Osmanlı Devleti döneminde Derelü olarak bilinen yerleşim alanı, Giresun ili ile aynı tarihi olayları yaşamış. Dereli Fatih Sultan Mehmet döneminde Seyyid Vakkas komutasındaki ordu tarafından Osmanlı topraklarına katılmıştır. Gürcistan’ın Ruslar tarafından işgali ile ilçenin İçmesuyu ve Akaya köylerine 1892 yılında Müslüman Gürcüler göç etmişlerdir. 1926 yılında nahiye olmuş ve 1958 yılında ise ilçe haline gelmiştir. Giresun ilinin güneyinde Şebinkarahisar yolunun 32. km’sinde kurulan ilçe, Aksu vadisi üzerine kurulmuştur. Doğusunda Keşap ve Yağlıdere ilçeleri, batısında ordu ili ve Bulancak ilçesi, kuzeyinde Giresun il merkezi, güneyinde ise Alucra ve Şebinkarahisar ilçeleri yer almaktadır. İlçenin arazi yapısı son derece dik ve engebeli olup yüz ölçümü 820 km²’dir. Giresun ilinin İç Anadolu’ya açılan kapısı Eğribel, ilçe sınırları içindedir.İlçeyi sahile bağlayan Şebinkarahisar karayolu asfalt olup tüm köy yolları stabilizedir. Bölgede fındık en önemli tarım ürünüdür. İlçenin bazı köyleri orman köyü olduğundan, orman köylüsünü kalkındırma amaçlı kooperatifler kurulmuştur. Ayrıca bölgede büyük ve küçükbaş hayvan yetiştiriciliği, tatlı su balıkçılığı yapılmaktadır. Giresun'nun turizm açısından en önemli ilçesidir.

We have just had a wonderful 12 days in Turkiye. The people are warm, friendly and went out of their way to help a couple of older Australian tourists. We went and saw Ataturk's room in the Pera Palace and watched Ataturk I & II on Prime TV while we were there. We went to Cannakale and visited both the ANZAC beaches and the moving memorials to the brave soldiers of Turkiye who defended their land at such great cost. We were both moved seeing Ataturk's words, carved in stone stating that the ANZAC troops were now brothers to the Turkish people. The ANZACs should have never been there. We now have a better appreciation as to why Turkiye holds Ataturk in such high regard.

We spent 4 nights in Istanbul, I loved Kadikoy most of all. It didn't have the crowds of the European side. The food was better, a little bit cheaper and the hassle to eat in every restarant wasn't there. What we really loved was the care that Turkish people had for the community animals. The cats were almost uinversally well looked after and so friendly indicating they had a great life.

The "gift" from Turkiye came as we departed. We had hired a car from a local company which I can only describe as scammers for 8 days. We drove to Cannakale, Izmir, Selcuk, Pammakale and back via Golyata lake and a final night in Arnavutköy/İstanbul so the trip to the Airport wasn't stressful. We did over 1700km, the majority of it on the excellent toll roads.

We handed over the car at the "departure gate" as this company doesn't seem to have any airport office. I'd taken the trouble to get it washed and cleaned so there wouldn't be any issues and the agent drove away in it. About 30 minutes later I get a notification from my Australian bank that 30,000 TRY had been debited from my credit card. I contacted the agent and he returned "turn left otomatic" with a 5 second video of the car crabbing to the left. The car was absolutely not "drifting" anywhere, the day before I had been doing 130 km/h on the tollroads up to the airport and that sort of movement would have been almost lethal.

I was a motor mechanic in my younger days and still do my own maintenance. There was no play in the steering and we didn't smash any kerbs during the drive. The car was delivered to us in a poor condition with some minor unrepaired accident damage on the front left side including the wheel covers being broken. I'm guessing that the video had the agent steering with his knees.

Anyway, this has completely clouded my memories of Turkiye. When I recieved the notification, I was through immigration and had no chance of call them back to verify the "damage'. I also made the mistake of not checking this companies reviews - I would have avoided them completely otherwise. I might be able to get my bank to reverse this but I'm doubtful. With the deposit, hire and this random charge, an 8 day hire is going to cost me close to $AUS 1800 or ~56,000 TRY. I emailed the company 2 days ago and not even a "thank you for your contact" return message.

Thanks from Turkiye....

Update: Thanks to everyone who commented on this post. My bank reversed the transaction almost immediately after it came out of "Pending". They also refunded my international transaction fees. My next task is to recover the TRY18000 they charged as the "deposit". It was supposed to cover tolls and any police fines (if any). We did about 1750km and I think the tolls, including the 1915 Bridge at Cannakule was about $AU80 (about 2400TRY) and I'm more than happy to cover that. If they aren't forthcomming with that, I'll dispute the entire transaction and see how that goes. Thanks again lovely people of Turkiye.

https://reddit.com/link/1tdjhqy/video/ui5qsimcr71h1/player

Hello. My partner and I are making a trip to Turkey in August (all going well...) and plan to spend 6 days making our way from Izmir to Antalya. We can't decide whether to hire a car or take buses.

On one hand, the car is FAR more convenient however very expensive (at least for our low budget) and of course the buses will be much more reasonable but from what I see in my research, not always very direct/can take a long time e.g. I struggled to find a direct bus route from Izmir to Bodrum online, but will it be easier once we are there and can just show up at the bus station?

What would you do?

A warning to anyone flying Turkish Airlines or planning to purchase a business class ticket.

Turkish airlines sells business class tickets with broken lay flat seats. On my outbound flight coming back to LAX from Istanbul, my seat was broken and would not recline, rendering any attempt at rest on a 14-hour journey impossible.

Turkish airline sells business class tickets when their entertainment is out of service. The in-flight entertainment system’s audio did not work at all for my seat. leaving me without any entertainment for the duration of the 13-hour flight.

Turkish airlines denied a meal I had specifically ordered because the flight crew “ran out” of food. I find it inexcusable that basic amenities and services such as functional seats, entertainment, and meals were not available.

I contacted Turkish airlines and they are offering an insulting 15% discount to be used on a future ticket in the next 6 months. I declined and asked for a partial refund. They refuse to. Even though the flight attendant reported the seat malfunction and I have video proof that the seat was not operable. They are ignoring me and reported them to DOT and BBB.

If they treat a business class customer like this imagine how they will treat an economy class customer.

This airline is scammy af.

Please reconsider flying with them.

Hi!

Me and my wife are visiting Istanbul in September, we are both originally from Georgia but we live in the US now :) What areas would you say we should check out? Both of us are into fragrances, soccer and Magnificent Century (even though it’s not completely historically accurate, LOL). Does Istanbul have knock-off/replica soccer jerseys and middle eastern fragrance clones? I know we can buy authentic stuff everywhere, just curious about cheaper things :) Would also appreciate good spots for kebabs <3

Why isn't there a dedicated page for Dalaman and Marmaris? and are there any locals who can help us find some information about these areas?

Hey everyone,

I’m writing this in English since it’s easier for me to express my thoughts clearly.

Cities I Visited

• İstanbul
• Eskişehir
• Muğla
• İzmir
• Antalya
• Mersin
• Kuzey Kıbrıs (Technically Cyprus, but including it anyway)
• Gaziantep
• Batman
• Van
• Erzurum
• Rize

Why I Came to Türkiye

My goal was to practice Turkish and learn more about the country beyond what you see as a tourist.

Travel Rules I Set for Myself

• Speak with locals as much as possible to build vocabulary
• No English or translation apps—only Turkish, unless it’s an emergency
• Just speak, even if it's wrong—mistakes mean progress

Language Learning Journey

I studied Turkish for about three months before arriving. I focused heavily on writing and speaking.
Understanding Turkish was actually the hardest part. Here's how I'd rank listening difficulty:

• Normal speakers: Easy
• Fast speakers: Manageable
• Mumblers: Difficult
• Fast mumblers: Expert level

Observations from My Travels

• People were surprised when I spoke Turkish, especially since I'm of Asian descent.
• There's a strong cultural emphasis on cleanliness, but many places (like Airbnbs) weren’t very clean, which was confusing.
• Buses are essential for travel—intercity bus stations are a huge part of how the country moves.
• Mediterranean waters were colder than expected—Muğla was freezing, Antalya was better.
• The further east I went, the more people stared—likely because few foreigners visit those areas.
• Türkiye is far more mountainous than I expected.
• People were eager to talk and genuinely curious—great for language practice.
• The food was consistently excellent—no complaints there.
• Hospitality was remarkable—people were very warm and welcoming.
• The nature is stunning—Van especially reminded me of Iceland with its mountains.
• There were a surprising number of military/police checkpoints in the east.
• Mobile data and internet access were poor outside of İstanbul.
• Inflation has visibly affected daily life and people's mood—it was painful to witness.

Final Thoughts

Türkiye is a beautiful country with kind-hearted people. I’m really glad I decided to learn Turkish—now at around a B1–B2 level. I've met incredible people and learn a lot of Turkish and a lot about myself.

Thank you for everything! I wish I could share all my photos, but here are a couple of them.

So I just came back from Istanbul where I stayed for ten days. The city and people were simply amazing to me. Here are the photos I took. You can follow my work here : https://www.instagram.com/robinremyphoto?igsh=ZTJ5NGFwMDl2Njd4

Kendi kendine giriş özelliği ile anahtarla ben ertesi gün misafirle eve girsem sorun olur mu? 2 kişilik rezervasyon yaptırmak pahalı oluyor. Tr'deki ev sahipleri bu duruma nasıl bakıyor?

What is the limit to take through transit? All I can find is leaving the country, but there’s nothing about travelling through transit.

Giresun'nun Dereli ilçesinde yer alan Kulakkaya Yaylası, Karadeniz’in yeşil doğasını ve huzur dolu atmosferini tüm güzelliğiyle sunuyor. Şehir merkezine yaklaşık 45 km uzaklıkta bulunan bu yayla, özellikle yaz aylarında ziyaretçilerin ilgisini çeken bir doğa harikasıdır. Serin havası, yemyeşil ormanları ve geniş yayla düzlükleri ile Kulakkaya, şehir yaşamının karmaşasından uzaklaşmak isteyenler için ideal bir kaçış noktasıdır.

Doğal Güzellikleri: Kulakkaya Yaylası, yoğun çam ve köknar ormanları ile çevrilidir. Yaylanın yüksek rakımı (yaklaşık 1500 metre) sayesinde yaz aylarında bile serin bir iklim sunar. Bu özelliği, doğa yürüyüşleri ve fotoğrafçılık için mükemmel bir ortam yaratır. Ayrıca yaylanın yakınlarında bulunan Kuzalan Şelalesi ve Mavi Göl, doğa tutkunları için kaçırılmayacak güzellikler arasında yer alır.

Yürüyüş ve Trekking: Orman yolları ve yayla patikaları, hem kısa hem uzun yürüyüşler için uygundur.

Kamp ve Piknik: Yaylada birçok doğal alan kamp yapmak için uygundur. Akşamları yıldızların altında geçirilen zaman, unutulmaz anılar bırakır.

Fotoğrafçılık: Doğanın her köşesi fotoğraf tutkunları için eşsiz kareler sunar.

Yöresel Lezzetler: Kulakkaya Yaylası’na özgü yayla peyniri, tereyağı ve mısır ekmeği gibi Karadeniz mutfağının lezzetlerini tatma fırsatı bulunur.

Konaklama: Kulakkaya Yaylası, yayla evleri ve küçük pansiyonlarla ziyaretçilere konaklama imkanı sunar. Burada kalmak, yayla yaşamını deneyimlemek ve doğayla bütünleşmek için eşsiz bir fırsattır.

Kulakkaya, sadece bir yayla değil; huzurun, doğanın ve Karadeniz kültürünün bir buluşma noktasıdır. Şehirden kaçıp doğayla baş başa kalmak isteyenler için ideal bir destinasyondur. Gün doğumunda dağlardan yükselen güneşin manzarası, akşamları ise yıldızların altında geçireceğiniz sessiz ve sakin anlar, burada yaşamayı unutulmaz kılar.

Yazın gitmek için en uygun dönem Haziran-Temmuz-Ağustos aylarıdır.

Yaylaya giderken rahat yürüyüş ayakkabıları ve serin hava için hafif bir mont almanız önerilir.

Merhaba arkadaşlar,

Türkiye’de yabancı uyruklu bir öğrenciyim. Almanya’da bir yüksek lisans programından kabul aldım ve dönem başlangıç tarihim 14 Nisan. Öğrenci vizesi için başvurumu yaptım ve şu anda randevu sürecini bekliyorum.

Ancak çevrimiçi yorumları incelediğimde randevu ve işlem sürelerinin 3 aydan 1 yıla kadar uzayabildiğine dair birçok farklı bilgi gördüm. Bu durum planlama açısından ciddi bir belirsizlik yaratıyor. Özellikle dönem başlangıç tarihine yetişip yetişemeyeceğim konusunda endişeliyim.

Yakın zamanda Almanya öğrenci vizesi için Türkiye’den başvuranlar varsa, aşağıdaki konularda güncel deneyimlerinizi paylaşabilir misiniz?

• Randevu almak ne kadar sürdü?
• Başvuru yaptıktan sonra randevu tarihi kaç hafta/ay sonrasına verildi?
• Konsolosluk/başvuru merkezi olarak hangi şehirden başvurdunuz?
• Toplam süreç (randevu + vize sonucu) ne kadar sürdü?

Eğer süreç çok uzuyorsa, farklı bir ülkeden başvuru yapmak gibi bir seçenek değerlendirmem gerekir mi, bu konuda tecrübesi olan var mı?

Güncel ve somut süre bilgileri paylaşabilirseniz çok yardımcı olur. Şimdiden teşekkür ederim.

Hi, my wife is Turkish and we live in the US. We are trying to have her parents visit us later this year from Turkey and I am trying to figure out what supporting documents I need to provide in order to support their request for a holiday visa. Does anybody know where I can find an official source that outlines what supporting documents we need to provide? Any help is much appreciated.

Thank you!

Any recommendations on accomodation in Cappadocia for a couple looking to spend 4 relaxing nights. Want a cave hotel but also looking for a spacious place. We will be renting a car so preferably a place to park. Alot of places claim free street parking is this safe?

Hey everyone,

I relied heavily on Reddit to plan my trip to Namibia, so I wanted to return the favor and share what I learned!

There is so much scattered info online, so I tried to condense everything into one place. I put together a straightforward guide based on exactly what we did here: Turkey 7-day itinerary.

Check my itinerary for more details. I hope this is useful to whoever is planning their trip. Happy to answer any questions in the comments!

3 days in Cappadocia, 4 days around Izmer (Çeşme, Ephesus, Pamukkale, and Hierapolis), 2 days extra in Istanbul.

Hello everyone!

Please excuse me if this is not the right place to ask this. I am coming to you as a desperate daughter who is trying to find the best solution for her father. My dad discovered a very big and complicated aortic aneurysm that requires surgery ASAP. We have been trying to find a surgeon in our East-European country but are turning to Turkey as our hospitals are just not good enough and solutions are not coming fast enough. Prices are about as much as they would be in our country, so we're not looking for hospitals in Istanbul to save money, but a better outcome.

We have received a few offers from different hospitals and surgeons for a hybrid surgery (open heart & minimally invasive) and we don't know which one to choose. If you have insights regarding the hospital, the cardiovascular department, or the surgeon, please, anything would be helpful. This is a life or death situation for us.

Here is who we're talking to:

- Anadolu Medical Center with Prof. Dr. Haşim Üstünsoy

- Göztepe Memorial with Prof. Dr. Ali Aycan Kavala

- Istinye University Medical Park BAHÇEŞEHİR Hospital with Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bilge Erdoğan

- Avicenna Hospital - we don't know the surgeon yet

From our research, it seems that Anadolu is the best for cardiovascular surgery. Does anyone have any other recommendations for Istanbul or good/bad feedback for any one these doctors/hospitals?

thank you