.
If you are planning on driving to Turkey,
as well as your passport, you will need to
take your international driving licence, car
registration documents and international
green card (insurance card) with the TR sign
clearly visible (NB: This can be purchased
on arrival at the border). You can bring
your own car into the country for up to
six months. If you wish to keep you car in
Turkey for more than six months, you are
liable to pay import tax. For further details
on this contact:
Office of the Financial CounsellorAddress:
Turkish Embassy, 43 Belgrave Square,
London, SW1X 8PA
Tel: 020 7245 6318 Fax: 020 2072 1020
The journey from the UK to Turkey is
approx. 3,000kms and there are two established
routes:
Northern Route: Belgium, Germany, Austria,
Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey
Southern Route: Belgium, Germany, Austria,
Italy, with ferry to Turkey
See the section on Ferry Services for further
details.
For assistance in planning routes through
Turkey and Europe visitwww.viamichelin.
com
Drugs
Please note that bringing into or out of the
country, together with consumption of,
marijuana and other narcotics is strictly
forbidden and is subject to heavy punishment.
If you have prescribed medication,
which you need to take on holiday with
you, you will need a doctor’s note and/ or
a copy of your prescription which can be
sent to our office for translation. Please call
our office for further details.
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