50 reasons to love Turkey

We are going through a tough time. In an environment where we are fed up with economic hardship and political uncertainty, let's remember why we love Turkey vacations so much. These 50 reasons will not be enough for you, we know that. But we also know that there are thousands of more reasons to love (to fall in love with) this country… However, please forgive us to limit the number at 50, because we don't have enough space to include them all.

1 The Bosporus Its breeze, ferry boats, sea gulls, bridges and waterfront mansions… There is even a song written for the Bosporus only. The city divided by the sea or a sea having a city on the side. With its roses, redbuds and lovers, the Bosporus is the most magical part of Turkey … 2 People “Guest is God” An unexpected knock at the door… The guest is God. Turks know that all people are visitors in this world. From thinker Rumi to singer Müslim Gürses, don't all say the same thing? Turkish hospitality is as famous as rakı and kebap. A housewife preparing pastries for her guests at the 5 o'clock teas, an old man sitting at a traditional Turkish café and turning his face towards the Sun in southern Turkey, or a dolmuş driver saying, “If you don't have change, never mind,” or kids playing with bottle caps in narrow streets, or shrewd “discovering” LPG gas tanks for Ferraris… they all are unique to Turkey. People love this country, because it's home…. It is home, sweet home.
3 Hamsi (Turkish whitebait) Known as “hamsi” in Turkey “whitebait is not a fish, it is more than a fish” for people in the Black Sea region. It is not a side dish at dinner tables; there are many songs, folk songs, poems, anecdotes written on hamsi. So, really … it is more than a fish in Turkey.
There is no meal not including Turkish whitebait in the Black Sea, especially. It is even eaten at breakfasts and jams are made with hamsi. One shouldn't forget to list the varieties of hamsi dishes, from its pilaf to stuffed versions, from steamed to fried whitebaits. So it is more than a fish, indeed.
Even in luxury sea-food restaurants in Istanbul and Ankara, invaded by freshwater perches and breams, whitebait is served with the taste of sea… Hamsi comes to shore in early fall and the fiesta continues until March. It is cheap; it is the food of the poor… But, it has always a spot on the tables of the rich… Though there is a kind that lives in the Marmara Sea, we suggest you to never give up on whitebait of the Black Sea.
4 Antalya Pass the Hadrian's Gate, meaning the Three Gates in Turkish, and walk down the hill… Hold your breath. If you wish, take another route and walk down from the Yivli Minaret, but then again, hold your breath when you head to the old port. Go to Kemer or stretch to Belek, if you wish… The Mount Beydağı always waits for you, don't worry. God is so generous when it comes to the natural beauty of this country. So, we, Turks, embrace the people of inland countries. Generosity of God and hospitality of Turkey, no wonder they don't want to go back to their countries…Beautiful Antalya. That's our garden in Heaven, with a single difference you don't have to apply for visa.
5 Orhan Pamuk Two years had passed by following the military coup. Lightly humpbacked a slim young man with messy hair – seven years after he decided to be a novelist – was looking at his novel on the display window of a book store: “Cevdet Bey and His Sons.” After that, “The House of Silence,” “The White Castle,” “The Black Book,” “The New Life,” “My Name is Red,” “The Other Colors,” “Snow” and “Memories and the City” followed. But we love this man who became the winner of the Nobel Literature Prize of 2006, with a sentence from his book, “The New Life”: “One day, I read a book and my life has changed.” Thanks to him, the Nobel Prize belongs to Turkish literature this year.
6 Turkish coffee The hopes and dreams of our lives are hidden in the bottom of a coffee cup, waiting to be read by a fortune-teller. Love and money will appear as well, after we drink a cup of Turkish coffee. As a matter of fact, its name is the Turkish coffee; however, as known, it originally came from Yemen. First, it became popular for its exhilarant effect and reached Istanbul in the 1550s. The reason for its being called Turkish coffee is for the method Turks use to make the coffee.
Coffee grounds remain in the bottom of the cup and after that there comes a fortune reading session. Isn't this the very reason that makes Turkish coffee unique and beloved, at least by Turks?
7 Turkish women As the famous poet Nazım Hikmet Ran said in one of his poems, “Our women… Our mother, our wife, our lover…” They died as if they never lived, we didn't know most of them, we didn't see, we didn't hear: Our mothers granting their share of bread to their children, white velvet skins of our lovers, a shelter for our spirits to rest. Perhaps, in a very few countries, like Turkey, women are excluded and insulted, just for being a woman. Turkish women, against all odds, ascended to their position in society today; they rely on only self-strength. They became our future in the sky like the first Turkish woman pilot like Sabiha Gökçen, a beauty queen of the world, as proof to the beauty of Turkish women like Azra Akın. Our women reached out to the poor, to homeless, to street children, to elderly and embrace them all with their big hearts. Turkey always rise on the shoulders of women.
8 Backgammon Backgammon is life itself in Turkey. Though some say it is a game of chance, ignore them because it is a game of strategy. You have to be swift and know how to hold dice. It is fun, it is laughter.
9 National and religious feasts National and religious feasts are called “bayram” in Turkish. They are the joy of monotonous life, color to our black-and-white lives, a condolence for our loneliness. That's why old bayrams are always reminders of a childhood full of life, joy and happiness, though they are a bit sad.
10 Hürriyet A Turkish daily newspaper is almost 60 years old: Memory of entire Turkey, a joint dairy. It is cheerful, whimsical, sentimental and earnest. Every social class reads this paper. It's a habit, habit of daily life, like a ritual… It is impossible to be copied. Every one makes new stories, but when written in Hürriyet, it is on the agenda of the country.
11 Girls of İzmir A famous Turkish Poet Cahit Külebi says: The sea is a girl in İzmir
And a girl is the sea. The streets of İzmir smells
Both the girl and the sea!
All right, what makes girls in İzmir this unique? Let's say it at once: They are always hip and beautiful, both inside and outside. Girls of İzmir don't know the meaning of rage. They all are carefree. If girls in İzmir can't enjoy the life … They say, “Maybe, next time” because lighthearted and happy, all are…
12 The Blue Voyage Recreational boating tours along Turkey's spectacular southwestern coasts are called the Blue Cruise, a.k.a. Blue Voyage. The Blue Voyage season starts in June and ends in October. Though the summer time is ideal for sunbathing on deck, Autumn is the most enjoyable time of such a travel in the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas, because calm and abundant fish wait for you…
13 Orhan Gencebay “My beloved friends” “My beloved friends, I am Orhan Gencebay. I have been singing for you, sharing your sorrow. I cry for you and laugh with you. I am Orhan Gencebay grew up with your applaus and love, taking his strength for you…,” says Gencebay on the cover of his CD dated 1998. Like his songs, Gencabay himself is a classic, too. He is the father, the East, the West, the gentle, the villager and the city dweller. He is a philosopher of music… Gencebay is like Turkey, because his works accompany our youth, memories and lives. “For a more beautiful, more just and more humanitarian world,” says he in one of his masterpieces.
One loves Turkey for the sake of Orhan Baba as well.
14 Rakı Rakı is both the traditional and national Turkish alcoholic beverage of choice, similar to Greek ouzo. It is the most useful, creative “discovery” of Turkish men. Rakı is treated the way VIP guests are treated at dinner tables. Rakı's color turning to white when mixed with water completes the white linen tablecloths. A colorful selection of appetizers or small dishes, meze, is served with Rakı. That's all and all is a beauty itself.
15 Nazim Hikmet (RAN) (1902, Thessalonica - June 3, 1963, Moscow)
A Turkish poet, playwright, novelist and memoirist. I Love My Country
I love my country:Among the elms I ran up against its breadth, I landed up in prison.Nothing can remove the pain inside of meLike my country's songs and tobacco.
My country:Bedreddin, Sinan, Yunus Emre and SakaryaFactory chimneys and lead cupolasEven when they are hiding from themselvesSmiling under their drooping moustaches, are my peoples' monuments.
My country.How broad my country is:Our wanderings need never end, it seems inexhaustible to us.Edirne, İzmir, Ulukışla, Maraş, Trabzon, Erzurum.I know Erzurum's plateaus only from its folk songs.And to the SouthI am ashamedto say I have never once passed through the Taurus Mountainsto see the cotton workers.
My country:camels, trains, Ford cars and sick donkeys,poplarswillowsand red earth.
My country.Its pine forests, the trout which love its sweetest waters and its mountain top lakesAnd their half a kiloThe reddish glow of their smooth silver skinSwims on the surface of Bolu's Abant lake.
My country:goats in Ankara's meadows:their long, brown, silky hair's shine.The fat, heavy hazelnuts of Giresun.The scarlet cheeks of Amasya's fragrant apples,olivesfigsmelonsand the richly colorfulbunches and bunches of grapesand the ploughsand the water buffaloesand ready to embrace with child-like joyeverythingprogressive, beautiful and goodmy industrious, honorable, brave peoplehalf-starving, half-fullhalf-prisoner...
16 Hollywood of Turkey, Yeşilçam Many came, served and left the white screen: Yeşilçam, the Hollywood of Turkey. We forget our sorrows with the help of Turkish films. We cry with the hopeless lovers of dead-end loves, then family dramas in which Münir Özkul and Adile Naşit as the lead actor and actress strengthen our family ties too. And comedy films with Kemal Sunal, Halitakçatepe. We sometimes got angry at the evil characters, acted by Aliye Rona and Erol Taş. With its good, bad and evil; with its tragedy and comedy, the Turkish cinema tells the story of this land superbly.
17 İstiklal Avenue The crowd, noise, declarations of love, fights of lovers, street musicians, trailers, bells of churches, cafes, book stores, bars, music stores, movie theatres, building full of history, drunks, street vendors, police, demonstrations, people happy, people sad, people alone… People are in İstiklal Avenue. Time is running fast in the İstiklal Avenue and makes hard to concentrate on nothing but the moment you live in this lifeblood of the supernova Istanbul. One cannot experience such energy in the other parts of the world.
18 Tarkan When this handsome green-eyes Turkish pop star took the stage for the first time with “Kıl Oldum Abi,” some didn't like him and some fell in love to him. His second album with the support of Sezen Aksu followed; a song titled “Şıkıdım” took Tarkan to the top. But what makes Turks to like him is his decency and highborn demeanor against scandalous events.
19 Street cats and dogs We learn clemency from dogs and cats in streets. We never give up on caressing them, though we were grown with a “learned” fear from the warnings of our mothers saying, “It'll bite don't get close.” We were jealous of them, their being playful. Cats and dogs in streets didn't make the choice to live outside, didn't want to live in busy traffic and didn't like to dash out the trash bags. We'll claim them and find homes for them.
20 Yellow signs In any color, in any shape and in any dialect of Turkish, yellow street signs form a different culture in this country. There is no end to them pointing to a king mausoleum for centuries or to the oldest mummy of the world. They are in every direction from Rize to Mardin, from Ankara to the South. When one sees this bash of signs, says to himself: “Some day, I will take all the routes they point to,” all of a sudden the yellow signs create a retirement dream for one: “Some day, I will…”
21 Bodrum A famous Turkish novelist, ethnographer and travelogue, Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı, alias The Fisherman of Halicarnassus deeply fell in love with Bodrum. “At top of the uphill, you'll see Bodrum
Don't think you will leave as you are
Those before you were like you too
But all left their minds in Bodrum.” Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı / Halikarnas Balıkçısı
22 National Football Team After that legendary score, five years passed by… İlhan Mansız created that legendary score before the team of Senegal. It was like a slap to our oppressed feelings, took Turkish National Football Team to the bronze medal of the World Championship in 2002. That day, a new period has begun in the country; we made a truce with ourselves. And here we thank all football legends of Turkey from past to present.
23 Mardin From Muslim to Assyrians, from Yakubis to Yezidis, members of different religious sects and religions, many live in Mardin, a bridge between the Mesopotamia and Anatolia. Its stone houses, inns, mosques, madrasahs and church, this Southeastern city is like an open-air museum, and that make it unique. Not only we but also UNESCO think so, by including the city in the World Heritage List.
24 Wine Neither California nor France vineyards should be haughty… Turks have songs written for wine; show me another nation doing the same. From Cappadocia to Tokat, from Midyat to Akhisar, we have widespread vineyards.
25 Turkish Bath We better categorize the Turkish bath into two: men and women baths… Women's bath is a mysterious place where young girls during the Ottoman reign were protected against evil eyes by numerous rituals. Men's bath is another story. The masseurs in the baths, tellak in Turkish, rule the place. Though nowadays, “light” sessions are presented to tourists, the Turkish baths were home of conversations on love, patience, secrets and jokes for centuries. But they are the home of intrigues, gossips and ambition as well.
26 Sezen Aksu Last year, when a foreign television music channel attempted not to play the songs of this Turkish pop diva, all music stations and Turkish televisions played her albums and video clips over and over again just to spite that channel. Facing such a tremendous voice of love, the poor channel was baffled by the reaction. Sezen Aksu is Ümmü Gülsüm (Umm Qalsum) of Turkey. Just like this eternal Egyptian singer, Turkish people listen to Sezen's songs, lullabies or poems, in whatever form and wherever. A person who has never listened to Sezen Aksu cannot be found. She is like a teacher, everyone is willing to take her course; course on life, love, sorrow and hope in her songs.
27 Football schmooze First off, the club management doesn't know this business… What a technical director! He places the players in wrong positions! In Turkey, this is a typical football schmooze. Every man knows about football and every man is a soccer coach! The same clichés are repeated over and over again; how attractive they are, how unique, how relaxing and how Turkish. Football schmooze might be more important than global warming, social discrimination, or economic dire straits… It safes lives! It takes off of the burden on our lives. It is indispensable.
28 Comics magazines Adventure of Turkey's cartoons has begun with Akbaba continued with the Gırgır by the leadership of Oğuz Aral, renowned cartoonists. On Fridays, the days Gırgır is published, all Istanbul streets turned into yellow because everyone was reading this comics magazine printed on yellow pages. Once, its circulation reached a half million a day. Then, the Mikrop and Limon followed. The Leman determined the Turkey's cartoon literature. Today, with its minimalist humor the Penguen takes the lead and Fermuar is another shining star.
29 Turkish entrepreneurs The seeds of Turkish marketing and advertisement industry were sown in vapurs - conventional Turkish ferry boats - in train stations and bus terminals, when street vendors, ferryboat vendors or train vendors tried to sell the goods on their sluggish trays in hand. We laughed so hard when the sellers shout, “Caps for the twins,” referring to bras. These heroes showed courage by trying to sell their goods even in deserted areas. But now, the seeds grew up to be the young successful entrepreneurs of Turkey. The Mavi jeans-wear now ornament display windows in the stores of Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. “We are getting more beautiful,” read the Mavi billboards, as Turks when we hear the success stories of Turkish entrepreneurs, we are getting more beautiful as well.
30 Skyscrapers of Istanbul Back in the old days, the tallest structure in Istanbul was the Highway Authority's 12-floor building located on the Levent-Maslak line. Today, this building is the smallest among many skyscrapers that have been built since the midst of 1990s. New high-rise buildings and new malls created a new type of people. Perhaps, the tremendous change that Turkey has been going through for the last decade could be observed by looking at these towers not by the statistical data.
31 Friendships in Ankara Ankara is a city of civil servants in their suits, neck-ties and white shirts. That could be monotonous for some, but they do not know about the friendship in the Turkish capital. Contrary of its bureaucratic atmosphere, friendship here is so warm. Never mind the tiny bit details of live, but friends in Ankara share life itself.
32 Radikal 2 One cannot “scan through” the pages of Radikal 2, as a weekend supplement. The correct word for that must be to “read” every single line of it. Answers in every wavelength of the spectrum and end to intellectual quest are nested among its pages. Radikal 2 is a guide to richness in color, color of Turkey and color of the world.
33 Istanbul Modern (Art Museum) People do not like the neighborhood around ports. No traces of cultural elites are found in ports. However, we the Turks, succeeded to introduce elites to such quarters thanks to the Istanbul Modern Art Museum, or Istanbul Modern in short. In 2004, the museum opened in one of the warehouses of the Karaköy Port. The Turkish curatorship adventure starting with the Aya İrini (St. Irene) in 1868 reached a climax at Istanbul Modern.
34 Plateaus of Black Sea An incredibly beautiful view, clean air and warm people… All in the Black Sea plateaus, indispensables of the region… As soon as the weather gets hot, people in the Black Sea leave sea shores and move to plateaus… It is bliss to watch the city down below, on the heights, above the clouds. Rain, fog and clouds suit well to the Black Sea plateaus. The most famous are: Çambaşı of the city of Ordu, Sis Dağı of Giresun, Uzungöl of Trabzon, Ayder of Rize and Kafkasör of Artvin.
35 Tripe soup and kokoreç It is almost a habit to head to restaurants serving tripe soup after hanging around and getting drunk at night clubs or bars. This traditional Turkish soup is served with plenty of garlic sauce; red hot crushed pepper and vinegar, but of course heated conversations tag alone too. Kokoreç is another “unique” taste in Turkish Cuisine. Prepared with grilled intestines, Turks will not negotiate with the European Union on Kokoreç, if the union finds it unhealthy!
36 Cem Yılmaz Cem Yılmaz as a stand-up comedian is the blithe of Turkey. May God grant him a long life.
37 Goldsmiths The history of goldsmiths in Anatolia goes back to the Urartians. From Mardin to Trabzon, from Diyarbakır to Van, the artistry of a goldsmith speaks high. Regardless of their ethnic backgrounds, they are all “masters.” The word is attached to their Armenian, Turkish or Assyrian names. They are the masters of jewelry, of gold craftsmanship in Anatolia.
38 Şener Şen As the heart-melting performing artist of Turkey, Şener Şen is one of us. We never tire of watching him. Though he is actor of leading roles in “Züğürt Ağa,” “Çıplak Vatandaş,” “Namuslu,” “Eşkıya” and “Muhsin Bey,” Şen is unforgettable in The Class of Hababam with his role as a clumsy physical education teacher in a high school. Şen is one the few showing the courage to get up to the stage in a musical despite his “not so young” age. Turks will never give up on watching him.
39 The Class of Hababam The Class of Hababam, nostalgic passion of Turks. Like the children who never free of thirst… thirst to reading the same stories zillions of times, we watch the Class of Hababam God knows how many times. Its legendary film music makes us cry and laugh at the same time. Tarık Akan, Halit Akçatepe, Adile Naşit, Kemal Sunal, Şener Şen and Münir Özkul as the stars of Turkish cinema and theatre claimed their place in the hearts of all. We feel sympathy for school authority and the authority begins to like “Dennis the Menaces” thanks to The Class of Hababam.
40 The Galata Tower Think about a tale on flying. It is the heritage of Genoese, evidence of Old İstanbul. When you make to the terrace of the tower, 360 degree panoramic view of the city is under your feet so to speak. You may want to scream out, “Hey Istanbul! Look, I am here!” Just like Hazerfen Ahmet Çelebi, who made first flight in the history by affixing wings. He flew from the Tower of Galata to Üsküdar.
41 Yaşar Kemal Considered to be one of the best Turkish novelists Kemal taught Turkish people how to love and how to realize the natural beauty of nature. In the end, Kemal accomplished to help us to think how much we are getting destitute by staying away from the nature, help us to realize if we don't love humanity and nature, we will all be lost eventually. Winner of an endless number of literature awards, Kemal was noticed for his work “İnce Memed (Memed, My Hawk) published in 1955.
42 Kebap Shish kebab and rakı… Tourists visiting Turkey talk about the duo for years. However, hundreds of varieties of kebabs are known and served in Turkey. Almost all restaurants became experts in kebab business. So, we have hundreds of restaurants ready to serve Adana kebab, Urfa kebab, Antep kebab, Kilis kebab, etc.
43 Primetime sitcoms/ series Pulling Turks to living rooms to watch primetime sitcoms or television series are the dreams in “Asmalı Konak,” simple lives in “Perihan Abla,” impossible love in “Hırsız Polis.” Love is the main theme of all, regardless of the story and good always win. 44 Eternal rivals: Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray A century long rivalry: Fenerbahçe-Galatasaray derby game. Every single football match they face each other looks like a cinema film: includes love, passion, ambition, happiness, joy and tears… You'll find anything in these games, you name it. The yellow-reds of Galatasaray is proud with its “blue blood” background, as the dark blue-yellow Fenerbahçe says, “I am the people. I am Turkey.” Though they are eternal rivals, “Thank God that you are,” they whisper to one another… a love. The Fenerbahçe-Galatasaray rivalry is love in Turkey.
45 Beşiktaş Bazaar On game days, the Beşiktaş Bazaar is reborn. A crowd flows to the İnönü Stadium. The slogans are chanted all over the place: “We are Etoo,” or a bit intellectual: “Bazaar is against nuclear plants”. Of course, a Fenerbahçe-Galatasaray derby is not the only reason for the locals of Beşiktaş Bazaar to love Turkey.
46 Çay and Simit (Turkish tea and bagel) A fresh traditional Turkish bagel, Simit, newly bought from the bakery should accompany with a newly steeped a cup of tea. That is the most typical Turkish habit and most possibly whoever rejects to drink tea is not a Turk. If somewhere a full teapot is ready for serving, a street vendor is selling simits in somewhere else. And if there is no street vendor selling simits, most probably the country is not Turkey.
47 Vapurs It's a privilege for İzmir and Istanbul. Vapurs, conventional Turkish ferry boats, carry their passengers in winter or summer. They are also beauty of inner seas in İzmir and Istanbul. People of any age enjoy getting on vapurs for a sea breeze, or watching seagull or drinking tea on docks. The travel with vapurs is like a play; it is fun and cheerful. Besides, the “ancestors” of young and successful Turkish entrepreneurs, whom we mentioned above, are in business on docks, busy with selling their goods, such as comb or hair clips, pins.
48 Rumi No need to say much, the following poet of the greatest humanitarian mystic and thinker, Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, says it all: In generosity and helping others be like river,In compassion and grace be like sun,In concealing others' faults be like night,In anger and fury be like dead,In modesty and humility be like earth,In tolerance be like sea,Either exist as you are or be as you look. UNESCO announced the year of 2007 as the Year of Rumi.
49 The Kenters The Kenters is the most famous theatrical faces of Turkey. Yıldız Kenter and her brother Müşfik Kenter are a school. They are the illuminating and contemporary face of the Republic looking at art. Yıldız Kenter is a unique woman in Turkish theater. With her passion for her art, despite all odds, she still stands and her theater The Kenters Theatre survive without state subsidy and remains free.
50 Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey. He is the man behind these 50 reasons to love this country, because we wouldn't be here without him. We owe him everything.

Turkey’s first sea-view golf course to open in September

LykiaLinksGolf, which is designed by the world famous architect Perry O. Dye for the Lykia Group in Antalya and is Turkey's first golf course with a sea view, will be opened in September. The group, which invested 60 million euros in the golf course and LykiaWorld Antalya Hotel that is still under construction, will open the hotel in June. The Lykia Group held on Monday a press conference, attended by the world famous architect Perry Dye, to introduce LykiaLinksGolf. Dye, who noted that he was a third-generation member of a family that designed nearly 300 golf courses around the world, said, “LykiaLinksGolf is a very important investment for Turkey because there is no such facility in the Mediterranean.

I expect that this golf course will be one of the best 100 golf courses in the world. I accepted Lykia Group's proposal without any hesitation because the project made me excited. Believe me that even my father did not design such a golf course.” He said the golf course would be opened in September, adding that they expected that 3,000-5,000 games would be played during the 2007 season. Lykia Group Executive Board Chairman Burhan Silahtaroğlu said, “We, as a group, have initiated many things. We brought a hot air balloon to Cappadocia and caused paragliding to spread in Fethiye. Now we plan to establish a big library. That's why we ask our customers to leave their books. We already have 1,500 books but our Turkish customers have so far left only four books.” Silahtaroğlu said there would be sections for everyone's pleasure in LykiaWorld Antalya Hotel, adding, “In line with the hotel's architectural structure, our guests will be able to spend their night in one of five or six places. It will be hard for people even to see each other in the 1,200-person capacity hotel.” He said the group's turnover was 24 million euros in 2006, and that with the new facilities, the group's bed capacity would reach 4,100. He said they would employ 800 more people with those investments. ISTANBUL - Referans

Sunday shift in historical bazaars in Istanbul

As soon as Istanbul was selected as the 2010 European Culture Capital there were some changes made in the city. One of the early and proper decisions is the Sunday shift for the historical bazaars in Istanbul.

The tourists are so interested in Turkish bazaars though they never had the chance to visit them on the last day of the week.

The Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, the Spices Bazaar, also known as the Egyptian Bazaar, the Sahaflar Bazaar, and the second hand book bazaar will be open 7 days a week after April 8. The decision was made in a meeting at the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Building, where the trade people association of Grand Bazaar, Istanbul Jeweler's Chamber and the related confederations met under the presidency of Eminönü Mayor Nevzat Er. The shops will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. But because the date coincides with the Easter Holiday, the first shift in practice for the shops will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Besides, if the number of tourists visiting is very large the shops might be open longer. According to Er, Sundays will be the days for retail sales. ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News

Turkey, a heaven of national parks

Turkey is full of natural wonders including Pamukkale, Cappadocia, Lake Van, Lake Tuz, Nemrut Volcano and Konya's Karapınar, which are all among the most important potential national park sites in the country. Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, UNESCO Turkish National Commission Geological Committee and the Turkish Geological Heritage Protection Association (JEMIRKO) Chairman Nizamettin Kazancı said Turkey had big potential for the establishment of national parks like the ones in the United States and could get very good tourism income from them. Noting that national parks were places rich in geosits (geographical situations) and geological heritage, Kazancı said Turkey should protect its rich geological potential by establishing such parks. He said the basic goal of the establishment of national parks was to inform people about the earth they live in and to protect natural and geological places.

Tourism may move to hinterland areas from the coasts:
Kazancı noted that thanks to the national parks, coastal tourism would be able to move to hinterland places in the country and the whole country would take advantage of alternative types of tourism. He gave the Grand Canyon in the United States as a national park example, adding that Mut, Kula, Pamukkale, Cappadocia, Van Lake, Nemrut Volcano, Salt Lake and Konya's Karapınar were among the areas that could be turned into national parks, and that those areas were introduced by JEMIRKO in many international scientific meetings. Kazancı stated that some legal arrangements should be made for the establishment of national parks that would ensure the protection of geological heritage. “The tourism revenue that will come from the national parks will contribute to social development. Such an investment will also make a great contribution to employment,” said Kazancı. Kazancı added that the establishment of national parks would also prevent the destruction of land.

Renovation project for historic Gallipoli Peninsula

Within a project implemented by the Culture and Tourism Ministry and the Enviroment and Forestry Ministry, the Gallipoli Peninsula National Park is undergoing renovation.

The historic Gelibolu Peninsula, which became a legend with the heroism of Turkish soldiers during the War of Çanakkale (Dardanelle) 92 years ago, is undergoing a renovation with a project called the “Gallipoli Peninsula Historic National Park Long-Term Development Plan,” reported the Anatolia news agency. State Minister Beşir Atalay, Environment and Forestry Minister Osman Pepe and Culture and Tourism Minister Atilla Koç have been implementing the project.

Within the scope of the $50 million project, which is regarded as the “honor” of the Turkish Republic, a couple of contributory projects will be completed and be ready by the 92nd Anniversary Ceremonies of the Çanakkale Victory. During the ceremonies, the opening of 1,670 symbolic slabs, on which 60,000 Turkish martyrs' names are written, the Namazgah Citadel in Kilitbahir village and the roads that were completed in Alçıtepe village will be made.

Planning process of the National Park project:

An “International Opinion and Design” competition was held in 1994 for the preparation of the project. The winner of the competition, attended by 120 domestic and foreign projects, was the Norwegian “Brögger&Reine Arkitektur AS Project.”

The preparation process started in 1999 with a protocol signed by the Middle East Technical University (METU) and the Environment and Forestry Ministry. The process was completed at the end of 2003 and implemented under the name, the “Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park Long-Term Development Plan.”

Within this development plan, four projects titled “Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park Directorate,” “Martyrs List,” “Martyrs Museum” and “Martyrs' Geography” was also prepared. The fields of combat, Turkish monuments and symbolic monuments were rearranged within the Martyrs' Geography project.

The field, which was established 15 years ago in memory of 500 martyrs and turned into a car park later, was reorganized. The names of 60,000 soldiers, who died during the War of Çanakkale, were written on 1,670 symbolic slabs stretching over an area of 8,000 square meters. Cypress trees were also planted to give the field a natural appearance.

Namazgah Citadel:

The Namazgah Citadel, which is located in Kilitbahir village in Gelibolu and a significant historical heritage from the Ottoman era, was turned into an open-air museum. Within the project, implemented by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, all citadels were completely renewed. When the restoration and environmental arrangement works that started on Dec. 17, 2006 end, the citadels will become one of the most important places to visit in the Gallipoli Peninsula Historic National Park.

Project implementation consultant Ömer Yörükoğlu said the construction of the Namazgah citadels started in 1840 and were used to defend the straits during the War of Çanakkale in 1915. He said the citadels were abandoned after 1960. ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News

Foreigners buy property at Turkey's most southern tip

This year, at the most southern tip of Turkey's Mediterranean coast, surrounded by mountains and pine forests and historical sites, in a town called Çavusköy, local authorities finalized new zoning plans, revealing the capacity to build in places that before were designated as farmland, or forest areas.

Before becoming a town in 1955, Çavusköy was a village and over the past five years foreigners, most of who first enjoyed the coastal town while on vacation, are buying property here, and are telling the world about Çavusköy's unspoiled nature, sea view, and good deals on property. A few kilometers from the Olympos National Park, a famous backpacker haunt with wooden cabins, Çavusköy is at the same time a developing tourist area. While it is known as Çavusköy, the locals know it as Adrasan, and geographically it's on the most southern tip of Turkey.

A year ago, Çavusköy was zoned, making available large plots of land for building. Already more than 30 foreigners, mostly British, attracted by its natural beauty, and the fact that to a large extent it is still “unspoiled” by construction live here. One of them, Rosie Mason, manages a ten-room hotel, Kybele, on the top of a hill overlooking Adrasan's valley and sea, 90 kilometers south of Antalya. Hers is one of the few in town with a legal property deed in a town, which has been beset with legal town planning problems one of the largest ones being the absence of a town plan. Until recently, she explained, in Adrasan, no one knew where they could build. “There's a hotel by the sea that's been illegal for 18 years.” She explained that with the new regulations, hotels can build 400 meters in from the beach, whereas many of the seaside restaurants and hotels are currently at 150 meters.

“People were building at a time when there were no controls,” Mason said, “But now people know what they can and can't do.” She explained that now land is clearly designated and it is easier for people.

Mehmet Yilmaz, general director of Adrasan Emlak said that until today, construction and main road infrastructure projects have been problematic. “The development plan has been applied to the coastal area, while construction projects are going on in the center of town.” Adrasan is part of the government's southern Antalya Tourism Project, which started in the 1980s, in an effort to revitalize towns of cultural and tourist interest by making them accessible.

Locals and real estate agents are hopeful that with the new legislation, things will be clearer for foreigners who are interested in buying land in Adrasan. Cengiz Pınar is a real estate agent in Adrasan and he said that the Adrasan council announced the new zoning regulations last month. He is currently the only one building custom made houses for foreigners. So far, he has built and sold 18 homes, mostly to Britons. His company is in the process of building 11 more houses which will be finished this summer.

Pınar explained that there are limited areas to build on because Adrasan is on a mountain and surrounded by forests. “There isn't a lot of land to build on,” he said. He estimates that with the new regulations the town has room for 500 more houses.

Adrasan has a population of 2,500 and most of the locals make a living from agriculture and the tourism industry. For people who want to buy houses, there is a limited amount of stone houses available but investors are generally interested in investing in plots of land. The government has designated 3 percent of the land for agriculture, 20 percent for building houses, and 20-30 percent for tourist purposes. It's possible to find land for YTL 20,000-25,000. Closer to the coast prices increase to YTL 250,000-300,000. Boutique motels dominate the area, which also increases the value of property. Houses, which have already been built and ready for re-sale are also available ranging from 50,000 to 150,000 euros.

Pınar described Adrasan as a magical, quiet place with reasonable house prices. “People are friendly, always welcoming everyone and Adrasan is unspoiled. People who have been coming here on vacation for years decide to start a second life there,” he said.

Mason, 35, came to Turkey from London six years ago to teach English. Her first visit to Çavusköy was as a tourist and two years ago she started managing the Kybele Hotel. She explained that in Çavusköy she has escaped the monotony of big city life, adding, “I missed nature and found what I was looking for here.” Mason said she was very happy that she the chance to start a second life in Çavusköy. When she came to Turkey, she did not know the language or the culture. “I felt like a child learning. It was like having a second life and the locals are very friendly and warm. Now I would like to sell houses to my friends, have one of my own and stay here,” she said.

DAMARIS KREMIDA and SELMA ŞENOLADRASAN, Antalya – Turkish Daily News/Referans

Alternative tourism getting popular in Cappadocia region

The Cappadocia Tourist Guides Association initiated a series of activities titled “Unknown Cappadocia” with an aim to explore the lesser known features of the area. The initiative is a joint project by the association, state officials, local authorities and nongovernmental organizations, reported Doğan News Agency. The association president, Sami Yılmaz, said Cappadocia was not solely a tourism center. “Besides its visually magnificent natural beauty, the region also possesses a rich cultural and historical legacy. We want to highlight and promote different and lesser known characteristics of the Cappadocia region with our initiative ‘Unknown Cappadocia,'” he said. “We believe that our project will reveal the rich tourism potential of the region in other respects. We organize tours to the lesser known and visited areas of region especially for those who are involved in the tourism sector in order to make them closely acquainted with the hidden wealth of the region for their future tourism projects,” he concluded. Cappadocia is generally regarded as being part of the plains and the mountainous region of eastern central Anatolia. The origins of this region can be traced to the Tertiary period some 50 million years ago, when craters and chimneys dominated the landscape. Forces of erosion have shaped the incredible and unique Cappadocia tuff-coned landscape. The Cappadocia region is thus a famous and popular tourist destination due to its numerous cone-shaped geological formations.

Among the must-see spots in the region are the Fairy Chimneys, the Göreme Valley National Park and rock churches, the underground cities of Kaymaklı, Derinkuyu and Özkonak, the Zelve Valley and Paşabağ, Avanos with its pottery and carpets, the Uçhisar and Ortahisar rock fortresses, Ürgüp, the Ihlara valley, Soğanlı, Sinasos and Hacıbektaş. In summer (from May to November) several alternative tours are available including a hot air balloon trip over the chimneys, trekking, walking, horse riding, motorbike or mountain biking around the valleys.

Earliest rock painted horse figures of Anatolia

Horse figures painted on rock formations in Eskişehir are the oldest in Anatolia, according to new archaeological research.

The research revealed that the first known horse figures date back to 6,000 B.C. and that the area was settled in the early Neolithic period. The excavation and studies of Anatolia in Eskişehir's Sivrihisar district were conducted jointly by Eskişehir-based Anadolu University and the Eskişehir Archaeology Museum. The Eskişehir province lies directly to the west of Ankara.Ali Umut Türkcan of Anadolu University said rock paintings featuring horse figures were found by two amateur photographers in 2002, adding, “The rock paintings were interesting because they contained 20 horse figures and a figure resembling a human showing his hands before the horses.”

Türkcan said the figures were later made clear using the computer program Photoshop and that it was the first time this technique was applied for such work.

“The rock paintings are really significant because they are the first horse figures found in Anatolia. Horse figures have an important place for this region, which used to be an area where horses were raised. In addition to the rock paintings with horse figures, early Neolithic period ceramics and flints were discovered in the region, suggesting that the area was also used for settlement,” he noted.

American 'mother of peace' in Turkey

Cindy Sheehan, an American mother who lost her son in Iraq and has traveled America championing an anti-war campaign, arrived in Istanbul on Friday. "I am excited to learn more about Turkey and your people," Sheehan said at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport.

"It is a difficult position to be so close to Iraq where my son died. We must work together to bring peace to the region," said Sheehan.

Sheehan stressed that the Iraqi people "are suffering badly and their country has been destroyed.”

“Humans all across the globe must come together for peace and encourage leaders to make peace,” she said. “Only when all of us unite for peace may we be able to force our leaders not to permit acts that would hurt global peace."

Cindy Sheehan underlined that "as long as George W. Bush is the president, the possibility of U.S. troops being withdrawn from Iraq is very low."

Asked if she will lead new anti-war demonstrations against Bush's policy, Sheehan pointed out that she purchased land very close to Bush's Texas ranch. "We will establish a camp on my land during Easter," she said. Sheehan is in Istanbul to participate in a conference titled "International Meeting for a Warless World," sponsored by the Global Coalition for Peace and Justice (BAK). Online Betting Guide and Tips