In Turkey’s large cities, a Western lifestyle is ordinary. The core family structure is common in big cities, though a more traditional family structure is prevalent out of urban area. Turkish people are usually hospitable and interested in help foreigners.
Public Holidays
Turkey has 6 public holidays; January 1, April 23, May 1, May 19, July 15, August 30 and October 29.
There are two religious holidays: One of them is Ramadan Feast (Eid ul Fitr) and the other is Sacrifice Feast (Eid ul Adha). Religious holidays approximately last in 3-4 days depending on the authority’s decision.
Office and Retail Hours
Working hours are 45 hours per week, from Monday to Friday. The most common working hours are 8:00-17:00 and 9:00-18:00 depending on the relevant company’s policy.
Banks and Money
The currency unit is the Turkish Lira (TRY). Banks generally open between 8.30-12.30 and 1.30-5.30, from Monday to Friday. ATMs are common in major. Credit cards are also widely accepted at sales outlets etc. Private exchange offices offer good rates with no or minor commission for cash money exchange. Money exchange transactions can be made via both banks and foreign exchange offices.
Postal Services
The post office hours in Turkey is the same in all branch and district. Post Offices’ working hours are 8.30-12.30 and 13.30-17.30, Monday through Friday.
GSM Operators
There are main 3 different GSM companies operating in Turkey named Turkcell, Vodafone and Turk Telekom.
Health Care
Many cities have private hospitals employing foreign language speaking doctors. Private health insurance is strongly recommended. The state health system is severely overloaded, although some university hospitals are leaders in their fields.
Turkey has achieved world standards rapidly and efficiently through the Health Transformation Program of last decade. By virtue of Health Transformation Program; every year not only Turkish citizens, but also thousands of international patients are attracted by top-notch health
services hosted in Turkey. Patient rights, privacy and safety are the top most priorities of health services in Turkey. Hospitals operate in accordance with the national accreditation system and are
audited twice a year by the Ministry of Health of Turkey to ensure quality, safety and service standards. Moreover, numerous health facilities are accredited by international organizations.