Country

Turkey

Local name: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti

Coordinates: 39°00′00″ N 35°00′00″ E

Hunanuk · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Population: 85,878,556; 85.9M
Continent: Asia
Local time: UTC+03:00; Europe/Istanbul · UTC+03:00

About Turkey

Turkey is a country in Asia. It is divided into 81 regions. Its population is 85,878,556.

From Wikipedia

Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a smaller part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran to the east; Iraq, Syria, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south; and the Aegean Sea, Greece, and Bulgaria to the west. Turkey is home to over 86 million people; most are ethnic Turks, while Kurds are the largest ethnic minority.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

Built: 1923
Area: 783,562 km²
Official website: turkiye.gov.tr

Source: Wikidata

Photos of Turkey

Ani haigoes · CC BY-SA 3.0
Yeşil Ada Calistemon · CC BY-SA 4.0
Saint John Island Jorge Franganillo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Yeşilada Tavşan_Adası_ · CC BY-SA 3.0
Kara Ada Island Alessandro57 · Public domain

Travel notes for Turkey

From Wikivoyage

Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), officially the Republic of Türkiye (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti), is a bi-continental country: an oft-repeated cliché about Turkey is that it is the bridge between Europe and Asia. This is true not only geographically, but also culturally, and many Turks value their European and Asian identities equally. Therefore, Turkey is the ultimate "exotic — but with a twist" destination for many: plenty of travellers to the country will find a charming novelty in every corner, yet at the same time, will have a feel of comforting familiarity, regardless of which direction or how far they are arriving from. Add the Turks' legendary warmth towards the visitors to the mix, and you get the idea.

From the dome-and-minaret filled skyline of Istanbul to the ancient ruins alongside the western and southern coasts, heavily indented against a craggy backdrop in Lycia and wide and sunny in Pamphylia, to the cold and remote mountains of the East, Turkey offers a wealth of destinations. Crazy "foam parties" in Bodrum running wild find their place with the Middle Eastern-flavoured cities of Southeastern Anatolia in the same country. The lush and misty mountains of the Eastern Black Sea are only a few hours away from the vast steppe landscapes of Central Anatolia. So there is something for everyone's taste — whether they are travelling on an extreme budget by hitchhiking or by a multi-million yacht.

Understand+

History:

There is evidence that the bed of the Black Sea was once an inhabited plain before it was flooded in prehistoric times by rising sea levels. Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağı), at 5,165 m (16,946 ft), is Turkey's highest point and the legendary landing place of Noah's Ark on the far eastern edge of the country. The area that is now Turkey has been part of many of the world's greatest empires throughout history such as the Hittites and Phrygians. The city of Troy, famously destroyed by the Greeks in Homer's Illiad, has always been associated with the entrance to the Dardanelles strait in northwestern Anatolia. The area was to become part of the Roman Empire. One of the most famous quotes in history; "Veni, vidi, vici" was declared by Julius Caesar during his Anatolian conquests. Subsequently, the region became part of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire after the Roman Empire split into two, with Constantinople (now Istanbul) as its capital. The year 1071 marked the Seljuk/Turkish entry to Anatolia. The Ottoman Empire subsequently defeated the Byzantines, dominated the eastern Mediterranean and Balkans, until its defeat by the Allies in World War I.

Get in+

Entry requirements:

Visitors from the Republic of Cyprus should present their ID cards to supplement their passports since Turkey does not recognize the country.

Visa-free:

Turkish visa requirements were relaxed in 2020. Ordinary passport holders of the countries below can enter Turkey visa-free for tourism and commerce, for up to 90 days unless a shorter period is stated. Your passport must be valid for 60 days beyond your maximum stay, so for most visitors that is 150 days beyond entry. That is just under five months: they politely ask for six months validity on entry but it is not a requirement. (Be prepared to argue this point with airline clerks.) So, no visa needed if you're from:

all EU and EEA countries except the Republic of Cyprus. For Latvia, entry is only for 30 days. The EU/EEA visa regime also applies to Andorra, Monaco, the United Kingdom, and the Vatican.

Other European countries: Albania (90 days), Bosnia and Herzegovina (90), Kosovo (90), Moldova (90), Montenegro (90), North Macedonia (90), Serbia (90), Ukraine (90), and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (no limit).

CIS countries: Russia (60), Belarus (30), Azerbaijan (30), Georgia (90), Kazakhstan (30), Kyrgyzstan (30), Mongolia (30), Tajikistan (30) and Uzbekistan (30); but not Armenia and Turkmenistan.

Central and South America and the Caribbean: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica (30), Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, St Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Others: Australia, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Hong Kong (SAR Passports only), Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya (depends on age), Macau (30), Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, Syria, Thailand (30), Tunisia, the U.A.E. and the United States.

Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · abridged