The Turkish language belongs to the Ural-Altaic group and is written with the Latin alphabet. Kurdish is also spoken in some parts of the country, and French, German and English are spoken in cities and the tourist areas. The Anatolian plateau experiences extreme climatic conditions with cold winters and hot and dry summers. The Mediterranean and Aegean coasts and Marmara have a typical Mediterranean climate with mild, rainy winters and hot summers. Foreign currency and travelers checks can be exchanged in post offices and banks.
Proper identification is needed to exchange travelers checks into cash.
Keep the foreign currency exchange slips until after departure as they may be needed when reconverting your extra Liras back into foreign currency. Credit Cards Visa, American Express, Mastercard and Diners Club are accepted in some places but keep a reasonable amount of cash handy all the time. International direct dialing is available. There are separate baths for men and women, or where there is only on bath-house, men and women come on different days or different times. Visitors in mosques should remove their shoes when entering and respect these places of worship.