Living in Turkey the Expat's Guide

As you would expect from the nation that has an incredible metropolis located on two continents and which is the meeting point for the Islamic east and the Christian west, Turkey offers some spectacular shopping experiences, particularly in Istanbul.

We are not just talking about being able to kit out your property in Turkey at Marks and Spencer, Ikea, Harvey Nichols or Debenhams, which are all present in Turkey, but the ancient bazaars and amazing markets make for brilliant expat shopping in Turkey too. 

So if you’re an expat going to live in Turkey or you are escaping there for a holiday, where are you going to get the real shopping experiences?

Continue reading...

Whilst it’s only a budget airline flight away, Turkey is the meeting point of the modern West and the mystical East, a land where not only cultures but religions meet particularly in the cosmopolitan yet ancient and fascinating city of Istanbul.

Located on the Bosporus Straight, Istanbul is the only city in the world that spans two continents.  With over 30 million tourists taking holidays in Turkey in 2008, it is also one of the top 10 tourist destinations in the world, and whilst Istanbul has been named the European City of Culture for 2010, expats thinking of living in Turkey should remember that it still is not a part of the European Union, therefore Turkey does not have the same freedom of movement and work acts as European Union countries.

So, before you move to Turkey you will need to contact the Turkish Embassy and check on the current regulations for foreigners who want to live in Turkey.  And in this article we’ll discuss all about living in Turkey for you, covering everything from work permits to property…

Continue reading...

The latest statistics from TurkSat, the Turkish Statistics Institute, reveal that there has been a steady increase in the numbers of expats going to live in Turkey year on year.  This is hardly surprising when you realise just how good a quality of life is on offer and how affordable the cost of living in Turkey is in relative terms compared to that in the UK and across much of Europe.

However, moving abroad and setting up home in Turkey is quite an adventure – some might call it a tough task – and the real issue is the lack of coherent and consistent information available to would-be expats relating to everything from getting residency permits to the property buying process.

But all that is about to change, and today we have some great news for expats living in Didim in Turkey because a brand new Citizens Advice Bureau style agency has been set up specifically to assist all those moving to the area.

Continue reading...