Germans lay claim to Turkey’s national anthem

Got to hand it to the Germans, they don’t play around when it comes to ownership of stuff; it has recently become known that the Turkish national anthem, “İstiklal Marşı,” may be unprotected by copyright.

And who steps up to claim it? A German musical society, can you imagine a group from another country asking for royalties every time we sing ‘God save the Queen? Well that is what is about to happen to the Turkish national anthem.

This has the Turkey Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan propose a bylaw to make the song public property but he’ll have to move fast as GEMA, a society for composers, songwriters and music publishers that focuses on music licensing, had demanded the royalties from a Turkish school in Germany that played the “İstiklal Marşı” during its Turkish National Sovereignty and Children’s Day celebrations.

The poet who penned the words to the Turkish anthem, Mehmet Akif Ersoy, died in 1936, while the score’s composer, Zeki Üngör, died in 1958. This means that if the intellectual property rights are applicable to national anthems, rights to the song would still belong to Üngör’s estate.
So technically Üngör’s heirs can claim royalties…geez I hope the English national anthem is copyright protected.

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Winter Holidays in France

Although the summer aeon is the capital rental aeon in the Poitou-Charentes, there are added and added visitors blockage in our Gites for winter holidays in France.

Some appear to attending for French backdrop to buy and adopt to break in adequate self-catering adaptation rather than hotels. If you wish, we can admonition you with admonition on acceptable acreage agents, advance work, adaptation etc.

Others appear out of division to accept a anniversary walking, cycling, sampling the acceptable aliment on action and visiting the abounding able-bodied accepted Romanesque churches and absorbing towns such as La Rochelle, Cognac, Angouleme, Poitiers and Saintes. Traditionally autumn is a admirable division in the Poitou-Charentes with balmy brilliant days, acknowledgment evenings and the countryside seems to afterglow with the a lot of beauteous colours. In winter there is added sunshine than in abounding added areas; the canicule can be algid but commonly bright. Often one wakes to a chill morning but aural a abbreviate amplitude of time the sun has broiled the frost and you would be afraid how abundant amore there is in the sun even in mid winter.

If you wish to escape from the over commercialised aberration of Christmas, a winter anniversary in France, in a acceptable farmhouse with affluence of amplitude is the absolute antidote. Several of the backdrop on the website, which are apparent as getting acceptable for winter rentals, are centrally acrimonious and absolute for Christmas/NewYear with ancestors or friends. There is annihilation bigger than spending Christmas in an old board farmhouse with a roaring log blaze and a bottle of able-bodied accomplished Bordeaux or Cognac.

If ancestors commitments accomplish it absurd to absorb Christmas here, why not appear down and absorb a anniversary accomplishing your Christmas shopping. You will acquisition it a absolutely acceptable acquaintance abnormality annular the ample shops area anybody has time to serve you with a smile and will even assert on wrapping your presents up beautifully for you. It is auspicious to be able to boutique in small, specialised boutiques rather than abstract superstores. The amusement of giving is so abundant greater in the ability that you accept begin the absolute allowance actuality which you would not accept been able to acquisition at home.

Another advantage of winter rentals is that the rental amount for the backdrop is appreciably lower, as are bear and air fares, and you can absorb two or three weeks abroad for the aforementioned amount you would pay for a individual anniversary in top season.

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Lara-Antalya




Lara is a district of Antalya city, Turkey. Its famous beach, Lara beach, is one of the longest sand beaches in Turkey. Lara is the home to many themed 5 to 7 star hotels, mainly in the Kundu area. Most of the hotels are replicas of famous places around the world (for example Topkapi Palace, Venice, Kremlin) which has led to the area being nicknamed “Las Vegas in Turkey”.

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Bodrum, Turkey with Valtur

A Bodrum Turkey Classic holiday signed Valtur

The village Valtur, the line Classic, is located on a picturesque promontory on the coast of southwestern Turkey, 20 km from the city of Bodrum. The structure, 10 years ago, was found and restored by Valtur three years ago. It offers an opportunity to relax, but also to practice sailing (wind here is a constant presence) and to establish a contact with an ancient civilization which, although now entirely up to the Western standards, retains many of undisturbed its traditional characteristics.

The flight was a direct flight with Airfly from Milan Malpensa (takes about three hours), but there are also direct links with Rome, Catania, Verona. The treatment board is comfortable but not luxurious.

The airport: the airport of Bodrum / Milas is small but very modern and comfortable.

The village Valtur

And ‘open from May to September. As a small, but very well equipped, winds on terraces along a slight slope that ends in the small inlet where the beach is located. The plant is still green inside recently, but already allows a discreet flowering and good grey areas. The payments for services not included are made with a Quick pay that is delivered upon arrival.

The position: enjoys a privileged view on a coast full of promontories and inlets. It is less than an hour from both the city of Bodrum.

The rooms are about 202, located both in the main structure (which also houses the reception, a bar and a restaurant) or in small bungalows in stone. All are equipped with porch or balcony. They are of medium size, furnished with taste, but a lot of simplicity, equipped with air conditioning, fridges, television, telephone. There are two suites that have large terraces with panoramic views.

The bathrooms are medium size, with bath and shower, hair dryer. No provision is made for the supply of products courtesy.

Reception: efficient sort in the arrival of many contemporary guests is in direct liaison with the office of booking of excursions, boutiques and a bar.

The restaurants are two, both in facing a swimming pool, both a self service, with a buffet rich and varied. They square tables for eight, so as to facilitate the socialization of the guests. That is very wide, with a large area outdoors, the second in direct connection to the beach, is smaller: it is therefore necessary to book in advance. Late in the evening becomes pizzeria and disco.

The bars are three. The largest, in central body that also houses the reception, allows on a terrace overlooking the picturesque backdrop. Another is next to the second restaurant and a third is on the beach.

The theatre: in tribute traditional architecture of the place, is a true amphitheatre, very close to the sea. The shows are good, managed by the animators.

The beach rather thin, about 200 metres long, at the bottom of a deep bay, is a little ‘suffocated. It is made up of real sand, but by a rock a little ‘earthy. But the water is crystal clear and colors drugs. Good budget of umbrellas and chairs. You can practise beach volleyball and rent the equipment for snorkeling. A short boat allows exits from the bay.

Pools: three are on different levels: the largest is at the reception, the second on the same terrace, slightly above the level of the beach, which houses one of the restaurants. A third is inside the Wellness Center.

The Wellness Center: the setting characteristic of turkish bath. But there are also sauna, gym and reserved beds for the various treatments.

Communications: all mobile phones have coverage; Internet is only on request and the connection is intermittent.

Activities: there is a simple but functional hosting three small clubs that can accommodate children, divided according to age, from 5 years to 16. The three tennis courts (unfortunately in a very windy area) are also lit at night. There is also a field for archery, table tennis, a rudimentary bowls.

But the strong point are the water sports: you can use, with the instructor or alone, canoes and a considerable number of sailboats of various tonnage and levels of difficulty.

The excursions

A Bodrum. You can bring in this lively seaside resort with a shuttle leaving every half hour from the village. But Bodrum was also the ancient Halicarnassus, and if the famous Mausoleum, considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, only ruins remain tell, there is however to visit a castle Templar which houses archeological remains recovered from the sea.

A Ephesus. By departing from the reception four hour bus to a center of great archaeological significance, are still visible throughout the plan and a large part of monuments of a big port centre of the classical theatre from the houses of pleasure, decorated with fountains of statues.

A Turgutreis or Milas. By departing from the reception an hour bus door to these centres where children on certain days there is a picturesque market.

Around the Baie Blue. With departure dall’imbarcadero beach next to a boat vagabonda for nearby creeks. It ‘an opportunity to dive in crystal clear waters and see how vast and yet uncontaminated this frastagliatissima coast.

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Manisa Guide

Manisa is a modern city with a history that goes back to 500 BC. Places are Seljuk and Ottoman architecture, the 16-century. Sultan Mosque, the Muradiye mosque (same time), by the great architect Sinan, and Murad Bey Madrasah the houses of the Archaeological Museum of Manisa.

For hiking head for the Games Mountain National Park. You can rock climbing or camping in this area and seeing the famous “crying rock” of Niobe, and the carving of the goddess Kybele.

Sardis is near the ancient capital of Lydia, once ruled by King Croesus. Most of the remains found here are derived from the Roman period, however.

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Foreign investors keep eye on Turkish real estate

(From Todays’ Zaman 31.07.07)The stability in Turkey’s economy and high growth rates in recent years have attracted foreign interest in Turkey’s real estate market.Foreign investors choose Turkey as one of the best countries to invest in because of its potential to gain value. Foreigners invested $6.2 billion within the last year in real estate in Turkey, and around $3.1 billion of this was spent

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Edirne Guide

Edirne is on Europe lands in Turkey. The city was the central Ottoman Empire for a long time. There are many historic buildings, reflects Ottoman architecture. The most important of them is Selimiye Mosque, which really impressed you with its beautiful appearance. And the city bordering Greece and Bulgaria.

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Live on the edge – shark attack in Turkey

Living on the edge, the adrenaline rush, is what tells us we are alive, not everyone has the guts to live life to the max so if you are one of the few who thrive on adrenaline rush, try deep sea diving in Turkey.

If you are moving to Turkey, there’s little chance of getting bored with many activities available but if you like danger the numerous seas in Turkey’s Mediterranean region offers plenty.

If you are lucky, you can play hide and seek with rare oceanic white tip sharks; granted they have recently attacked tourists at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

But this is rare, in the ten years that Turkish resorts have offered deep sea diving, no shark attacks have been reported.

So whether you are in Turkey for the long term or just there for a luxury villa holiday, indulge your wild side with the many deep sea diving activities available.

For people who own luxury Kalkan properties, Kalkan is by far the best place to go diving; you might not get attacked by sharks but you will see thousands of colourful fish, coral formations and underwater ruins dating back to ancient times. Don’t have diving experience? No worries, there are tons of diving schools; you will become a diving pro in no time.

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Fethiye and Dead Sea Travel Guide

Fethiye is a very beautiful city on the slopes of Mount Mendos, part of the Tourus mountain chains, and surrounds the bay to which they gave their names.

The high mountain range rises and falls is the crust during the Tertiary geological term, and hundreds of bays are located on the slopes seem to embrace each other along the coast of Fethiye. This limestone mountains (it was the Kragos and Antikragos in the ancient period) with a height of more than 6560 feet (2000m.) is the southwest end of the Toros (bull) chain and is parallel to the shore without a single pass to the inner Regions.

On a warm and sunny winter day, peculiar to the Mediterranean climate, while you sip on your Turkish tea or Turkish coffee in a local tea gardens, along the coast, these mountains with pine trees in their skirts, white snow and fog on their Summit will once again welcome you into the sky.

Dry, long, hot summers and short, warm, rainy winters are climatic characteristics of Fethiye. The temperature is around the 86-105 F (30-40 C) during the summer is usually above 50 F (10 C) in winter. Given the fact that in these turquoise-colored waters, that no season falls below 60 F (16 C) swimming is possible for nine months of the year, we could also conclude that there are only two seasons in Fethiye: Spring and summer!

Given the climatic conditions prevailing in the region, pine forests, consisting of white fir, Scotch pine, spruce and Norway for the village. Olive, laurel, myrtle, acacia, tree, and popular trees are some other types that you find in this rich flora. The frankincense tree (Liquid Amber Oriental), is the source of myrrh widely used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, is one of the rare species in the world.

It would have a comfortable journey to Fethiye by the three highways through the pine forests, with links to Mugla, Antalya, Burdur. Scheduled bus routes in all three directions are the link between Fethiye and other cities. The nearest center for air travel is the Dalaman Airport 31 miles (50 km.) At Fethiye. In addition to the year round Istanbul – Izmir – Ankara and Antalya connected flights of Turkish Airlines, there are direct flights to all major cities in Europe, Asia and America. During the tourist season, Fethiye’s fourth largest seaport after Iskenderun, Mersin and Antalya offers ease of sea travel. The naturally protected harbor is a drop site for all yacht crews.

Fethiye is also famous for paragliding of Baba mountain nearby. The parachuters land of Olü Deniz (Dead Sea). the best beach in Turkey. The area is also famous for tombs carved in the mountains.

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Antalya A different type of beauty in the winter in TURKEY

antalya map
We tend to overlook the beauty that Antalya holds in the winter. Antalya, which is a city that automatically reminds us of the summer season, can be enjoyed during the winter months too, with its ski resorts and orange scented beaches.

After a comfortable flight, the warm winter sun greets us in Antalya. The road which joins the airport to the city center starts with views of a modern province, decorated with pine trees. The first surprise presented to us is the view of the Taurus Mountains, reaching the Mediterranean and forming a unique background for the Yivli Minare (grooved minaret), ornamented with turquoise colored stones, in front of the historic Clock Tower. The first stop of our trip, during which we shall be exploring the beauties of Antalya and its vicinity, is Kaleiçi (inner Castle).

Hospitable Mansions
In Kaleiçi, you can immediately become isolated from the hassle of modern living by simply passing through a gate, just like Alice, stepping into Wonderland and following the rabbit. The inner castle resembles a touristic district, preserving the architecture of the city, with its mansions, towers, minarets, narrow streets and calming courtyards. Almost all the houses in the inner castle open up to either an interior courtyard or a garden. Just like the walls surrounding the city, all the courtyards are surrounded with orange and lemon trees. The majority of the restored mansions serve for tourism as boutique hotels, guest houses, restaurants, and carpet and souvenir shops. The narrow streets that resemble a maze, lead to an antique harbor, weaved with numerous surprises. The historic mansions that have been converted into boutique hotels carry the elegance of the 19th century up until tomodern day, with their interior courtyards shadowed with tropical trees, alcoves ornamented with hand carved figures, wooden and stone ornaments and authentic antique decorations. To see the remnants of the traditional lifestyle, one must visit an old Ottoman mansion, now serving as the Suna ?nan K?raç Museum. Ottoman china and ceramics are on display in the small church located in the garden of the mansion. The triple arched, floral embossed Hadrian’s gate carries the magnificence of the Roman period to the present date. Among some of the oldest Islamic works are the Kesik Minare built by the Seljuks, the Whirling Dervish House, Alaadin and the Atabey Madrasahs, all located inside the castle. Then, there is always the option of hopping onto a tour boat to explore the cliffs along the shores of the city.

antalya photos

We’re Off To The Mountains!
After tasting the region’s famous döner kebab with vegetables, we begin selecting gifts for our loved ones from a broad variety of jams. Orange jam, lemon jam, watermelon jam, tomato, fig and eggplant jam; every kind of jam you can think of can be found in Antalya! We save the famous fish restaurants for the evening. Leaving behind the sound of the waves brushing off the side of the cliffs, we hit the road towards the snowy peaks of the Bey Mountains that rise up into the blue sky like a steep wall. There is a daily bus that departs at 9 a.m. from Konyaalt? Grand Luna Park for the ski center, which is accessed through Baht?l?–Çak?rlar–Geyikbay?r. The return is at 5 p.m. As we rise above sea level, Antalya lies beneath us. We come across a scenery that reminds us of certain post cards, like the ones with little mountain villages set atop snowy hills, or a flock of sheep, and fountains of all different sizes. The village kids love to play snowball. After a pleasant journey lasting about an hour and an half, we arrive at the Saklikent Ski Center, 45 kilometers away from Antalya. This ski center, built on the Bak?rl? Mountain, which Antalya is adjacent to, is 1,920 meters above sea level. Saklikent, which was opened to tourism in 1993, promises a pleasant winter holiday with its hotel, restaurant and ski school. At the meeting point of the slopes, there are outdoor as well as covered cafeterias, perfect for watching the other skiers. In the resort that has the atmosphere of a friendly small village, there are several slopes for all skill levels. The northeastern hill has many different slopes for skiing, snowboarding, sledging, paintball and motor safari rides. National Observatory Building of TÜB?TAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) can be found at the peak of the Bak?rl? Mountain. This science center, which is equipped with giant telescopes for observing the sky, is open to the public during the observation festivities held in summer.

antalya kursunlu photos

Fish By The Shore
Although the temperature of eighteen degrees near the shore of Antalya when we left fell below zero degrees in Sakl?kent, we still enjoyed a sunny day. Sakl?kent is attractive to most because of its high number of clear and sunny days and low humidity, which preserves the snow and helps us feel less cold. You don’t have to bring any equipment or be an experienced skier to enjoy skiing in Sakl?kent. After hours of fun, we head back to the shore. Lara, nine kilometers from the city center, is a resort town, hosting most of the luxury hotels in Antalya. Lara Beach and Konyaalt? are the two most popular beaches. Cafes with large gardens, situated atop the peaks are ideal for long breaks. It’s worth enriching our tour with some history, don’t you think? After a seafood feast in Lara, we are back on the road, heading towards Kemer this time. With the Mediterranean to our right and the Tahtal? Mountains to our left, the number of holiday villages observed in Beldibi at the 22nd kilometer increases even more as we get closer to Kemer. In Antalya, the number of holiday villages in the areas allocated according to city planning is at its highest in Belek, Kemer and the surrounding area. 50 kilometers west of Antalya, we come across some very impressive ruins. We reach these ruins by driving off the main road, two kilometers into the forest, while following the signs for Phaselis. Phaselis was built by the seamen of Rhodes in the 7th century B.C. as a coastal town with three ports. It lived its golden era in the Roman period by producing fragrant perfumes. As we walked along the antique roads that weave through the ports, listening to the sound of the waves and smelling the redolent scent of pine, we came to the concl
usion that Antalya really does have a unique air about it in the winter.

antalya manavgat photos

Symbol of Antalya
Yivli Minare (Grooved Minaret) Complex in Kalekap?s? district is a 13th Century Seljuk work. The 38-meter high minaret is adorned with turquoise glazed ceramics.

Snowy Shore
Sakl?kent, 45 kilometers from Antalya, is a winter resort close enough to the sea that one can enjoy a dip in the sea after a few hours of skiing.

A Safari In The Snow
Sakl?kent, becoming very attractive due to high number of sunny days, Southwestern slopes of Bak?rl? Mountain are ideal for snow motor safari.

antalya hafen photos

Traces Of History
Kaleiçi, surrounded by thick walls built in the Antique period, is among the places where you can feel the historical richness of Antalya. Kaleiçi has a different type of beauty during the winter months with plenty of hotels to choose from, restaurants, antique shops and museums to visit.

Orange Scented Beaches
Lie back at Finike and enjoy the orange, lemon, and mandarin groves of Antalya, Turkey’s citrus garden. With its yatch harbor, ancient towns, and fish restaurants, Finike is among Antalya’s loveliest corners

antalya beaches

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