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A Handbook for Living in Turkey
Pat Yale
Illustrations: Trici Venola

Ever thought of moving to Turkey but weren’t quite sure what living there would be like? Coming to Turkey for work and wonder how easy it will be to adopt what you may be unable to buy? Already living in the country but feeling bamboozled by the paperwork and unsure how to set about buying a car? Then this is the book for you.

Written by a woman who has made the country her home and drawing on the experiences of other expats from all round the country, A Handbook for Living in Turkey sets out to unravel the mysteries of being a foreign resident in a country whose language and culture are very different from those of most of its new settlers. From choosing the best location in which to put down roots to writing a will; from buying and restoring a house to navigating the Turkish education system; from socialising with neighbours to paying a speeding fine; and from tracking down an old marble fountain to volunteering in a hospital, this book examines every aspect of everyday life in Turkey and offers practical ideas for making it easier.

Each chapter comes with word lists to help non-Turkish-speakers navigate the system while the appendices are a treasure-trove of addresses and contact details for everything from estate agents and relocators to pet shops and tennis clubs.

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Two decades before the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, Manuel, a young Greek boy, is conscripted from his Thracian village by the Ottomans. He is given the name İbrahim, converts to Islam, and becomes a member of the elite Ottoman military corps, the Janissaries. His loyalty sworn to the Sultan, İbrahim fights alongside his fellow Janissaries for control of the Balkans; meanwhile, their sights are always set on the Red Apple, the glittering jewel that is Constantinople. But amidst the carnage of war and political maneuverings between rival factions loyal to the Prince and the Grand Vizier, İbrahim begins to question the Janissary life of battle and bloodshed, instead falling in love with the beautiful peasant girl Mihrimah. Will he uphold his duty to the Sultan and the quest for Constantinople or follow his heart to his own Red Apple? Even if he pursues his dream, it seems old enmities may make his happiness illusory...

Istanbul Gathering
Roddy O'Connor

Istanbul Gathering tells the story of a circle of friends in the heady expatriate scene of 1960s and ’70s Istanbul. The novel’s American protagonist Malone, a shabby, middle-aged drinker and would-be writer, has returned to Istanbul for the first time in twenty years; his beautiful ex-wife Sylvia and other friends have never left. The narrative follows the characters over the course of a single day as they make their ways through the city and reminisce on their lives before meeting for a reunion dinner in the heart of the old European quarter of Beyoğlu. In this first novel by American expatriate Roddy O’Connor, the threads of history and of human relationships are woven together in a complex, non-linear narrative that evokes a strong sense of place. This is a story about relationships and lost love; about the nostalgia of growing older and reminiscing on the past, which can never be regained; but also about the fascinating city of Istanbul, a place whose rich, multilayered history is kept alive through the shared memories of its inhabitants.