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 Government: Republic since 1923
Population: 65 million
Capital city: Ankara
Languages: Turkish
People: Turks are the majority of the country. However many Kurdish lives in the southeast region. There are also a few Jewish, Armenian, Greek minorities.
Religion: 99% Muslim, %1 Christian minority. Turkey is a secular state, which guarantees complete freedom to non-Muslims.
Time: GMT+2 (When it is noon in Turkey the time elsewhere is: London 10am / Sydney 7pm / Los Angeles 2am / New York 5am)
Electricity: Electricity in Turkey is supplied at 220 volts, 50 cycles, as in Europe. Plugs are of the European variety with two round prongs, but there are two sizes in use. Most common is the small-diameter prong, so if you have this you'll be fine. The large diameter, grounded plug, used in Germany and Austria is also in use. Plugs for these won't fit the small-diameter outlets.
Adaptors are not easily available. You have got to rig something up yourself unless you've brought an adopter from Europe and it happens to be the right one. Adaptors for the flat-prong North American-style plugs (fi?, FEESH) are sold in many electrical shops. If you have these plugs, and 220 volt appliances, you are unusual and in luck)
Weights & measures: Metric
 Turkey is a member of NATO and the only Muslim country, which has a secular democratic government. Surrounded by sea on three sides, by the Black Sea in the north, the Mediterranean in the south and the Aegean Sea in the west Turkey has also an internal sea, the Sea of Marmara, which is an important waterway that connects the Black Sea with the rest of the world. Separating Europe from Asia, Bosphorus links also 2 continents with its bridges on it.
The biggest and crowded city of the country, Istanbul is also the cultural, historical, touristic and economical center of Turkey. It is ranked also on the world’s most cosmopolitan cities. Ankara, situated in the middle of the country, is the capital of Turkey. As a result of the absence of the sea, Ankara has known with its railroads all across the country. The temperature is pretty cold especially in wintertime. Situated on the Aegean side of Turkey, Izmir was established in the third millennium B.C and known as ‘Beautiful Izmir’. The remains of many civilizations such as Trojan, Byzantine, Greco-Roman are still alive to attract people. In addition of its deep culture and history, Izmir is the hometown of Turkey’s most brilliant people.
In Turkey, you can also cruise along more than 1000km (620 miles) of Mediterranean coastline, past secluded coves, rocky headlands and pretty fishing villages or explore the remains of many civilizations such as Ephesus.
Language
Turkish is the official language of the country. Almost everybody speaks English in major cities. French and German are widely spoken in big cities and tourist areas.
Money & Currency
Most banks will change money for you. Look for a sign on or near the front door reading "Kambiyo - Exchange - Change - Wechsel" which say it all. Banks are open from 8:30 am till noon (some banks may work during lunch breaks) and from 1:30 to 5 pm Monday through Friday. There are exchange desks open long hours at the major entry points to Turkey such as airports.
In major cities exchange offices (DOVIZ BUROSU) handle much of the exchange businesses. They prefer to change cash and may even require that it be US dollars or Deutschmarks. However, the rate is often slightly better than the banks.
Turkish banks, shops and hotels often see it as a burden to change travelers' cheques (including Eurocheques) and may try to get you to go elsewhere. It may not be a good idea to bring only travelers' cheques. Generally it is better to change cheques to Turkish Liras at a bank, although some may charge a fee. Banks will often ask to see the original sales receipt for the travelers' cheques.
Credit cards are usually accepted in everywhere like shops, supermarkets, hotels and restaurants. US dollar is a good currency to carry in. While some shops accept USD, generally you will need Turkish Lira to pay taxis, cafes, etc. It is important that you carry some Turkish currency.
 The value of Turkish Lira to foreign currency fluctuates daily. 1 US dollar makes approximately 1,430,000 Turkish Lira. You should check the daily rate of exchange at airport, your hotel and exchange offices. The rates at the airports and hotels will be slightly below the rates at exchange offices. The exchange offices can be found near your hotel and the rates will be posted inside the office or near the front entrance.
ATMs are common in Turkish cities, towns and resorts. Virtually all offer instructions in English, French, German and Turkish and will pay out Turkish Liras when you insert your major credit card (especially visa) The daily limit on payouts is the equivalent of about US $ 250-500 per day depending on the bank.
Phone calls
The hotel telephone calls may be expensive. Ask the reception at the Hotel for rates. Some hotels do not charge for local calls. For the long distance calls you have to dial "0" in Turkey. International calls need "00" before the country code.
If you are making local telephone calls in Istanbul, note that you may need to use the area code, depending on where you are and where you are calling. For example, if you are on the European side (area code 212), and calling the Asian side (area code 216), then you must use the area code 216, preceded by a "0". For calls within the same area, no area code is needed. A zero should precede all Turkish cellular phone numbers.
The area codes for the cities where the AA Tour will take place are: Istanbul-212, Ankara-312, and Izmir-232.
Climate
Although Turkey is situated in a geographical location where climatic conditions are quite temperate, the diverse nature of the landscape, and the existence in particular of the mountains that run parallel to the coasts, results in significant differences in climatic conditions from one region to the other The capital of the country, Ankara is in the middle of the country. The temperatures vary between -4°C (25ºF) and 30°C (86ºF). However Marmara, the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have a typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters.
Cuisine
Turkish cuisine combines culinary traditions of Central Asia and the influences of the Mediterranean regions. Lamp or beef meat, which is basic meal, is featured on all menus often as kebap. Doner kepab, pieces of lamp cooked by rounding, is sold almost every corner with or without yogurt and tomato sauce. Fish and shellfish are very fresh and delicious. You should at least once try fried shell.
With the influences of Greek and Mediterranean culture, Turkish cuisine provides various vegetables with olive oil. The national drink raki (anisette) clouds when water is added. Ayran and Turkish coffee are also so popular that you shouldn’t miss to drink.
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