CLIMATE

Although Turkey is situated in large Mediterranean geographical location where climatic conditions are quite temperate, diverse nature of the landscape, and the existence in particular of the mountains that run parallel to the coasts, result in significant differences in climatic conditions from one region to the other.  While the coastal areas enjoy milder climates, the inland Anatolian plateau experiences hot summers and cold winters with limited rainfall. The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have cool, rainy winters and hot, moderately dry summers.

During the summer period in İzmir, the temperature is about 30-35 degrees celsius.  Winter temperature is between 5-10 degrees Celsius.  It rarely snows, and the temperature is rarely under zero degree. 

LANGUAGE

In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.  The Turkish language belongs to the Ural-Altaic group and has an affinity with the Finno-Hungarian languages. Turkish is written in the Latin alphabet and is read exactly the way it is written.

“Survival Turkish” used in daily life

If you are interested in taking Turkish courses in İzmir, you may consult TÖMER:

http://www.tomer.ankara.edu.tr/english/index.html

Kıbrıs Şehitleri Cad. No: 55 Alsancak – İZMİR

Tel: +90 232 464 05 48 ▪ e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

VISA & RESIDENCE PERMIT

You must obtain a Student Visa from the nearest Turkish Consulate in your area before you enter Turkey. Incoming students are recommended to apply for visa at least two months before the term begins.

Below are the documents you need to apply for the student visa:

- Passport (should be valid at least for a year)

- Completed visa application form taken from the Turkish Embassy or Consulate

- Recent passport size photographs

- Proof of their student status in their home university

- Acceptance letter from IZU International Relations Office

- Non-refundable processing fee

As visa regulations may change quite frequently, please contact the nearest Turkish Embassy or Consulate in your country to obtain the most up-to-date and detailed information. 

Turkish Representations Abroad: http://www.mfa.gov.tr/turkish-representations.en.mfa

The maximum period you can reside in Turkey with your visa is three months.  After 3 months, it is necessary for you to get a residence permit.

All international students in Turkey must register with the Foreign Nationals departments of the Police Headquarters in İzmir within a month of entering Turkey.

You will be provided with a residence permit (İkamet Belgesi) valid for the period of time you will be studying at IZU as indicated on your Student Visa. You should keep this document with you at all times.

Documentary requirements include student certificate, five photographs, a copy of the passport with valid student visa, and residence permit fee. Application forms can be obtained from the Police Headquarters, Foreign Nationals department in Konak: 

Tel: +90 232 485 05 00

Please note that foreign students do not have a legal right to work in Turkey.

EMBASSIES & CONSULATES

The list of Foreign Embassies and Consulates in Turkey can be reached from the official website of the Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Foreign Affairs: http://www.mfa.gov.tr

Below are the phone numbers of foreign representations in Izmir:

CONSULATE GENERALS

Germany                                             +90 232 488 88 88

Romania                                             +90 232 465 04 63

Greece                                                 +90 232 421 69 92

HONORARY CONSULATE GENERALS

Bangladesh                                       +90 232 421 23 32

Indonesia                                           +90 232 421 81 77

South Africa                                        +90 232 376 84 45

India                                                     +90 232 461 46 60

F.Y.R.O.M.                                           +90 232 421 41 92

Malaysia                                              +90 232 445 05 46

CONSULATES

Turkish Republic of

Northern Cyprus                                 +90 232 489 77 89

United Kingdom                                 +90 232 463 51 51

Italy                                                        +90 232 463 66 76

HONORARY CONSULATES

Albania                                                 +90 232 483 33 76

Austria                                                  +90 232 347 66 76

Belarus                                                +90 232 482 31 82

Belgium                                               +90 232 463 47 69

Bosnia & Herzogovina                      +90 232 328 18 90

Brazil                                                     +90 232 463 86 07

Chile                                                     +90 232 446 93 01

Croatia Rep.                                        +90 232 446 28 70

Czech Rep.                                          +90 232 422 10 80

Denmark                                              +90 232 489 54 01

Estonia Rep.                                       +90 232 469 79 69

Ethiyopia                                              +90 232 388 25 57

Finland                                                 +90 232 877 02 35

France                                                  +90 232 421 42 34

Georgia                                                +90 232 425 93 53

Hungary                                               +90 232 421 28 61

Iceland                                                 +90 232 446 57 00

Ivory Coast                                          +90 232 479 07 09

Jordan                                                  +90 232 482 24 45

Kazakhstan                                         +90 232 482 22 11

Korea Rep.                                         +90 232 479 04 04

Lithuania                                             +90 232 371 51 50

Luxembourg                                       +90 232 421 48 82

Malta                                                    +90 232 422 31 38

Mexico                                                  +90 232 327 32 63

Moldova                                               +90 232 472 18 13

Mongolia                                             +90 232 478 50 15

Morocco                                              +90 232 421 23 32

Netherlands                                       +90 232 464 02 01

Norway                                                +90 232 421 92 80

Pakistan                                              +90 232 459 16 16

Philippines Rep.                               +90 232 472 13 75

Portugal                                              +90 232 483 80 31

Russian Fed.                                     +90 232 461 51 86

Serbia & Montenegra Rep.              +90 232 441 91 81

Slovak Rep.                                        +90 232 486 11 75

Slovenia Rep.                                     +90 232 425 99 83

Spain                                                    +90 232 441 66 99

Sweden                                                +90 232 422 01 38

Switzerland                                          +90 232 421 42 39

Turkmenistan                                      +90 232 484 77 75

U.S. of America                                   +90 232 464 87 55

Ukraine                                                +90 232 421 21 41

HEALTH INSURANCE

Health insurance is not an official requirement for your arrival, but it is strongly recommended.  Foreign students or their families are responsible for the cost of hospitalization, medical treatment or services. 

ORIENTATION

The International Relations Office will organize an orientation for international students during the first week of their arrival.  The orientation includes a brief campus and/or city tour, information about academic rules, regulations and exams.  Please feel free to ask any questions that may come to your mind.

STUDENT MENTOR SYSTEM

At İzmir University, each international exchange student is assigned a “student mentor”, who is a volunteer full-time Turkish student willing to help you to adjust to the university, city and life in general.  We will assign your buddies after you complete your application process and give your e-mail addresses to your student mentor, so that you can start communicating before your arrival.  You will meet your student mentor in person during the orientation meeting. 

LOCAL TIME

Standard time zone:      UTC/GMT +2 hours

You may visit http://www.timeanddate.com for current local times around the world. 

ELECTRICITY

Turkey operates on 220 volts, 50 Hz, with round-prong European-style plugs.

MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

In Turkey, the metric system is used.  You may find the following website useful for converting between different measurement systems: http://www.onlineconversion.com

POSTAL SERVICE

In Turkey, the official postal service is PTT (Turkish Post): http://www.ptt.gov.tr  PTT has several branches in all districts, including Üçkuyular and Güzelyalı, the closest districts to our university. 

Postal charges vary for different services depending on weight and destination.   There is also an express postal service (APS) for letters, documents and small packages. Alternatively, private cargo and express mailing services such as DHL, TNT and UPS can also be used. 

PHONE SERVICES

Three GSM operators exist in Turkey: Turkcell, Avea and Vodafone.  All three offer temporary SIM-cards that operate on a prepaid card system which you can purchase from local shops.  You can buy “kontör” (in Turkish) to continue making calls with your line. 

The cheapest way to call from Turkey to another country using the Turkish telephone system has traditionally been to buy a prepaid “Kontör Kart”: http://www.turktelekom.com.tr

Internet-based calls can be far cheaper or even free if you use Skype.

The international dialing code for Turkey is 0090 followed by the area code of the city and the phone number: (0090)+(3-digit city code)+(7-digit phone number).  You may find the following website useful for making international calls:  http://www.countrycallingcodes.com

BANKS

There is an ATM machine at our university from which you can withdraw cash.  All major Turkish Bank have branches in various parts of İzmir where you can open accounts in different currencies.  They are open Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm.  You may easily find the address of a bank by going to their website. 

LIVING COSTS

The estimated monthly expenses for students are approximately as follows:

Flat rent: around € 300-400 per month

Household expenses: around € 200-300 per month

Books: € 20-40 per book

SHOPPING, RECREATION & SOCIAL LIFE IN İZMİR

İzmir is a wonderful city to live in, with a very mild climate, friendly people and many places to visit. The IZU campus is located near shopping centers and malls such as Agora, Kipa, Palmiye, Özdilek and Migros.  Alsancak and Karşıyaka are especially very lively spots, with movie theaters, various shops, cafés, restaurants, pubs and night clubs.  Çeşme, which is a lovely summer district at an hour’s distance from the city center, has marvelous beach clubs, summer houses and a world-class surfing paradise in Alaçatı. 

Art Galleries                                    Tel.                                      

İzmir Art Center                                +90 232 483 63 34

Çetin Emeç Art Gallery                   +90 232 445 20 34

Akbank Art Gallery                           +90 232 484 16 66

Aphrodite Art Gallery                       +90 232 482 33 02

Adnan Franko Art Gallery               +90 232 464 41 86

TCDD Art Gallery                             +90 232 433 58 97 / 4520

Selçuk Yaşar Art Gallery                +90 232 422 65 32

Türkiye İş Bankası Art Gallery       +90 232 483 79 79

Leonardo Art Gallery                       +90 232 422 13 95

İzmir Resim Heykel Museum        +90 232 441 41 92

GF Art Gallery                                    +90 232 421 29 95 

Culture Centers                              Tel.

Atatürk Culture Center Konak       +90 232 489 04 59

Sabancı Culture Center Konak    +90 232 441 90 09

Alman Culture Center                    +90 232 484 16 36

Amerikan Culture Center               +90 232 464 20 95

İtalyan Culture Center                     +90 232 421 52 42

Fransız Culture Center                   +90 232 463 69 79

Theaters                                             Tel.

Konak Stage                                       +90 232 483 50 35

Karşıyaka Ragıp Haykır Stage        +90 232 369 14 87

İzmir State Theater                            +90 232 445 89 41

Bornova Uğur Mumcu Stage           +90 232 343 04 33

İzmir Tiyatro Bab-ı Art Center           +90 232 446 77 95

Atatürk Public Library Theater         +90 232 425 08 92

İsmet İnönü Art Center                     +90 232 441 09 02

DEÜ Sabancı Culture Palace         +90 232 441 90 09

Fuar Open Theater                            +90 232 489 95 49

Hamle Theater                                   +90 232 446 88 57

Karşıyaka Açıkhava Theater            +90 232 362 61 61

İzmir Art                                                +90 232 483 63 34

Ege Art Center                                    +90 232 381 64 06

Cinemas                                             Tel.

Agora Balçova                                     +90 232 277 25 25

Afm Park Bornova                               +90 232 373 73 20

Afm Forum Bornova                           +90 232 373 03 50

Afm Ege Park Mavişehir                    +90 232 324 42 64

Afm Passtel (Orkide)                         +90 232 489 22 00

Avşar Palmiye                                     +90 232 277 48 00

Cinebonus (Balçova Kipa)               +90 232 278 87 87

Cinebonus (Pier)                               +90 232 446 90 40

Cinebonus (YKM)                              +90 232 425 01 25

Cinecity Kipa Çiğli                             +90 232 386 58 88

Çeşme Hollywood                            +90 232 712 07 13

Çamlıca                                               +90 232 343 83 15

Deniz Karşıyaka                                 +90 232 381 64 61

Batı Cinema                                       +90 232 347 58 25

Çınar Cinema                                    +90 232 489 88 85

Karaca Cinema                                 +90 232 445 87 76

Kipa Hollywood Gaziemir                +90 232 252 56 66

Menemen Culture Center                +90 232 832 14 11

Şan Konak                                          +90 232 483 75 11

Çınar Center                                      +90 232 277 11 00

Sema Cinema                                   +90 232 483 91 00

Konak Cinema                                  +90 232 483 21 91

Desem Cinema                                +90 232 422 53 10

Karşıyaka Cinema                            +90 232 381 50 98

İzmir Cinema                                     +90 232 421 42 61

Museums

Agora Open Museum 

Tel: +90 232 483 46 96

İzmir Municipality Ahmet Piriştina City Archieve and Museum

Address: Şair Eşref Bulvarı No : 1/A Çankaya

Tel: +90 232 441 61 78, +90 232 441 69 39

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

http://www.apikam.org.tr

İzmir Archeological Museum

Address: Halit Rıfat Paşa Caddesi 4. Konak

Tel: +90 232 489 07 96

Open everyday between 08.30-12.30 / 13.30-17.30 except for Mondays.

Atatürk Museum 

Address: Atatürk Caddesi No: 24, Alsancak

Tel: +90 232 464 80 85

Open everyday between 08.30-12.30 / 13.30-17.30 except for Mondays.

Bergama Museum 

Address: Zafer Mahallesi, Cumhuriyet Caddesi No: 6, Bergama

Tel: +90 232 631 28 83

Open everyday between 08.30-12.30 / 13.30-17.30 except for Mondays.

Çeşme Museum 

Address: Kale Sok. No: 1 Çeşme/İzmir

Tel: +90 232 712 66

Ephesus Museum 

Address: Atatürk Mahallesi, Kuşadası Caddesi, Selçuk

Tel: +90 232 892 60 10

Open everyday between 08.30-12.30 / 13.30-17.30 except for Mondays.

Ephesus - Selçuk House of Virgin Mary

Address: Kuşadası Cad. Selçuk/İzmir

Tel: +90 232 892 60 10

Ethnography  Museum

Address: Halit Rıfat Paşa Caddesi, 3. Konak

Tel: +90 232 489 07 96

Open everyday between 08.30-12.30 / 13.30-17.30 except for Mondays.

İzmir Painting and Sculpture Museum

Address: Fuar Culturepark Alanı

Tel: +90 232 484 89 45

TCDD Museum and Art Gallery

Address: Atatürk Cad. 444 Alsancak – İzmir

Tel: +90 232 464 31 31 / 4520

Major Bookstores

Bookstores are located in most of the districts and shopping malls.

D & R

Remzi Kitabevi

Shopping Malls

Agora

Address: Mithatpaşa Caddesi No: 1446 Balçova - İzmir

Tel: +90 232 277 25 25                         

http://www.agoraİzmir.com

CarrefourSA

Address: Cihandudayev Bulvarı Şemikler Mah. Mavişehir - İzmir

Tel: +90 232 398 21 00

http://www.carrefour.com.tr/magaza_İzmir.asp

Ege Park 

2040 Sokak No: 104 35540 Mavişehir - İzmir

Tel:  +90 232 324 44 34 - 35

http://www.egeparkmavisehir.com.tr

Forum Bornova

Kazım Dirik Mahallesi No: 10 Bornova – İzmir

Tel: +90 232 396 00 38

http://www.forumbornova.com

Kipa

Balçova:

Address: Mithatpaşa Cad. No: 1462 Balçova / İzmir

Tel: +90 232 277 61 61

Çiğli:

Address: Yeni Havaalanı Cad. No: 40 35610 Çiğli / İzmir

Tel: 0232 398 4000

http://www.kipa.com.tr

Konak Pier

Address: Atatürk Caddesi No: 19 35250 Konak - İzmir

http://www.konakpier.net

Palmiye

Mithatpaşa Caddesi No: 1458

Tel: +90 232 279 18 18

http://www.palmiyealisverismerkezi.com

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Fire Brigade                                                  110

AKS 110 (emergency rescue service)     110

Emergency Help                                          112

Police                                                             155

Electric System Repair                               186

Gendarmerie                                                156

İZSU Water System Repair                        185

Natural Gas Emergency                             187

Coast Guard                                                 158

USEFUL WEBSITES

The following websites can be useful sources of information for you about Turkey and İzmir :

http://www.bookinturkey.com

http://www.goturkey.com

http://www.izmir.gen.tr

http://www.kultur.gov.tr

http://www.letsgoturkey.com

http://www.mymerhaba.com

http://www.tourismturkey.org