Would you consider Turkey?

[alyx]

8 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Tel Aviv is super expensive so thanks but no thanks. Israel doesn't have a retirement visa but Jews can apply for citizenship based on the Israeli law of return. There are many other countries that offer similar immigration shortcuts based on family history. I know of Italian Americans who have done that.

Yes…I know …pretty expensive 

[canthai55]

They might not like me flying the flag of Palestine

[Lokie]

On 6/6/2021 at 1:26 AM, simon43 said:

[quote]

...Marmaris on southern coast of Turkey (you can take Hydrofoil 90 mins to Corfu - Greek island)...

[/quote]

 

Blimey!  That's a fast hydrofoil!!  Corfu is about 1,500 km away from Marmaris by sea ????

ha ha ha... My Bad apologies... I meant Rhodes (and its a 60 minute crossing) I said its been a while since I was last there... 555 

[grin]

3 minutes ago, Lokie said:

ha ha ha... My Bad apologies... I meant Rhodes (and its a 60 minute crossing) I said its been a while since I was last there... 555 

Short story: I have done that crossing on a very small boat in bad weather.

 

Long story: My unplanned side trip to Turkey

 

Rented a motorcycle on Rhodes and was crossing the island when I went off a small cliff through an orange tree. Was taken to the main hospital and stuck in the mens ward with about 20 other men. Tried to leave a couple of times. Turns out Greek law required 2 days of observation. So after 2 days I managed to retrieve my backpack from the hostel and headed for the docks.

 

A nurse in the hospital had told me that I should go to Izmir in Turkey where there was a French hospital and get better treatment of my injuries. The crossing on the small fishing boat was horrible. On the Turkey side I was taken in by some very nice people that could see how bad my injuries were. They fed me and moved a bed into an empty store for me to sleep on. They woke me up in the morning, fed me and put me on a bus to Izmir and told the bus driver to take me directly to the hospital in Izmir.

 

The hospital was a major improvement over the one in Rhodes. The French doctor spoke excellent English and turns out he went to medical school at ORU in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. He fixed up my wounds and gave me enough dressings to last a week. So my holiday took a detour and I ended up spending a week checking out a bunch of ruins around Izmir.

[Jingthing]

Boots on the ground report from Antalya. 

 

They say very little English spoken even in hotels and hospitals. 

 

Internet sub par.

 

Bus service good coverage but infrequent. 

 

Local food restaurants cheap and amazing. 

 

Lots of Russians!

 

They are two people living in a kind of apartment hotel kind of place central location, budget of 1000 euros a month covering two people. Cheap!

 

 

Edited June 8, 2021 by Jingthing

[Scott]

I worked in the ME and had an office in Turkey and I spent just under a year living in Instanbul.   I traveled extensively, including to the far east side and stayed periodically in Diyabakir.   That is in the Kurdish dominated, restive part of Turkey.  

Overall, I mildly enjoyed Turkey.   The people are largely pleasant, in the souks, they tend to be a little pushy and aggressive when selling you carpets, etc.   

The rural areas are quite conservative and English is very uncommon.   Ankara was just plain boring.  Istanbul is a lively, cosmopolitan city.   It's got an active nightlife, lots of action and many things to do.  You can get along with English.  

Although I enjoyed my time there, I would not consider retiring or living there long term.  

 

[Jeffr2]

4 hours ago, Scott said:

I worked in the ME and had an office in Turkey and I spent just under a year living in Instanbul.   I traveled extensively, including to the far east side and stayed periodically in Diyabakir.   That is in the Kurdish dominated, restive part of Turkey.  

Overall, I mildly enjoyed Turkey.   The people are largely pleasant, in the souks, they tend to be a little pushy and aggressive when selling you carpets, etc.   

The rural areas are quite conservative and English is very uncommon.   Ankara was just plain boring.  Istanbul is a lively, cosmopolitan city.   It's got an active nightlife, lots of action and many things to do.  You can get along with English.  

Although I enjoyed my time there, I would not consider retiring or living there long term.  

 

I only spent a week in Istanbul.  It was OK, but lots of hassles and scams for tourists.  We got suckered into one, even though we're very experienced travelers!  Luckily, it wasn't too bad.  But it's a very nice city.

 

We spent a few weeks traveling down the coast and really enjoyed it.  Loved the food and had no issues with the people or lack of English.  Don't think I'd like to live there, but sure is fun as a tourist!

[chalawaan]

Not while that maniac Erdogan is taking it back to Taliban style systems of governance! I know of at least two expat couples who fled to Central/South America several years ago, it's much worse now.

[GinBoy2]

I can't in any way comment on expat friendliness.

 

But a few years back we went on vacation there.

 

Spent time in Istanbul and Bodrum

 

Both places we loved, plenty of English spoken. My wife wasn't overly keen on the cuisine, but I thought it was OK.

 

Loved Bodrum for the beaches and Istanbul for the obvious cultural stuff

[thaibeachlovers]

On 6/7/2021 at 3:52 PM, Hyna said:

Isn't Thailand a counter-example?

Cannot buy land, double pricing, 90 days, no vaccine...

Leaving aside the vaccine I liked that Thailand put THAIS first, and don't allow foreigners to buy land. Allowing foreigners to buy land IMO has put housing out of reach for ordinary NZ people, and even renting is becoming un affordable. I never thought I'd live to see NZ people living in cars.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 6/8/2021 at 8:15 PM, canthai55 said:

They might not like me flying the flag of Palestine

Are you talking about Turkey or Israel?

[canthai55]

I quoted Israel

[Bangkokazy]

What are the easiest ways to move to Turkey

This question interests many people, and our customers and subscribers always ask about it in the comments section, and in personal messages. What are the opportunities to move to Turkey?

Now we see the most popular opportunities.

Relocation in marriage. A very popular way, but it does not suit everyone, for obvious reasons. If you really have a romantic relationship with a hot Turkish guy or a girl, then moving to Turkey is completely logical, "Can you live happily ever after!" - as the saying goes!

Moving to work. This way Google can help you and you have to monitor employer sites to search for jobs. And if you are a good specialist in the field, you can expect the company you are interested in to make you a job visa, and voila! - you are moving to Turkey, where your job is already waiting for you. Here it should be noted that in this case, as a rule, you must have knowledge of foreign languages (English, German, or, in fact, Turkish). You can also first move to Turkey independently and get a residence permit, and then find a job where the employer will give you a work permit. But it is important to keep in mind! - at first, you must get a residence permit, and after that you can count on a work permit, because a work permit will not be granted to a tourist.

Buying property in Turkey. Best from opportunities. Buying a property in Turkey gives you a reason to get a residence permit because of Tapu (deed). By the way, the process of obtaining a residence permit is now simplified, which can not but please us (a list of necessary documents - passport, tax number, completed application form, 4 photos, medical insurance and TAPU) And in accordance with the law recently signed by Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan, by buying property in Turkey for at least $ 250,000, you can immediately apply for and receive Turkish citizenship.

 

For young people moving to school is also relevant. You can go to study at the State University of Turkey (there are quotas for foreigners, and training is quite cheap) This option, of course, requires knowledge of the Turkish language, so if you plan to study in a Turkish university, you must first go to good language courses!

[thaibeachlovers]

On 6/11/2021 at 2:04 AM, canthai55 said:

I quoted Israel

Given the thread is about Turkey, it would have helped if you had indicated that in your post.