Good Turkey properties available for under EUR 50,000

It is possible to pick up a good property in Turkey at prices of EUR 50,000 (GBP 42,850) in best locations, it has been reported.

Property and lifestyle magazine Quest stated that many British purchasers are looking for homes at the lower end of the market and listed three examples of the sort of bargains UK buyers could enjoy. These included a three-bed, two-bathroom villa with a sea view near Bodrum, a three-bed beach apartment at Fethiye, Calis Beach and a one-bed apartment near the beach in Alanya.

Head of private clients at property firm World First Elisabeth Dobson commented: "People are attracted to properties in turkey of £30,000 as they know that in the UK they will have to spend that on a new car."

According to Daily Mail, cheap accommodations are still available, although prices are rising by 20 per cent a year, suggesting those making acquisitions could see their value rise substantially. The country is affordable because it does not use the euro as its currency - making exchange rates more favorable - while the equivalent of council tax costs £150 a year and there are many cheap places to eat and drink. Meanwhile, Turkish news provider Hurriyet recently claimed that the rapid growth of the country's tourism industry will contribute to a property boom in 2010.

More Americans have discovered Turkey's health tourism potential

Turkey is a growing health tourism destination thanks to its close location to European countries (meaning easy transportation), abundancy and efficiency of private health institutions with state-of-the-art technology and qualified medical and service personnel. There are also hot springs which serve to treat or cure many ailments. Turkey offers tourists cheaper cost of surgery and a chance to have a vacation together!

Increasing number of Americans has discovered Turkey's health tourism as a means of lowering their medical expenses. US citizens account for an important share of health tourism patients, mainly due to low prices. Although, thermal springs have been places of major attraction so far, the number of visitors for surgical operations like hair treatment, eye operations and tube baby etc. has been increasing, rapidly.

According to Gul Soydan, Health Tourism Turkey Coordinator, The incoming patient profile has changed amidst the crisis, and the number of US patients has surpassed the number of Europeans. Many people in the United States have been left without insurance, said Soydan. "If a US citizen chooses to have full dental treatment in the US, the cost is USD 100,000; but in Turkey it is USD 30,000 at most. Having realized this advantage, US citizens flocked to Turkey for health tourism during the first six months of this year", Soydan emphasized.

According to a report issued by the health subcommittee of the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) in June, A person arriving in Turkey for health tourism spends 12 times more than a regular tourist. The report also adds that Medical tourism, which generates a global volume of USD 60 billion, is expected to reach USD 100 billion by the end of 2010. Around 40,000 tourists arrive in Turkey for health tourism per annum, and the goal is to attain one million foreign patients and USD 8 billion in revenue by 2020 which is great news for rental property investors. Turkey's health tourism is expected to cover 36 percent of its overall tourism revenues, which totaled USD 21.9 billion last year.

Turkish Airlines passenger numbers up by 9 percent

Turkish Airlines (THY) carried 11.2 million in the first half of the year, a rise of 9 percent from a year earlier, according to the press release from the carrier.

The THY said in a statement that number of passengers increased 9.1 percent to 11.2 million in the January-June period of 2009 from 10.3 million in the same period 2008. Meanwhile, amount of cargo carried by the THY rose 7.1 percent to 101,645 tons in the first half of the year from 94,891 tons in the same period previous year.

The Istanbul-based airline has launched a large-scale expansion programme, with plans to buy up to 105 wide-bodied and single-aisle aircraft from Boeing and Airbus. The carrier, partly owned by the Turkish state, signed a deal in December 2008 to procure a 49 percent stake in Bosnia's Muslim-Croat federation flag-carrier BH Airlines. THY said business class passenger numbers on its international flights rose 7.8 percent in January-February, while international transit passengers were up 51 percent.

Travel Insurance Turkey

Situated in the Balkan region of Southeast Europe, Turkey is an extremely popular travel destination for tourists with a wide selection of activities, attractions and significant points of interest. A trip to Turkey offers visitors an opportunity to absorb the rich history, culture and scenic landscapes. The Turkish cities are pretty dependable, particularly in the tourist zones. However, remote areas are sometimes very basic in terms of health facilities, in spite of the Turkish government's efforts. Turkey doesn't have a reputation for theft or targeting tourists. However, it’s advisable to have an all round travel insurance policy as basic risk management. The primary benefit of travel insurance Turkey is the knowledge that should something goes wrong while you are in the country, you won’t be responsible for finding the money to put it right, at a time when you are already strained. Travel insurance is a must, if you want a quiet holiday in Turkey, so that tourists can spend time enjoying, knowing that if anything does happen, they're insured.

The number of Brits taking Turkey travel insurance may rise, according to air travel specialist Mott MacDonald. He said that countries like Turkey are outside the Eurozone and are keeping prices down - will attract tourists despite the economic downturn. Meanwhile, Director of aviation Chris Chalk said Turkey is getting progressively cheaper. There is a lot of discounting going on in Turkey at the moment where the core markets need to exist and keep people coming in.

How to opt for Travel Insurance Turkey?

• Travel insurance policies come in a variety of forms, although you should always read the policy wording to find out what is and is not covered by the particular policy
• Those who visit Turkey have to decide whether they want to buy a single or multiple trip travel insurance policy. If you plan to make more than one trip, multiple travel insurance policies are usually the best value, although a multi trip policy will sound costly and they are also available for over 65's from companies like Flexicover.
• Tourists have to determine the type of cover they need. Those who go for relaxing, peaceful holidays like Beach vacation may be fine with a simple travel insurance policy but those who plan to do anything adventurous on holiday, then they will need additional insurance cover like dive, for example, they will need scuba diving travel insurance.
• Ensure you have sufficient cover for personal belongings and money that you take with you. There is usually an overall limit that is the maximum for any claim as well as limits for individual types of property. These are the single item, pair or set of items limit. There will be an individual item limit as well as a total valuables limit being the maximum cover in any one claim for all items considered to be a valuable.
• There will also be a limit on the amount of cash covered in a claim.
• There will also be restrictions on valid claims in the event of theft with regard to where the item was, if it was secure, and a condition to report the theft to the police. If you replace any goods you will need to obtain receipts. The limits on cash and baggage loss are generally quite low so if you like to travel "heavy"
• Those who are aged 65 or over will need to look for Special over-65 travel insurance as most online travel insurance policies have a maximum age limit of 65 years.
• A standard travel insurance policy contains many different sections of cover, not all of which everyone needs. If you buy a travel insurance policy that doesn’t provide the cover you require, you have wasted your money, not to mention the fact that you could be left facing a very large bill.

Which policy should I choose?

For those of you who can't be bothered to shop around, having Turkey travel insurance automatically added to the flight could seem like a good thing. While investigating how to book a flight online with a number of well known airlines, look for added extras such as travel insurance with flight tickets. Easyjet, Jet2 and Monarch and Air Berlin are breaking EU regulations by automatically adding extras – like travel insurance.

1. Annual vs. single trip
A single trip policy will be the cheapest way to go, If this is the only holiday you'll be taking for a year. For multi- trips, take out annual cover - it'll be far cheaper.

2. Has the provider got authorization?
Ensure you pick a travel company with an ATOL license for Flight travel. The ATOL scheme will ensure you don't lose any money paid or get left stranded abroad. Always choose one that's a member of an association that can offer monetary protection for your travel arrangements, such as ABTA or AITO.

3. EHIC card
Those who travel within EU always apply for EU card as Illnesses and accidents are always ready to strike, and being ill far from home can be a truly miserable experience.

4. Medical cover
Visitors will need plenty of cover should they have an accident or become ill abroad, with £2m to £10m being the usual range offered. It should also include 24-hour emergency cover and assistance. Always inform your insurer about any pre-existing medical conditions that may affect you. Some will charge an extra premium to cover the condition, or you could decide to exclude it from your cover altogether.

5. Cancellation and curtailment
Cancellation and curtailment cover should ensure you're not left out of pocket if your holiday/flight be cancelled, or if you should need to cut short your trip

6. Personal Liability Insurance
Personal liability insurance covers if you accidentally cause an injury to someone else, or damage their property as the aggrieved party may try and sue.

7. Use a credit card
If you have a credit card and your policy will cost over £100, use it. This way should your insurer go bust you'll be covered by consumer credit act.

Here are a few companies that offer traveler's insurance on-line.

J.N grace online travel insurance is a U.S. company that offers insurance to anyone, but travel must originate in the U.S. or Canada.

Travel guard international is another U.S. company.

The travel insurance agency specializes in travel insurance. They offer all types of travel insurance for UK citizens and non-UK citizens worldwide.

BKR insurance - New Zealand company

Companies like Columbus Direct, Flexicover, AA etc, have travel insurance cover so look out for it.

Bursa

Bursa Fast Facts

Location: Marmara Region / Province of Bursa / south of Istanbul
Area: approximately 400 square miles / 1,035 square kilometres
Population: approximately 1.6 million
Currency: New Turkish Lira
Time zone: UTC + 2, summer UTC + 3
Country dialing code: +90
Telephone area code: 0224
Postal code: 1600

Bursa is the headquarters of Bursa province in Northwestern Turkey. Bursa is Turkey’s fourth largest city with a population of 1,905,570 (2010) and it is Turkey's as well as one of the most industrialized metropolitan centers in the country. Located on the northwestern slopes of Mount Uludag in the southern Marmara region, Bursa is frequently called as "Yeşil Bursa" (meaning "Green Bursa") with regards to the parks located across its urban tissue and the great expanse of forests that extend in its surrounding region. The modern city of Bursa has a highly developed automotive, machinery, textile and food industry however Bursa was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire in the 14th Century, before the Ottomans took Constantinople. As a result, for many locals, Bursa really does serve as the origin of Turkish culture and remains a city with an enormously important past, which dates back more than 3000 years.

Bursa also produces a substantial amount of dairy products and beverages Apart from its large automotive industry. The city is home to the Bursa International Textiles and Trade Center (BUTTIM) and is also known for its fertile soil as well as agricultural activities, which have decreased in the recent decades due to the heavy industrialization of the city.

Bursa is a major center for tourism. One of the most popular skiing resorts of Turkey is Uludag and this winter sports center is located 36km south of Bursa. Uludag region is also rich in flora and fauna which attracts enormous amount of tourists every year. The Turkish government has made it into a National Park and summer activities like trekking and camping are also popular.

Bursa History

The early history of Bursa still remains imprecise and historians have stated that the city was called Prusa when named after King Prusias of Bythinia in 202 BC. From Prusias, the city fell to the Romans who held sway in the region for a number of centuries.

It was a strategic location on the famous historical Silk Road in the medieval period. Bursa became the first major capital city of the early Ottoman Empire and it developed a huge importance in the 14th century as a capital city and cultural center after it was captured from the Byzantines in 1326. Although the capital Ottoman Empire was shifted to Edirne in 1402, Bursa still remained to be an important trade and culture center. Lots of great mosques were constructed in Bursa by Ottoman Sultans during the Ottoman Empire period and silk trade was very popular as there was abundant local silk production in Bursa. At the beginning of the 14th Century, The Ottomans dynasty was formed by Osman Bey stretching from Hungary to Morocco and the Empire lasted for over 500-years, only ending officially after the Axis-aligned Turks lost the First World War and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded the modern Republic of Turkey. Bursa started to develop as an industrial centre with the founding of the Turkish Republic, especially in motor vehicle production industry.

Getting there

Yenişehir Airport serves domestic and a couple of international flights however, in order to get to Bursa from most countries by plane; you will have to take a transit flight via one of Turkey's international airports. Istanbul airport is nearly 75 kms from Bursa. Passengers from Ankara can get into the high-speed train (YHT) to the Eskisehir which is located about the mid-way, and then transfer to the Turkish state railways bus heading for Bursa which departs right in front of the station. This combined trip takes around 4 hours and there are seven fast train departures daily from Ankara. The convenient metro line links the downtown district with the north-westerly suburbs. This light-rail system Known as simply 'Bursaray' has two lines (North and East-West) and has three underground metro stations and stretches for just under 20 km / 12 miles.

From Istanbul, Bus travel takes about 3-4 hours and the cost is cheap and there are bus services from all major cities to Bursa. However, the fastest and most pleasing way to go from Istanbul to Bursa is by fast ferry across the Sea of Marmara because driving or taking a bus takes hours through heavy traffic. From Istanbul's Yenikapi Feribot Terminal, Fast car ferries depart daily and it takes about 70-80 minutes to cross the Sea of Marmara from Istanbul to Güzelyali(20 Lira). Güzelyalı is nearly 20km from Bursa so buses meet the ferry to take passengers to Organize Sanayi metro station in the outer suburbs of the city. Catch the metro to downtown Bursa train - get down at Şehre Küstü station in the market area in old town and the entire journey from Istanbul to the centre of Bursa will take about 2.5 to 3 hours.