Virtually every major city in Turkey has air service and Turkish Airlines offers nationwide services. Most of the connections are made either through Istanbul or Ankara, both of which have domestic and international terminals. You can check schedules and even book flights at www.turkishairlines.com or call their U.S. toll-free number 1 800 874 8875. Busses are an efficient and affordable way to travel around the country.

Ephesus is the most important ancient city in Asia Minor. Other three impressive places i.e. the Basilica of St John, The Temple of Artemis and the House of Virgin Mary are in the borders of Ephesus.

Thousands of modern, luxurious buses roar between Turkish cities and towns daily. This is how most Turks travel. It's easy to get fares and schedules but you can do that easily when you arrive in Turkey. Departures are frequent, and you don't need advance reservations on most routes. If you are an experienced driver, and want freedom of movement, consider renting a car in Turkey. Train travel in Turkey is still useful.

Turkey offers a wide array of very comfortable and modern facilities to fit any budget. Larger cities, such as Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, offer a range of international chain hotels, as well as many charming locally run Turkish properties. Seaside resorts on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts and other popular tourism destinations abound with hotels, pensions and holiday villages with high standards. Many of the Turkey tour specialists listed in our guide can make hotel reservations.

Shopping is one of the great pleasures of a trip to Turkey and the rich variety of Turkish crafts makes it impossible to resist buying something. Fine apparel of silk, cotton, leather and wool; artful jewelry; leather accessories; brilliant faience (colored tiles); vessels of copper, brass, marble, meerschaum and alabaster worked by master artisans; and of course heirloom-quality Turkish carpets and kilims are among the most popular purchases.

Readers who are interested in learning more about the Turkish Republic and discovering what Turkey has to offer to visitors may call or write to either of the two Turkish Government Tourism Offices in the U.S., at: We also maintain an up-to-date website with useful information and links about many subjects relating to Turkey and Turkish tourism at: www.tourismturkey.org Turkish Ministry of Tourism web site www.turizm.gov.

No. The largest component of the Kurdish regions lies within Turkey, but KHRP is also committed to promoting and protecting human rights throughout the Kurdish regions of Iraq, Iran, Syria, the Caucasus and elsewhere.

No !! Turkey is definately not safe. We regularly receive reports of hangovers, sunburn and fatigue. We therefore strongly recommend that for your own safety you come prepared and bring suntan oil, sun glasses, aspirin and lots of vitamin B. We should point out that the embassies are recommending against travelling to the South-East of Turkey unless absolutely neccessary.

Your life is truly a blessing, and everything that you have, desire and want is already given to you. God always supplies you with what you need, but you have to figure it if what you have is really what you want. This is the true meaning of Thanksgiving, to give thanks for all that you have. According to the Law of your thought, you reap what you sow. So what you have to look at is, what kind of thoughts are you thinking.

Turkey is one of the safest countries in the world in which to travel, because its rate of crime is relatively low in comparison to many Western European countries. A few years ago, Interpol, the well-known international police association, ranked Turkey as the safest holiday destination in Europe for travelers. Naturally, we recommend that travelers to Turkey exercise the same precautions as anywhere else, and be aware of security concerns that affect all international travelers.

Casual wear is appropriate for most tour excursions. Women may wear pants or skirts, but when visiting the mosques it is recommended to cover their heads (with a scarf) and not to wear shorts out of respects for religious customs.

The highly favorable exchange rate makes travel to Turkey extremely affordable. Most banks in the U.S. do not carry Turkish currency, which is called the "Turkish Lira". However, Turkish currency is easily obtainable upon arrival in Turkey at any exchange office or bank. Daily exchange rates can be obtained from Turkish Central Bank web site at www.tcmb.gov.tr. This site is in both Turkish and English, and gives links to all Turkish Banks.

Absolutely, we are paying close attention to all reported cases of H5N1 in birds and humans around the world that are identified and reported through an extensive worldwide system of epidemiologic surveillance.

The "pop-up" temperature device used in turkeys is constructed from nylon. Inside there is a stainless steel spring and firing material. The firing material is temperature sensitive and will begin to melt as the internal temperature of the turkey increases. In theory, once the internal temperature of the turkey reaches a safe level, the firing material will melt sufficiently to release the red stem, which pops out.

Stuffing should be frozen separately from the turkey. With any food, the time needed for freezing to take place in the center of the item is the critical factor.

Turkeys average 18 pounds; spurs average 1 inch (plus or minus) and beards are usually 8 - 12 inches. Many double and triple beards are taken each season.

The first place I always recommend to prospective Turkey travellers is Cappadocia. It is an unreal place. Unique moon-like landscape, underground cities, lots to see and do. The down side is it is in the middle of Turkey and takes about 10-11 hours by bus. The buses are not expensive though. Having a short amount of time you may consider flying there from Istanbul. Flight is about USD$ 80 one way and takes a little over 1 hour. Worth thinking about. Bus is about USD$ 20.

The buses in Turkey are great! They run regularly from almost everywhere to almost everywhere. For example ,buses run every hour from Istanbul to Canakkale. They are cheap. Istanbul to Canakkale is 300 kilometres and costs about USD$12. You can usually estimate about US$ 4 per 100 kilometres. They are comfortable. The bus companies use the latest model coaches. All air-conditioned. Each bus has an attendant that brings around coffee/tea or soft-drink with a biscuit or cake.

The USDA recommends three ways to defrost turkeys: in the refrigerator, in cold water and in the microwave. Never defrost turkey on the counter or in other locations. It's best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator. Allow about 1 day for every 5 pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator. Turkey may be defrosted in cold water in its airtight packaging or in a leak-proof bag. Submerge the bird or cut-up parts in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes.

The network, fully single track is quite large with about 8000km. An east west cross-country trip from Istanbul to Kars or Kurtalan is almost 2000 km and can be done without changing train. The network runs through mountain scenery with some of the most difficult passes in Europe. Heavy diesel in action can be seen everywhere, either on passengers or on heavy iron ore block trains. The busiest lines have up to 50 main line trains a day.

We strongly suggest you come to Turkey one or two days earlier. Don't travel in Istanbul or Turkey before the program starts. Since the program organizes various trips both in Istanbul and outside of Istanbul, it is most likely that you will have to see the same places twice or not to join the Programs' trips. If you want to see different places, do it after the program. That way, you will be able to see new places and have a chance to try your newly acquired language skills.

As a general rule, you should serve approximately 200g ??" 250g of poultry per person. Simple dishes will require more turkey per serve, while dishes served with a mix of vegetables require less.

Stuff the turkey before trussing, if you're stuffing it. Make sure the stuffing is well-secured; put a piece of foil over the neck and body cavity openings and secure the turkey skin over the cavity with skewers, if you have them. Use food safe cooking string to tie the turkey's legs together, pressing the legs close to the turkey body.

Baste your turkey every 20-30 minutes with a combination of melted butter and olive oil. This will give the turkey a good rich colour.

When deliberating how big a turkey to buy, consider whether you want to have leftovers for turkey salad sandwiches, turkey chili or turkey enchiladas after Thanksgiving. For many Americans, creative turkey recipe ideas or the opportunity to simply re-create that overloaded plate of Thanksgiving turkey and side dishes are part of the holiday's festivities.

Turkey is arguably one of the safest countries in the world to visit and the crime rate is low when compared to many Western European countries. Interpol ranks Turkey as the safest holiday destination in Europe for travelers. For sure common sense precautions should be taken against petty crimes such as pick pocketing, bag snatching etc. but by and large visitors will find Turks to be friendly and helpful.