-1-

-2-

Dear AFS Participant,

MERHABA! AFS Turkey welcomes you to an incredible experience spent where the conti-nents meet. You will have much to learn and discover. We hope you will enjoy your very special odyssey.

This booklet is an introduction which will help start you on your way. Read it thoroughly and keep it with you throughout your experience. We are certain you will find out much more while you are improving your Turkish, making Turkish friends, becoming a part of your host family and getting to know more and more about this land.

We are waiting for you with our arms wide open; bring along your own ways, come to meet ours and be ready to share and participate.

CONGRATULATIONS on becoming a member of the large world wide AFS family.

-3-

WHAT TO BRING

Clothes: Generally teenagers dress in what is called European Casual. Both boys and girls wear jeans, shirts, t-shirts and sweaters. However, ripped and baggy clothes should not be your first choice. You should bring a couple of nice outfits for special occasions.

IMPORTANT: You are likely to gain weight while in Tur-key so you might want to pack accordingly.

For Summer; bring a swimsuit, shorts, t-shirts and sweat-ers for cool nights.

For Winter; bring warm clothes, boots and a coat. A rain-coat is always handy to have.

For School; Most students wear uniforms at school. The school uniform is not provided by AFS Turkey. Each school has a different uniform decided by the Parents’ As-sociation, you can ask your host families before travelling if they know about your school’s regulations.

However, most of the time schools will announce their uniforms after your arrival in Turkey. You can bring white long or short sleeve shirts and black or dark brown shoes. Sneakers and high heels cannot be worn to school. Since dress regulations differ depending on your school; so we recommend that you buy the rest of the items in Turkey.

Eyeglasses/ contact lenses: If you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses,

bring an extra pair of eyeglasses or spare contact lenses as AFS Insurance does not cover expenses for eyeglasses/ contact lenses.

Camera: Bring a camera! Pictures are a good way of bringing home memories and sharing your experience in Turkey when you’re back.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN TURKEY

-4-

Recipes: Turkish people enjoy good food. Consider bringing some of your favorite recipes or a dish that is typical for your country/region. Your host family will love trying something made by you. Bringing hard to find ingredients with you will be easier than having your fami-ly send them later.

Presents: It is very difficult to give any advice about presents, but try to bring personal gifts for your host family. For instance, you may bring something made by yourself or something that is typical for your country or the part of your country from which you come. A number of smaller presents may come in handy for birthdays or when you visit the homes of your friends and for special occasions throughout the year.

Information about your home com-munity & country: During the year you will be expected to give speeches or talks about your country, not only to your host family and school, but also the commu-nity. Try to acquire a general knowledge of your country concerning population, geography, history, agriculture, indus-try, sport activities etc. For this purpose it is a good idea to bring a reference material like brochures and pamphlets. Contact your National Tourist Board, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, etc. to gather material.

You should also be prepared to talk about your everyday life, your home, family, school and community. Bring picture books and photos as they often tell more than words. Some students prepare PowerPoint presentations, Slide Shows before leaving home.

-5-

GEOGRAPHY

Turkey’s land mass is 814,578 sq km. The European and Asian sides are divided by the İstanbul Boğazı (Bospho-rus), the Sea of Marmara, and the Çanakkale Boğazı (Dardanelles). Anatolia is a high plateau region rising progressively towards the east, broken up by the valleys of about 15 rivers, including the Dicle (Tigris) and the Fırat (Euphrates). There are numerous lakes and some, such as Lake Van, are as large as inland seas. In the north, the eastern Black Sea Mountain chain runs parallel to the Black Sea; in the south, the Taurus Mountains sweep down almost to the narrow, fertile coastal plain along the coast. Turkey enjoys a variety of climates, ranging from the temperate climate of the Black Sea region, to the continental climate of the interior, then, to the Mediter-ranean climate of the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal regions. The coastline of Turkey’s four seas is more than 8,333 km long.

HISTORY

Turkey has been called “the cradle of civilizations” and by travelling through this historic land, people will dis-cover exactly what is meant by this phrase. The world’s first town, a Neolithic city at Çatalhöyük, dates back to 6,500 BC. From the days of Çatalhöyük up to the present, Turkey boasts a rich mixture of cultures. Hattis, Hittites, Phrygians, Urartians, Lycians, Lydians, Ionians, Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans have all made important contributions to Turkish history and ancient sites and ruins scattered throughout the country give proof of each civilization’s unique distinc-tion.

Turkey also has a very fascinating recent history. Upon the decline of the Ottoman Empire, a young man named Mustafa Kemal, who was a soldier by occupation but in character, a great visionary, took the defeat of World War I and turned it into a shining victory by liberating Turkey from all foreign invaders. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk found-ed the Republic of Turkey on October 29, 1923. He led his

BRIEF PRESENTATION ABOUT TURKEY

-6-

country into peace and stability, with tremendous economic growth and complete modernization. Through decades of change and growth, Turkey still boasts his success, living by its adopted motto of “Peace at Home, Peace in the World.”

POPULATION

According to end of the year 2014 reports, Turkey has 77.695.904 inhabitants, 8,2% of whom live in the rural areas. The major cities are; İstanbul, Ankara (the capital), İzmir, Adana, Antalya, Bursa, Konya, Gaziantep, Eskişehir and Samsun.

-7-

PEOPLE

Asia Minor, the crossroads between Asia and Europe where Turkey is located, has been the homeland of many different civilizations throughout the centuries. Moreover, the borders of the Ottoman Empire during its golden age extended from Egypt to the Balkans, from Crimea to Morocco; during the reign of the Ottoman Empire over these lands the people circulated within the empire, therefore it is not surprising that today the Turkish population is a colorful mosaic of different ethnic groups. There are about more than 30 different ethnics (Kazaks, Spanish, Italian, Egyptian, Arabs, Kurds, Albanians, Turks, Romanian, Gipsy, Greek, Armenian, Russian, etc.) in the country. The legally recognized minority groups are Jewish, Armenians and Greek according to the Lausanne Peace Treaty.

LANGUAGE

Turkish, the official language of the country, belongs to the Ural-Altaic group and has an affinity with the Finno-Hungarian languages. Turkish is written with the Latin alphabet and is spoken by some 150 million people around the world.

-8-

RELIGION

The majority of Turkish people are Muslim and a small percentage of people are Jewish, Greek Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant. Turkey has a secular system as stated in the constitution.

ECONOMY

Agriculture: This plays a very important role in the Turkish economy. The main crops are wheat, rice, cotton, tea, tobacco, hazelnuts and fruit. Sheep are Turkey’s most important livestock and Turkey is one of the major cotton and wool producers.

Natural Resources: The principal minerals extracted are coal, chrome (an important export), iron, copper, bauxite, marble and sulphur.

Industry: Industry is developing rapidly and is directed mainly towards the processing of agricultural products, metallurgy, textiles and the manufacture of automobiles and agricultural machinery.

Tourism: In the last 4 decades, Turkey has become a major tourist destination in Europe. With the rapid de-velopment of both summer and winter resorts, more and more people from around the world are able to enjoy the history, culture and beautiful sites of Turkey. From swim-

-9-

ming in the Mediterranean, to skiing in Uludağ, Turkey has something to offer to every tourist.

POLITICAL STRUCTURE

The Turkish Republic is based on a secular, democratic, pluralistic and parliamentary system, where human rights are protected by law and social justice. The Nation-al Assembly is elected by popular vote and the nation is governed by the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. Turkey is a founding member of OECD, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, a member of NATO, the European Council and European Parliament, and an associate member of the European Union.

-10-

CLIMATE

Marmara Region: Summers are warm to hot, humid and moderately dry whereas winters are cold and wet and sometimes snowy. (İstanbul, Bursa, Edirne, Çanakkale, İzmit)

Black Sea Coast: Warm summers, mild winters and relative-ly high rainfall (Samsun, Trabzon, Karadeniz Ereğli, Bartın)

Central Anatolia: Steppe climate with hot, dry summers, cold winters. (Ankara, Kayseri, Eskişehir)

Eastern Anatolia: Long snowy, cold winters with mild summers.

Southeast Anatolia: Hot summer with mild, rainy winters. (Gaziantep, Adana)

Aegean and the Mediterranean: Hot and humid summers with mild, rainy winters. (İzmir, Aydın, Antalya, Mersin)

MONEY:

Unit of currency is Turkish Lira ( )(TL). Because of the instability of the international exchange rates, we suggest that you find out the exchange rate of your currency before you leave. It is easier to exchange Euros or US Dollars from almost all around the country from exchange of-fices. Most international credit cards (eg. Visa, Mastercard, American Express) are accepted in restaurants, department stores and shops and you can also withdraw cash with most of them at bank automatic teller machines (ATMs). We do not recommend Traveller’s Checks.

For personal spending money during the year, we recom-mend 100$ per month. You can maintain a bank account in your home country and withdraw money from ATMs.

-11-

Here are some examples of the pricing in Turkey;

McDonald’s Big Mac Burg-er: $4,50Coca Cola (can): $1,00Movies: $7,50 - $12Concerts : $15 - $80International letters - stamp: $1,50

It is wise to ask your host family, contact person before administrating your finances.

TIME

Local time is GMT + 2 hrsTime differences between Turkey and some other countries

Australia +9Germany -1France -1Argentina -6USA(East Coast) -7Mexico City -8USA(West Coast) -10Brazil -5

-12-

TELEPHONE INFORMATION:

110 Fire Department 112 Emergency Ambulance Service11811 Phone Directory Assistance154 Traffic Police155 Police

Please keep in mind that telephone calls are compara-tively expensive in Turkey, even local calls. Before calling home think about calling collect/using the internet or at least ask your host family first before calling home. You can also arrange a time for your parents to call your host family’s house when you will be home. Phone booths work either with coins or telephone cards or with credit cards in big cities. You can always purchase the interna-tional calling cards and use them to call from home.

Post Offices: Post offices are open from Monday till Fri-day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can get information about postage at your local post office.

Electric Current: 220 Volt AC. Note that Turkish plugs may be different from yours.

Weight and Measures: Metric System

From metric specifications 1 kilo (kg): 2.205 lbs1 litre (l): approx. 1.76 pints 0.22 imp gallon 1 US quart1 kilometre: 0.621 mile1 centimetre: 0.39 inch

To metric specifications1 pound (lb) : 0.454 kilo1 imp pint : 0.56 litre1 imp gallon : 4.546 litres1 US gallon : 3.785 litres1 mile : 1.61 kilometres1 yard : 0.9144 metre1 foot : 0.3048 metre1 inch : 2.54 centimetres

-13-

Business Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 - 17:30Shopping Hours: Monday - Saturday 9:00 - 19:00

Most bakers, shops, kiosks and florists are open on Sundays and some gas station shops are open in the evening. Also shops in big Malls and Shopping Centers are usually open until 22:00.

Residence Permit: If you come to Turkey with a Trimes-ter, Semester or Year Program you will be applying to the National Immigration Department, Foreign Affairs bureau for residence permit in the first month of your stay in Turkey.

This costs about 50 US Dollars. It is wise to bring at least 5 passport photos for the residence permit application. After you receive your residence permit you should car-ry it with you all times, instead of your passport.

Vaccinations: Hepatitis B is advised for those coming to Turkey.

National Holidays: 1st of January » New Year’s Day23rd of April » National Sovereignty and

Children’s Day1st of May » Labor and Solidarity Day19th of May » Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports DayRamadan Feas » July 5-730th of August » Victory DaySacrifice Feast » September 12-1529th of October » Republic Day

Time of the religious days change about ten days every year, as the religious calendar is not according to the sun but the moon.

-14-

Every AFS experience is unique; each one of you will have a different experience from each other. Some of you will live in big cities, some will live in small cities and others will live in the country. Please do not spoil your experience with unnecessary comparisons.

The first step toward learning about a country is acting not like a tourist, which means not to see only the surface of the culture but to participate in day to day life. You should not be only the receiving type of person, but also the giving type.

The most important thing to remember is to be interested learning new things, ready to find differences and willing to accept them as they are. It is wise to try to see, learn and enjoy as much as possible to make the most of your stay here. After all, what would be the point of your AFS year, if your day to day life in Turkey is exactly the same in your home country??

There are certain changes of mood and phases that every AFS student goes through when adapting to a new culture. You should realize that they are due to new experiences

and very common. One of them is culture shock. Although coming to a new country is exciting, adventurous and wonderful, it may also shake your balance. Before you get used to the time difference, you may fall asleep in the day time, not sleep at nights, new kind of food may taste odd, language may sound so strange to be understood, also your host family and host school can be quite different from what you are used to.

It is a good idea to read about Turkey before you come here. Have an open mind and be interested in everything around you, and soon you’ll notice that you are starting to adapt to the new environment and as much as you get used to Turkish way of life, you will enjoy more and more of your stay in Turkey.

Participation is the key word to get to know the people and the culture. Show that you are interested in the people and the culture. Try to participate in daily life as much as possi-ble. You may feel strange not to be able to do all the things you were used to do at home, or even watching TV may be difficult due to language.

A YEAR IN TURKEY KEY WORD: PARTICIPATION

-15-

Learn the language by using it. Do not hesitate to speak even few words of Turkish you know. People will appreci-ate this very much and will help you learn the language more quickly. Most teenagers know English and they may speak with you in English, although this would make it

easier for you please avoid speaking in English. Do not forget that one can learn the culture by speaking the language.

You may find it hard to make close friends in the be-ginning but it takes time to get to know people and you have to give time to them to get to know you. You may be the first exchange student your new classmates meet, they may not even have heard of AFS. They are probably curious to meet you, but they may be also shy and wor-ried about making mistakes while speaking in a foreign language. So you should break the ice! When you make friends you will see that they will be a friend for a life time.

Try to empathize and try to see the situation from the oth-er person’s perspective. Accept differences before judging them. This will help you understand people and help you communicate with them.

If you have a question or a problem, please do not hesitate to ask or talk about it. Your host family is willing to help

-16-

you anytime you need as they only want you to be happy during your stay in Turkey. They should be the first ones you get in touch when you need help.

Everyone who has lived abroad feels homesick at some point. Please do not hesitate to talk about it with your host family, friends or your AFS contact person. You should not be ashamed of being homesick and try to keep it just to yourself. It is very understandable to miss your family, friends, community, etc. If you would not feel homesick, then it would be strange. The best way to get over homesickness is to be active in daily life, family activities, hobbies, etc.

And please do not forget that life is not always easy, but hard times are always a part of life and the good times will be more shiny and fun.

FAMILY LIFE

Keep in mind that there are different kinds of fam-ilies; families with older or younger parents, fam-ilies with or without chil-dren or with just one parent. It is impossible to describe a typical Turkish family as in all around the world families differ a lot from each other due to their backgrounds and beliefs. As Turkey is a land of different cultures it is very hard to give you a description. Please do not compare your host family with your natural family. Do not forget that both families are coming from different cultures. The host families have only one commonality and that is their wish to share their life with an exchange student.

Please do not forget that your host family is also adjusting to many new things with you. Here are some tips for your stay in Turkey.

-17-

Please keep in mind that;

• Your host family wants you to be a member of the family. They would like to share their life and enjoy life with you. They would like you to learn about Turkey and would like to learn about your country and your way of life.

• Your host family receives no money from AFS. They host because they believe in the program. Your showing your appreciation to them will be very meaningful.

• There may be misunderstandings. Please do not hesitate to talk with your host family when something bothers you or a question arises in your mind. Be honest in your relationships with the family members and ask them to do the same. Keep in mind that they may be afraid of hurting your feelings. If you all find the answers to questions, you will prevent bigger problems building up and both you and your family will be happy if you feel at home.

MEALS & FOOD

Usually meals in Turkey are eaten between the following times;Breakfast: 07:00 - 10:00Lunch: 12:00 - 13:30Dinner: 19:00 - 20:30

Dinner is usually the main meal of the day and is often a time when the whole family is together.

Typical food: Breakfast; cheese, butter, jam, honey, olives and bread.

Lunch and Dinner; at least two main courses such as vege-table or meat dishes and rice, cracked wheat or macaroni, soup, salad and cold olive oil dishes, dessert or fruit and LOTS OF BREAD! You will find out that Turkish cuisine consists not only of “kebab” and Turks consume more vegetables than meat.

-18-

Many families allow their children to drink a glass of wine or beer at the table; but be careful with the national drink, “Rakì”, which is rather strong.

Snacking from the fridge: Turkish people tend to eat three main meals rather than snack from the refrigerator. Food in the fridge is not necessarily available for general consumption.

Housework: You may be asked to set the table, wash and dry the dishes, and to keep your room clean and tidy. Ask your host family how to do any household tasks. Please note that in Turkey, colored clothes usually do not get washed with whites. If you want to wash your clothes, please ask your host mother how they wash clothing. Generally, in Turkey we do not put our sports shoes in the washing machine. If you want to wash your sports shoes it is wise to ask your host family if you can use the washing machine. Most Turkish families have a cleaning lady come once or twice a week.

Bathing: Homes have bathtubs or showers or both. The hot water supply can be limited so ask your host family the appropriate time to bath or shower.

When you arrive home; it is important to keep in mind that in most Turkish families, people do not enter the house with their shoes on; people wear slippers in the house.

Parents: Some students have a very hard time call-ing their host parents “anne” & “baba” (mom & dad). However, this is a great way to make yourself part of the family. Whatever you call your host parents,

don’t be afraid to talk about it.

Brothers and sisters: If you have teenage host siblings, they might feel a little jealous of you. Don’t be surprised. You are taking away a lot of the attention they have been used to. The best way to help them over the jealousy is to include them as much as possible in your activities, ask their advice and to let them know that they are important to you.

-19-

Your family and friends at home: We know you have parents and may have brothers and sisters at home that you care about a lot. They will want to know what you are doing but…

• Keep phone calls to a minimum, it is expensive.

• Don’t E-mail/Skype/Facebook too often. Once a weekshould be enough. Too much internet can keep you fromlearning to enjoy Turkey, learning the language and keepyour thoughts more on your family and friends at homethan your family and friends in Turkey.

SOCIAL LIFE

Your social life will probably be different from what you are used to in your home country. Probably your activities will be with your family or with a small group of friends. Do not expect to go out all the time and party. Your social life will vary greatly according to your family. When you want to go out, please ask your host parents for permission and when they would like you to be home. Your host par-ents may act overprotective; so do not forget to tell them; when, where, with whom and for how long you will be out. And if possible, leave a phone number. You may talk to your brothers and/or sisters about your family’s habits.

Remember to:• Ask your host parents before taking food or drinks out of the fridge.

• Ask for permission to go out. When you are asking for permission, say where you are going, who you will be withand when you will be back before you leave the house.

-20-

• Do say “Günaydın” (Good morning) when you wake up and “İyi Geceler!” (Goodnight) before going to bed.

• Don’t have long conversations on the phone.

• Don’t stay in the bathroom for longer than your share of the time.

• Don’t stay alone in your room for long periods of time, instead go to the living room and be with the rest of the family.

• We know from experience that families can get upset about these things. If you are not sure whether the family gets annoyed by something, ask about it.

-21-

AFS IS A SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAM and therefore school life is a substantial part of your AFS experience. This means we expect you to attend your school regularly and take all the exams. If you fail out of school, your visa will be cancelled and you will be sent home!

The more involved you get in your school, the easier it will be to make friends. You may not understand a lot at first but this should not discourage you. Learning the language and trying to follow teaching can be difficult at first. It will be appreciated if you show interest; do as well as you can and do your homework to the best of your ability. Remember the good things school has to offer; a place for you to talk about your country, maybe a chance for you to study subjects that have not been available to you before and last but not least it is a great place to meet people.

AFS is able to have the school program through agreements established with indi-vidual schools and the Ministry of Education.

Your participation in school and positive relationship with students and faculty is a big reflection of you, your country as well as AFS. It also affects the future generations of AFS students who will go to the same school.

The Turkish Education System: The Turkish education system comprises of two main stages; 8 years of Mandatory Primary Education and 4 years of High School. There are

public schools, state schools, private schools, vocational (technical) schools.

In high schools, educational emphasis is placed on preparing students for university entrance exams.

Throughout high school, success is gauged by continuous assessment, coursework and regular internal exams. The cumulative scores for these assessments determine the student’s progression into the next academic year.

In a year, if a student does not attend school

SCHOOL LIFE

-22-

total of 20 days without a doctor report, he/she fails the year.

Students take 12 to 15 courses a semester. These courses include mathematics, science, foreign language, Turkish literature, history, geography, physical education, etc. Most subjects are compulsory, but there are also optional courses that are worth looking into. Students have at least 30 to 35 hours of school per week.

School starts mid September and ends mid June. In addition to a summer vacation (from mid June to mid September), students have a two weeks of semester hol-iday in end of January, early February. Also, schools are closed during all national and religious holidays. There is no school on Saturdays and Sundays.

Placement info: AFS students are placed mostly in 10th or 11th grade. The 12th grade would be probably too difficult but also less fun because students in that class concentrate on studying for the university entrance exam and have therefore less free time. You will have several subjects, but you will study only a few of them intensively at a time and then continue to other subjects.

In most schools, all the teachings with the exception of foreign languages are done in Turkish. In the beginning you may find it hard to follow teaching in class, but as you learn more Turkish school will become more interesting, so be patient.

AFS Turkey has a budget for school lunch and trans-portation to school. All will be arranged by local AFS volunteers. School books are expensive and as you need the book only for a short period of time, you should try to loan school books from your host siblings, your contact teacher, the school library or the AFS office. If, however, you need to buy books, AFS Turkey will purchase them for you. Make sure you return those books to the AFS

-23-

office after you don’t need them any longer. For other school expenses (such as pencils and notebooks) as well as the class photo you have to pay these expenses yourself.

Please keep in mind that AFS Turkey needs the support of your school. The interest and motivation which you show your teachers and classmates, will not only bring you much satisfaction, but will also affect the opportunities of future AFS students. Your school work and your attitude about school is a big reflection on your homeland and on AFS.

If you attend classes and exams regularly, schools give CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE and TRANSCRIPT of GRADES to AFS students at the end of the school year.

-24-

COURSES 9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade

CO

MM

ON

CO

UR

SE

S

(Man

dato

ry f

or

all)

Language and Expression 2 2 2 2

Turkish Literature 3 3 3 3

Religion Culture and Morality 1 1 1 1

History 2 2 - -

Turkish Republic Revolution History and Atatürk

- - 2 -

Geography 2 2 - -

Mathematics 4 - - -

Geometry 2 - - -

Physics 2 - - -

Chemistry 2 - - -

Biology 2 - - -

Health 1 - - -

Philosophy - - 2 -

Foreign Language-1 2 2 2 2

Foreign Language-2 2 2 2 2

Physical Education 2 2 2 2

Visual Arts / Music 1 1 1 1

Traffic and First Aid - - - 1

TOTAL 34 19 19 16

-25-

COURSES 9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade

EL

EC

TIV

E

CO

UR

SE

S

Mathematics - 2 or 4 2 or 4 2 or 4

Physics - 2 or 3 2 or 4 2 or 3

Chemistry - 2 or 3 2 or 4 2 or 3

Biology - 2 or 3 2 or 4 2 or 3

Geometry - 1 or 2 2 or 3 1 or 2

Language and Expression - 2 2 or 3 2 or 3

Turkish Literature - 1 1 1

History - 2 2 or 4 -

Neoteric Turkish and World History - - - 2 or 4

Geography - 2 2 or 4 2 or 4

Psychology - 2 - -

Sociology - - 2 -

Logic - - - 2

Foreign Language-1 - 4 or 6 4 or 6 4 or 6

Foreign Language-2 - 2 or 4 2 or 4 2 or 4

Other Electives 5 3 2 2

TOTAL 5 15 15 18

Guidance 1 1 1 1

GRAND TOTAL 40 35 35 35

-26-

WHAT AFS IS ALL ABOUT

AFS is an international, voluntary, non-governmental, non-religious, non-profit organization that provides intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world. It is one of the world’s oldest and largest community based volunteer organizations. Nowadays AFS can be found in more than 60 countries of the world. One of AFS’s strengths is the network of volunteers who provide a support system for all the participants.

AFS TURKEY - TÜRK KÜLTÜR VAKFI

AFS Programs have been held in Turkey since 1952. Türk Kültür Vakfı (AFS Turkey) was founded in 1974 by AFS returnees, since then programs have run by the founda-tion. TKV is a partner of AFS Intercultural Programs, Inc. since 1993.

AFS

-27-

AFS INTERNATIONAL RULES

• NO DRIVING: AFS students are not allowed to drive cars or any other motorized vehicles. This rule applies to driving anywhere (for example on private land, parking lots and

public roads). The most important reason for this rule is safety as well as liability insurance in case of an accident and injury. This rule is for your protection and the contin-uance of the AFS programs

• NO Illegal Substances: To import, to possess, to use and pass on drugs or any other substances classified illegal in Turkey.

• NO HITCHHIKING: For safety reasons. It is not safe to hitchhike in Turkey. You should not accept any rides from strangers.

• Turkish LAW: When you are in Turkey, you are subject to Turkish law.

TKV/AFS TURKEY RULES

SCHOOL: All AFS students, even if they are graduates in their own country, must attend school up to the end of the school year and they are obliged to follow all school rules.

TURKISH LESSONS: Attendance to Turkish classes pro-vided by the AFS chapters is obligatory.

TRAVEL: AFS Turkey Travel Rules will be distributed as a separate document. Travel without host family or host school is not allowed during the first seven months.

RETURN DATE: Students must leave Turkey on the date fixed by their nation-al AFS-offices. Further stay in the coun-try is not allowed. You can leave the program and choose to stay; in this case AFS will not carry any responsibility regarding the extra travel arrangements and will not be held responsible for any complications that may occur.

TKV/AFS TURKEY RULES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

-28-

VISITS: Visits from natural parents, relatives or friends are not allowed until April 1st and they are very much dis-couraged since they affect the AFS participant’s process of adaptation negatively. Request for permission by natural families on this matter should be addressed to the AFS Of-fice in home country two to three months ahead of time.

All these rules will be strongly enforced and any violation will result in punishments including an early return. These rules may seem rather restrictive but there are several important reasons why AFS Turkey finds them necessary.

First, the purpose of an AFS experience is for the student to live with a Turkish family and participate in local life. The purpose of AFS is NOT for you to travel around the country. AFS Turkey will consider each case individually and give permission accordingly. Furthermore, the AFS student must agree to cover all expenses in connection with a trip.

Second, it is important that the AFS student attend school. Experience has shown, that Turkish school admin-istrations are reluctant to accept AFS students, if former students have been absent from school often.

Third, there is the question of responsibility and insur-ance. If an AFS student travels without the proper per-mission, AFS International does not take responsibility in case of illness or accident.

-29-

EARLY RETURNS

Students can be sent home for unacceptable behavior. Any of the following will definitely be considered as reasons for early returns.

• Driving• Involvement with drugs• Hitchhiking• Breaking Turkish law• Eating disorders (anorexia or bulimia)• Irregular attendance at school• Disregarding of the travel guidelines• Lack of Adaptation due to incurable behavior prob-lems

MEDICAL EXPENSES

AFS Intercultural Programs pays vol-untarily and without conceding legal liability medical expenses incurred while the participant is in Turkey, except for the cost of regular dental or eye care, preventive medicine, immu-nizations or treatment of pre-existing conditions. If you should need dental or eye-care, we will evaluate the situa-tion and contact your natural family for permission and payment. In any emergency we are authorized by them to approve limited amount of dental or eye care directly.

-30-

Turkish AFS/TKV National Office is located in İstanbul and is open Monday to Friday, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. You can write or call the office with any questions or concerns during your stay. You can also turn to the office if you need help;

Türk Kültür Vakfı / AFS TürkiyeValikonağı Cad. Konak Apt. No: 67 K:5Nişantaşı, 34371 İstanbul

Phone: (+90) 212-230 70 17(+90) 212-246 23 28

Emergency phone number (Duty Officer): (+90) 542-256 65 20

e-mail: turkey@afs.org

THE OFFICE

-31-

WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR ARRIVAL IN TURKEY!

THE AFS TURKEY TEAM

Partner Director: Derya Komitoğlu Kaplan

Program Coordinator: Cemre Ak’in

Program Coordinator: Özge Bilici Şekerkıran

Program Assistant: Ece Ömür

Short Programs Responsible: Nesrin Kaçan

Training Coordinator & Intercultural Learning Responsible: Ömer Ongun

Training Support: Ferhat Mahir ÇakalozFinance Director: Baran Büyüktaş

Administrative Specialist: Anıl AkınAdana Regional Coordinator: Funda Özkan

Ankara Regional Coordinator: Yonca Göktaş Çaylak

İzmir Regional Coordinator: Ayşegül Kolluoğlu

-32-

All safety tips will be discussed with you at your arrival orientation. We recommend to you that you discuss these issues with your host family and counselor.

1. What to discuss with the host family?

Safety practices vary considerably from one family to another. Be prepared to discuss how your family copes with these issues:

• Are the doors of the house locked at all times?

• If not, when should the doors be locked?

• If you can’t get into the house (nobody home, lost yourkey) or you’re all alone in the house and there is a prob-lem, who should you contact?

• Should you answer the phone? If yes, is there any specif-ic information you should not give to the caller?

• When home alone should you answer the door to strang-ers?

• Who can you contact in school if there is a problem or

something you would like to know?

2. What to know about life outside the home?

• If you feel uncertain about anything, you should firstseek your host family’s advice.

• Before you go to a party or an outing with friends,always ask your host parents for permission and let themknow where you are going, with whom, and what timeyou will be back. If possible, leave a phone number wherethey can reach you.

• Public transportation can be safely used in most areasuntil midnight. You should ask your family if your busis safe. If you need transportation after that, you shouldcall a cab from a registered taxi agency and not hail a taxion the street if you are alone. There are such agenciesin almost all cities. You call the taxi company, give youraddress and a cab comes to pick you up.

• You should carry your passport with you until you getyour residence permit. From then onwards, you must always carry your residence permit.

AFS TURKEY - SAFETY TIPS

-33-

• In some parts of the country it may not be suitable to walk outside alone after dark. Ask your host family where and when it is safe to walk alone in the city.

• Only carry the amount of money you need, not more!!!

3. Uncomfortable Social Situations:

• It is common and appropriate to accept a ride from someone you know, but not from strangers.

• Although the legal age for alcohol consumption is 18, you may witness teenagers drinking (especially beer). Do not forget that as an AFS student, you cannot break any laws. Therefore, do not attempt to drink alcoholic beverages outside, even if your friends do.

• Under 18, you are not allowed into bars, pubs and discos un-chaperoned. In some of the bars, they would not ask for your identification, but if there is a police control (which is not very odd), you would be in trouble for being under age.

• Surprisingly (since many believe otherwise), use of drugs is not widespread among youngsters. Though it is one

of the lesser dangers, if you are found carrying drugs or indulging in them, the consequences are extremely serious. SO, JUST SAY “NO” IF THEY HAPPEN TO COME YOUR WAY.

• If you feel that you are being sexually harassed discuss the issue openly with your host family, AFS counselor or AFS staff.

4. General Advice on Security

Although security is an ongoing concern in Turkey, living in Turkey is no more dangerous than living in many other parts of the world.

Usually cases of terrorist actions in big cities, take place in non-residential areas where AFS students are not placed. Schools also take serious security precautions against terror like keeping well-trained security person-nel. Almost all the big shopping centers, theatres, hotels and public places as such are protected devices to a great measure.

-34-

AFS students are fully informed at the arrival orientation camp about security matters in Turkey and made sure they understand what to do and not to do.

TKV/AFS-TUR shall regularly inform AFS partners about the security and safety in Turkey

Tips for Students:

• Ask your host family to guide you in these matters.

• Keep away from large crowds like political meetings, demonstrations etc.

• If possible, avoid public lavatories.

• Keep track of daily politics through TV, newspapers etc.

• Respect people’s religious feelings. Don’t provoke nega-tive reactions by your actions or attire.

5. Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is caused by in-fection with a tick-borne virus. Transmission to humans

occurs through contact with infected animal blood or ticks. CCHF can be transmitted from one infected human to another by contact with infectious blood or body fluids.

The onset of CCHF is sudden, with initial signs and symp-toms including headache, high fever, back pain, joint pain, stomach pain, and vomiting. Red eyes, a flushed face, a red throat, and petechiae (red spots) on the palate are common. Symptoms may also include jaundice, and in severe cases, changes in mood and sensory perception. As the illness progresses, large areas of severe bruising, severe nosebleeds, and uncontrolled bleeding at injection sites can be seen, beginning on about the fourth day of illness and lasting for about two weeks.

Insect repellants containing DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-tolua-mide) are the most effective in warding off ticks. Wearing gloves and other protective clothing is recommended. Individuals should also avoid contact with the blood and body fluids of livestock or humans who show symptoms of infection.

-35-

If you realize you have a tick bite, do not try to remove it, please ask your host family or friend who is with you to take you to the hospital for Tick Removal and Treatment.

6. Earthquakes

Earthquakes are common in most areas of Turkey. Small earthquakes can happen daily and you probably won’t feel them. Most Turkish people won’t even react to earthquakes unless they are larger than 4,5 on the Richter Scale. Howev-er, if you experience one of the larger ones please remem-ber that the most important thing during an earthquake is to remain calm and don’t rush outside.

Protect yourself during earthquake shaking – drop, cover, and hold on.

Dropping, covering your head (and your body by being under a strong table if possible), and holding onto furniture (even if it is moving) offers the best overall level of protec-tion in most situations. In cases where an earthquake is less violent, you might be able to move to a more advan-

tageous position (e.g. away from breaking windows, etc) as you drop to the floor, cover your head, and hold on to a solid object. The area near the exterior walls of a building is the most dangerous place to be. Windows, facades and architectural details are often the first parts of the building to collapse. To stay away from this danger zone, stay inside if you are inside and outside if you are outside.

If you are...

Indoors: Drop, cover, and hold on. If you are not near a desk or table, drop to the floor against the interior wall and protect your head and neck with your arms. Avoid exterior walls, windows, hanging objects, mirrors, tall furniture, large appliances, and kitchen cabinets with heavy objects or glass. Do not go outside!

In bed: If you are in bed, hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow. You are less likely to be injured staying where you are. Broken glass on the floor has caused injury to those who have rolled to the floor or tried to get to doorways.

-36-

In a high-rise: Drop, cover, and hold on. Avoid windows and other hazards. Do not use elevators. Do not be surprised if sprinkler systems or fire alarms activate.

Outdoors: Move to a clear area if you can safely do so; avoid power lines, trees, signs, buildings, vehicles, and other hazards.

On Subways or Other Public Transportation: Stay inside the train unless it is absolutely necessary to leave. Otherwise, you may be electrocuted or hit by another train. Hold on to a strap, handrail or anything that is fixed firmly inside the train.

Driving: Pull over to the side of the road, stop, and set the parking brake. Avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines, signs and other hazards. Stay inside the vehicle until the shaking is over. If a power line falls on the car, stay inside until a trained person removes the wire.

In a stadium or theater: Stay at your seat and protect your head and neck with your arms. Don’t try to leave until the

shaking is over. Then walk out slowly watching for anything that could fall in the aftershocks.

Near the shore: Drop, cover and hold on until the shaking stops. Estimate how long the shaking lasts. If severe shaking lasts 20 seconds or more, immediately evacuate to high ground as a tsunami might have been generated by the earthquake. Move inland 3 kilometers (2 miles) or to land that is at least 30 meters (100 feet) above sea level immediate-ly. Don’t wait for officials to issue a warning. Walk quickly, rather than drive, to avoid traffic, debris and other hazards.

Below a dam: Dams can fail during a major earthquake. Cata-strophic failure is unlikely, but if you live downstream from a dam, you should know flood-zone information and have prepared an evacuation plan.

After the earthquake

First take care of your own situation. Aftershocks may cause additional damage or items to fall, so get to a safe location.

If you are trapped by falling items or a collapse, protect

-37-

your mouth, nose, and eyes from dust. If you are bleed-ing, put pressure on the wound and elevate the injured part. Signal for help with your emergency whistle, a cell phone, or knock loudly on solid pieces of the building, three times every few minutes. Rescue personnel will be listening for such sounds.

Once you are safe, help others and check for damage. Pro-tect yourself by wearing sturdy shoes and work gloves, to avoid injury from broken glass and debris. Also if possible wear a dust mask and eye protection.

Check for injuries:

• If a person is bleeding, put direct pressure on the wound. Use clean gauze or cloth, if available.

• If a person is not breathing, administer rescue breathing.

• If a person has no pulse, begin CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).

• Do not move seriously injured persons unless they are in immediate danger of further injury.

• Cover injured persons with blankets or additional cloth-ing to keep them warm.

• Get medical help for serious injuries.

• Carefully check children or others needing special assis-tance.

The first days after the earthquake…

Aftershocks will continue to happen for several weeks after major earthquakes. Some may be large enough to cause additional damage. Always be ready to drop, cover, and hold on. Until you are sure there are no gas leaks, do not use open flames (lighters, matches, can-dles, or grills) or operate any electrical or mechanical device that can create a spark (light switches, genera-tors, motor vehicles, etc.). Never use the following items indoors: camp stoves, gas lanterns or heaters, gas or charcoal grills, or gas generators. These can release deadly carbon monoxide or be a fire hazard in after-shocks.

-38-

Be in communication

• Your counselors and AFS Turkey staff will contact you at the earliest time they can. Depending on the transporta-tion opportunities we will move you to the safest location possible at the time.

Food and water

• If power is off, plan meals to use up refrigerated and fro-zen foods first. If you keep the door closed, food in your freezer may be good for a couple of days.

• Listen to your radio for safety advisories.

• If your water is off or unsafe, you can drink from water heaters, melted ice cubes, or canned vegetables. Avoid drinking water from swimming pools or spas.

• Do not eat or drink anything from open containers that are near shattered glass.