New Turkish ID Number “ TC Kimlik No”

Starting 1st July 2010 tax numbers cease to exist and are no longer required to open bank accounts, buying or selling Turkish property and vehicles. You now need a kimlik number, (ID Number) to be able to do any of these things which includes giving power of attorney via the public notary office in Turkey.

Any foreigner with a residence permit should now have a kimlik number Turkish ID number.

If you have a residence permit check the first page to see if a kimlik number has been written.

If not you need to apply at a Turkish Police, Immigration department and take your permit and passport with you.

From 15 June 2010, the British Consulate General in Istanbul will no longer issue passports in Turkey.

After that date, British nationals living in Turkey will need to send their application by courier to:

Passport Section
British Consulate General
Yorck Strasse 19
40476 Düsseldorf
Germany

The British Consulate General in Istanbul will continue to accept applications until 15:30 on 14 June 2010 and advises British nationals to check the validity of their passports.  Passports can be renewed up to nine months before they expire and the extra time will be added on to the new passport’s period of validity. Our posts in Turkey will continue to issue Emergency Travel Documents for customers who need to travel urgently.  Requests for Emergency Travel Documents will only be approved in limited circumstances and evidence of the urgent nature of your requirement must be provided.

Details of passport application fees, how to pay, and courier costs can be found on the British Embassy website www.ukinturkey.fco.gov.uk

The Turkish Trade deficit doubled from $2.4 billion to $5 billion in March, according to the latest data from Turkish statistical institute Turkstat. The widening is being seen as a positive sign, because it is based manufacturing companies increasing their purchases of raw materials as they ramp up production, on the back of the economic expansion. And also because Turkish citizens buying more imported goods because the recession is easing.

According to Turkstat, Turkish exports increased 22% year-on-year in March to $10 billion, while imports grew 43% year-on-year to $15 billion.

This would normally be seen as less positive, but under the circumstances it is very positive for the Turkish economic outlook. When the recession struck, manufacturing companies slowed their buying because of economic uncertainty, the fact that manufacturers are now increasing their stock levels points to increased confidence in the economic recovery from the manufacturing sector.

And rightly so, the Turkish economy emerged from recession in the final quarter of last year, with a year-on-year growth of 6%, beaten only by China. Several of the world’s leading economists have now got behind the prediction of a 10% increase in Turkish GDP for the first quarter, and most economists are now predicting 5-6% growth in the Turkish economy for this year, including those at the International Monetary Fund.

These believes have been fuelled by incredible growths in industrial production in January and February — year-on-year growth of 12.1% and 18.1% respectively.

Tags: Economy, IMF, Trends

Turkish Tourism Growing as Year Progresses                                                                                 18.05.2010

In the first quarter of this year,  income from tourism in Turkey was down 2.2% compared to the same period of last year, according to the latest data available from Turkstat. This is a major surprise, given that income in the fourth quarter of last year was 11.6% higher than the fourth quarter of 2008.

On the face of it this is a blow for Turkey. But if you dig a little deeper into the statistics you quickly realise that it is not as it seems.

Looking at the monthly data for last year and this year, income was considerably lower in January this year than last (798,686.654 compared to 735,469.267), but was only slightly down in February (722,307.105 / 721,358.120), and it rose in March (945,577.293 / 956,697.423). This points to growth as we enter the main season, and, more importantly visitor numbers show the same pattern.

According to the data Turkey received approximately 18,000 fewer visitors in January this year than last year, but in February visitor numbers increased by approximately 48,000 year on year, and in March by approximately 87,000. Visitor numbers in February and March were 1,105.749 and 1,513.316 respectively. Thus the data points to tourism growth accelerating.

Source : Spot Blue

More flights originating from İstanbul Atatürk Airport and heading to European cities are being cancelled as airports in Europe close until clouds of volcanic ash originating from Iceland pass. Today is the fourth day that most European airspace has been closed to air traffic.

The volcanic ash cloud is currently sweeping through most of Western and Northern Europe, disrupting flights, dozens of international meetings and leaving many travelers stranded. More than 250 flights from İstanbul to major European cities were cancelled, with the latest additions to this list coming on Sunday and including flights to Bucharest, Sarajevo, Skopje, Zagreb, Belgrade, Prishtine, Simferopol and Moscow.

Hotels are quickly filling up in İstanbul, but scores of passengers have chosen to wait at the airport. Passengers are sleeping on benches, chairs, empty offices or even the floors, with pillows supplied by Turkish Airlines (THY). BTA Catering is working to help by serving passengers breakfast. THY placed some 3,000 tourists in 120 hotels in İstanbul.

Source: Turkish Press: www.todayszaman.com

Fethiye Real Estate market and Opportunities in the Area   30 December 2009

Fethiye Real Estate market is one of the most demanding locations on the Turkish Coast.
After 2002 Turkish Real Estate Market is boomed after rising prices in Spain, Cyprus. The European Union membership duration time is also affected the whole position of Turkish Real Estate market. Fethiye was one of the first place in the market that took demand in the market. Today, more than 10,000 foreign people is living in Fethiye, Turkey.

So why is Fethiye became so popular in the market?

* Almost all year sunshine

* Great Beaches, attractions and bays in all the area

* Great hospitality of local people

* Affordable property prices

* Easiness of daily living in Fethiye

Erdoğan flies to US with packed agenda for Obama talks                                                07.12.2009

After a two-year interval, Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan is leaving to Washington. On December 7, Premier Erdogan is to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama. 
Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Middle East, the eastern Mediterranean, the Balkans and the Caucasus were only some of the talking points listed on Sunday by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as issues to be discussed today during a White House meeting between him and US President Barack Obama.

 The İstanbul Stock Exchange İMKB – Called in Turkish : İstanbul Menkul Kıymetler Borsası, continued to rocket upwards yesterday, gaining more than 2.7 percent in morning trading and continuing to outpace the rise of markets around the world.

In afternoon trading the İMKB maintained its ascent, bolstered primarily by increasing risk appetite from investors who were encouraged by a growing number of figures indicating that the worst of the economic crisis has passed. The İMKB continued to rise in afternoon trading, gaining an additional 362.02 points, or 0.83 percent, and climbing to 44,156.

The source: Turkish Press

Hilton To Open More Hotels In Turkey                                                                        05.07.2009
International Hospitality Company Hilton Hotels Corporation plans to grow its presence in key locations of Turkey's tourism market, a Hilton executive said on Sunday.

Hilton opened its first resort hotel in Dalaman town of Mugla province that lies in the intersection of the Aegean and the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.

Hilton is also interested in some other resort towns of Turkey such as Bodrum, Cesme and Kusadasi on the Aegean coast and Antalya on the Mediterranean, said Mike Collini, Hilton's vice president of development.

At a press conference to mark the opening of Hilton Resort Hotel in Dalaman, Collini said Turkey was a priority for Hilton's expansion in the future.

Hilton operates nine hotels in seven different locations of Turkey. Hilton Istanbul, which was opened over 50 years ago, was the first Hilton hotel in Europe and the first five-star hotel in Turkey.

Collini said there were opportunities for Hilton's expansion in Turkey, adding that Hilton signed 13 new hotel contracts with Turkish property partners which would double company's portfolio by the end of the next two years.

Collini said Turkey was the most successful market in company's international expansion area.

"We believe in Turkey's potential," he said.

Source: Turkish Press.

Heavy snowfalls close roads in eastern Turkey                                               10 December 2008

In spite of having abundant sunshine in Dalaman, Bodrum, Marmaris and Fethiye areas, according to the Turkish Press, storms and heavy snow falls have closed roads and transportation networks isolating towns and villages in the east of Turkey.

Heavy snow falls, which began on Tuesday morning, and freezing temperatures in the east of Turkey have brought life to a complete standstill.

As weather conditions persist, local government snow patrols are working to clear roads. Rescue services have been placed on high alert as the heavy falls caught many motorists by surprise during the busy holiday week in Turkey.

Motorists have been warned not to take to the roads without tire chains.

Hilton Dalaman Golf Resort & Spa to open in 2009

Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC) has announced that its subsidiary has entered into a franchise agreement with Gocay Tourism, Management, Investment, Transportation & Trade Inc to open a new Hilton Worldwide Resort in Dalaman, on the south west coast of Turkey. Scheduled to open mid 2009, Hilton Dalaman Golf Resort & Spa will be the company’s first resort property to debut in the country.

Welcoming the announcement, Wolfgang M. Neumann, President of Hilton Hotels - Europe said: “Hilton Dalaman Golf Resort & Spa is a fantastic new signing for us. Over the past 50 years we have built a significant Hilton presence in Turkey so we are delighted to be adding our first dedicated resort property to the portfolio. It comes at an exciting time for our growth of Hilton’s family of hotel brands in Turkey as we look to triple our presence in this strategic market over the next five years.”

He adds “With Dalaman’s popularity as a tourist resort on the rise it is considered to be one of Turkey’s emerging tourism hotspots as a leisure and golf destination. Despite this there is a real lack of top quality, internationally branded hotels, so we believe there is a great opportunity for Hilton Dalaman Golf Resort & Spa to cater for the demand from both international and domestic travellers alike.”

Located on Dalaman’s Sarigerme beach, the new Hilton Dalaman Golf Resort & Spa will comprise 384 well appointed guest rooms, including 52 spacious suites. Complete with its own private beach and pier, the resort will offer range of leisure facilities, including a 3000m² health club and spa, state-of-the-art gym, a series of interconnected beach-front swimming pools and outdoor terraces, as well as an 18-hole championship golf course and nine hole golf academy facility.  With a total of seven different restaurants and bars, Hilton Dalaman Golf Resort & Spa will provide an extensive range of dining options, including a signature gourmet restaurant, an alfresco terrace and a roof top bar.

For business travellers, the resort will also be able to offer year round, flexible meeting and conference space including fully equipped Hilton meeting rooms and a dedicated business centre facility.

Stretching along four miles of Turkey’s south western coast, Sarigerme Beach is renowned for its spectacular scenery and views across the Mediterranean Sea. When it opens next year, Hilton Dalaman Golf Resort & Spa will be conveniently located only five miles from Dalaman International Airport making it easily accessible for international and domestic travellers.

Hilton has named Turkey as one of its key development regions, joining Russia, the UK & Ireland, Italy, the Iberian Peninsula, Germany and Poland as core strategic areas for the introduction of the Hilton Family of hotels in Europe. Today’s news reflects Hilton’s dynamic growth in Turkey, with the company having recently announced strategic development agreements to introduce over 40 Hilton Family of hotels over the next five years. The first properties scheduled to open as part of these deals will be mid priced Hilton Garden Inn properties in Bursa, Manisa, Diyarbakir, Kutahya, Mardin and Sanliurfa. Hilton currently operates eight properties - seven Hilton™ hotels and one Conrad™ hotel - across six locations in Turkey.

Source: Hilton Turkey 
 

Political parties gear up early for local elections in Turkey 09 November 2008
Political parties have already started to campaign for the upcoming local elections ( Belediye Başkanlığı Seçimi ), which will be held on March 29, 2009.The major parties launched their campaigns for the race.

Major parties are defined as political parties that received more than 10% of the votes in the latest general election (22 July 2007) and/or represented in parliament. Minor Parties are defined as political parties that has fulfilled the requirements of the Supreme Electoral Council (Yüksek Seçim Kurulu in Turkish, abbreviated as YSK) and their names were listed in the ballots.

Major parties

Name Leader Founded Vote Seats

Justice and Development Party AKP
Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi R. Tayyip Erdoğan 2001 46.66% 340

Republican People's Party CHP
Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi Deniz Baykal 1923 20.85% 98

Nationalist Movement Part y MHP
Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi Devlet Bahçeli 1969 14.29% 70

Democratic Society Party DTP
Demokratik Toplum Partisi Ahmet Türk 2005 20

Democratic Left Party DSP
Demokratik Sol Parti Zeki Sezer 1985 13

Freedom and Solidarity Party ÖDP
Özgürlük ve Dayanışma Partisi Ufuk Uras 1996 1

Great Union Party BBP
Büyük Birlik Partisi Muhsin Yazıcıoğl 1993 1

9 DAYS HOLIDAY IN TURKEY September 19, 2008

The Turkish Government announced that the Sugar Feast (In Turkish: Ramazan or Sheker Bayrami) holiday at the end of Ramadan will be extended to nine days.
The day before and after the religious holiday is now also included on the holiday schedule.
So, according to tour companies, the longer holiday has prompted many vacationers to travel abroad. The companies have arranged extra flights and tours in response to the increased demand. For those who decide to go abroad at the last moment, travel companies advise tours to Morocco, Tunisia, the Balkans and Far Eastern countries, which do not require visas from Turkish citizens.

Property sales to foreigners finally approved Saturday, July 5, 2008
Turkish Parliament passed a bill regulating property sales to foreigners after it was re-arranged bearing in mind the Constitutional Court's annulment of previous legislation, Turkish Daily News reported Saturday, July 5, 2008.
Foreigners and foreign foundations will be able to own up to 10 percent of land within a building scheme, according to the new amendment. In case of liquidation of foreign companies in Turkey, the legislation will apply certain limitations which will enable foreigners to buy land in strategic and important areas only through special permission.
The Council of Ministers will be authorized to determine the sales of land in areas of importance to water, mining and energy supplies or in religious and historical sites.
While foreign ownership of real estate in military-restricted areas will be possible only by permission from command headquarters that are authorized by the General Staff, real estate in security areas will be purchasable by foreigners only through a special permission of the related governor's office, the legislation states.
Law No. 5782 was enacted by Parliament on July 3, 2008 and introduced some limitations on foreigners acquiring real estate according to Today’s Zaman, Berk Çektir who is an attorney.
Limitations introduced by this new law have three main sections:
The first limitation is to the extent of the property which can be acquired by a foreign person. No new regulations have been made to the revoked Article 35/1, which authorizes the Cabinet to increase the maximum volume of 2.5 acres of property to 30 acres. This matter is pending and means that the extent of the property which can be acquired by a foreign person in Turkey is still limited to 2.5 acres per person. Parliament has kept the limitation per person untouched.
The second limitation is to the surface area of the land which can be acquired by a foreign real person. The new law has set up the limitation in a pro rata way against foreigners. In earlier legislation, the maximum area of land which could be sold to foreigners was limited to 0.5 percent of the total surface area of the city the property is in. The new legislation has changed this limitation to: a) the central counties and other counties b) 10 percent of the applicable and planned zoning plan of the central county or other counties.

The third limitation is based on the limitation of the objectives of a company formed in Turkey by foreign investors. Article 36 (as amended) stipulates that a Turkish company owned by a foreign investor is allowed to acquire property as long as the acquisition falls within the scope of the company's objectives cited in its articles of association. One should note that drafting the articles of association is now very important for foreign investors.
This limitation shall also apply to a Turkish company which owns property and is changed into a Turkish company operated by foreign investors through a company merger or acquisition. If the foreign investor Turkish company is dissolved and if the foreign shareholders intend to acquire the company's properties after the dissolution, the real estate shall again be subject to Article 35 (as amended by law No. 5287) of Law No. 2644.

University Exam in Turkey 16.06.2208
Turkish students compete in ÖSS (Student Selection Examination) in Turkish: Öğrenci Seçme Sınavı) was administered on 15th June 2008, Sunday in all provinces and districts of Turkey.
Some 1.530,000 high school graduates took part in the three-hour, 15-minute university entrance exam test. It began at 9:30 a.m. The exam included eight sections, each with 30 multiple choice questions, in physics, math, geography, history, literature and biology.

Students will have a tense wait for results which may be announced between July 10-15. Turkey State

Visit, 13 to 16 May 2008

Queen Elizabeth II on first visit to Turkey in 37 years

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip arrived in Ankara Tuesday for a four-day visit, their first to Turkey since 1971.

After arriving at Ankara's Esenboga International Airport, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, proceeded to lay a wreath at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk the founder of modern secular Turkey.

Later in the trip the royal couple are scheduled to visit the western city of Bursa and will tour a school in Istanbul which has links with British students, as well as visiting the city's Modern Art Museum.

The royal visit is seen as highlighting the importance of Britain's relationship with Turkey. Britain has always been a strong supporter of Turkey's efforts to join the European Union.

Visit to Europe 14.04.2008

Turkish Reality Estates Company Director Mr. Yalçin Nadiroglu has recently returned to Dalaman from Luxembourg. He visited several estate agents to talk about selling Turkish properties as the interest in buying a property in Turkey is increasing throughout Europe.

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TURKISH POLICE NOT REQUIRED TO ATTEND MINOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN TURKEY 01.04.2008
A new Turkish traffic regulation, designed to reduce the traffic problems resulting from minor accidents, will allow drivers to exchange details and not wait for police attend to make an official report in Turkey.

Turkish Interior Minister Beşir Atalay said preparations for the new regulation had been completed and would be effective starting on 1st April 2008.

The new regulation aims to eliminate traffic jams caused by drivers waiting for police officers to write a report on even the smallest of accidents. Insurance companies had previously only accepted official reports issued by the police but will from now on accept a joint statement from the parties involved. He said the parties involved in the accident should not quarrel with one another about who was at fault but that insurance companies would evaluate the situation and issue a decision.

Atalay was speaking at a press conference on the implementation of the new regulation yesterday. He said anyone could be involved in traffic accidents, which often result in physical and economic damage. Noting the new regulations are intended to increase road safety and reduce losses, Atalay said the package had three main pillars: reducing traffic accidents, increasing traffic flow and enhancing public awareness.

He said the most important improvement introduced by the new law was the elimination of the requirement for official reports after non-injury traffic accidents.

Turkey's population is 70.5 million! 21.01.2008
Turkish: Türkiye'nin nüfusu açıklandı

Turkey's population has reached 70.6 million, according to census results announced Monday. Deputy Prime Minister Nazim Ekren said Turkey's population in 2007 was 70,586,256, according to a new electronically “Address-based Population Register System - Turkish name: Adrese Dayalı Nüfus Kayıt Sistemi (ADNKS) " at Turkish Board of Statistics (TUIK).

Ekren noted that 70.5 percent of the population is living in cities while 29.5 percent is residing in villages and districts.

The average age of the nation is 28.3 which shows that half of the population is under this age.

Meanwhile, the survey showed that 17.8 percent of the population lives in Istanbul, whose population topped 12.5 million.

On the other hand, Turkish State Minister Nazim Ekren said that 98,064 foreigners are living in Turkey.

Turkey is now using a new electronic census system based on a nationwide address data base, which will allow the government to release census figures at regular intervals.

Turkey prepares for the Feast of the Sacrifice, known in Turkey as the Kurban Bayramı 19.12.2007

Public Holidays in Turkey

This year: 20 December 2007

Date: moveable- 70 days after the end of Islamic month Ramadan
Sacrifice Feast
Turkish name: Kurban Bayramı
Religious holiday for 4 days. Also the halfway in the afternoon of previous day.
The Kurban Bayramı, known in Arabic as Eid al-Adha, one of the most important holidays on the Muslim calendar, celebrates the gesture of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), who was on the verge of sacrificing his son Ismail for the love of God, who spared the child and gave a sheep to be sacrificed instead. It is observed after the hajj and is seen as a day of remembrance for Muslims who use the occasion to pray and glorify the name of God and demonstrate the remembrance of His grace. Muslims who can afford to do so offer animals, usually sheep, as a symbol of Ibrahim's sacrifice. Some of the meat is given to the poor. The rest is shared among family, relatives and friends.

Date: January 1
New Year's Day
Turkish name: Yılbaşı
First day of the New Year

Date: April 23
National Sovereignty and Children's Day
Turkish name: Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı
Commemoration of the first opening of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey at Ankara in 1920. Dedicated to the children.

Date: May 19
Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day
Turkish name: Atatürk'ü Anma, Gençlik ve Spor Bayramı
Commemoration of the beginning of national liberation movement initiated in 1919 by Atatürk’s landing in Samsun. Dedicated to the youth.

Date: August 30
Victory Day
Turkish name: Zafer Bayramı
Commemoration of the victory at the final battle in Dumlupınar ending the Turkish Independence War in 1922. Dedicated to the armed forces.

Date: October 29
Republic Day
Turkish name: Cumhuriyet Bayramı
Commemoration of the proclamation of the republic in 1923. Also the half day in the afternoon of previous day.

Date: moveable- After the end of Islamic month Ramadan
Ramadan Feast
Turkish name: Ramazan Bayramı or Şeker Bayramı
Religious holiday for 3 days. Also the halfway in the afternoon of previous day.

Çalık offers $1.1 bln for atv-Sabah Thursday, December 6, 2007

Çalık Holding, a Turkish company especially active in energy, construction and textiles offers $1.1 bln for atv-Sabah, which is a Turkish television and press company called in Turkish “ATV- Televizyonu ve sabah Gazetesi” Çalık Group subsidiary Turkuaz Radio and Television, the only remaining contender in the sale of the ATV-Sabah media group by the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF), submitted a $1.1 billion offer on Wednesday.
Only three pre-qualification applications were submitted for the long-awaited sale of ATV-Sabah before the deadline, including those from Nurol-Carlyle consortium, the RTL-İpek-Sancak consortium and Çalık Holding's Turkuaz. However, the Nurol-Carlyle and RTL-İpek-Sancak consortiums both withdrew just two days before the tender. The tender took place at the Ahmet Afif Paşa waterside mansion, taken from the Uzan Group by the TMSF in exchange for their debts.
Çalık then announced the offer had been accepted and that they would submit their bid to the TMSF board for necessary approvals. Demir said the group will maintain the former broadcasting concept of ATV and daily Sabah, emphasizing that they will give weight to responsible and ethical broadcasting.

High-speed Train between Ankara and Eskisehir in Turkey 20/11/2007

High-speed train -which Turkish State Railways, TCDD – In Turkish: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları - Directorate General, purchased from Spanish CAF Company- was brought to Istanbul's Sirkeci Station on Tuesday. Carriages of the train will be divided from each other at Sirkeci Train Station in Istanbul, Turkey on Wednesday, and will be carried to Haydarpasa Station with ferryboats, and then leave for Ankara.

High-speed train will start to carry passengers between the Capital city of Turkey, Ankara, and Eskisehir, which is a central Anatolian province, in the first half of 2008. The travel time between Ankara and Eskisehir will reduce from three hours to 1 hour and 10 minutes. The train costed 17.5 million Euro.
The high speed train sets, which have all kinds of equipment for passenger safety and comfort, have:

-a speed range of 250 km/h
-6 carriages with a 419 passenger capacity
-air-conditioning
-video
-TV and music broadcasting system
-Equipment for handicapped people
-Closed circuit image recording system
-Computer controlled diagnostic train control and monitoring system and
-Vacuum toilet.

International Investment in Turkey 20/11/2007
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, "international investment which flowed into Turkey was 15.3 billion USD as of September 2007. It seems that we will reach 25 billion USD by the end of the year."
Speaking at a reception of International Investors Association (YASED), Erdogan said that international investment made in Turkey in 2006 was more than 20 billion USD. According to the World Bank's "Doing Business 2008" report, published in September 2007, Turkey has increased it's ranking from 34 to 57.
He added that in the "World Investment Report 2007" of UN Trade & Development Organization, Turkey was now 16th in the world and 5th among developing countries with its 20 billion USD of international capital inflow.
In the Global Competitiveness Report of World Economic Forum (WEF), Turkey ranked 71st among 117 countries in 2005, 59th among 125 countries in 2006, and 53rd among 131 countries in 2007.
In the international construction services area, Turkey ranks 3rd behind the U.S. and China

Turkish Tourism in 2008 5.11.2007
Ertuğrul Günay, who is the Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister said, “Turkey aims to host 25 million tourists in 2008” during the opening of World Travel Market, the world's third largest tourism fair, which has been held between November 12th and 15th, in London. And he also said, “We plan to allocate $140-150 million for promotion this year. We will remove bureaucratic handicaps for tourism investors. We will make things easier for high-quality investments. But the protection of the natural

environment is our priority.”

After a long summer vacation in Turkey, Turkish school bell rings for children !!

Turkey's new school term for primary and higher education started this Monday 17th September 2007 with 15 million primary and secondary school students heading off to school in Turkey.

We would like to give some useful information about Turkish school and education system in Turkey.

Primary Education – In Turkish: İlköğretim Eğitimi
Primary education is compulsory for all citizens, boys or girls, and is given free of charge in public schools. Primary education institutions are schools that provide eight years of uninterrupted education, at the end of which graduates receive a primary education diploma.

At the end of 8th grade, students take an exam called OKS in Turkish: Orta Öğretim Kurumları Öğrenci Seçme Sınavı - High School Entrance Examination, which lasts for 2 hours and is composed of about 100 questions. It tests the students' skills in Turkish, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and English according to the elementary school curriculum. According to their scores, children are placed in different kinds of high schools.

Higher Education – In Turkish: Lise Eğitimi
High school lasts 4 years, with some high schools having an additional 1 year of English preparatory classes. The different kinds of high schools of the Turkish education system include: Public High Schools, the standard type; Anatolian High Schools (Anadolu Liseleri) which provide more lessons in a selected foreign language (English, German or French); Science High Schools focusing on science education; Vocational High Schools (Meslek Liseleri), which focus on a certain type of profession, like Tourism Vocational High Schools (Turizm Meslek Liseleri), Industrial Vocational High Schools (Endüsri Meslek Liesleri), and Electrical Vocational High Schools (e.g. the Tourism Vocational High Schools gives education about tourism and hotels in addition to the standard lesson outline)

When students complete the 10th grade, they choose one of four tracks: Turkish language–Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences, and Languages. In Vocational High Schools no tracks are offered, while in Science High Schools only the Science tracks is offered.

At the end of high school, following the 12th grade, students take a High School Finishing Examination and they are required to pass this in order to take the ÖSS (Student Selection Examination) and continue their studies at a university. Exam scores are weighted to provide students in each track with different opportunities when entering higher education, as follows:

-Turkish language–Mathematics: International Relations, Law, Education, Psychology, Economy, Business Management and the like.
-Science: Engineering, Computer Science, Medicine, and other Science related professions.
-Social Sciences: History, Geography and Education.
-Languages: Language - Linguistics and language teaching.

Turkish Universities – In Turkish: Türk Üniversiteleri
After the national university entrance examination ÖSS (Student Selection Examination) in Turkish: Öğrenci Seçme Sınavı) organized by, ÖSYM - in Turkish: Öğrenci Seçme ve Yerleştirme Merkezi - The Student Selection and Placement Center if they succeed, students continue with their studies at a university. Major universities are located in Istanbul and Ankara. There are 93 universities in Turkey, which are classified as either public or foundational (private).

Abdullah Gül elected 11th president of Turkey 29.08.2007
After the elections of the parliament on 22 July 2007, the next issue on the agenda was the presidential election in Turkey.
The debate on the presidential election going on for 123 days has ended. Kayseri deputy Abdullah Gül was elected the 11th president of Turkey with the votes of his party.
On 28 August in the third round of the election to get half of the votes is sufficient to be the next president of the Turkish Republic. Eventually, with the majority of the parliament (339 votes) the candidate of the AKP -Justice and Development Party - Mr. Abdullah Gul has become the next president. The other candidates from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Sabahattin Çakmakoğlu got 70 votes and Tayfun İçli from the Democratic Left Party (DSP) got 13 votes respectively, the chief opposition party CHP – Republican People’s Party - decided not to participate in the sessions of which the president to be elected.

Boost for EU talks
According to the Turkish press, the The European Union welcomed Mr Gul's election, calling it a positive step in the country's campaign to join the bloc. European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso said the election was "an opportunity to give fresh, immediate and positive impetus to the accession process to the European Union through progress in a number of key areas".

Abdullah Gül was born in central Anatolian city of Kayseri in Turkey on October 29th, 1950. Graduating from Istanbul University with a Bachelor's Degree in economics in 1971, Gul received his Ph.D. Degree from the same university in 1983. During his graduate studies, he also attended programs in Exter and London for two years. Following his return to Turkey, Gul participated in the foundation process of Sakarya University's Industrial Engineering Faculty and taught economics at this faculty between 1980-1983. Gul who worked as an economist at the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) from 1983 to 1991, was elected an MP from the Welfare Party (RP) in 1991 and resigned from his position at IDB. Gül was appointed the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in March, 2003 and he has been carrying out this post since then.

Abdullah Gül was elected MP for the fifth term in July 22nd elections.Gül, who is married with three children, speaks English and Arabic fluently.

Limak wins Istanbul’s International Airport bid for 1.93 billion euros in Turkey 11.07.2007

Istanbul's second airport Sabiha Gökçen in Kurtkoy, Isatnbul Turkey fetched a record 1.932 billion euros plus taxes late on Tuesday in an auction that lasted for 14.5 hours. The winner was Limak-GMR-Malaysia Airport Partnership.

Five partnerships were bidding for the airport. The groups submitted their proposals at 10.30 a.m. and the bidding began at 8 p.m. In the fifth round, TAV-Esas Holding withdrew as the price increased to 1.54 billion euros. In the 22nd round, Mak-Yol-ETİ Bakır-Airport Property group withdrew. Partnership led by the Çukurova Holding lasted until the final few rounds.

The İçtaş-Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services bid 1.931 billion euros, as did the Limak group in the 37th round, but the İçtaş group withdrew afterwards. The Limak group increased its last bid by 1.932 billion euros and won the auction. İçtaş-Fraport had clinched the rights to Antalya Airport in April for $3.2 billion. The winning bidder will have to pay the Value Added Tax and a 250 million euros investment payment, the total reaching $3.447 billion.

The consortium will build a new international terminal at the Sabiha Gokcen airport on Istanbul's Asian side and run the airport for 20 years. It will expand annual capacity to 13.5 million air passengers from the current 3.5 million.

The deal brings welcome foreign direct investment to fast-growing European Union candidate

Sabiha Gökçen opened in 2001 and hosts domestic Turkish and low-cost airline easy Jet Plc, among others.
Source: Turkish Daily News (TDN) / 07.11.2007 and other Turkish Press

Some information about Sabiha Gokcen International Airport:

Address:
Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, 34912 Pendik, Istanbul, Turkey

Location:
The airport is located 12km (7 miles) north of Pendik on the Asian side and 45km (28 miles) east of the European centre of Istanbul

Driving Directions:
From Istanbul city centre, take the E-6 express highway or the E-5 highway; follow signs for the airport and take the Pendik/Kurtköy exit.

News from Global Mortgages Direct 25.06.2007

(Here is an e-mail from Global Mortgages Direct)

OFF Plan Turkish mortgage is now available from one of the largest Turkish Banks'.

Interest Rates SLASHED!!!!!!!!!

To celebrate the launch of the first ever Turkish OFF Plan mortgage, Global Mortgages Direct has negoitiated a special introductory interest rate.

Euro rate slashed from 7.8% pa to 6.96% pa for a limited time only.

This rate applies to all mortgage products ie: OFF Plan, Equity Release & completed property mortgages. This offer is exclusive to only Global Mortgages Direct. Click here to download PDF of full lending terms for new mortgage offerings.

Do you want to offer OFF Plan mortgages to your clients?

To be eligible to offer OFF PLAN mortgages on your developments to your clients, both the developer & the indivdual projects need to be approved by the Lender.

To find out more simply email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it & request 'OFF PLAN Developer Pack' . We will email you then the requirements you will need to gain approval.

Development Finance

Did you know that Global Mortgages Direct can organise the sourcing of funding for your current or future developments?. Do you want to find out more, just send us an email requesting more information in regards to development finance This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

OYAK BANK IS BEING SOLD TO ING BANK 21.06.2007

(Turkish Press)

Many foreign investors have been entered recently to the Turkish banking sector.

Turkey's Oyak Bank is about to be sold to the Netherlands' Ing Bank. It has been stated that Oyak and Ing Group have reached an agreement regarding the sale of Oyak Bank.

The $2.67 billion (2 billion euros) deal was announced on Tuesday and is expected to be complete by the end of the year. Oyak is also planning to start investing in energy and in foreign assets in the near future.

Turkish general election, 2007

Turkey's 16th general election is scheduled to be held on 22 July 2007. The High Electoral Board (YSK) in Ankara has declared a decision on early elections, saying July 22, 2007 should be the day to go to the polls and elect a new parliament.

Dalaman International Airport 09.06.2007

Since it's official opening the number of passengers who have passed through Dalaman International Airport reached 1,000,000 on June 8th 2007. The Governor of Mugla, Temel Kocaklar, the local Governor, Ahmet Deniz and the General manager of the Airport, Hamdi Guvenc were at the airport to welcome the Mengham family from the UK who had arrived from Gatwick for their annual holiday.

They were awarded the right to use the VIP lounge until the end of 2008, a week's free accommodation at the Majesty Club Tuana Park in Fethiye, and a special parcel from the duty free shop containing gifts representing the culture and lifestyle of the Turkish people.

The Governor of Mugla, Temel Kocaklar said in his speech that this was just the beginning. The aim is for the state of Mugla to have 5 million tourists within 2 years.

Hamdi Guvenc, the General Manager explained that of the majority of British people who travel abroad 13.9million go to Spain, 11.7million go to France and only 1.3 million come to Turkey.

The new airport has an increased capacity for 10,000,000 passengers

Already there has been a 15 per cent increase in the number of passengers passing through the terminal.

With its 95,000 m2 closed area, the New International Terminal of the Dalaman Airport is four times as big as the old one. In addition to the International Terminal, there is an additional, 210,000 m2 apron, 45,000 m2 parking space with a capacity for 950 vehicles, and CIP and VIP lounges. There are 22 escalators and 21 elevators in the 4-storey terminal building. The ground and first floors of the building serve arriving passengers while the 2nd and 3rd floors are set aside for departures.

With the construction of the new aprons, aeroplane parking capacity has been increased by 14 places. The terminal building has 8 passenger bridges and 64 gates. The 400 Hz and PCA systems on the passenger bridges enable the supply of energy, ventilation, airconditioning and water to planes. 60 check-in counters, can serve a capacity of 4,000 passengers and 5,000 pieces of luggage per hour in the new International Terminal. Furthermore, the necessary infrastructure has been realized for the early check-in of passengers from their hotels.

There are duty free shops where the well-known brands of the world meet. Passengers can watch landings and takeoffs from the restaurants and cafes, taste the different flavours of Turkish and world cuisine, and benefit from facilities such as ticket sales counters, banks and exchange bureaus, post office, emergency health care clinic, babycare rooms and children's play areas, pharmacy, newspaper vendors, car hire, hotel reservation counters, florist, luggage deposit, luggage cart rentals, aided by an extensive array of directional signs. Besides all these amenities, there is a small mosque, a chapel and a synagogue in the ATM Dalaman International Terminal, to serve the religious needs of the passengers.

Find Cheap flights to Dalaman International Airport in Turkey, You may search for and book your cheap flights to Dalaman, Turkey with many different flight companies and have cheap fares flying to Dalaman from all major UK airports. You may also have last minute flight deals, bargain airfares, and cheap airline tickets with all the leading airlines to Dalaman International Airport. To book your cheap flight to Dalaman, just use the flights booking engines or try looking for a cheap flight and hotel to Dalaman instead.
For cheap Dalaman flights and holiday opportunities go to – DLM International Airport

Turkish Real Estate Summit 7 25.04.2007
Turkey’s seventh Real Estate Summit, held in Istanbul Swiss Hotel on April 25-26 2007

Foreign purchases of real estate in Turkey
Purchasing property in Turkey is becoming increasingly popular with holiday home owners and investors around the globe. According to a broad economic and political analysis of Turkey dated November 2006 by property investment experts, the Turkish property sector is on track to become one of the top five performing European markets in terms of capital appreciation in 2007. Several factors are contributing to the popularity and the trend displayed by foreign purchases of property also had important repercussions within Turkey. The issue is especially notable given Turkey's potential EU membership and the related economic integration processes.Organized by GYODER, The Association of Real Estate Investment Companies, Turkey

Supported by European Public Real Estate Association (EPRA), National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), Urban Land Institute (ULI), Capital Markets Board of Turkey & Housing Development Administration of Turkey

Turkey has shown outstanding economic performance in the last four years and its economy has become the 19th largest in the world in the year 2006. As a result of political stability and sound economic policies, sustainable growth was attained with declining inflation and interest rates. Encouraged by the solid steps made towards the European Union and the government’s viable game plan that aims to implement structural reforms and follow liberal policies, international investors have poured billions of dollars into Turkey in the past few years.

The Turkish Real Estate Summit 7, will gather local and foreign professionals on a two-days conference in Istanbul and with its audience of developers, investors, entrepreneurs, other key players such as local and government authorities offers great opportunities for investment in Turkey.

Highlights of the Real Estate Summit 7
Building the Future...
April 25-26 2007

- Istanbul Capital of Culture 2010
- Investment Opportunities in Istanbul & Urban Regeneration
- Foreign Investment in the Turkish RE Industry & Global Capital Flow
- Opportunities in the New Mortgage System
- Growth in the Housing Industry & Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners
- Shopping Mall Investments
- Introduction of Turkish Real Estate Market Report in 5 Major Cities

TURKISH REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT

Giant foreign investors keep a close eye on Turkish real estate market Road shows put on by Turkish real estate investment companies are swarmed by international property development and investment funds. Morgan Stanley, Credit Suiss, UBS, Alliance-Leicester, Credit Lyonnais, Scottish Widows, CAIB and Deutche Bank are among those interested.

Dynamism in the Turkish real estate market has sparked a flood of international investors into the country. After mergers and acquisitions in Turkey of foreign banks and companies such as GE, HSBC, Fortis, Bank Europa and the NBG, now seems to be the right time to invest in the real estate sector. Not only as investors but also as partners in property development projects.

Foreign funds are also closely following Turkish real estate investment companies. Visitors from international funds trying to establish bilateral contacts frequently call on the offices of those companies with high profit margins. Executives of Turkish real estate investment companies receive numerous invitations from abroad to make presentations on the Turkish market.

'Investors have always been interested in the Turkish market, but recently this interest has skyrocketed, said the general manager of Garanti GYO, Kürşat Tuncel. Our last road show is a good example. We had to make one-hour-long presentations to 18 investment funds in two days. I think we have set a record.

Giant funds:

According to Tuncel, giant investment funds are among those interested: London-based investment bank Morgan Stanley, Swiss banking giants Credit Suisse and UBS, investment company Alliance-Leicester, Credit Lyonnais, Scottish Widows (SWIP) from the UK, Australian bank CAIB and Germany's Deutsche Bank have all invited Turkish real estate investment companies for presentations in recent months.

Tuncel said international funds were interested in companies that develop active projects and those that have a larger marker share. Iş GYO was on the road show together with Garanti GYO; Yapı Kredi Koray participated via teleconference.

This increased interest in Turkish real estate investment company road shows has been brought about by the fact that banks with broad customer portfolios are organizing them, said Tuncel.

The aggressive activity in the real estate market surprises them. It cannot be compared to their own countries. Real estate development in their countries follows other developments in other sectors, and the profit margin is not as high as it is here. Foreign investors are attracted because our profit margins average 40 percent, whereas theirs is around 5 percent.

Tuncel added that foreign investors were also interested in joint projects, but Turkish housing projects were still too small for them. Even small funds managing around $2 or 3 billion consider a housing project of 100-150 homes too small. BOX 1

Dubai Holding holds on to Istanbul:

The biggest investment development group of the Gulf region, Dubai Holding, formed a new company, Sama Dubai, consolidating all its real estate investments under one name. Therefore, Dubai International Properties, which is known to have invested in real estate in Istanbul, now belongs to Sama Dubai. Sama Dubai CEO Farhan Faraidooni said their Istanbul investments were continuing as planned. Istanbul is the biggest leg of the international portfolio we are putting together. We will share the latest developments and news about our Istanbul investment in the coming days with the public, together with the Istanbul Municipality.

The deal on a total of $5 billion worth of projects including the $500 million Dubai Towers, to be built in Levent, was signed last year in October. But negative public reaction to the deal had created uncertainty about the future of the project. BOX 3

Major mergers and acquisitions in Turkey:

NBG: 46 percent of Finansbank sold to National Bank of Greece for 2.3 billion euros.

GE: Doğuş Holding, the main shareholder of Garanti Bankasi, sold 25.5 percent of the bank's shares for $1.556 billion to a subsidiary of General Electric, GE Consumer Finance.

Hapoalim: Israeli bank Hapoalim bought 57.55 percent of C Bank, belonging to Damla Cıngıllıoğlu, for $113 million. Israel's credit institution, Hapoalim holds 35 percent of its national credit market. It's the market leader in consumer credit, mortgage, credit cards and institutional banking.

Fortis: A Dutch-Belgian financial group operating in the banking and insurance sectors, Fortis bought 89.3 percent of the shares of Disbank for 985 million euros.

BNP Paribas: French BNP Paribas bought 50 percent of TEB Mali Yatırımlar, which owns 84.25 percent of Türk Ekonomi Bankasi for $216.8 million. BNP Paribas now owns 42.12 percent of TEB.

HSBC: British finance corporation HSBC bought Demirbank in 2000 and changed its name to HSBC. Demirbank had been seized by the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF).

Source : Turkish Daily News (TDN) / 04.13.2006 - investinturkey.gov.tr

The Turkish Mortgage Law has come into force. 10 March 2007

The Mortgage Law, numbered 5582, came into effect on 6th March 2007. The new law will make mortgages available over long periods to house buyers who until now have had to rely on family borrowings or expensive short-term home loans from banks.

Turkish parliament passed the long awaited Law Regarding Amendments in Various Laws Related to House Financing Systems The Mortgage Law No: 5582 Amending the Laws Related to Housing Finance, which was published in the Official Gazette numbered 26454, dated March 6, 2007, the Mortgage system, also known by the public as the “system that will enable the purchase of a house in the same way as renting”, became valid. The main
characteristic of this regulation is that it gives longer maturity funding opportunities to banks and other authorized entities by issuing mortgage securities.

According some experts with this law, house financing is defined as “extending credit to consumers with the aim of purchasing houses, renting houses via financial leasing and extending credits secured with real estate”.

Unless any application is made to the contrary by June 6, 2007, all housing credits, which were used

before the enactment of the law, will be governed by this law. In this framework, credits that are used for

refinancing purposes will also be covered by the house financing system. Credit costs were decreased

by the exemption of credits covered by this Law from Banking and Insurance Transactions Tax (BITT).

Furthermore, fixed rate credit users might be charged a penalty of a maximum of 2 percent in case of

early full repayment.

This Law also specifies that variable rate credits along with fixed rate can be extended to

consumers and reference interest rates and indexes to be used in variable interest rate housing credit

contracts will be determined by the CBRT.

In this framework, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), announced by TURKSTAT, was

determined as the reference index for variable interest rate housing credit contracts. This Central Bank

Communique was published in the Official Gazette No:26513 dated May 5, 2007 and will become

operative from June 1, 2007. According to this Communique, when variable interest rate contracts are

initially set or interest rate modifications are made at periods indicated in the contracts, the annual

change in the CPI which is published by TURKSTAT two months prior to that, shall be used.

As it is known, the interest rate for fixed rate housing credits does not change during the term

and consumers are not influenced by any changes. On the other hand, there could be upward and

downward movements in the interest rates of variable rate housing credits during the term due to the

movement of the CPI and the instalment payments of debtors may change accordingly.

The amendments to these laws aim to satisfy the infrastructural needs of the housing finance system and add vibrancy to the Turkish capital markets for Turkish and foreign investors through the creation of new debt instruments, finance institutions, and funds.

Debt instruments

For housing finance receivables, no portion of a receivable greater then 75% of the value of the house securing the receivable can be included in calculation of cover value. For receivables secured by mortgages on other real estate properties, no portion of the receivable greater than 50% of the value of the real estate securing the receivable can be used. Receivables secured by mortgages on other real estate properties and substitute assets may not be higher than 15% of the asset pool.

Housing finance institutions and funds

Housing finance institutions are banks that lend or lease directly to the customer for the purposes of housing finance, and leasing companies and consumer finance companies that are found eligible to operate in housing finance by the Banking Regulatory and Supervisory Agency.

A housing fund does not have any legal identity but its assets are separate from those of its founder. Until mortgage-backed securities issued by the fund are redeemed, the assets of the fund can not be used for purposes other than the ones stated in Law 5582, they cannot be pledged or used as collateral, cannot be distrained and cannot be subject to precautionary measure decisions of courts, or included into the bankruptcy process, even for the purpose of collecting government receivables.

Immovable valuation companies

Valuation of real estate is particularly important with regard to financing institutions because the initial value assessment of the real estate plays a part not only in the extension of credit, but also during the foreclosure process. The validity of public auctions (that is, the minimum amount the real estate should be sold for) will be based on this valuation.

And also one of the Turkish Expert says, under Law 5582, valuation of real estate must be conducted by the members of the Turkish Real Estate Valuation Experts Association (Türkiye Gayrimenkul Degerleme Uzmanlari Meslek Birligi) to ease the lengthy and sometimes cumbersome mortgage foreclosure procedures and pave the way for a healthy value assessment of real estate. The Association will also be responsible for collecting relevant data, preparing statistics, and making this information available both locally and nationwide.

The above information about property news or other Turkish news is provided without warranty of any kind. It is just for informational purposes only. We aim to give the information about properties sale in Turkey, Turkish mortgage – banks and properties, investment in Turkey, turkish real estate market, estate agents in Turkey, overseas properties, properties sale in the most popular property areas such as Antalya, Alanya, klakan, Bodrum, Gocek, Dalaman and other attractive regions in Turkey, Turkish economy and news about major Turkish developers and companies.

Turkish Reality Estates
Emlak - İnşaat LTD. ŞTİ
Dalaman - Turkey
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