General Area Information:
The local dolmus (bus) runs every 10-15 minutes from just outside of the apartment complex so getting to and fro m the Marina is quick and very cheap (around £1.50) each way). Banks and Cash machines are plentiful in Yalikavak as are local supermarkets. Makro, Tesco, B&Q and Marks & Spencers stores are also on the route to Bodrum. A large open-air market is held in the town every Thursday, where locally produced fresh fruit and vegetables are available along with the usual handbags, shoes and clothes stalls. A short bus ride will take you to Bodrum town which is a shoppers paradise and the famous Halikarnas disco, which is the largest open air nightclub in Europe. Other local attractions include Bodrum Castle, the Marine Archaeological Museum, the Roman Amphitheatre and the Mausoleum (one of the seven wonders of the ancient world). Day trips can be arranged to Kos or Rhodes – you will require your passport to enter Greece.
A Briefy History of Turkey 1923-1993:
The Republic of Turkey was founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a military hero, in 1923. His aim was to transform Turkey into a modern, secular state, which could compare with Western European nations in terms of military and economic strength. Today, Turkey is a member of almost every Western European club. It joined NATO in 1952; the Council of Europe in 1949; and became a full candidate for European Union membership in 1999. Atatürk (Father Turk) was Turkey’s first President; he died in 1938. The Turkish military regards itself as the main guardian of the principles of Atatürk's legacy, even to the point of intervening directly to restore political stability in 1960, 1971 and most recently in 1980. In September 1980 the Turkish military took power following a breakdown of law and order under a succession of weak and divided coalition governments during the 1970s.
Under martial law tens of thousands were detained, many convicted of terrorist offences, some executed and thousands imprisoned. General Evren, Chief of the General Staff, became Head of State and President of the National Security Council (NSC - an advisory body, consisting of the President, Prime Minister, other key ministers, and senior members of the military). He set, and adhered rigidly to, a timetable for the restoration of an elected government. In 1982 a new Constitution was adopted. Turgut Özal replaced Evren as President in 1989. He modernised the Turkish economy and raised Turkey's international standing until his death in 1993. In May 1993 Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel was elected President. Mrs Tansu Çiller, previously Economics Minister, was elected to replace Demirel as Chairman of the True Path Party (DYP) in early June 1993 and thus became Turkey's first female Prime Minister.
