Turkey has a total surface area of 775,000 sq km. It is covered by 26% forests, 36% agricultural land and 11% grassland. The total coastline measures 7200 kilometers! The longest distance from north to south is 660 km; the longest distance from west to east is 1570 km. The population of Turkey is 65.5 million people. That means 85 people per square kilometer. Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey with a population of 7.7 million people. The capital of Turkey, Ankara, has 2.8 million people, the seaport Izmir is the second largest city with 2 million people.

About Alanya
Alanya is approximately 120 km east of Antalya Airport and has around 138,000 inhabitants. Alanya district has 25.6 km of coastline (taking in Konakli, Oba, Kestel and Mahmutlar) and Alanya town stretches along the Mediterranean coast for approximately 8 kilometres and goes inland for approximately 1 kilometre. The most expensive part of Alanya for property is the Old Town, which juts out on a hill into the sea. Here you will find the Old Harbour and Castle.

Communication
The primary language is Turkish, however, the majority of people can speak English.

Currency
The Turkish currency is the Turkish Lira, but you can pay almost everywhere in Euros although you may get your change in Turkish Lira, based on the daily exchange rate. The best place to exchange your currency into Turkish lira is in Turkey, as the local exchange rate is far better. Don't change very large amounts all at once as the exchange rate varies from day to day. You can also pay by credit card, but price negotiation will often be difficult and sometimes you will have to pay an extra charge too.


Travel & Visa
It takes about four hours by plane to travel to the modern airport of Antalya from the UK, one of the most frequently visited airports in Turkey. There are direct flights to Antalya from most major European airports and further flights in the tourist season from many more smaller local airports . You will require your passport and will need to buy a visa on arrival which costs £10 GBP or €15. You have to show this visa again when you leave Turkey.

Residents Visas
You can stay for a maximum of three months in Turkey with a standard tourist visa. To replace this with a residents visa, you will need to apply within 1 month of initial arrival . This ' Ikamet ' can be for a period of one to five years OR you may leave the country for 24 hours, then return on another standard 3 months visa. (Most people take advantage of this by organising a trip to Northern Cyprus, which is only a 3 hours ferry ride from Alanya). Please note you will require a residents' permit should you want to have a phone or buy a car. Make sure you have plenty of passport-sized photographs before you start.

Insurance(s)
When the deeds are finally in your hands, do not forget to insure your investment. Insurance policies based on Turkish Lira values can depreciate rapidly because of high inflation. Policies operating in the hard currencies are available and worth investigating.
You are not required to take out medical insurance but we find that most ex-patriots do arrange private medical insurance. The standard of medical and dental care in Turkey is very high, and the region boasts several new purpose built private hospitals.

Tax Position
A tax agreement between Turkey and the U.K has been ratified which prevents double taxation. The professional advice of your lawyer and accountant is strongly recommended.