Useful Tips in Turkey
Tax Refund
Refunds will be made to travellers who do not reside in Turkey.
All goods (including food and drinks) are included in the refunds with the exclusion of services rendered.
The minimum amount of purchase that qualifies for refund is 5.000.000 TL.
Retailers that qualify for tax refunds must be "authorised for refund." These retailers must display a permit received from their respective tax office.
The retailer will make four copies of the receipt for your refund, three of which will be received by the purchaser. If photocopies of the receipt are received the retailer must sign and stamp the copies to validate them. If you prefer the refund to be made by check, a Tax-free Shopping Check for the amount to be refunded to the customer must be given along with the receipt.
For the purchaser to benefit from this exemption he must leave the country within three months with the goods purchased showing them to Turkish customs officials along with the appropriate receipts and or check.
There are four ways to receive your refund
• If the retailer gives you a check it can he cashed at a bank in the customs area at the airport. If it is not possible to cash the check upon departure or if you do not wish to cash it then, .e customer must, within one month, send a copy of the receipt showing that the goods have left the country to the retailer who will, within ten days upon receiving the receipt, send a bank transfer to the purchaser's hank or address.• If the certified receipt and check are brought back to the retailer on a subsequent visit thin one-month of the date of customs certification, the refund can be made directly to the purchaser.
• Retailers may directly refund the amount to trustworthy customers upon purchase
• The refund may be made by the organisation of those companies that are authorised to make tax refunds.
Postal System
Postal charges vary for different services depending on destination. Post restante letters should be addressed "postrestant" to the central post-office Merkez Postanesi, in the town of your choice. You have to show your identification card to collect your letters.
All PTT branches have the facilities to exchange money at the current international exchange rates, as well as international postal orders and travellers' cheques. There is also an express postal service (APS) operating to 90 countries for letters , documents and small packages. A wide variety of special stamps are available in all PTT centers for philatelists.
To phone from PTT telephone booths, which are extensively found in all areas; telephone cards , and tokens (";jeton") in three sizes are used. Local, inter-city and international calls can be made from all PTT offices. Besides these main offices there are also mobile PTT services in the touristic areas. For the area codes of major cities and touristic areas in Turkey, please see the "Area Codes" list. Foreign countries area codes are indicated in the International Telephone Codes list.
Children
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
Banknotes: 5, 10, 20, 50 anc 100 TL Coins: 1, 5, 10, 25 and 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 TL before 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.
Disabled Travellers
Driving
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 indi¬cated 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 (120 km on Motorways). Petrol stations are fairly easy to find and on main highways, they are often open 24hrs and have restaurants and other facilities attached. Unleaded (kurşunsuz) 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.
Language
Living and / or working In Turkey
After obtaining the visa, you are required to register with the local police within a month following your arrival in Turkey in order to obtain a residence permit. If you wish to extend your permit for a further period, you should apply to the same police headquarters before the permit expires. Household items may be taken into Turkey through a system called "temporary import" provided that the validity of the residence permit is at least one year. For details of the relevant regulations please contact the Office of the Finance and Customs Counsellor at the Turkish Embassy in London which can also provide information on the regulations concerning the temporary import of a car into Turkey.
Mobile Phones
Police
Public Holidays
On public holidays, banks and government offices are closed. In general, life in seaside resorts is not affected as these are the times when Turkish people also go on holiday. Shops and businesses away from tourist areas may close, however, so you should bear this in mind when travelling inland or to city areas.
Public Holidays
New Years Day, 1 JanuaryNational Sovereignty and Children's Day, 23 April
Ataturk Commemoration and Youth Sports Day, 19 May
Victory Day, 30 August Republic Day, 28 (half day) 29 October
Religious Festivals
Ramazan Bayramı (Eid)This is the festival which falls at the end of Ramazan, a period of fasting. Traditionally, sweets are exchanged as gifts. In more rural and conservative areas, you may find it more difficult to eat or drink in public during Ramazan period.
Kurban Bayramı (Great Eid)
Traditionally, a sheep or cow is sacrificed at this time and the meat distributed to the needy and friends, family and neighbours.
Public Transport
Within towns and between local villages, there are local bus services as well as the dolmus services. These are shared taxis, usually a minibus, and sometimes a large car, which operate along set routes, picking up and setting down passengers as they go. There is a set fare depending on how far you are travelling and you pay this to the driver. They are an in expensive way of getting around. The name “dolmus” literally means 'stuffed' - from the fact that they do not have a set timetable but wait until they are full before setting off.