Climate

Geography

  In Turkey, one of the major determinants of social, economic, cultural and political life is the location of the country on the world map. The country is located at the point where Asia and the European mainland meet and is unique as of this location. Turkey is located at the intersection of the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin. As a result of this location, for example, it is possible to fly to all of the following countries from Istanbul in periods below 4 hours: Finland, Morocco, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Russia, Turkmenistan, England. It is important to note that Turkish Airlines is the airline with having direct flights to world’s most destinations !

Meeting Point of Europe and Asia

  Turkey is quite large in terms of surface area. Actually, Turkey is the largest country on the European continent entire area. The distance between the east and west ends of the country is more than 2000 kilometers. A large part of the territory of Turkey is located on the Asian continent and is called Anatolia/Asia Minor. The relatively small section on the European continent is called Thrace. Anatolia and Thrace lands close to each other in the straits of Çanakkale and İstanbul. These two continents are connected by road through 3 bridges in Istanbul. If you think you are a good swimmer, you can join and have a unique experience. Intercontinental Swimming Race held annually by National Olympic Committee of Turkey.

  Turkey is bordered by Black Sea to its north, Georgia and Armenia to its northeast, Azerbaijan and Iran to its east, Iraq and Syria to its southeast, Mediterranean and Aegean Sea to its south and southwest, Greece and Bulgaria to its northwest. In this respect, Turkey is located on a rectangular peninsula, as it is seen on the map.

Unique Nature

  Turkey is a peninsula surrounded by the sea in the north, west and south.  However, the geography of Turkey is mostly mountainous and has an average altitude of 1132 meters. Also, geography of Turkey is adorned with countless rivers and lakes. Van Lake, which is almost an inland sea, Kızılırmak which is the longest river in the country, and the ancient rivers Fırat and Dicle are the main ones. Every year, millions of local and foreign tourists flock to Turkey to see these wonders of nature.

Four Seasons Turkey

  Turkey is a country where different climates can be seen as a result of both geographical location and its distinctive geographical characteristics. Since the country is surrounded by sea on three sides and most of its surface area is rough and mountainous, there are serious climate differences between inland and coastal regions. In western and southern coastal regions, Mediterranean climate is dominant and in winter rainfall in these regions is quite low. However, in regions with high altitudes, rather cold winter seasons are experienced compared to other Mediterranean countries.

  Following table shows the average temperatures of some provinces by months. Remember, Celsius (° C) is used as temperature measurement unit in Turkey. In addition, it is worth remembering that the academic year in universities in Turkey is two periods, the autumn period is mostly between September and January, and the spring period is between February and June!

Average Temperature Winter Spring Summer Autumn
İstanbul 6,8 12,1 23 15,8
Ankara 1,4 11 22,3 12,9
İzmir 9,5 16 27 18,8
Antalya 10,8 16,5 27,3 20,3
Trabzon 8 12 22,3 16,6
Erzurum -7,6 4,5 17,9 7,9
Gaziantep 4 13,3 26,4 16,1
Bursa 6,3 12,9 23,6 15,5
Eskişehir 1 10 20,6 11,8
Konya 1 10,8 22,2 12,4
Samsun 7,7 11,6 22,4 16,2

  So, what do all these temperatures mean to you as an international student? Maybe a big suitcase full of clothes and accessories that fit every climatic condition… But it is important to remember that Turkey is one of the world’s leading countries especially in textiles and offers affordable shopping options .

  All this geographical and climatic diversity allows for numerous alternatives that cannot be easily seen in other countries such as agricultural production, sporting activities and tourism. Within the time you spend in Turkey, besides having quality education, you can swim in world famous Cleopatra Beach, enjoy rock climbing in Niğde Aladağlar National Park which hosts professional climbers from all over the world and you can experience the excitement of rafting in Artvin Çoruh River!

  In addition, Turkey is the world leader in hazelnut, cherry, fig and apricot cultivation and among top five in cultivation of watermelon, pistachio, walnut, olive, tea. Be sure, you will not be the first person to be surprised when you visit a large supermarket’s fruit-vegetable department or a street market with a variety of products!