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Why Turkey



To me that sounds like a banal question but if I stop and think for a minute I realise not everyone knows Turkey. There are a lot of preconceived ideas but never accurate ones. This article is my take on Turkey and may be subjectively flawed, though you'll never know unless you find out for yourself!



Depending on which time of year you touch down you will find a different aspect of the country, much the same as where you touch down. However, some things become immediately apparent, especially if you are leaving the rat race for a while. The first thing people tend to notice is the weather because that is usually the primary motive for taking the trip in the first place. The weather however, speaks for itself and you can get that in many places throughout the world so what else has an initial impact? For me it's the same thing I hear countless times from people making their first trips (and their second and third etc!). It's the people. Once you've got over the sardine can experience and recovered your luggage through manoeuvres any wrestler would be proud of you notice something that's become quite alien, smiling faces. Not gratuitous cheesy grins, but utterly relaxed smiles genuinely filled with warmth and welcome. Whether it's from the customs officials telling you to relax or other airport staff openly welcoming you to their country. You don't have that dogged feeling as you slip through the nothing to declare channel with your 10 cartons of cigarettes and enough booze to equip your local off license.

It's round about this time you get your first cultural shock when you are suddenly bombarded by young men all vying to cart your bags. You can feel quite intimidated because if a gang of youths suddenly surrounded you in the UK you'd be thinking something totally different. Competition is fierce for the few lira they earn but again, it's the smiles and welcomes that stick.



You then make your transfers to your destination. Again, expect something very different. Public transport in Turkey is something to applaud. Whether you are making your own way or through a tour operator you will find the busses no more than a couple of years old with all onboard facilities. Expect to have drinks and sandwiches on your journey as a basic courtesy. The cost of travelling on public transport is ridiculously low, especially when compared to the UK. You can take yourself from one end of the country to the other for a few pounds. The landscape. We all expect something different and here you will find it. From huge swathes of forested mountains to miles and miles of stunning coastline, from vast areas of agricultural land spotted with picturesque villages to cities bursting with life and vitality. You never need to go far to find yourself steeped in history or surrounded with an abundance of nature. Turkey has everything any holidaymaker could ever wish for. The cleanliness of the beaches and seas strike you. You look into the water and actually see the fish! With no tides you can wade for long distances. There are no age boundaries, children form an integral part of the Turkish lifestyle and are involved in everything. Every child undergoes the cheek pinching which is the Turkish expression of endearment and they all get irritated by it after the 50th tweak of the day! Teenagers too are included and if I had a pound for every teen that leaves besotted with the place I'd be a wealthy woman. I think the two key factors that have impressed more than any others are the Turkish notion of family and that of friends. The two intertwine so often that once that friendship is created a transition is made to family. You will be adopted in every sense of the word whether you are here merely for a week or never leave. Comment is always made about food. Vegetables taste and look like vegetables should. Spend any time here and weight drops off you without even trying. There are things people don't even consider when thinking of Turkey like health tourism. For the cost of a flight and a hotel you could go back home with a full dental cosmetic treatment for less than one quarter of what it would cost in the UK.The Norwegians are amongst the first to realise the health and lifestyle benefits for it's elder population, they are building a complete retirement village here for them understanding the cost of living is better, healthcare superb and lifestyle enriching.Many areas have their own health benefits, Guzelcamli for instance is nationally known for it's clean air and is where doctors send asthmatics for recouperation. Thermal spas are littered about the country bringing muscular relief. Specialised clinics for various conditions, for example the Izmir eye clinic where you can get full laser treatment for £1000 and throw away those specs. Turkey really is a country with a lot more to offer than you initially think. I could go on and on but why spoil your own discovery of it?

The following are recent articles taken from Today's Turkish News, you will have seen the similar reports in your own local papers.

British Land Co., the U.K.'s second-largest real estate investment trust, reported a fiscal first- half loss as the value of its malls and London offices dropped. The net loss in the six months ended Sept. 30 was 2 million pounds ($4 million) compared with a profit of 578 million pounds a year earlier, London-based British Land said in a statement today. Net rental income increased to 282 million pounds.

  The weakening U.K. real estate market is cutting the value of offices and retail properties as buyers struggle to finance acquisitions following the turmoil in the global financial markets and on concern demand from banks for office space will slump. “More than one quarter is likely to be needed to complete the market correction,” Chief Executive Officer Stephen Hester said in the statement. The value of British Land's assets fell 151 million pounds in the first half compared with a gain of 643 million pounds a year earlier.   “We may be in this phase of bad news for several months,” said Harm Meijer, an analyst at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in London with an “overweight” rating on the stock. British Land shares fell 5.5 pence to 950.5 pence in London yesterday, giving the company a market value of about 4.9 billion pounds. The stock has slumped 44 percent this year. Land Securities Group Plc, the U.K.'s largest REIT, is responding to the drop in commercial values by planning to split into three companies to help reverse a 33 percent share decline this year.

 Irish house prices may decline by as much as 10 percent as economic growth cools, Irish billionaire Denis O'Brien said. “It's just the property market is off right now,” said O'Brien, chairman of Digicel Group Ltd., a mobile-telephone operator based in Jamaica, in an interview. “I think it's going to have a softish landing.” Irish house prices fell the most in a decade in September as rising borrowing costs and concerns about a property slump deterred homebuyers.

  Eight European Central Bank interest-rate increases, which doubled mortgage interest costs in less than two years, are dousing a decade-long property boom that saw prices quadruple. While Irish shares in Irish banks have declined on concern that the property market is slowing, O'Brien said he “likes” shares in Bank of Ireland Plc., the second-biggest Irish lender, and Anglo Irish Bank Plc., the third-biggest Irish lender. “I think there's good value in the market,” said O'Brien, a former deputy governor at Bank of Ireland. “I'm not bearish on Ireland.” O'Brien is the fourth-richest person in Ireland, according to the London-based Sunday Times.

Both articles 16/11/07

Some area reports as to why investment in Turkey right now has potential high yields.Turyol Announce Foca-Midilli Ferry Service
With effect from May 1st Turkish ferry operator Turyol will run a daily service from the Aegean resort of Foca across to the Greek Island of Midilli (Lesbos). The price of a return journey is 40 Euro, departing at 08.00 and returning from Lesbos at 20.30.


SunExpress Izmir Flight Launch Confirmed
The eagerly awaited twice-weekly service from London Stansted to Izmir begins on 28th April. The flight, which will initially run on Tuesdays and Saturdays, will then go on to Ercan Airport in North Cyprus. Kusadasi, RUSSIAN billionaire and Chelsea owner Roman Abromovich is to construct a seven-star hotel.
He is set to take over about 80 acres of land belonging to Turkish businessman Halis Toprak in Kuşadası.The land has a 220-metre border running along the Aegean coastline and is primed for tourism purposes. You can bet the Russians will be following and buying up what they can lay their hands on, great, but don't the rest of you lag behind.
  This from the Sunday Mirror :  IS TURKEY THE NEW SPAIN?
By BERNADETTE COSTELLO 16/09/2007
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* More HOMES

SEARCHING for that dream home in the sun but can’t afford Spain?

Then why not take a look at Turkey?

The country at the eastern end of the Med is becoming increasingly popular with Brits buying abroad, with 17,000 homes now under UK ownership.

And with apartments costing as little as £20,000 and the sun shining for more than 300 days of the year, it’s easy to see why.
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The trend shows no signs of letting up, with bargain hunters searching the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts for affordable places in golf and beach resorts.

And with massive investment in airports, hotels, marinas and tourist hotspots, some property experts are predicting Turkey could soon overtake Spain as Brits’ favourite spot for a holiday home.

The most popular area is the coastline between Kusadasi in the north and Alanya in the south-east, which includes the resorts of Bodrum, Marmaris and Izmir.

Bodrum, one of Turkey’s largest and most cosmopolitan destinations, has long been popular with buyers. The bustling harbour town of Kusadasi and Altinkum, with its stunning beaches, are both rapidly-growing resorts where prices are still competitive.

Michael Johns, of agents the Right Move Abroad, says: “Altinkum has the nicest beaches in Turkey and demand will only increase with two new golf courses planned in the area and a marina to be completed by 2009.”

There are also ambitious plans for Dalaman, including new golf and leisure resorts close to the airport.

One of the downsides of this popularity is that flights have been hard to find recently – although one of the major no-frills airlines is planning more routes to Turkey and a new international airport opens in Alanya next year.

Not everyone is talking up Turkey, however, and a few agents believe some resorts have the same problems as parts of Spain. There is already talk of oversupply in some areas, cheap-looking apartments and arrests of town officials for approving illegal planning permissions.

And when it comes to paying for your home, British buyers will find it far easier in Spain. Most who buy in Turkey either pay in cash or borrow from the equity on their UK home rather than take out a Turkish mortgage.

A spokesman for NatWest International says it has no plans to lend on Turkish homes as yet.

“Spain continues to be No1 and we’re 20 per cent up on mortgage inquiries there since last year,” he adds. “Turkey is maybe Spain 20 years ago, where cheap deals were available. But I wonder if buyers know how safe they are when putting down deposits.”

Things are set to get better, with a new mortgage law in Turkey opening the doors for British buyers to borrow money locally. Spot Blue, an agent in the resort of Fethiye, says come January there should be no problems. “In fact,” says spokesman Julian Walker, “British buyers can already borrow from two Turkish banks right now.”

Popular hotspots
-Kusadasi: Up-and-coming harbour town, near Izmir airport.
-Bodrum: Great nightlife, close to smaller resorts.
-Altinkum: Beautiful beaches, close to Bodrum airport.
-Alanya: Big expat community, good beaches.
-Kalkan: Attractive friendly resort, growing rapidly.
-Dalaman: near airport, plans for golf and leisure resorts.

‘We were priced out of Costas’

HIGH prices on the Spanish Costas left Steve and Ann Jackson wondering where to buy a holiday villa… until friends told them to try Turkey.

“We’d never even thought of Turkey but when we got to Kusadasi we found the people really friendly and we loved the lifestyle,” says Ann. “It’s got a harbour, markets and one of the best sunsets I’ve seen.”

The couple, who work on the construction team at Heathrow’s new Terminal 5, say when they took their daughters, Kelly, 11, and Lauren, 10, to their new three-bedroom villa they absolutely loved it.

The Jacksons have bought next door to friends at The Green Village, a mile from the beach and a short drive to Kusadasi town.Facilities include pools, a fitness centre and restaurant. Steve says: “Being in the building trade I was expecting to trash their workmanship but I was amazed at the high quality.” Full article : www.sundaymirror.co.uk