What I miss in Turkey (decadent probably)

I just feel there's a lot more options in the UK.

You mention quality and I think it's an issue with everything including food. I personally prefer Turkish food from a London restaurant over any Turkish place in Turkey

1. Respect - [Moderated]. Line cutting is common in Turkey, and half the time it will make you wonder if lines ever even existed. Not to mention if you happen to be from the wrong ethnic group or religion you can expect to have your life made harder in turkey by people who will deny you service for no reason.

2. Offical rules - [Moderated] great at making up their own rules, and deciding what rules they want to follow or not. While in the USA, and Canada rules are enforced or followed regardless of the workers own opinions majority of the time.

When I went to go get utilities installed at my house in Turkey I had Turks telling me I can't have electric, internet, etc installed at my house because I'm not a Turkish citizen. Good to know all the foreigners have to use buckets as toilets, and have to carry well water into their house.

Or I can't get utilities because my ikhmet from another province. Which I guess means as foreigners were not allowed to rent/own more then one apartment or house in Turkey or can't have them in different provinces.

Which leads to a bunch of calls back to corporate in Turkey for them to tell the workers they are idiots. And even then after the long phone call from corporate they still may not want to follow corporate rules, and keep enforcing their own rules.

3. Lack of variety of food - Everything is Turkish with very few foreign restaurants, and even if they are serving foreign food most of it is ran by Turks making their own Turkish version of it. I still have not found an American or an Italian pizza in Turkey. Even if they claim they are American pizzas or Italian pizzas they are still all made in the Turkish way.

4. Lack of items in the store - You could go into almost any hardware store in the USA, and find the tools that you need. But if you go to a Turkish hardware store they have very limited items, and most of the time you will find nothing you need. Which leads you to need to order it from the internet, or need to have it shipped in from the USA, or Europe. The same applies for house hold appliances, etc. In the USA you have stand alone air conditioners that stand in the middle of the floor but not in Turkey I searched over 20 stores and couldn't find one. All of them have to be installed, and to be mounted on your walls.

5. Good mail system - The mail system in Turkey is just weird, messed up, doesn't work properly, and half the time the packages don't even get delivered to your home, and you have to go into the post office to pick them up.

6. No smokers - 90% of people in Turkey smoke, and they smoke everywhere. They have offical rules against smoking in restaurants, hospitals, and other places like these. But these are never enforced by the police, and I have never seen anyone fined for it.

You can be sitting in a luxury restaurant eating with your family, and all of a sudden 5 Turks next to you start lighting up cigarettes, and ruin your meal.

You could be standing in a cramped store and all of a sudden they will all start smoking. Or be driving in a taxi and they will light up and start smoking without asking.

In the USA, and Canada these rules were enforced, and either they had to smoke outside, or there was a separate section for the smokers away from everyone.

7. Respect of traffic laws - While Turks may not be the worst drivers like Iranians or Arabs they are up there as bad drivers.

8. Free media - When you talk to Turks about the world or what is going on in the world. Its like talking to people who live in an alternative universe, and who have an alternative version of history, and events. The ultra nationalists lay claim to everything. From the Turks founding mecca, and Arabic names. To the Turks inventing every single thing in the world from computers to cars. Ask the Turks which country was the first country on the moon, and I am sure a bunch of them will say Turkey was the first one on the moon.

9. Lack of guns or other self-defense weapons - I live out in the country side that has bears, bunch of stray dogs, wild animals, etc and no way to defend myself expect for a knife. Also the fact that you even need a police clearance, and license to own a low caliber air gun which is unregulated in the USA, and some other countries, and you don't even need an ID to buy them. It is gifts that Americans give to their 8 year old's in the USA.

10. Freedom of speech - Always have to watch what you say because if you say or insult the wrong person you can end up getting arrested, and deported. But [Moderated] have free reign to insult whatever foreigners or talk in any disrespectful way they want about foreigners living in the country. If they have connections with the Turkish government, and you get in a fight with them then they will report you and have you arrested for "Insulting the greatness of Turkey"

Hello cdw057,

You can find a lot of what you are looking for at Metro it is a cross between COSTCO and Restaurant Depot. A bus passes right by it and a couple others have stops a block or two away. I am sure that I saw Satay sauce. At the time I was looking for hoisin sauce ( FOUND IT)

Good Luck

Some topics

-6 Smoking, unfortunately (for me) 90% is certainly not true, max 60 or 70%, which is not too bad, we went too restaurants quite often as well in winter and I (not my wife as she does not smoke) were requested to go outside (fine (very normal in western Europe), but not convenient. (going to restaurants from March to November is more likely (just me) (3 pakckages per day, and will kill me)

5. Mail system, one nightmare (OK if there is registered mail from turkey you get a SMS to pick it up, but for normal mail???? you have to be lucky and as a side note, no informatin whatsoever

One if my main complaints do sfar

1. No real problens with Inernet of=r ohone so far (I should not say but I am haooy with Southnet so far) of course problems but everybidy has.

2. Utilities, I had no problems, just pay (extra) and things are fine), quite cheap apart from the tips, I did not care, things being fine were important

On the food number 3 nothing too add (please refer to my comments)

7 I agee, I changed my driving license (from Hungary) into Turkish license succesfully, strange requirements though (pictures I understand, translation of my Hungarian driving license slready more difficult, but a completed education a real surprise (luckily i Had a certiricate from when I was 16 at hand and scanned (possibly I could have got others, but really if me needing completion of eductatio (??). All is fine, but it took time. Worst drivers topic, I have my driving license (for 10 !! years (in Western Europe for 2 years (at my age  2 years max)

For 2 no problems whatsoever and actually receiveing official invoices helped us in other topics, really sad that showing an electricity bill can ve important

8,9,10 I suppose I have accept, I am old, stupif and just want to have easy life. I do appreciate the comments and partially agree, but I am too old to fight.

3 So True

On Metro I am suspicious, too much focussed on Westners, but perhaps I will have a look, just the brand of Metro I do not like. (just me)

I know you do not agree, but ordering f 10

0 oackages of Marlboro Red is no problem and I trust these people (at the time of pick up the Marlboro guy arrived and I order 50 more),

One might say that Turkish guys are too commercial, but  was impressed over time, when we came back in September to buy a property my wife decided my beard needs to be removed (reluctanly I went, he was open, but I took some laundry (only sign language for the shop (not yet openend), but he understood, just shaving, washin, cleaning ironing at the time EUR 10 (inclusive I think a good tip)

I did not cry, but honestly and delivering on time at a excessivcely good price??

Just memories

Nothing to complain in Mahmutlar (for non Alcoholic restaurants, VERY VERY good orice for good food Antep I think is the best example, for Alcoholic restaurants, Jack, Freinds, Toros, ..

4. Restaurants are cheap. I have seen poor countries where all the restaurants are expensive.

The disadvantage here is you won't find a good job easily, and it is hard to start a business in Turkey if you don't speak Turkish, and you don't have a good friend who is Turkish.

If you want to live in Turkey you will need an outside income to support yourself in Turkey like retirement or a pension, an online job or an online business, or having a business inside or outside of turkey that is making you money.

Also the situation is ever changing with the Ikhmet and you really have no idea if you ikhmet is ever going to be renewed or not, or if you could get one in the first place depending on the policy of the government and if they choose to make it harder or easier to get ikhmets.