If your trip to Kas and Kalkan result in a purchase of property or land, we are happy to refund the purchase price of your travel expenses to Turkey - up to the value of £400.
Turkey offers the perfect escape from the stresses of
everyday life, surrounded as it is by sea on three sides
and full of sun, mountains and lakes.
Over most of the country, from March to November, the
weather is perfect for holidays by the sea or a refreshing
break in the mountains. The area around Kas, the old
Lycia, offers all of these things the whole year round.
Turkey has at least 10 thousand years of history and
a dazzling legacy from 13 great civilisations so it is
a veritable treasure chest of riches wherever you go.
A
little bit of local history
Geography
Turkey extends to 814,578 sq m. It is split into Asian
and European parts by the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara
and the Dardanelles. The Anatolian peninsula is a highland
area, cut through by many rivers and is rich in lakes.
The rivers Euphrates and Tigris both arise in Turkey.
Van Lake, which is found at 1646m above sea level, extends
to 3738 sq m and is seven times larger than Lake Constance. The
north Anatolian mountain range runs parallel to the Black
Sea coast.
The
Taurus mountains extend along the Mediterranean coast,
and run out into fertile plains. The Black Sea area enjoys
a mild wet climate, the central area and eastern Anatolia
has a continental climate and
the Mediterranean coast enjoys a Mediterranean climate.
The shores of the Anatolian peninsula are washed by four
seas and stretch for 8333 km east-west.
History The
history of Turkey is closely associated with the development
of mankind. There were human settlements
here in the Palaeolithic period. Catalhöyük
is probably the earliest known urban settlement (6500
BC). Later, other empires came and went, such as those
of Hatti, Hethites, Phryger, Urartäer, Lyker, Lyder,
Ionier, Perser, Macedonia, Rome, Byzantine, Seldschuker
and Ottoman, to name only the most important.
After the
collapse of the Ottoman empire, Atatürk
proclaimed the country to be the Turkish Republic (29.10.1923),
which, under his leadership and in accordance with his
motto: ‘Peace in countries, peace in the world’,
became a modern western state and due to its strategic
position, numbers among the most important countries
in the region.
Population The population of Turkey
is 67.8m, of which 40% live on the land. The largest
cities are Istanbul, the capital
Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Bursa and Antalya.
Language Turkish, as written in the
roman alphabet, belongs to the ancient Uralic group of
languages, as do Hungarian
and Finnish. Worldwide, Turkish is spoken by at least
150m people.
Economics
Tourism
Turkey
is an ideal country for travel, due to its geographical situation,
climate, richness of flora and fauna and incalculable
historical richness. In recent years Turkey has increased
its share of the tourism sector. There are now many more
hotels, motels, guest houses and holiday villages.
Agriculture
Agriculture plays a very
important role in the Turkish economy. Wheat, rice, cotton,
tea, tobacco, hazelnuts and
vegetables are the most important products. Sheep are the
most important livestock. Turkey is the largest wool and
cotton producer in Europe.
The south-east
Anatolian project is the largest and most varied development
project in the country. With the HKW Atatürk Dams, irrigation
plants and hydroelectric power stations on the Euphrates
and Tigris, it numbers amongst the ten largest projects in
the world and promises to support an upturn in agriculture,
transport, tourism, health and education.
Mineral resources
The most important resources in Turkey
are coal, chromium, steel, copper, marble, bauxite and
iron pyrites.
The Turkish State
Since 1923, Turkey has been a secular
state with a democratic parliament. The legislative power
is vested in The Turkish
Grand National Assembly. Executive power and functions
are exercised and carried out by the President of the Republic
and Council of Ministers, in conformity with the constitution
and laws. Turkey is a founder member of the OECD, a member
of NATO, the Council for Europe, the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation on the Black Sea, the Islamic Conference (ICO)
as well as associate EU member.
Cultural Scene
In
the most far-flung and unspoilt regions of Turkey the visitor
will sense that at one time in these inhospitable
and deserted places, there was once a very grand culture.
The Turkish Countryside
The countryside in Turkey can be
likened to a gorgeous, centuries-old Kelim carpet in which
the motifs portrayed
in every colour have mellowed over time to perfection.
