If you are thinking of moving to Turkey, my advice would simply be 'Don't'. There are many problems here, particularly in the property sector, which is rife with crooks and even many lawyers cannot be trusted. Many Estate Agents in this area are nothing short of criminals and of those that aren't, many are pathetically inadequate when it comes to service and standards. You can read about one of the worst crooks at: turkishliving.com/forums/side-forum/ Just look for the thread that mentions 'Motif Homes'. Unfortunately, this Government has no will or inclination to take any sort of action against the vile people so prevalent in the areas popular with ex-pats. If you have already made your move to Turkey or are still seriously considering it, then make sure you do your homework thoroughly. Speak to the experts at the Living Forum already mentioned and keep your wits about you. Be extremely careful when parting with cash and don't trust anybody, even some Brits here are pretty vile when it comes to scams. In short, get advice from us or the forum. Had I known 6 years ago what I know now, I would never have moved here. You should also be aware that it is not advisable to mix too much with some of the British here. Many of them are typical 'Brits Abroad' and are just as likely to stab you in the back as some of the Turks. I learned the hard way that, no matter what you do to help these people, no matter how many of your hours you give up for their benefit, sooner or later, they will stab you in the back. My mate Dave calls this particular bunch, the 'Smiling Knives', I call them the 'Colakli Chavs'. Naturally, not all the British are like this and there are far more good ones than there are bad. You'll soon work out who the bullshitters and liars are and those who consider themselves 'Legends in their own lifetimes.'
Facts About Turkey
Turkey has a population of around 71,000,000 and covers an area of some 783,562 sq kms with 8 countries on its borders. These are, going clockwise from left, Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. Turkey has 4 seas on its coastline, which are the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, the Aegean and the Marmara. Ankara is the capital city and Istanbul straddles the 2 continents of Europe and Asia. Turkey is a secular Muslim state and the Turkish Constitution forbids any form of religious persecution. Turkey has some of the best preserved Roman ruins in the world and there is major reconstruction work going on in several areas to restore some of the ruins to their former glory.
Airports
If you are intending to settle in the Side, Antalya, Alanya or Manavgat areas, you will be served by Antalya airport, a one hour drive from Side. A new airport, Gazi Pasa, opened in 2010 to serve Alanya. Currently, Antalya is the only coastal airport that stays open all year round. Dalaman, a joint civil/military airport closes down during the winter months of October to April and serves the Fethiye area, the most popular area for British ex-pats. Antalya airport is very modern and has 3 terminals, 2 international and 1 domestic terminal for flights to Ankara and Istanbul etc. The airport terminals are currently undergoing a huge modernisation and enlargement programme, which will benefit everybody. Taxi fares to Antalya airport from the Side area are around £60 each way but many estate agents will provide subsidised or free transport for their clients to go back and forth if you ask them. We provide transport for family, friends and neighbours. Duty free shops are attractive and competitive on spirits, tobacco and perfume but tourist goods are a rip-off, as are coffee and snacks. You can expect to pay around £12 for a cheeseburger and coffee!! Buy your Turkish Delight and other souvenirs in the many markets in the towns and villages. If you are on your way out of Turkey, get yourself a snack and coffee at the newly opened Burger King in the car park. It is possible to use the duty free shops when you land in Antalya but do not attempt to smuggle more than your duty free allowance into Turkey, as they will come down hard on you if you are caught. The alcohol allowance is very generous, currently 5 litres of spirits or wine, IF you purchase it outside of Turkey, so don't be greedy! By and large, officials at Antalya are warm and friendly, until you take liberties! You will have to purchase a visa for £10 (cash) on arrival at Antalya to enter Turkey, unless you obtained one at the Turkish Consulate in London but you will not need an exit visa to leave. The only budget airlines flying to Antalya currently are Thomas Cook, Pegasus. Thomson, Monarch from Manchester, First Choice and EasyJet. Some of these only fly in the tourist season but is always changing. You can search for flights on their respective websites at
www.flythomascook.com www.thomsonfly.com www.flypgs.com www.monarch.co.uk www.easyjet.com www.firstchoice.co.uk also worth checking out Turkish Airlines who rarely but occasionally have some deals going, Please note that booking and paying online is the only way you can purchase flight tickets, unless booking a package deal from the high street travel shop. Also, it is worth checking out the price of package deals, as sometimes they can be cheaper than the flight only option! Fares can vary from £1.99 one way to £199.99, dependent on the season, plus taxes of approx £30 each way. It is possible to fly from London Stansted to Antalya from mid April to the end of November from the south-east. At all other times, it is a drive to Gatwick, which serves Antalya all year round. I would advise you to shop carefully to get the best deal. Easyjet have just started flying to Istanbul and Dalaman, as have RyanAir but you will have to change flights to get to Antalya and the trouble is not always worth the possible savings. There is a rumour that Ryanair are going to open up a route to Antalya from Stansted in the very near future and if this happens, it will break the ‘cheap’ tag for Thomas Cook and prices will undoubtedly fall. It is a crime, in my opinion, that Thomas Cook flights can be purchased for £35 each way when the kids are at school and on the first day of the school holidays, they rocket to nearly £200. Now the education system fines parents £100 if they take their kids out of school, to take advantage of cheap fares, parents have little option but to pay the rip-off prices. Maybe there is a conspiracy between airlines and politicians!
Purchasıng Property
Any British citizen can purchase property in Turkey, subject to certain minor government restrictions, i.e., not purchasing in a military zone. Your Estate Agent should ensure you follow the correct procedures. DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES allow an agent to buy a property for you in his name. Due to the relaxation of rules by the Government to foreigners, there is ABSOLUTELY no circumstances that would make this necessary. If you have purchased your property already and have used a reputable Agent, then you should already be in possession of some of the required documentation required to live in Turkey legally. If you are only at the ‘Looking’ stage, check out the Agents thoroughly, both in the UK AND Turkey and visit the TLF website. Ask to speak to other ex-pats who may have purchased through the various agents and where possible, ONLY use Turkish Agents recommended in the UK. If you are thinking about a mortgage, see section on mortgages below. We still hear of many instances where Brits clearly leave their brains back in the UK and some of the stories defy belief, so don't go trusting any old Thomas, Richard or Harold with your money. Ask a Brit who lives here about procedures and most importantly, make sure you use an honest and reputable lawyer. Our advice is DO NOT buy until you have spoken to at least 2 or 3 ex-pats here. We know who the crooks are and many of us have first hand experience. Read more at: www.turkishliving.com AND under no circumstances buy a property off-plan until this useless Government introduces legislation to prevent you losing your life savings. The normal procedure everywhere with off-plan is for you to pay 33-50% payment when you buy in, then another 25-33% at the midway stage and the last payment on completion. The problem here in Turkey is that many developers have absolutely no financial backing, other than your money. They then waste that money, buying things like flashy cars or building themselves a nice home. If they then cannot find further investors, your property never gets finished and what has been built already, is invariably owned by a bank, the likes of the scummy ING, who then whip the property from under your feet and flog it at a knockdown price. The developer disappears, the authorities don't bother to look for him and you have lost everything. You have been warned!!
Renting a property as an owner
DO NOT rent your property to a Turk under any circumstances. Once they are in, they can stop paying the rent immediately and there is nothing you can do about it. Read about it here Meliha Kaplan If you do rent to a European, make sure that you declare your earnings and pay the income tax on everything. Only accept payments for rent through the bank into your account. This shows transparency and is now the law for owner/renters.
Tapu
The Tapu is the title deeds to your property. On new developments, the Tapu is only granted once the local authority have inspected the property and declared it fit and safe for habitation. It will also prove that the property has not been built illegally, ie, without planning permission or on an over developed site. If it is a re-sale property, rather than a new build, the Tapu will just transfer to you but may take a couple of months to come through. DO NOT pay the money UNTIL you have the Tapu and research everything, to make sure the seller has not taken out a mortgage on the property, a common trick, as the debt transfers to you. Be warned!! A solicitor we know of handed over the money for a house to a Turkish seller who then refused to hand over the Tapu. It has taken months to sort out and the Turk was borrowing against the Tapu. A big black mark for the solicitor!! If you are not going to get the Tapu with your property, DO NOT buy it....simple, no exceptions!!
Mortgages
As many of you will know, it is possible to obtain mortgages to buy property abroad for investment. You will also know that it is illegal to buy abroad and not declare it to HMRC in the UK, particularly if you are taking an income from the property. There is a reciprocal tax treaty between the UK and Turkey which can work both for and against you. We cannot offer any more advice on this subject.
Notaries and Translators
If you are purchasing property or vehicles, or conducting any sort of form filling for presentation to Government offices in Turkey, at some stage you will need the services of a notary (noter). These are in plentiful supply everywhere, as even the Turkish people have to use them on a regular basis. Because you are a foreigner, you will also need the services of a translator to ensure that you know what you are signing and what your obligations are. Both can cost anything from 60 lira upwards. The translators are a licence to print money here, as many are barely adequate at speaking English. We can recommend some excellent translators, who not only speak English to an excellent level but will not charge you 100TL for translating a couple of sentences in 3-4 mnutes. Some translation services carry a set fee, ie, British Passport translation is 60TL
Taxation
Turkey and Great Britain have a double taxation agreement, which means you can move your money freely between the two countries and will not pay the tax in both countries. This is particularly important if you have retired on a pension, as Turkey does not charge tax on pensions, unlike the UK. The HMRC website has a wealth of info hmrc.gov.uk/individuals/ Go to the Non Residents section, which has all the relevant info about what you will need to do if you are moving abroad and there are various forms to fill in. You should investigate your particular circumstances with your tax office in the UK and obtain the necessary forms to present to your local tax office in Turkey. After the irritation of having to get the HM Dept of Pensions letter translated into Turkish, you should present this to the local tax office in Turkey and get confirmation from them that you now live in Turkey. You present this confirmation document to HMRC in the UK and they SHOULD stop charging you tax on your pension. We know this to be true, as Lynda and I are now not charged tax on our UK pensions.
Residency Applications
I have made a massive amendment to this section, as there is no need to do any of this in London, as we did. Doing it our way cost us more than it needed to.
My advice would be to come out on a £10 tourist visa and sort out your residency application once in Turkey. The residency application procedure will need to be completed in Turkey as soon as practicable on arrival if you are going to import your belongings from the UK. The residency fee currently stands at approximately 950 lira. I won't quote the stated sterling figure as it is completely irrelevant, since you have to pay in lira.
Removals
Now for the fun part! You will now need to think about arranging transport of your worldly goods from the UK and picking the right freight forwarders is very important if you wish to avoid the nightmare that we endured with damage and theft by Istanbul Customs. We can safely recommend Atanak Forwarding Ltd, who are based in Kent. They are neither cheap nor expensive but are dedicated to their clients and will do everything in their power to look after you. The alternatives to Atanak are many but are also very expensive. The advantage of using these expensive companies is that they will come and pack everything for you and you should not have a problem in getting transport insurance. If you decide to use Atanak, the onus is on you to pack everything carefully and securely, as you will probably have your goods sent out as ‘Groupage’. This is the sharing of a lorry or a container with commercial companies. Atanak will come to your home, pick up your goods, take them back to their depot in Kent and palletise and shrink-wrap your goods for onward transmission. IT IS IMPERATIVE that you type out a detailed inventory of your goods and fax them to Atanak at least 1 week before collection. This will give them time to translate it into Turkish for the customs authorities in Istanbul. Number each box and detail the items inside. If the contents are fragile, use ‘FRAGILE’ tape to identify them. At this stage, I would advise you, if possible, to ask Atanak to send your goods by sea. If your goods go by sea, they will arrive in Turkey at Izmir, where the customs authorities are used to dealing with the household goods of ex-pats. If your goods go by road, they will enter Turkey through Istanbul, which can be a nightmare, so be prepared to spend a night or two in a hotel before you can officially claim your goods. Your goods can take anything from 5 to 10 days before arrival in Turkey and you should give yourself at least 1 week in Turkey before your goods arrive, to enable you to get all the proper documentation together for customs. Your Agent will advise you when to fly to Istanbul. I would also advise you to ask him about clearing your goods permanently, otherwise you may have to re-clear them every time you renew your residency visa. The bond money can also be quite high. A customs broker may charge you a substantial fee but the headaches he will save you make it worth every penny.
On Arrival in Turkey
Tax Office
The first step is to locate your local tax office to obtain a tax number, for which you will have to produce your passport. You will have to produce your tax number to the bank to open an account unless you already have a Turkish bank account. If you already have a Turkish bank account, then you should already have a tax number, as it is a pre-requisite of the bank. You will be asked for your Tax Number on numerous occasions, so keep it safe.
Bank Accounts
You now need a bank account, if you don't aleady have one, to prove you have enogh money to live on, before obtaining your residency permit. Be aware that you will need to give the bank your tax number and passport before you open an account. Use well known, established banks rather than the small private banks. The Turkish economy is improving all the time but it is still early days and it is safer to bank with the well established banks such as, HSBC, ABN Amro, ING Bank, Garanti Bank, Akbank and Isbank, which is the second biggest in Turkey.
Currently, if you transfer all your sterling into Turkish Lira and use a Turkish Lira bank account, you can earn around 10% interest per annum, net of income tax, currently standing at 15% of your interest. If you open a Premier account with HSBC, you pay no bank charges but assumes you have an investment of minimum 75,000 lira to a maximum of 250,000 lira. If you have less than 75,000 lira invested, you will pay 15 lira monthly in bank charges.You can tie your money up anything from 32 days to 12 months and while it is in the account, you cannot touch it. On the anniversary of your chosen lock-in term (The bank will advise you which day), you can have the interest element transferred into a daily account and many ex-pats live on this interest in Turkey, although this is getting harder as the rates dropped from a staggering 18% to 7% in just over 2 years. You can also leave the interest to accrue if you wish. If you decide to keep your money in a sterling account, you will only get around 1.5% in interest. UK bank procedures for transferring money abroad vary considerably. The HSBC charge £10 per transaction if the money is going to HSBC in Turkey and £21 to any other bank. They will transfer a maximum of £10,000 daily by telephone, so if you intend to transfer, say £100,000, arrange this before you leave the UK. You can move a maximum of £9,999 in cash without any declaration but chain it to your wrist if you do this. Recently, the government declared that to obtain the benefit of high interest rates here, you should own a property. This, in my opinion is absolutely fair and correct but I have since heard that many renters here are getting the same high rates as owners.
Residency Application (Ikamet kah)
Get moving immediately with your residency application, as things can be notoriously slow in Turkey. To obtain your Ikamet Kah, you will need to go to the police station in Manavgat or Antalya with your application forms filled out in duplicate (forms are supplied by the police), passport, 4 passport photos each, 2 pink document folders each (Available from any stationer), Turkish bank statement to prove that you have sufficient funds to remain in Turkey (Approximately $20 per day for the length of your residency up to retirement age) and the application fee, currently stated at £370 per year (This may shortly be coming down). However, you have to pay in lira, so this figure is irrelevant and you will pay whatever the lira rate is on the day you pay. A completely ludicrous situation and yet another example of rip-off Turkey. The police may very well send you to the tax office to pay the money over directly for your permit, so it is advisable to have the services of a vehicle to run you around. You should now have everything you need for Customs purposes. Now relax over a cold beer or 3 while you wait for the good news. Once you have everything in place, you can then see about getting your goods delivered. You will need to try and schedule all of this carefully because if your goods are sitting in Customs for too long, you pay a storage fee. Careful planning is required. Email me if you need any advice.
Your agents in UK will advise you of the ETA of your goods (Be near a phone or carry a mobile continually) and once you receive the call, you should immediately arrange your flights to Istanbul and be sure to check your list for documents you will require.
Check List of Documents Required for Customs
1. Tax Numbers. You should have these already if you own a property.
2. TAPU. The deeds of ownership to your property will be provided by the Estate Agent you purchased your property from. If you do not have your TAPU, you will need some sort of proof of ownership of property; i.e. contract between you and the Estate Agent.
3. Passports,
4. Ikamet kah, your proof of residency document in Turkey.
5. Bank Statement.
6. A substantial amount of money for the unexpected.
At the current time, these are the only documents we had to produce but legislation in Turkey is changing all the time so, DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
If you have any problems, talk to your agent in Istanbul or phone me!
Internal Flights
You will now need to organise your flights to Istanbul, as the drive is both too long and tiring. The recommended airlines are Pegasus and Atlas Jet There are plenty of booking agents in and around the tourist areas and we have found a particularly efficient and pleasant lady by the name of Banu, her details can be found on the database at www.joli-triste.com Flights are cheap, around £20 - £30 each way, dependent on flight times and there are several flights daily to Ataturk Airport. Ask your Agent if it is possible to pick you up at the airport, although they will probably do this anyway.
Customs Procedure
Your Agent in Istanbul, along with the appointed Customs Broker, will handle everything from here on. If you have the proper documentation with you, your goods should clear in approximately 1-2 days. Once your goods have cleared, you will be allowed to inspect them but be prepared for some damage, depending on how well you did your own packing. If you do not have the proper documentation, your goods will remain in the warehouse and you will be charged on a daily basis for storage. You will now need to provide any information the forwarding agent will need to take your goods to your new home.
My overall advice would be to bring as little as possible to Turkey, as the duties can be extortionate and above what the goods are worth. Obviously, this does not apply to personal belongings like clothes and anything else that is personal to you. The best way would be to bring it over bit by bit on your trips to UK.
House Insurance
House insurance is a must in Turkey. The build standard is poor compared to the UK and water and damp problems are common. Water can come in through poorly sealed windows and doors but it is commonly through the roof, due to badly fitted water tanks and solar panels. Rising damp is the most common problem in Turkey because most properties have not had a damp course installed. Some of the bigger developers have been installing proper damp courses over the last few years. We have found a method of preventing all the damp and plaster problems but it involves a lot of work and mess, most of which you can do yourself. The materials you will need are widely used by builders in the UK, available from Istanbul and are 100% effective. Be aware that house policies do not cover damage through badly fitted roof water tanks and solar panels. Aviva, the Turkish subsidiary of Commercial Union, offer extremely good cover with an all-inclusive policy, covering building and contents with very little in the way of small print but premiums are quite high. I can probably get a small discount for you through my contacts but your best alternative is to check out a few companies and read the policies small print thoroughly. Also, make sure that the company you go with print all policy documents in English. We have paid 600 lira pa for a 225 sq mt living area with 30k lira contents cover and the policy is in English. We were burgled in 2007 and had no problem at all with our claim to Aviva. We have now changed our company and for the identical cover, we pay 100 lira less. BE AWARE that house insurance rarely covers Earthquake damage. This is a separate policy that is a legal requirement in Turkey.
Driving
You can legally drive on your UK driving licence in Turkey and we have heard rumours that at some stage you are supposed to take a driving test, though we have not yet met anybody who has done so. Fully Comprehensive Insurance (Full Kasco), although very expensive, is a must, as the driving skills here vary considerably and the insurance is normally taken out on the car and not the person. Compulsory Traffic Insurance (Trafik Sigorta)only covers damage to 3rd parties. Car tax is about double UK rates and based on size and age of vehicle. We currently pay 650 lira every 6 months!! We would strongly advise you to take out Full Kasko, as we are seen as being rich and we have heard stories of Brits being held responsible for damage in accidents that were clearly not their fault. Petrol and diesel are about 15% dearer than UK but diesel is still the most economical, unless you convert your non-diesel car to Gas (LPG). The conversion can cost around £300. A large number of drivers here are complete lunatics and rarely stop at red lights but since this is common knowledge, if you go through a green light and somebody hits you, you are in as much trouble as he is. The Police Force attitude seems to be, that every accident can be avoided, which is true most of the time. My advice would be that, if you are an aggressive driver, like I was in the UK, you will need to become a defensive driver here and always assume the other driver is a complete idiot. We now have it on good authority that you should have a Turkish driving licence but it is no big deal. Just go along to your local police station with your UK licence and a couple of photos, ask for a Turkish licence and hand over around 20 lira. Do not expect any road courtesy from drivers here and curb your road rage.
Vehicle Imports
I would not advise importing a vehicle into Turkey from the UK for two reasons. Firstly, you may have problems getting spares or servicing for some vehicles but secondly, why bring a right hand drive car to a country that drives on the right. If you bring your motor vehicle into Turkey as a tourist, you will also encounter a lot of inconvenience, as you will need to take the vehicle out of the country every 6 months for a week. Cyprus is the closest and easiest to get to on the ferry and if you leave Turkey at any time by air during the 6 months, you will need to take your car to a customs pound and retrieve the vehicle on your return. You are charged 15 lira per day for this privilege. Legislation is underway at the moment to improve this situation for foreigners and I will keep you posted. Read the latest on this subject at www.joli-triste.com This article refers to a vehicle we purchased in Germany in November 2007 and is ONLY applicable to retired persons on a UK government pension.
Purchasing Turkish Vehicles
You cannot purchase a vehicle in Turkey unless you are a resident and vehicles can be incredibly expensive. The most popular vehicles seem to be Fiat and Hyundai, followed by Renault and Ford. If you are looking at Mercedes, Audi, BMW and Peugeot, be prepared for a shock, as the duty on imported vehicles is anything up to 80%. It is not currently possible for a foreigner to obtain any kind of finance. There are car auctions in Antalya every week, though they can be very risky to use with inherent problems in establishing ownership but you can try before you buy. My recommendation is to buy from a main dealer and look for something around 6 months old to avoid some of the punitive taxes on a new vehicle.
Public Transport
The Dolmus is the favoured method of travel in Turkey. It is both cheap and reliable in the tourist season from very early in the morning till about 1am but from November through to March, they can be scarce in some tourist areas. If you are living within a tourist area, you can just about survive but if you are living a couple of miles away, you will have a problem getting around. The weather, although relatively warm during the day, deteriorates from December to March and February can be particularly wet. It is not much fun struggling home in a thunderstorm laden with fruit and veg, so a car is probably going to be a must.
Taxis
Taxi prices are horrendous and equate to around £2 per mile before midnight. After midnight it is always best to negotiate your price before you get in. If he won’t negotiate, then ensure he turns his meter on as soon as you get into the cab. We have secured the services of several reliable and honest local taxi drivers for airport transfers to and from Antalya. If we are available, we will also be able to pick you up at cost. Currently, the taxi fare between Side and the Airport is £60 one way. We charge 75 lira each way, less than half.
Car Rental
Car rental is quite expensive but varies considerably from type of car, the area you are in and the supplier. You can pick up a small fiat for around 25-35 euros daily with air conditioning. A jeep or people carrier will cost you nearly double. Scooters are the cheapest form of travel if you love danger at around 15 euros per day. We can get you a good rental deal! Avoid Moonstar Jeeps! Read Perikoy Update!
Shopping
Barter for everything in the tourist areas but don’t try to kill them! If you think it is worth the money he is asking, pay it. This avoids bad feeling and he will not feel insulted and slag off the English at every opportunity. You can find both excellent and very poor quality fake designer goods and I would recommend you avoid the cheap rubbish and spend a little extra on getting well made products that should last you years. Leather is incredibly good value but if you are looking for designer rip-offs, check the quality of the stitching. Avoid replica watches like the plague, unless you are prepared to spend around £100 on a replica with a swiss movement and waterproof. Cheap replicas are likely to die on you if you wash your hands without removing them. Gold and other jewellery has to be the best buy if you are into ‘Bling’ or if you are about to pop the question to your Sweetheart. A close friend of ours, Metin at Oscar Jewellery in Side, has prices you cannot beat and all of the gold we have bought from him has been valued at nearly double in the UK. Our friend Mustafa, at Camel Leder, in Side has the most amazing selection of superb quality, genuine and fake leather goods. Many of our visiting friends have bought goods from these 2 thoroughly lovely men and not one of them has been disappointed.
Co-Operatives
If an Estate Agent tries to sell you a property on a co-operative, do not be tempted. Do not even consider it for longer than 5 seconds. Do not believe any agent who tells you it is safe. We bought on a co-operative, we are still paying through the nose and have no Tapu after 6 years of ownership. Very, very few Ko-ops are run honestly, so my advice would be to avoid them. The materials and labour that were used on our Ko-op were sub-standard and we had to do a lot of work ourselves. Naturally, purchasing on a completed co-operative is not a problem IF you get the Tapu with the purchase. The co-op system was set up exclusively to help middle income Turks but it has been terribly abused and is used as a means to buy a second cheap holiday home. It is my opinion that Europeans should not be allowed to buy Co-op property. Unfortunately, the Government only check out a few every year, so 75-85% of the crooked ones escape any sort of investigation. We were very unlucky and bought on a particularly crooked one.
Commissions
Everybody in Turkey is earning commission from somebody, so you will often meet people who have a ‘friend’ who is selling a house or car. They will also have a ‘friend’ who can supply you with water tanks, solar panels, ceramics, plumbing services etc. If you need anything, seek out the suppliers yourself and go direct as this can save you a packet or ask a Brit who lives here. The suppliers will often pay the commission direct to the referrer at your expense and without you even knowing. In short, use my 'Trade Database' for free or get me to project manage your work for you for a small fee.
Trade Database
We have now compiled an extensive database of tradesmen, covering everything from water installations to ceramics. We have checked out their work and their pricing levels and will be happy to pass on any details you need. Work standards vary considerably here, so please ask us first if you need a service that is not mentioned on our database, as you can rest assured that whoever we find will be checked out thoroughly before we recommend them. The database can be found at our other website at :
www.joli-triste.com
D.I.Y.
The standards of finishing in a property bought in Turkey are nothing like you would expect in the UK, so be prepared to do a lot of work in the house yourself. As I mentioned earlier, common problems are water entry, damp, poor grouting on ceramics, draught proofing and poor fitting of accessories. DIY materials are relatively inexpensive and if you undertake the work yourself, you will save yourself a lot of stress and occupy your mind at the same time. There are Turkish equivalents of B&Q and Homebase in Antalya called KocTas and Tekzen, who supply everything you will need in the DIY line.
Legal Services
It is very important to seek out a good English-speaking lawyer. You never know when you may need his services and never enter into any form of agreement or contract without first consulting a lawyer, particularly when buying a house. The Turkish Legal system, though fair and unbiased, can be slow and if you have a dispute with anybody, it could take you up to two years to get him into court. We have located and used the services of two superb English speaking lawyers and although we are not allowed to advertise for them, we will be happy to pass their names and numbers on to you.
Furnishings
3 piece suites tend to be colourful and very firm, so you may have to search a long time for something soft and less painful on the eyes. It took us 2 weeks to find a lovely suite and both settees convert into double beds, which will be handy when the family and friends start visiting. Beds are a very good buy and the storage beds are a brilliant idea for hiding the bed linen and towels. Curtains etc are very reasonable and cheap to get made up but fabrics vary in price considerably. Quilts are nothing like the UK, so we recommend you bring them with you. TOG ratings up to 7 or 8 are more than adequate for even the winter climate.
Furniture, (Mobilya), shops are prolific and beds, wardrobes, suites, cupboards, tables and cabinets etc are far cheaper than in the UK. Furniture can also be handmade to your own spec in either solid wood or very superior quality MDF. Look out for 'SPOT SHOPS', as they sell good quality budget and second-hand goods.
Electrical Goods
We do not advise you to bring anything in the way of larger electrical goods to Turkey. The import duties are horrific and in some cases up to 100% of the value of the goods. White goods are roughly the same price as UK with good guarantees, commonly up to 3 years and more. Beko and Arcelik are very reliable Turkish made products, also available in the UK, and they are widely available everywhere here. After all, why take something to Turkey that may break down the week after you arrive? Televisions and Hi-Fi equipment etc are also reasonably priced, although the emphasis is on VCD players rather than DVD players. Prices are dropping fast on luxury items like 42” TV’s and DVD players, even laptops can be purchased for around £400 now but you may have a problem getting UK keyboards.
Computers
I would recommend a self build, which I can do for you but you can buy ready made systems very cheaply, although some of the components may be on the budget side. Casper is just one Turkish company that produce very good laptops at a great price. If you have any sort of computer problems or want any advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Accommodation
Hotel prices start from as little as £5 per night per room, in a small pension, to £60 for a hotel with all amenities. Pensions are prolific in tourist areas and are basic but comfortable and friendly. We have identified several in the Side area and have used a few of them. We can also provide B & B in our superb villa or self catering in our apartment in Side, provided we have no family or friends in residence. Be sure to check out our available accommodation on this website.
Eating Out
Restaurants are getting very expensive and expect to pay UK prices and more for seafood. BEFORE you go into a restaurant, find out precisely what you will get for your money, as many of them are very crafty with their promises. If they say only 4 lira for a beer, ask them if it is a large bottle! The Turkish diet is very healthy and portions tend to be on the large side with emphasis on the locally made bread and fresh vegetables. Expect to receive complimentary starters with every meal; so don’t go overboard with the courses. Chinese and Indian restaurants are few and far between and very expensive. We have identified some great restaurants in the local area that are reasonably priced and friendly but eating out is definitely not cheap anymore, unless you get well away from the tourist areas and stick to locally produced foods. Alcohol prices are a joke, as PM Erdogan hates the stuff and wants an alcohol free Islamic state. He thinks that you should all drink lemonade for the duration of your holiday. Expect to pay around 6 to 8 lira for a 500cl Efes beer, 8 to 10 lira for a local vodka/gin and tonic, 12 to 20 lira for any imported spirit, ie, Bacardi, whiskey, Baileys etc.
Food Shopping
Shopping for groceries is an amazing experience in the many markets. Fruit and vegetables are fresh, incredibly cheap and the bill for the week can be as little as £5 for the 2 of you. Fresh Yoghurt is around £1.50 for 3 Kgs and makes for a healthy breakfast mixed with varied fruits. The local everyday bread is 70kr (30p). Milk is the longlife type and I don't like it, hence I am not eating much in the way of Frosties....sob sob but Migros occasionally has a few bottles of normal fresh milk early in the morning!! You can also find many farms that will sell you fresh milk at around 1 lira per litre, if you fancy pasteurising it yourself. Eggs are around £1 for 1 dozen, cheese is available as the white type (fetta) and Kasar (very mild cheddar) with many different flavours and types in between. Unfortunately, like the UK, the better cheeses can be quite expensive. Tulum is a very strong cheese and reminds me of a ripe Stilton without the blue and we have also found a lovely cheese call Eski Kasar, which has a strong flavour similar to a good cheddar. Supermarkets are cheaper than UK for basic stuff but luxury and convenience foods, which we take for granted in the UK are a lot more expensive. Migros, the Turkish equivalent of Sainsbury’s, seems to be the most popular with ex-pats and also provides a loyalty card. Butchers are amazingly clean and you can expect to be offered a chair and cup of tea while waiting for them to make up your order. Red meat is very expensive but turkey and chicken are very cheap, particularly breasts, in fact the breasts are so cheap, that our friend Val feeds her cats on it. We have also found Bim, the equivalent of Aldi here and another well known French company by the name of CarreFour are also making an appearance in many towns. Kippa (Tesco), M&S and Metro (Makro) are also now firmly established here, so get yourself a Makro card before you move here.
Utilities
Water. There is an abundance of water in most areas and you will only be charged for what you use in the house, as most of the garden water is supplied by independently dug wells. Expect to pay around £3 per month. If you buy an office type water cooler (around £60), you can get a 19 litre bottle delivered, as required, for only 3 lira.
Electricity. Is approx 20% cheaper than the UK price and is metered but expect lots of power cuts.
Laptops and PC’s are now firmly part of daily life here and can be purchased
Gas. Is only provided in bottles and one bottle will last about 3-4 months if you cook on a gas hob. The cost of the bottle is around £25 and £17 for a refill, which is delivered to your house free of charge. We strongly recommend that you have a gas hob and an electric oven. Natural gas is coming in the future.
Matab. This is the ‘dirty water’ charge and separate from your water account. If you live on a complex, they may pay in bulk but either way, CHECK IT OUT to be certain.
Telephony. The government owned Turkish Telephone Company (Turk Telecom) provides telephone services in all of Turkey and the Internet service supplied is 512 ADSL, for 54 Lira a month, as they do not have Broadband. You can only get telephony services if you are a Turkish resident and will need to produce your Ikametkah and passport at the Turk Telecom office to have it put on. It will cost you 8 Turkish Lira currently for connection and 20 lira monthly plus call charges. You will need an electrician to actually come to your house to install wiring etc, as TurkTelekom are only responsible for cables to the main box. If you are not permanently living in Turkey, the only way, once again, is to have a telephone installed through a Turkish friend. Skype is our favoured method of ringing the UK at 1p per minute and you can download it here:
http://www.skype.com/intl/en/download/skype/windows/downloading/
Television
Didigal TV is available from Digiturk through a dish and will cost about £30 for the dish, receiver and installation, with a monthly charge of 23 lira. Sky TV is extortionate!! Digiturk will provide you with a superb selection of around 100 channels, most of which are Turkish but you also get National Geographic, NatGeo Wild, History, Reality, BBC Prime, CNBCe and all the major news channels plus 3 good film channels. Some big budget films are available but if you want full access to all the major film channels, the cost goes up to around £13 per month. DO NOT bother with Hotbird. It is expensive and the channels are continually being scrambled.
Working in Turkey
Forget it! Obtaining a work permit in Turkey is not easy and can take 1-3 years. If you are intending to apply for a work permit from the ministry of labour, you will need a letter or employment contract from your UK employer, along with your passport, tax numbers and your Ikamet Kat. You are unlikely to be granted a permit working for a Turkish company, as you are seen to be taking employment from a Turkish citizen. I would not recommend anybody working illegally in Turkey, as they will probably revoke your residency status and throw you out for a minimum of one year. Most of the work permits granted to UK citizens relate to the property and tourist sector. For any other sector, things are far easier if you have a Turkish partner you can trust and you are investing yourself with the prospect of creating employment for local people. My advice is, DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, go into business with a Turk. We have heard so many terrible stories and people have lost thousands of pounds. I'm sure there are many reputable entrepreneurs here but the bad eggs spoil it for the genuine ones. The latest news is that, as of 18 months ago, one can apply for a Turkish passport and hold both, as there is an agreement between UK and Turkey. You can do this after 5 years of unbroken residence (excluding holidays). The conditions are no criminal record and a requirement to hold a conversation in Turkish. Why can’t the slug Gordon Brown make a similar requirement? Once you are a Turkish citizen, you can legally work.
Money Matters
The currency in Turkey is the Turkish Lira but the Euro, Pound and Dollar are widely accepted and you will frequently find things priced only in Euros. We urge you to boycott all businesses pricing solely in Euros, as they only do so to rip off the tourists. The Turkish Government are aware of this vile practice and one minister wants it stopped, after all, when did Turkey join the Euro? Currently, you get around 2.5 lira for £1.
Mobile Phones
You can use your UK mobile phone in Turkey but beware the sky-high roaming charges. If you wish to use your mobile phone in Turkey, make sure you contact your UK service provider to ensure you have roaming enabled. Your best bet is to buy another telephone and get yourself a Turkish Sim card. This can only be purchased by a Turkish resident, such as myself on your behalf and will cost you 35 Turkish Lira. Your Sim card will include 100 free units (Kontors) and subsequent top-ups can be purchased for 15 lira (50 units), 25 lira (100 units), 44 lira (250 units) and 75 lira (500 units). One text message sent within Turkey is 2 units and a text to UK is 3 or 4 units. If you are going to live here, go straight onto ‘Super Tariff’ as the savings in call charges is massive. When you come to live in Turkey, make sure you bring proof of purchase for your mobile phone or it will not work with a Turkish SIM card for more than 2 or 3 weeks. BE SURE to produce this at the airport customs or at a Turkcell 'Extra' shop. They will take all your personal details (passport photocopy) and a small charge and generally connect you within 2-3 days. You can bring a new UK purchased mobile once a year to Turkey but you must register it within 30 days of your last date stamp.
Healthcare
Healthcare in Turkey is nothing like the UK and you would be strongly advised to take out health insurance with Acibadem acibademsigorta as the alternative of jumping on a plane to use the NHS may be a little inconvenient with a raging toothache or broken limb. It can be purchased for about 75% less than private UK healthcare and is dependent on your health to start with. Dentists and Doctors are very good and are used to dealing with ex-pats in the tourist areas. A visit and prescription can be anything from £5 to £30. Ours costs around 2500 lira yearly for the 2 of us and covers everything except out-patient treatment. I should advise that I was hospitalised twice in 2007, for pneumonia and chemical poisoning, once in 2008 for a knee Op and once in 2009 for a nose Op. I could not fault the treatment and service in my local hospital, The Anadolu, Side. See my page on Health Tourism at : www.joli-triste.com
It is possible to use the local state hospitals and although people poke fun, they are more than adequate if your life needs saving. I have spoken to a few people who have used them and they have nothing but the highest regard, the only problem being the language.
Pets
Turkey does not have the same strict procedures for importing pets and bringing dogs and cats is not a problem. Vets are fairly abundant and slightly cheaper than in the UK. If you bring a pet, PLEASE ensure it is neutered or speyed,
Languages
The most commonly used language in Turkey, other than Turkish, is German and a surprisingly high number of Turks speak fluent German. There are a few areas, such as Fethiye, where English takes precedent over German. The favoured language everywhere is obviously Turkish and you will score a lot of brownie points with the local people if you make an effort to learn their language. It is a difficult language to learn but very gratifying to go into a shop or restaurant and order in Turkish. The Turkish will do everything to help you learn if you show willing and naturally, if you intend to live in Turkey, it is good manners to speak the language. My recommended Turkish language course is 'Rosetta Stone' and although it is not the cheapest, it is superior in its teaching methods to any other course I have ever seen.
Officialdom in Manavgat and Side
Unfortunately, I have found most officials, ie, police (with the exception of Sahin), council employees and court building staff at worst, downright rude and at best, unhelpful. There seems to be no inclination in this area for the authorities to provide any sort of language help in government offices and yet they are more than happy to take our money. Even if you try to speak Turkish, they will pretend not to understand you because your pronunciation is not 100%. The attitude in the Fethiye area couldn’t be more different. The only officials we have found really helpful are the Jandarma and with any luck, one day they’ll take over.
Making Youtr Home/Project Management
Once you have purchased a property, whether for rental or permanent residency for yourself, whether you have bought off-plan (planning stage only), re-sale or a new build, at some stage you will need to think about fitting out your home. If it is off-plan, you will have plenty of time to think about it. If it is a re-sale, you will probably want to put your own ‘stamp’ on your home. If it is a new build, you will need to arrange the fitting of your interior. One thing is for sure, which ever of the above applies, it will be difficult to oversee work on the property if you are still in the UK, after all, ‘What the eye doesn’t see…’etc! I can provide you with a complete Project Management Service, for a fee of 1%. I will oversee all aspects of the renovation or redecoration. This includes making sure they use the correct materials for the job. Waterproof grout on the terraces and in wet rooms, silicone sealer around door and window frames, toilet pans and sinks, making sure that exterior rendering is bone dry before waterproofing and painting, checking the insulation on the roof after water tank installation, mess cleaned up before the workmen leave and making sure the ceramics and marble work is done properly. I will decline any commissions offered by service and material providers and ensure the savings are passed on to you. Never allow the estate agents to fit out your new home without talking to me first. Some estate agents will use cheap materials and labour but you will not get the savings. We have been there, we know!! For the 1% I will charge you, you will have peace of mind.
Golf/Bridge
Not being a golfer, I can’t be too enthusiastic on the subject. What I can tell you is that the Mediterranean Coast in Turkey will become a golfer’s paradise. Golf courses are springing up everywhere. Belek is famous for its championship golf courses and completion on an 18 hole course in Gundogdu is expected in Spring 2009. If golf is your thing, don’t go to Portugal or Spain, come to Turkey.
If there is anything not covered here that you would like to know about with regard to living in Turkey or if you don’t know how to go about sorting out a problem, contact me whenever you like. In the unlikely event that I can’t give you an answer immediately, I’ll certainly know within a few hours. I am here to help, so please use me to avoid encountering any or all of the problems we did. You can reach me 16 hours daily from 10am to 2am on +90 538 707 64 11 or e-mail me at grant@perikoyvilla.com
We have lived in Turkey for 5 years now and in spite of all the problems and crap they have thrown at us and all the frustration they have caused us, It is still a fairly decent country to live in, although had I known 6 years ago what I know now, I would never, ever have considered moving here. There seems to be a mindset within the Turkish system that we, the Brits are an irrelevance or a nuisance. I have to say that I do feel healthier for the enforced change in my diet and lifestyle, am far happier and have made a lot of friends, both Turkish and European.
I couldn't recommend, with hand on heart, that anybody considering living abroad should come to Turkey. I have found it to be unnecessarily frustrating, officialdom to be totally intransigent and a complete lack of interest shown to Europeans who have been systematically scammed by their own people. There are now many European countries that are far cheaper to live in than rip-off Turkey and the fact that dozens are leaving here every year speaks volumes about the state of the country and its attitude towards foreigners.
Please feel free to print these pages off for personal use.
Grant StClair-Armstrong
Grant St.Clair-Armstrong
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