Turkey

Visited: August 2004, March 2007, June 2008, July 2022

Duration of visit: 33 days

Capital city: Ankara

Population: 85 million (2022)

Turkey travel blog reading time: 3 minutes

• Istanbul with its bazaars, delicious food and historic landmarks
• The capital city of Ankara, marked by Kemal Atatürk’s mausoleum.
• Cappadocia – the land of fairy chimneys and unique cone-shaped rock formations.
• Bathing in a natural complex of Pamukkale and sunset on top of Mount Nemrut.
• Historical roll of father of new Turkey – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
• Doing business in extremely challenging market.
• Crossing to the Asian side through the undersea tunnel and returning over a bridge across the Bosporus.

Turkey is one of those big, self-sufficient countries which significantly contributed to the development of human civilization. As cradle of ancient civilizations with 13 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, it offers a mix of history, culture, and natural beauty that is unique in the region and probably also worldwide.

Although about 95% of Turkey’s territory is located in Asia, and only 5% in Europe, this heir of the Ottoman Empire is considered a European country.

The country has been flirting with entry to European Union, while maintaining a position as a world center between different religions, beliefs, nations and global interests.

I visited Turkey several times between 2004 and 2022 for travel and business. Turkey was part of my overland trip from Europe, through the Middle East and East Africa – the African Big Tour in 2004. My later trips were shorter, either for business or with my family, and mostly focused on Istanbul.

Turkey has been transforming rapidly in the first two decades of the 21^st century. Using all its potential at the crossroads between Europe and the Middle East, Istanbul has transformed into a global hub. The city now connects diverse religions, beliefs, nations, and perspectives. With a strong backup by Turkish Airline, which flies to more countries than any other airline, the number of foreign visitors increased dramatically.

However, most of the crowds end in the main tourist destinations, such as Istanbul, Cappadocia or beach resorts along Mediterranean coast.

Although the hospitality of the Turkish people is famous, I was able to establish an even more profound connection with the locals in areas beyond these regions.

I’ve got a feeling that everything in Turkey is big, much bigger than in European countries. Thus, the presence of millions of short-term tourists or permanent migrants is efficiently managed by a solid infrastructure that is rapidly developing.

Turkish people are incredibly kind, despite speaking very limited English, particularly outside of touristic areas.

In some restaurants, German was actually more useful. When people spoke to me in Turkish, I answered in Slovenian, and we usually ended up laughing. The warm hospitality of ordinary people often made my day, as they insisted on helping me until I found the hotel, restaurant, or whatever place I was looking for.