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Cycling race video (2 May)

The 48th International Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey passed through Akbuk this year.

Normally the route takes the riders past us on the Bodrum to Soke road but this year their seven stage route from Alanya to Izmir took the teams though our town between 2 - 2:30pm on the 27th April. From Izmir they flew to Istanbul for the last stage.

The racers did not pass through he centre of Akbuk but turned off on the Kazikli Road, going past M Pyramids, Forest Glade and Olive Gardens sites, joining the main road near Gulkent Sitesi, just before those dreaded new traffic lights.

We have a short video of the race as they passed Summerbreeze. We are very grateful for the footage which was supplied by our good friend Maureen.



The official website of the race is www.tourofturkey.org/2012/stages

Update to new visa regulations (24 March)

There is much talk of a new 6 month "Tourist Residence Permit" which would allow visitors to stay in Turkey for up to 9 months. A statement on the British Embassy in Ankara's website states:-

“…An amendment to the relevant legislation of the Interior Ministry has made it possible for provincial governor’s offices to issue ex officio residence permits for touristic purposes which are valid for up to six months (including six months) in line with general provisions on granting residence permits to foreigners who have arrived in our country on a visa issued by our foreign missions, an on-arrival visa or visa exemption agreements.
Foreigners who exceed the duration of their visa, visa exemption or previously issued residence permits can benefit from the above-mentioned practice on the condition that they pay the penalty for overstaying.
In this respect, while Cabinet Decree No:2011/2306, which took effect on February 1, 2012 set the duration of stay in Turkey for foreigners as 90 days in an 180-day period, foreigners who are visiting our country as tourists can legally stay in our country for a total of nine months through a six-month residence permit which they can receive from governor’s offices upon application. …”    Full text here - http://ukinturkey.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/important-update

We would like to point out that it has ALWAYS been possible for people to obtain a Residence Permit for a duration of 6 months. However the article goes on to say:-

To summarise, British nationals who have arrived in Turkey on a tourist visa and who wish to stay on for a longer period can apply for a tourist residence permit for a stay of up to 9 months. This provision already appeared in the original regulation but it seems that the application procedures have now been simplified.

What is meant by "procedures have now been simplified." is anyone's guess!

New symbol for Turkish Lira  (4 March)

The Turkish Central Bank unveiled a currency sign for Turkish lira at a press conference in Ankara on 1st March, reflecting the government’s ambitions to further strengthen the national currency.

The symbol is a double-crossed “L” shaped like an anchor. The anchor shape means that currency is a “safe harbour” while the upward facing lines represent its rising prestige, Central Bank President Erdem Basci said at a ceremony unveiling the symbol.

The launch also reflects Turkey's ambitious aspirations to become one of the world's top economies. Turkey's government has targeted becoming one of the world's top 10 economies by 2023 from its current ranking of 16th. The Central Bank has vowed to promote the lira as a reserve currency, recently signing local currency swap deals with Pakistan and China.

The new symbol was the winner out of 8,362 entries submitted to a countrywide contest.

90 days in 180 days tourist visas enforced from 1st February

Last July a new "90 day in 180 day" tourist visa rule was introduced which was designed to close the loophole that allow foreign nationals to stay for extended periods in Turkey on tourist visas. However the sudden introduction caused chaos and confusion, so the Turkish Interior Ministry decided to temporarily suspend the new regulations.

Although the new 90 days in 180 days stamps have been issued to most visitors for many months now, the old rules have been applied up until 31 Jan 2012.

It now appears the new regulations are being enforced from 01 Feb 2012. This will affect visitors who come to Turkey more than once a year or wish to stay for more than 90 days, as back-to-back visas will no longer be allowed. Those who own villas and apartments in Turkey but enter the country on a tourist visa could face only being able to visit their property for half a year in alternate three months blocks.

The new visas, which apply to visitors from 63 countries, allow multiple entries over a 180 day period but with a maximum stay of only 90 days. A new visa will not be issued until the existing one expires, i.e. day 181 or after.

To check if and how the new regulations will affect you, we have produced a new page with full details of the new visa and a useful dates calculator. Visit our Tourist Visas page.

It should be noted that like many rules & regulations in Turkey, interpretation and enforcement may differ from the written law.