Investment Property - Turkey At The Crossroads
Antoni Sokrato
For anyone about to invest in the emerging Turkey property market, it's a good idea to discover as much as possible about this ancient land at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, to uncover its mysteries and try to imagine what the future holds for those who reside within its extensive borders. In this article we are going to set the scene by taking a brief look at modern-day Turkey.
Turkey is a huge country! It is over 1600 km in length and 800 km wide, giving it a roughly rectangular shape. It's area - including several lakes thus encompasses over 783 thousand square kilometres, most of it in Asia. Turkey is in fact the 37th largest country in the world. On three of its sides it is surrounded by water - the Black Sea in the north, the Aegean to the west, and the Mediterranean to the south. Of course one must not forget the famous sea of Marmara in the north-west.
Turkey is divided into 7 very distinct regions geographically: the Mediterranean, Marmara, Black Sea, Aegean, Eastern Anatolia, South-Eastern Anatolia and Central Anatolia. All possess very distinct landscapes which are the result of many earth movements of millions of years. And to this day there are regular earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. There was a most severe earthquake in 1999.
With regard to climate, that of Turkey is Mediterranean and temperate, with hot, dry summers and mild, wet and cold winters, though conditions can be much harsher in the dryer interior. Turkish seasons are very distinct. The central Anatolian Plateau is much more subject to extremes than the coastal areas. Winters on the plateau are especially severe. Temperatures of -30 C to -40 C can occur in the mountains of the east, and snow can be found 120 days a year.
Culturally Turkey is very diverse, being a blend of various elements of the Oguz Turkic and Anatolian, Ottoman and Western cultures and traditions which started with the westernization of the Ottoman Empire and still continues. As Turkey successfully transformed from being religion-based into a modern nation-state with a very strong separation of state and religion, an increase in the methods of artistic expression followed naturally. During the early years of the republic, the Turkish government invested a large amount in fine arts, museums, theatres and architecture. Because of the many historical factors playing an important role in defining the modern Turkish identity, Turkish culture is today a product of efforts to be modern and Western, combined with traditional religious and historical values.
Turkish music and literature are good examples of such a cultural mix. Music schools are popular throughout Turkey, from traditional Arab to hip-hop styles. Turkish literature was heavily influenced by that of Persia and Arabic literature during most of the Ottoman era, though later on the effect of both Turkish folk and Western literary traditions are increasingly felt.
Architecturally, Turkey possesses a unique mix of traditions. In addition to the traditional Byzantine elements present everywhere, many remains of the later Ottoman architecture, with its exquisite blend of local and Islamic traditions, are to be found throughout the country, as well as in many former territories of the Ottoman Empire. From the 18th century, Turkish architecture has been increasingly influenced by Western styles, and this can be seen particularly in Istanbul where buildings like the Blue Mosque and the Dolmabahce Palace are set against a background of modern skyscrapers.
Moving on to sport, the most popular sport in Turkey is the ubiquitous football. The major teams include Galatasaray, Besiktas and Fenerbahce. In fact Turkey is now becoming a major international force in the game, with Galatasaray winning both the UEFA and UEFA Super Cups in 2000. Then a short while after, Turkey finished third in the World Cup finals in Japan.
Other sports are now also very popular in modern-day Turkey, such as volleyball, basketball and several motor sports. Interestingly enough, by far the most successful of any teams have been the women's volleyball teams, which have won a number of major European titles and medals.
I hope that this brief introduction to contemporary Turkey has provided some insights into this large and fascinating country at the dawn of its cultural re-awakening and transition in the heart of Europe. In further articles, we'll be taking a look in more detail at the property markets and integration into Turkish society.
For lots of information about Turkey, http://www.direct2-turkey.co.uk) investment property Turkey and the Turkish way of life, visit the Turkish property specialists at the http://www.direct2-turkey.co.uk/) Turkey Property web site.
|
