It's funny how the chain of events took place toward acquiring my residency permit. When I arrived with my family, son and his daughter, our neighbors greeted us. The next day the English-speaking neighbor took me to the nearest town to our villa in Izmir.
I had told him I wanted to open a bank account. I had a lot of American dollars on me. However, after waiting a while for my number to come up at the bank, the teller said I had to have a tax number and to go to the 'Emniyet Murduruglu' in Izmir to get it. The next day I took the 'dolmus' (really a mini-bus) to Uckuyular (the dolmus and bus terminal) and a taxi into Konak where the government buildings are. I found my way to the 'Emniyet' after going through two police check points, into a building, and up to the third floor. I went into an office to pick up a number and forms. Then after an hour of waiting with a lot of other people, my number came up and I went in. I asked for the tax number and handed in the forms. Surprisingly, I was caught up in the residency process because the tax office, 'Cakabay Vergi Daire' was a mile-walk away. OK. I submitted what I had and was given instructions to get my proof of income papers translated and notarized. The addresses were handed to me on a slip of paper. I asked my way to the translator's office and gave my proof of yearly income. "Come back tomorrow," she said. "How about today?" I answered, and she told me to come back in three hours. Then I went to the tax office (see above), showed my passport, and got my tax number in less than five minutes. It was 12:00, so all the government buildings were closed for an hour lunch. I had some hours to kill. I went to get a map of Izmir and a pocket bilingual dictionary, carrot juice and a sandwich, and sat in the shade on a very hot day. Finally the time came, and I went to the translator and picked up my papers and some doors nearby to get them notarized. It cost me nothing for the tax number, $50 for the translations, and $100 to the notary public.
Back at the Emniyet, I had to wait for three hours, pay a fee and get the application stamped in another office near the entrance to the building and return. Time had run out. They close at 5:00PM, so I couldn't get the last stamp at another office building in this governmental complex and pay the fee for it. I had to return the next day for this final step. After getting this stamp the next day, I was back at the Emniyet office, waited, and had all my stamped papers checked. Then the official took my passport and gave me a small slip of paper with a number and the date and said: "Come back in two weeks." The last 'residency visit' two weeks later was short. I only had to pick up my passport and a little booklet, which was my residency visa.