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TIPS AND ADVISES FOR
FOREIGNERS
Visa Information,
Tourism Information Offices in Turkey,
Turkish
Tourism Offices Abroad,
Currency Regulation I
Customs Regulations
I tax refund I I
Marriage in Turkey I
Health Regulations for Pets I
Motorist Rules I
Formalities for Private
Yatch Owners I
Formalities for Private Plane Owners I
Underwater Diving I
Postal System
I Tourist Health I
Working Hours I
Other Practical Information
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CURRENCY REGULATION |
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Limits: There is no limit on the amount of
foreign currency that may be brought into Turkey, but not more than 5 5,000
worth of Turkish currency may be brought into or taken out of the country.
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Exchange slips: The exchange slips for the
conversion of foreign currency into Turkish lira should be kept, since you may
be required to show these when reconverting your Turkish lira back into foreign
currency, and when taking souvenirs out of the country (to prove that they have
been purchased with legally exchanged foreign currency).
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CUSTOMS
REGULATIONS |
On Entry
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The following items may be brought into the country duty free
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personal effects of the tourist.
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one TV, one colour pocket TV (maximum 16 cm screen), one TV-tape-radio
combination, one video recording camera and 5 video cassettes (blank); 5
records, 5 tape cassettes or compact discs.
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one video player, cine-projector (8 mm) and 10 rolls of film (blank),
one slide projector.
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one pocket computer (maximum main memory capacity Ram 128k. Byte),
electronic playing devices (without cassette - keyboard).
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one transistor radio and portable radio - tape player (its specification
to be determined by the Ministry of Finance and Customs), one Walkman or
pocket tape recorder, one portable compact disc player.
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Binoculars (one pair, except night binoculars)
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harmonica, mandolin, flageole, flute, guitar, and accordion (only one of
each type, maximum 3 musical instruments).
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personal sports equipment.
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necessary medical items.
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bicycle, baby buggy, toys.
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200 cigarettes and 50 cigars.
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200 grams of tobacco and 200 cigarette papers, or 50 grams of chewing
tobacco or 200 grams of pipe tobacco, or 200 grams of snuff
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(In addition to the above allowances, it is possible to purchase 400
cigarettes, 100 cigars, and 500 grams of pipe tobacco from the Turkish Duty
Free Shops upon entering the country).
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1.5kg. coffee, 1.5kg. instant coffee, 500 grams of tea.
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1 kilo chocolate and 1 kilo sweets.
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5 (100 cc) or 7 (70 cc) bottles of wines and/or spirits.
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five bottles of perfume (120 ml max. each).
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one portable typewriter.
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one camera with 5 rolls of film.
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First aid, and spare parts for the car.
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Other items necessary during the journey.
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Valuable items and all items with a value of over $ 15,000 must be
registered in the owner's passport upon entering Turkey, for control upon
exit.
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Antiques brought into the country must be registered in the owner's
passport to avoid difficulties on exit.
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Sharp instruments (including camping knives) and weapons may not be
brought into the country without special permission.
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The bringing into the country, trade, and consumption of marijuana and all
other narcotics is strictly forbidden and subject to heavy punishment.
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Gifts, not exceeding 500 DM in value and not for trading purposes, may be
brought into the country duty free. In addition, gifts not exceeding 500 DM in
value may be posted to Turkey duty free, if the date stamped by the sending
post office falls one month before, or one month after the following holidays:
Seker Bayrami, Kurban Bayrami, Christmas, and New Year's.
Note:
Cellular Telephones entering the country must be accompanied by a certification
form showing ownership. Ownership must be documented in the passport of the
owner and will be checked on entry and exit. For more information contact the
Ministry of Transportation, General Directorate at Tel: (312) 212 35 72 - 212 60
10 (10 lines), Fax: (312) 221 32 26 or write to Ulastirma Bakanligi Telsiz Gn.
Md. Emek - Ankara
On exit
Gifts and souvenirs: for a new carpet, a proof of purchase; for old items,
a certificate from a directorate of a museum is necessary.
Exporting antiques from Turkey is forbidden.
Valuable personal items can only be taken out of the country providing
they have been registered in the owner's passport upon entry, or providing
they can show they have been purchased with legally exchanged currency.
Minerals may only be exported from the country with a special document
obtained from the MTA (General Directorate of Mining Exploration and
Research). Etüdler Dairesi 06520, Ankara
Tel: (312) 287 3430 /1622, Fax: (312) 285 42 71
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T A X R E F U N D
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You Can Receive a Tax Refind for the Goods You Purchased In Turkey!
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Refunds will be made to travellers who do not reside in Turkey.
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All goods (including food and drinks) are included in the refunds with the
exclusion of services rendered.
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The minimum amount of purchase that qualifies for refund is 5.000.000 TL.
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Retailers that qualify for tax refunds must be "authorised for refund."
These retailers must display a permit received from their respective tax
office.
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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.
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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.
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There are four ways to receive your refund:
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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.
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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.
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Retailers may directly refund the amount to trustworthy customers upon
purchase
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The refund may be made by the organisation of those companies that are
authorised to make tax refunds.
Additional information: Ministry of Finance
and Tax Dept. General Directorate, (Maliye Bakanligi, Gelirler Genel Müdürlügü)
KDV Subesi 06100, Ulus - Ankara
Tel: (312) 3103880/725 - 728 - 735, Fax: (312) 311 45 10
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Marriage in
Turkey |
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Marriage in Turkey / Formalities
According to Turkish Marriage
Legislation and regulations, a Turkish national and a foreigner or two
foreigners with different nationalities can get married in Turkey, only
before the competent Turkish authorities.
Two foreigners from the same
nationality can marry either in the offices of their own Country's
Embassy or Consulate or before the Turkish Marriage Offices.
All the marriages to be conducted by
the Turkish authorities should be regulated according to the merits and
procedural provisions of the Turkish Civil Code and its related
regulations.
Whether they are Turkish or
foreigners, Turkish relevant authorities do not conduct these marriages,
unless the petitioners can provide their marriage licences issued by the
proper Civil Status Register of his or her own Country, that they hold
the nationality of, respectively.
In the light of this information it is
obvious that the married couples cannot again be married in Turkey under
the Turkish law.
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Conditions for a Valid Marriage
1- Capacity to marry:
Only those persons who have sufficient mental capacity to make fair
judgments are allowed to marry. Mental illness is, therefore, a bar to
marriage.  In
addition, a person must have reached the minimum age of 18 to marry.
2- Absence of consanguinity:
Marriage between close relatives is prohibited.
3- Already existing marriage:
Monogamy is one of the essential principles of Turkish family law. A
second marriage can not be entered into unless the first is terminated.
4- Waiting period: Married
women whose marriage has been dissolved cannot marry before the
expiration of three hundred days from the date of dissolution. The
divorce decree may also state a waiting period within which the guilty
spouse may not remarry.
5- Sickness: Certain
sicknesses, such as epilepsy, hysteria etc., constitute a bar to
marriage.
Only civil marriages performed by
authorized marriage officers are allowed in Turkey. |
Necessary documents for marriage:
1- Petition of the marriage. To start
an action the groom and bride must file a petition of the marriage.
"Evlenme Beyannamesi"
2- Passport, Identification card,
birth certificate,
3- Health certificate.
4- 4 pictures belong to bride and
groom.
5- Certificate of Capacity to Marry.
(Single, divorce, widow or widowed.)
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Health Regulations for Pets |
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 Health
Regulations For Pets
The
following are required for those who wish to take pets (dog, cat etc.) to
Turkey:
a) Pets Certificate of Origin.
b) A
Veterinary Health Certificate issued minimum 15 days prior to the 3 months
and older dogs entry into the country stating that the hes is in good
health and has been vaccinated against rabies, parva, distemper,
hepatitisand leptospiroz. |
Cats must
be vaccinated against rabies.
c) On entry both
certificates must be presented to an official veterinary on duty.
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Motorist Rules |
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General: Those who wish to enter the country with their vans, minibuses,
automobiles, station wagons, bicycles, motorcycles, motorbikes, sidecars, buses,
motor coaches, trailers, caravans or other transport vehicles, will have to
provide the following documentations:
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Passport.
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International driving license.
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Car license (document where all details related to the car and the owner's
name are registered). If it is somebody else's vehicle a power of attorney
should be provided.
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International green card (Insurance card). The TR sign should be visible.
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Transit book "Carnet de passage" (for those who want to proceed to the
Middle East).
Period: The vehicle can be brought into Turkey
for up to 6 Months. The owner should declare on the opposite form, the date of
departure at the border gate and should absolutely ve the country at the date
declared. If for any important reason the staying period has to be ended, it is
necessary to apply to;
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The Turkish Touring and Automobile Club (Türkiye Turing ve Otomobil
Kurumu) 1. Sanayi Sitesi Yani, 4.Levent, Istanbul, Tel (212) 282 81 40(7
lines). Fax (212) 282 80, or to
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The General Directorate of Customs (Gümrükler Genel Müdürlügü), Ulus
Ankara Tel (312) 310 38 80,310 38 18, Fax (312) 31113 46, before the end of
the period declared.
In Case of Accident: The accident should be
reported to the police or gendarme. That report has to be certified by the
nearest local authority. The owner should apply to the customs authority with
his passport and report.
If the vehicle can be repaired, it is necessary to inform the customs
authority first and take the vehicle to a garage. If the vehicle is not
repairable and if the owner wishes to leave the country without his vehicle, he
has to deliver it to the nearest customs office, and the registration of his
vehicle on his passport will be cancelled. (Only after the cancellation can the
owner of the vehicle leave the country.)
Following an accident, you can telephone:
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Trafik Polisi (Traffic Police), Tel :154,
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Jandarma (Gendarme), Tel :156.
For more information, contact the Touring and Automobile Association of
Turkey.
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Formalities for Private Yacht Owners |
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Yachts require a Transit Log and may remain in Turkish waters for up to two
years maintenance or for wintering. There are certain ports licensed by the
Ministry of Tourist the storage of yachts for a period of two to five years. For
further information and regulations contact the marina concerned.
Upon arriving in Turkish waters, yachts should immediately go for control of
the ship to the nearest port of entry which are as follows: Iskenderun, Botas
(Adana), Mersin, Tasucu, Anamur, Alanya, Antalya, Kemer, Finike, Kas, Fethiye,
Marmaris, Datça, Bodrum, Güllük Didim, Kusadasi, Çesme, Izmir, Dikili, Ayvalik,
Akçay, Çanakkale, Bandirma, Tekirdag, Istanbul, Zonguldak, Sinop, Samsun, Ordu,
Giresun, Trabzon, Rize, Hopa.
Port Formalities: All the required information
concerning the yacht, yachtsmen, members, intended route, passports, customs
declarations, health clearance, and any obligatory matters must be entered in
the Transit Log.
The Transit Log is to he completed by the captain of a yacht under a foreign
flag or amateur sailor acting as captain of the vessel.
The Transit Log is completed upon first entering a Turkish port and,
generally, it is necessary to contact the Harbour Authority before leaving. For
information on tax-free fuel, contact the Marina Harbour Office.
Note: If you have a certificate from the
Tourism Ministry Yacht Harbour, you may take petrol at no charge, provided you
possess an official marina license.
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Formalities for Private Plane Owners |
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General: When coming to Turkey, international
air routes should he followed. Private planes may stay for up to three months in
Turkey with tourist status, but for longer periods permission should be obtained
from
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The General Directorate of Customs (Gümrükler Genel Müdürlügü), Ulus
Ankara, Tel: (312) 3103880,3103818,Fax: (312) 311 1346
The airports of Ankara, Adana, Istanbul, Izmir, Antalya, Trabzon and Dalaman
have ties for private planes. It is also possible to hire planes and helicopters
in Turkey.
For further information, apply to:
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The Civil Aviation Department of the Ministry of Transport (Ulastirma
Bakanligi, Havacilik Gen. Müd.). Bosna-Hersek Cad., No: 5 - 06338 - Emek,
Ankara. Tel: (312) 212 67 30, Fax: (312) 212 46 84, TIx : 44659 Ga-tr.
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Underwater Diving |
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Diving for purposes of sport, with proper equipment and in non-restricted
areas, is permitted. Foreign divers should have official documentation of their
specifics and training and must be accompanied, when diving, by a licensed
Turkish guide.
The limit for diving with diving gear is 30 metres. For educational purposes,
this limit is extended to 42 metres. Dives exceeding 30 metres must be carried
out with proper diving and medical equipment. In arder to protect Turkish
archaeological and cultural values. It is strictly forbidden to transport
Turkish antiquities or natural specimens.
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Postal System
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Turkish post-offices are easily recognized by their black PTT letters on a
yellow background. Major post offices are open from 8:00 a.m. till 12:00 p.m.,
Monday/Saturday, and 9:00 a.m. till 7:00 p.m., Sunday. Small post-offices have
the same hours as the government offices.
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.
Some important service numbers are;
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155 Police
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112 Emergency
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110 Fire
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118 Unknown Numbers
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161 PTT Information.
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Tourist Health |
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Turkish Tourist Health Society (Turizm Sagligi Dernegi-Hacettepe Üniversitesi
Tip Fakültesi Plastik ve Rekonstrüktif Cerrahi Ana Bilim Dali, Sihhiye 06100
ANKARA Tel: (312) 311 93 93-310 98 08) perfoms the functions below, to provide
the travellers in the entire country, mainly in the touristic regions, with
proper health care:
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Working Hours |
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Government Offices
Monday-Friday (8:30-12:30) , (13:30-17:30)
Saturday-Sunday (closed)
Banks
Monday-Friday (8:30-12-00) , (13:30-17:00)
Saturday-Sunday (closed)
Shops
Monday-Saturday (9:30-13:00) , (14:00-19:00)
Sunday (closed)
Istanbul Covered market: Monday-Saturday (8:00-19:00)
Sunday (closed)
During summer months, the government offices and many other establishments in
the Aegean and Mediterranean Regions are closed in the afternoon. These fixed
summer hours are determined by the governing bodies of the provinces.
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Other Practical Information
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Local time:
GMT+3 hours (April-September) GMT+2 hours (October-March)
Time Differences:
Argentina -5, France -1, Netherlands -1, Australia +8, Germany -1, Saudi
Arabia+1, Austria -1, Greece 0, Sweden -1, Egypt 0, Italy -1, Switzerland -1,
England -2, Japan +7, Spain -1, USA -7 (EST) -10 (WEST)
* These time differences are for the period October-March; however, they may
show variances according to each country's own time-saving adjustments.
Petrol:
Super (peremium) - Unleaded (at some places). Normal (regular) - Diesel.
Electricity:
220 volts AC/50 Hz. all over Turkey. (Industrial:380 V) Plug: European round/
2-prong plug.
Water:
Although tap vater is safe to drink since it is chlorinated, it is recommended
to get advice from the concemed authorities of the places resided.
Weights and Measures:
1 inch = 2.54 centimeters , 1 centimeter = 0.3937 inches
1 yard = 0,9144 meters, 1 meter = 1.0936 yards
1 mile = 1,6093 kilometers, 1 kilometer = 0.6214 miles
1 pound = 0,4536 kilograms, 1 kilogram = 2.2046 pounds
Area:
1 acres = 0,4047 Hectares, 1 hectare = 2.471 acres
Capacity:
1 UK gallon = 4.546 litres, 1 litre = 0.2199 UK gallons
1 US gallon = 3.7831 litres, 1 litre = 0.2643 US gallons
Newspapers and Magazines:
Foreign newspapers and magazines are available in big cities and tourist areas.
Also there is a Turkish daily newspaper, Daily News, published in English.
Tipping:
At various establishments like hotels, restaurants, Turkish baths, barbers and
hairdressers, tipping at a rate of 5%-15% of the total is common. Taxi and
"dolmus" drivers on the other hand, do not expect tips or even rounded fares.
Visiting a mosque:
Five times a day, the "müezzin" calls the faithful to prayer in thi mosque.
Before entering a mosque, Muslims wash themselves and remove their shoes.
Foreign visitors should also remove their shoes and show the respect they would
any other house of worship and avoid visiting the mosque durin prayer time.
Women should cover their heads and ams, and not wear miniskirts. Men should not
wear shorts. (In certain famous mosques, overalls are provided for those not
suitably dressed.)
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