Since the founding of the republic in 1923 as the successor state to the Ottoman Empire, Turkey has been secular and Kemalist in orientation. The country's founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, initiated a modernization of Turkey through social and legal reforms modelled on various European nation states.
The current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been at the helm of the country since 2003. Since around 2012, he has led the country in an increasingly authoritarian manner. Freedom of expression and freedom of the press in particular are considered to be severely restricted. The currency and debt crisis triggered by its economic policies as well as high inflation have continued since 2018, which makes Turkey quite attractive from a tourist perspective.
The culture of today's Turkey is a fusion of the ancient Turkish nomadic culture of Central Asia and Siberia, the Greco-Roman era, the culture in the Ottoman Empire with its Byzantine, Persian, Arabic, Caucasian, Armenian and Kurdish influences, as well as the strong European direction since the founding of the Republic Ataturk. The cultural centre of the country is the metropolis of Istanbul.
With the political changes, the content of Turkish literature also changed. Early representatives include Fakir Baykurt, Sabahattin Ali, Sait Faik Abasıyanık and Yaşar Kemal, who put ordinary people at the centre of their work. With the turn to describing living conditions, social and political criticism of the state is inevitable. The state reacts with censorship and political violence. Authors like Nâzım Hikmet, Yaşar Kemal and Aziz Nesin spend many years in Turkish prisons because of the persecution of their publications. Kemal therefore referred to the prison as a “school of Turkish literature”.
Turkish cuisine has also influenced Greek and the rest of the Balkan cuisine - including etymology. For example, tzaziki comes from the Turkish cacık, and Ćevapčići comes from kabapcik. Yogurt also comes from Turkish Yoğurt. Doner kebab is made from beef, veal or poultry. In Turkey, but also in other countries, the kebab is also served on a plate.
Amethyst Mine in Dursunbey - We were following the main road from Dursunbey to the right towards Beyel, continued to the fire station that brought us to about 800 meters above sea level in its park-like grounds, to the Dursunbey river and to the imposing canyons and on the way back to the local Amethyst Mine.
Dursunbey - For many years a close friendship connects us with Rasim, operating a large furniture store in Alanya and also in construction of family houses and villas.
Istanbul offers not just museums and famous historical and natural attractions. There is also an exciting nightlife and countless shopping opportunities, especially for silver, copper, and gold jewellery, and of course, carpets.
Bosporus - Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and, due to its location, probably the most famous, bordered to the south by the island-studded Sea of Marmara and to the north by the Black Sea.
Kapalı Çarşı - The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest covered markets in the world. It contains more than 4000 shops, restaurants, streets, gates and even two mosques. This old building was built over the remains of the Old Bedesten.
Uludağ National Park - The nature reserve extends across the southern slopes of the Uludag massif near the metropolis of Bursa. The vegetation is divided into four zones, ranging from 500 to 2500 m in altitude, there are 4 different types of vegetation.
Grand Rue de Pera - We visited Istiklal Street, probably the busiest street in Istanbul. This pedestrian street stretches between Taksim Square and the Tunel area for about 3 – 4 km in the Beyoglu district.
Troy is probably one of the most well-known ancient cities. This is primarily due to Homer, who processed the history of the city of Troy in his famous epic "Iliad" almost 3,000 years ago.
Princes’ Islands - The other pleasant part of Istanbul is Adalar Islands strewn over the Marmara Sea. They are known as Princes’ Islands by foreigners because the rulers of the Byzantine Empire sent troublesome princes to these islands to rot away.
Uluabat Lake - Once in the vicinity of Bursa, we of course also wanted to see the large freshwater lake Uluabat (Uluabat Gölü), or as it is often called due to the former Greek city, the Apolyont lake.
Uludağ - Thanks to the guaranteed snow, the mountain is a sure bet for skiers with a taste for exotic destinations. On the slopes near Bursa, snow piles up to three meters deep.
Bursa, the fourth biggest town of Turkey and capital of the district of Bursa in the western part of Turkey, now has 1.6 million inhabitants. About 90 kilometres from Istanbul, and at the foot of the Uludağ, this fast growing town has all that modern towns can offer.
Camlica Tower is also known as Camlica Television and Radio Tower. It is a well-known landmark in Istanbul, Türkiye. The height of the tower is 369 meters.
The geo-strategically favourable location between the three large economic blocks Asia, Europe and Russia makes Turkey one of the most important international transport hubs in the world.
Meanwhile completed - despite multi-layered, long-lasting protests: For several weeks, heavy machinery has been working on the foundations of the new bridge on the Bosporus,
As part of the conference “İstanbul as an archaeological site” of the Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts and the Anatolian Culture and Art Research Centre (AKSAM), finds from the excavation pits of the Mamaray project, the tunnel construction project of the subway Route below the Sea of Marmara, were presented.
In 2017, work began on a suspension bridge across the Dardanelles Strait. We have repeatedly described the arduous crossing of the inlet by car ferry, especially when traveling with a wide caravan (2.50 meters).
In order to further prepare for the establishment of camper pitches in Turkey and the Balkans for the purpose of winter accommodation and camper stations available all year round, we also accepted the Eden Hotel Group's invitation to Assos.
On the way from Bursa towards Eskesehir we had made a short stopover on the D 200 near Inegöl for lunch in one of the many restaurants along the road.
The dream began during the Ottoman Empire in 1860: Asia and Europe were to be connected under the Bosphorus with the help of a tunnel.