Who would want to live in Turkey Permanently

We are so lucky in the UK to have all four seasons, especially when they occur all in one day

Which got me thinking, although I've got a house in good old Marms, I could never contemplate living out there all year around, it would drive me insane. Having to listen to insincere crap, false talk, expensive prices for white goods, make up etc. OK, on the plus side the food and vegetables are excellent and cheap, the climate is lovely except when it rains cats and dogs in the winter, oh and just remembered all the power cuts and earth tremors.

Yesterday I had to go to Solihull on business, and whilst driving I was drinking in all the beautiful countryside, and the houses are really out of this world, actually, they reminded me of your house Strawbs

So all these ex pats who gather in communities drinking efes and bragging about their houses, pools, cars etc, what sort of person would want to live in Turkey full-time. The only explanation I can come up with is they must be escaping from something or someone

Ruby

You know my thoughts on this Ruby and I certainly wouldn't - not even with a large lottery win to soften the blow! The list of reasons I wouldn't want to live there is endless but the weather would play a huge part for me. I loathe hot weather and the amount we get here is just about right for me. I always wonder how many of those dippy ex pats, who have rushed to live in hot countries for the sun, will end up with skin cancer?

And as for the whole delicious food thing, I think that's a bit of a myth. You get what you pay for with food and there's plenty of delicious food available here too. I always think that the best way to enjoy fruit and vegetables is to eat what's in season. That's the way it's meant to be. If you stick to that, you won't go far wrong. Who wants to eat an unripe melon that has harvested way ahead of time and shipped half way around the world anyway? If you do that you deserve to be disappointed.

Give me England any day of the week!

I absolutely agree with both of you!

I would feel suffocated and bored stiff living in Turkey permanently. It simply isn't suited for a Westerner.

I adore all the different seasons we have in England, and the fun that goes with them, and down my end of the country the scenery is simply beautiful. I think most of the south has stunning countryside, lovely beaches (take Cornwall or Poole, for example) and of course, London, which is so green - it really has it all.

But with Turkey, while parts of it are beautiful (the Fethiye to Kas coastal road, for example) there's just so little to keep the average intelligent person entertained. That's probably why most expats end up alcoholics out there - the only place they can go to is a bar!

I agree with Judith about the food, too. Although a nice fresh meze or charcoaled kebab is very. very tasty (especially with hot lavas bread) who wants to eat that every day???? OK, there's beans and stuff...lahmacun...pide etc....but it's all so repetitive. And most of the really lovely fruit is exported......!! You can indeed find really beautiful tomatoes and peaches out there, but you will never find them in Migros - and most of the restauarants and hotels buy forced grown tomatoes (why some people think all Turkish fruit etc is organic is beyond me....) if you drive out of Fethiye inland towards Antalya you will see all the huge greenhouses where they grow the tomatoes!

The other thing I don't like about Turkey is their wine. They just can't seem to get it right. That may not be important to some people, but I do like a nice drop of good wine and for me a meal can be ruined if the wine tastes cheap or vinegary.....

But the lack of things to do out there is what would really send me round the twist!!!! It's also a terrible base for travelling to other countries! Besides costing an arm and leg, you have to spend hours and hours taking coaches, buses, maybe inland flights - just to get to an airport that will take you off to, say, Spain!! I know we are spoilt in England, but as I live just 20 minutes from Gatwick - and you can catch a direct flight to anywhere in the world from there - I couldn't bear to feel trapped in Turkey!

I also cannot stand Turkish music - I think it's absolutely horrible - and only a numpty would say otherwise.....no wonder so many men slit their wrists when they sit listening to some of it - at full pelt too! And what's all that shouting about, anyway???!!! Are they all bloody deaf

The weeds and the Flatheads don't do anything for me, either - and Turkish male mentality is most peculiar. I was actually speaking to a Turkish friend today, and according to them Turkey is just second to Bangkok for child sex abuse! I was shocked when they told me that....and I've never seen sex tourists in Turkey.....but according to him (and he never ever lies) a lot of the Turks interfere with children out there and it's all hushed up.

As for the expats who go to move there - many of them make up fairytales and pretend they're hugely wealthy - yet what wealthy person would choose to live in, say, Stinky Tinky?!! haha Indeed, what wealthy person would want to live in Turkey, full stop? There's nothing to do there! It rots the brain. Some wealthy Turks have holiday homes in Turkey, but many of them migrate abroad for the majority of the year...

The people who are satisfied with living in Turkey seem to come from deprived backgrounds, which is why, to them, Turkey is fantastic in comparison. But even they eventually grow bored of it - especially when they've drunk all their savings!!!

A lot of Turks are very insincere, too - and just out for what they can get. All that "Hello my friend!" stuff is a load of bollox - friend, my arse! Their fake friendliness is sickly and stifling - and I'm amazed how some expats and holidaymakers fall for all that insincere crap. Actually, I've heard that now the prices have gone up in Turkey and shopkeepers are starting to refuse haggling - their cheery manner is fast disappearing! Says a lot, that!

Strawbs

omg strawbs after reading your essay and laughing i have to say i agree i agree with rubes and judith too.I love bodrum but i wouldnt want to live there all year.its nice for 2 weeks maybe 3 at a push but thats enough.its the same where my hubbys parents live,not much to do unless you go into the city ( very nice).when i first visited i said to hubby you dont belong here,you seem too westernised for this village.i saw him as the odd one out,maybe because he had worked away for so long and was independent i dont know.now he agrees with me and can see what i meant.i suppose thats why he settled here so well,he loves our seasons too especially going to a place called mote park in maidstone.its full of trees and we have collected walnuts and chestnuts from there.and its a beautiful place to go.He has been on many walks and discovered the surrounding area we live in and loves the nature we have too.He does miss walking in the mountains near his home but visiting there is enough to see them :)we have good food over here too and with local shops selling thinsg from turkey you can still enjoy alot of the things from there over here .

Although I would love to have a holiday home in Turkey I wouldn't want to live there permanently. I did it for 3 years and it was hard sometimes, particularly the winter when there was just nothing to do.

We have a much better life here in the UK particularly for the children.

I have a friend who moved out with me originally and stayed there but to be honest she lives in a bit of a dream world anyway, I think she spends most of time drinking Efes and wallowing about in the pool.

No, I love Turkey but I wouldn't want to be there all the time.

I think a lot of people can't get past the holiday mentality. They enjoy holidaying there so naturally assume they'd enjoy living there permanently. You'd have to be pretty thick to think that, surely?

I suppose it's one thing if you can enjoy a decent standard of living there, have a nice home, a fulfilling job/career and are fluent in the language but to live there without those things takes a certain sort of mentality if you ask me. You'd have to be someone who lacked the need for stimulation of any kind it seems.

I read that a lot of women with Turkish partners plan to retire there. I just can't see how Turkey is a desirable retirement destination. What on earth would they do there all day every day, for ever? When the sun's out, there's sunbathing and swimming I suppose (oh, and the odd visit to some generic ruins if that takes your fancy) but when the sun goes in and the winter comes - well, what exactly is there to do there?! No decent shops for literally miles around, no public amenieties like leisure centres, libraries, museums, nice parks or gardens or green open spaces for walking. You'd have to be in a really big city to feel you were near anything like what you'd recognise as civilisation. And then you'd be in a huge faceless urban sprawl with high rise apartment blocks, pollution, squalour, noise and all the rest of it.

It's no wonder so many Turks seem to spend all their time visiting family and watching TV (and we all know how utterly dire the TV is there!) There's little else for the vast majority of them to do it seems!

Adryath, your friend's life in Turkey sounds like torture to me. They'd have carted me off to the funny farm years ago if I had to lead a life like that. Five months in Turkey was more than enough to last me a lifetime!

And as for the British ex pat community who have flocked to places like Altinkum or Marmaris to retire, well, let's just say that from what I've seen, for them alcohol plays a huge part in their lives. Their lives seem to be one long round of sitting out baking in the sun (with a drink in hand, naturally) punctuated by trips to the local bars with bingo and quiz nights to break the monotony. If skin cancer doesn't get them first, cirrhosis of the liver will.

hear hear..........its like a care home in the sun without the daytrips.......and weekly visits from folk and family.....

Guveclover wrote:You know my thoughts on this Ruby and I certainly wouldn't - not even with a large lottery win to soften the blow! The list of reasons I wouldn't want to live there is endless but the weather would play a huge part for me. I loathe hot weather and the amount we get here is just about right for me. I always wonder how many of those dippy ex pats, who have rushed to live in hot countries for the sun, will end up with skin cancer?

And as for the whole delicious food thing, I think that's a bit of a myth. You get what you pay for with food and there's plenty of delicious food available here too. I always think that the best way to enjoy fruit and vegetables is to eat what's in season. That's the way it's meant to be. If you stick to that, you won't go far wrong. Who wants to eat an unripe melon that has harvested way ahead of time and shipped half way around the world anyway? If you do that you deserve to be disappointed.

Give me England any day of the week!

I have to say, I was pretty stunned at the amount of tan (or more likely, sunburned), smoking people. I know Americans can go overboard with stuff but I like that we can't smoke inside.

I also agree with the lack of food diversity. I couldn't bear one more kebab so I found an Indian restaurant in Taksim. Had to go alone because SOMEONE didn't want to try anything else. In my little town in the US I have so many different restaurants. Never mind NYC.

I have a delicate question but it fits in with this thread. From the women I've talked to and from my own experience, it doesn't seem like Turkish men are too concerned with safe sex either (don't worry about me. I packed enough condoms for every man and women in Istanbul). What's with that?

Oh, and another thing...

All the bloody flies that go along with that hot weather - uggghhh!!

The week of hot weather we've had here is more than enough for me - the flies are driving me berserk already. As soon as the windows and doors are open for any length of time, in they come and I spend all my time chasing them out! It's supposed to be cooling down this week, thank goodness - not so in Turkey though.

I can remember when I was stuck out there all those months, I used to go to bed every night hoping that the weather would break and that we'd have a bit of respite but no, it was relentless. Like a boiling hot, sweaty, physically draining (even though you're not doing anything), fly and mosquito-filled hell! Not for me, thanks.

At least we know that what we're having here won't last long but, for me, that's the beauty of the British summer. You can enjoy what good weather you get without getting heartily sick of it - and you can still sleep comfortably at night too.

Adryath wrote:Although I would love to have a holiday home in Turkey I wouldn't want to live there permanently. I did it for 3 years and it was hard sometimes, particularly the winter when there was just nothing to do.

We have a much better life here in the UK particularly for the children.

I have a friend who moved out with me originally and stayed there but to be honest she lives in a bit of a dream world anyway, I think she spends most of time drinking Efes and wallowing about in the pool.

No, I love Turkey but I wouldn't want to be there all the time.

Hi Adryath,

You've made a good point there about your friend living in a dream world - I've noticed that many daydreamers fantasise about owning a holiday home in Turkey. They imagine it's going to be one loooong holiday for a few weeks or couple of months of the year - but in reality it's totally different.

It's expensive maintaining a holiday home - especially when you don't live in it! The upkeep is tremendous, and things like damp, for example, are a very common problem when you leave a home empty for most of the year. Then you have all the paintwork to do on your visits over - possibly repairs to damage caused by heavy rain/winds. Overgrown shrubbery.....rodents that have may have set up camp there....and that's not forgetting the all too common burglaries!

On top of that there's the issue of depreciation.....and Turkish properties do seem to depreciate far more steeply than in the UK.

Besides all those minuses - why would anyone want to keep returning to the same place each and every year! Besides probably growing tired of the area (especially if it starts changing - which tends to happen in Turkey - very rapidly!) you're also missing out on all the other wonderful countries this planet has to offer!

Travelling and exploring broadens the mind - and it's exciting seeing new places and new cultures. That isn't to say you can never return to Turkey again, but it seems sad to only ever go to Turkey and miss out on everywhere else!

The majority of people who want to live in Turkey only do it because they have a Turkish partner - I bet if they could really choose where to live it wouldn't be Turkey with all its minuses and all the things lacking there....

The other people who plump for Turkey are those with small pockets and equally small minds...........

Strawbs

curlyboop wrote:

Guveclover wrote:You know my thoughts on this Ruby and I certainly wouldn't - not even with a large lottery win to soften the blow! The list of reasons I wouldn't want to live there is endless but the weather would play a huge part for me. I loathe hot weather and the amount we get here is just about right for me. I always wonder how many of those dippy ex pats, who have rushed to live in hot countries for the sun, will end up with skin cancer?

And as for the whole delicious food thing, I think that's a bit of a myth. You get what you pay for with food and there's plenty of delicious food available here too. I always think that the best way to enjoy fruit and vegetables is to eat what's in season. That's the way it's meant to be. If you stick to that, you won't go far wrong. Who wants to eat an unripe melon that has harvested way ahead of time and shipped half way around the world anyway? If you do that you deserve to be disappointed.

Give me England any day of the week!

I have to say, I was pretty stunned at the amount of tan (or more likely, sunburned), smoking people. I know Americans can go overboard with stuff but I like that we can't smoke inside.

I also agree with the lack of food diversity. I couldn't bear one more kebab so I found an Indian restaurant in Taksim. Had to go alone because SOMEONE didn't want to try anything else. In my little town in the US I have so many different restaurants. Never mind NYC.

I have a delicate question but it fits in with this thread. From the women I've talked to and from my own experience, it doesn't seem like Turkish men are too concerned with safe sex either (don't worry about me. I packed enough condoms for every man and women in Istanbul). What's with that?

Hi Curly,

When I was staying out in Turkey I used to read one of the national papers that was translated into English, and I was astonished to read an article that said Turkish men - despite being raging hypochondriacs - were convinced that they could never catch HIV. I can't remember the reason they gave for such a strange belief - but that's probably why they don't think they need condoms!

Eeeeeew............

Strawbs

P.S. How's things? Let us know! It's quiet on here at the moment

Ciaooo Ciaooo

Guveclover wrote:Oh, and another thing...

All the bloody flies that go along with that hot weather - uggghhh!!

The week of hot weather we've had here is more than enough for me - the flies are driving me berserk already. As soon as the windows and doors are open for any length of time, in they come and I spend all my time chasing them out! It's supposed to be cooling down this week, thank goodness - not so in Turkey though.

I can remember when I was stuck out there all those months, I used to go to bed every night hoping that the weather would break and that we'd have a bit of respite but no, it was relentless. Like a boiling hot, sweaty, physically draining (even though you're not doing anything), fly and mosquito-filled hell! Not for me, thanks.

At least we know that what we're having here won't last long but, for me, that's the beauty of the British summer. You can enjoy what good weather you get without getting heartily sick of it - and you can still sleep comfortably at night too.

Hi Judith,

Oooh, I hate flies, too!! Especialy big fat bluebottles that make that buzzing noise (they do that when they want find somewhere to lay their maggots!!!! )

And those stinky hole in the floor toilets - well - I bet bluebottles have a ball in those!!

Strawbs

Hi Curly,

When I was staying out in Turkey I used to read one of the national papers that was translated into English, and I was astonished to read an article that said Turkish men - despite being raging hypochondriacs - were convinced that they could never catch HIV. I can't remember the reason they gave for such a strange belief - but that's probably why they don't think they need condoms!

Eeeeeew............

Strawbs

P.S. How's things? Let us know! It's quiet on here at the moment

Ciaooo Ciaooo

Hello strawbs!

What you said about being hypochondriacs .. .I swear everyone I met thought they had the flu. And if the air conditioner was on you were trying to kill them. I think he was trying to suffocate me with his hairy chest. But that is gross about the unprotected sex and I'm really stunned at the women who don't take care of themselves.

I'n doing great. Wrapping up sessions with my life coach - he was such a blessing. He really made me see the qualities I want and need in a man. A good man won't leave you confused and miserable. I'm still happy at my job too.

And of course it is the summer and what could be better! I'm ready to go to the beach and break some hearts. LOL!

Admin wrote:

Guveclover wrote:Oh, and another thing...

All the bloody flies that go along with that hot weather - uggghhh!!

The week of hot weather we've had here is more than enough for me - the flies are driving me berserk already. As soon as the windows and doors are open for any length of time, in they come and I spend all my time chasing them out! It's supposed to be cooling down this week, thank goodness - not so in Turkey though.

I can remember when I was stuck out there all those months, I used to go to bed every night hoping that the weather would break and that we'd have a bit of respite but no, it was relentless. Like a boiling hot, sweaty, physically draining (even though you're not doing anything), fly and mosquito-filled hell! Not for me, thanks.

At least we know that what we're having here won't last long but, for me, that's the beauty of the British summer. You can enjoy what good weather you get without getting heartily sick of it - and you can still sleep comfortably at night too.

Hi Judith,

Oooh, I hate flies, too!! Especialy big fat bluebottles that make that buzzing noise (they do that when they want find somewhere to lay their maggots!!!! )

And those stinky hole in the floor toilets - well - I bet bluebottles have a ball in those!!

Strawbs

That did half make me titter you know!!!! I hate flies an all but that made me titter it did!!!!!!!!!

Maria x

Now I have to admit that I adore the sun, be it in the UK (which is a rarity) or abroad. So I can understand you Judith if you dislike the sun, not really wanting to holiday abroad and that repeatedly going to Turkey gets very tiresome. I also agree with you about the flies, especially the blue bottles, I hate them and have had to shut the door/windows as I am fed up doing my aerobics all over the house chasing them out

Strawbs you have made some very valid points about owning a property in Turkey, I have to constantly make sure that my house is in good order, however, I am extremely lucky in that my neighbour tends my garden, she also grows her vegetables in my garden and she will cook for me when I go over. She regularly goes into my house and makes sure all is well, opening windows, and tidying up for me. She is a real darling. So I am very lucky to have her as my neighbour, without her, I would be having to make very regular visit to Turkey to keep a check on it. Also you have to consider about paying utilities, hence I have a Turkish bank account and all my utilities are paid by Direct Debit.

So my advice to anyone considering buying in Turkey is 'dont buy' unless you have the support I've got.

Ruby

Living full time in a resort would not be my cup of cay, but is far more acceptable than having to live full time in Eastern Turkey I think I would definitely let the in laws bury me alive just to put me out of my misery

Hey Curly, just wanted to ask you a question. Have you been back to Turkey since your misadventure last year or are you planning on going this year?

Ruby

ruby wrote:Living full time in a resort would not be my cup of cay, but is far more acceptable than having to live full time in Eastern Turkey I think I would definitely let the in laws bury me alive just to put me out of my misery

Hey Curly, just wanted to ask you a question. Have you been back to Turkey since your misadventure last year or are you planning on going this year?

Ruby

Hello my friend!

I haven't been back .. there are still parts I want to see but there are other countries I want to see as well. I think my next vacation will be to the Balkans.

curlyboop wrote:

ruby wrote:Living full time in a resort would not be my cup of cay, but is far more acceptable than having to live full time in Eastern Turkey I think I would definitely let the in laws bury me alive just to put me out of my misery

Hey Curly, just wanted to ask you a question. Have you been back to Turkey since your misadventure last year or are you planning on going this year?

Ruby

Hello my friend!

I haven't been back .. there are still parts I want to see but there are other countries I want to see as well. I think my next vacation will be to the Balkans.

Hi Curly

Which parts of Turkey would you like to see?

And......how are you???!!!!!!

Strawbs

Hi Strawbs,

How are you? I'd still like to see Bursa, Ephesus, Ankara and Amasya. I'm a history buff!

Things are great ... I can't believe summer is almost over.

What summer!!

I know you all probably have been but is Cappadocia worth the trip?

cazzy8 wrote:What summer!!

I know you all probably have been but is Cappadocia worth the trip?

When you going there.....not been me....

cazzy8 wrote:What summer!!

I know you all probably have been but is Cappadocia worth the trip?

I would love to go there too. That is a 'must do trip' next time.

Going back to my original question, absolutely not a China man's chance would I ever want to live permanently in Turkey. Seeing the ex pat community this year, they appear worse than ever Then you have the constant queue jumping, visiting the bank to make a deposit is the equivalent to a days outing

Also new law coming in that all ex pats now need to acquire a Turkish Driving Licence, that should be fun

What with the Turkish medical insurance now a requirement to prevent folks tripping over to the UK for free NHS treatment as I understand Turkey and UK government computers are now linking people freeloading the underfunded NHS and claiming benefits which they are not entitled to by robbing the system whilst absent from the UK (about bloody time too in my opinion), the 90/180 day visa which now stops the back to back visas so you must take residency or run the risk of a hefty fine if you overstay.

Then you've got this enormous change in Settlement Visa's which came into effect on 9th July, there will be far fewer Turks making it to the shores of Great Britain, even with the assistance of Gemsgirl Wonder if she ever got her husband over here?

Ruby

did she ever have a hubby Rubes.... think he was a figment of her imagination....she was a nutter.......

GGs fugly weird mate Sirin must know whats happened to her. Sirin was in on GGs nasty evil plan to con members out of money.

Maria x

makes me laugh how Sirin tries to make out shes ever so knowing....shes just an admin worker from a working class family and is still working class....nowt wrong in that....but dont be ashamed of where you come from...,.