Q151:Does anyone know of a sailing club/group in the Bodrum area?

Q151: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Last update: 25th January 2012.

Following our previous Universal Healthcare updates (HERE), the British Embassy has made a statement on their website.

You may view their statement HERE, the gist of which is as follows:

• The proposed Universal Healthcare scheme (and hence the payments) will NOT be compulsory for British citizens.
• For those British citizens who have started the process they may continue to join the scheme.
• British citizens who currently meet the requirements to join may join, however joining past the deadline of the 31st January WILL incur the fee, and they will be asked to make back-payments.

So, in summary; if you are currently eligible to join and would like to do so, you are advised to visit the SGK office before the 1st February to enrol in the scheme. Otherwise, no further action is currently required.

The information below charts the current and historical interest rates for 13 of the main banks in Turkey, and their 30-Day e-Deposit savings interest rates.
Last Update: 31st January 2012

The data has been gathered based on the following specifications;

• The currency is Turkish Lira
• Basic (un-negotiated) internert interest rate only
• The amount invested is 25,000TL
• The period of the deposit is one month period (30, 31, or 32 days) (after which interest is payable, and the money can be released without penalty)

The following banks are monitored; Akbank, Citibank, Denizbank, Finansbank, Garanti, Halk Bank, HSBC, ING Bank, Iş Bank, TEB, Vakifbank, YapıKredi, Ziraat Bank

To the best of our knowledge the "90 days in 180 days" tourist visa is still due for introduction for all tourist visits from February 2012. The rules will affect tourists arriving from 63 different countries into Turkey. These new visa rules close the loop-hole allowing back-to-back visa renewal runs for peopel wishing to stay for longer than 90 days in Turkey. The new 90/180 limits bring the tourist visa in line with the basic rules for a Schengen visa. For information about these changes, see our article HERE.

If you're still struggling to comprehend the rules and whether it will affect you, then the following Turkish Visa calculator will help you identify whether your visit to Turkey can be accomplished by using a Tourist Visa, or whether you will need to apply for Turkish Residency.

Simply enter the dates of travel (in a one year period), and our calculator will do the rest!