Turkey

Turkey is a very cosmopolit city having various cultures and a very rich history. Istanbul is one of the most crowded cities in the Europe. It is well developed. Traffic is nightmare so I live at the outskirts of it. Food is 3 times cheaper and tastier in Istanbul compared to London. I can compare as I lived in both countries for a long time. There are hundreds of big shopping centers in various regions. In a way istanbul is being turned in to a shopping heaven like Dubai. They are luxurious and you can find any famous brand names you can see in the world, here in Istanbul . Touristic areas are mainly located in the European side of Istanbul in Sultanahmet. Sultanahmet is a beautiful place both in daylight and nighttime. There are palaces, giant mosques and museums surrounded by every type of cafes and restaurants. Transportation is very good but I prefer walking when I get there because there are many things to see. Food might be more expensive in the touristic centers but it gets cheaper when you move to other locations. Transportation includes trains, buses, metro buses tramways, underground. Turkey in general is a touristic country. South and aegean part is hotter and people who like swimming , enjoying nightlife like in Spain, and enjoying historical sides may prefer these areas. However people who leave the main touristic areas and go in to small villiages in Anatolia will see surprises like beautiful sceneries, hospitable people, cheap and tasty food and bargain rooms to stay in.
Use internet for accommodation but when you come here, don't follow the people like sheeps as they do whatever the tour guides and private touristic agencies tell them to do. Rent a car and go around your self. Many tourists coming will stay in the hotel and live in the hotel until they go back to their countries and they lose many things. Enjoy a local wedding for instance. Mix with the culture and public when you are here. Eat local food, don't seek for your home meals, you are already eating them in your homecountry.

Cost of living is cheaper when you get out of Istanbul and move to other cities in Turkey. Obtaining Visas can be easy for many countries at the airport but you may try the Turkish Consulates in your home coutry before you come. However if you are coming from EU, it is best you would take the visa in the airport. They apply certain visa costs to different countries but it is a small fee which can be afforded easily.

You will find many international banks here and will be able draw money by your visa card from banks. Many supermarkets and shopping places will accept Visa cards. Be careful in central istanbul about the pick pockets!...

For those who are going to settle here, there are a lot of private schools opened to support English speaking children. They might be expensive though!..Oil is more expensive here than in the Europe as we buy oil from outside and pay tax on it.

There are so many private and government hospitals here so health care is good. Do not bring your pets, there are enough pets on the streets to show compassion

Children are very welcoming to each other and they like sharing things between themselves. Work is difficult to find but you can try various ways. Language jobs are blooming e.g.call centers  or English teaching but you may need a work permit for this. If you are not a citizen in the country, you will need work permit. Please inquire this with your local Turkish consulates or in social security offices in Turkey.

Your foreign driving licences are accepted for a year here. You have two options if you wish to drive longer period: 1. you will take Turkish driving licence by exchanging your licence with Turkish one (this is a long process e.g.3-4 months due to applications and checks involving traffic offices and embassies in your country and in turkey). To do this, you need to apply to Gayrettepe Traffic Center- Foreign Driving Licences Bureau in Istanbul.
2.You can go out of Turkish borders and come back in. By this way, you get another year driving right. People who chooses this method must get translated their driving licence in Turkish from a translation office in Turkey. This may cost 50TL for translation and 50TL for Noter Offices to confirm it to make it official. Please do not attempt to translate your whole driving licence paper work e.g. counter parts coming with your driving licence.Because it is unnecessary and expensive to translate. Your driving licence card is enough!..You can negotiate your costs with translation officies (Yeminli Tercuman Burolari).

That is all . I hope this was helpful for some people.
Regards
Gariban