Turkey
Ankara is the capital of Turkey with about 3 million inhabitants, however the largest city in Turkey is Istanbul with about 15 million inhabitants. The whole of Turkey has a population of about 67.5 million. The old Turkey, named Anatolia, has a history that goes back thousand of years. Turkey is often called the ‘cradle of civilisation’ and when you travel through this country you will understand why. Amongst Hittites, Lycian, Ioniërs, Persian, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuk and Osman, all of them left their mark in the history of this country. You will be amazedat the number of antique sites and ruins scattered all over the country. They are all proof of the existence of these civilizations. In the Fethiye area there are many distinctive historical features to be discovered.
The Turks in today's Turkey are the descendants of the Oghus tribes who came from Central Asia to Anatolia. Modern Turkey started with the foundation of the republic on 29 October 1923. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, a young soldier seized power. This was Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who was a man with a grand vision. Ataturk was the founder of the republic of Turkey. His leadership brought enough peace and stability for the new nation to start developing economically. He also initiated several reforms thatcame to be the basis for the modernization of Turkey.
Religion
99% of the Turkish population is Islamic. There are several religious minorities in Turkey, Islamic as well as non-Islamic.
Fethiye
Flight times from the Northern European countries is between 3.5 to 4.5 hours arriving at Dalaman Airport. Fethiye is another 45 minutes drive from the airport. Fethiye Harbour 
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Fethiye and the surrounding areas have a lot to offer; flora and fauna, beaches, sea, culture and a friendly population. Some places are so unspoilt that it's as if time has stood still.
Fethiye is surrounded by massive mountains and like many other tourist places has a traditional working community. A city full of activity, with a harbour full of fishermen, tripper boats and luxury private yachts. Paspartur, the old town, is charming with it’s tiny shops and restaurants. The Turks are very friendly and hospitable, and they are also very straight forward, don’t be surprised at some of the questions they will ask! They like to chat and have a good sense of humour.
Fethiye is also an ideal base for visits to historical places, like Xanthos, Pinara, Lethoon, Tlos, Cadianda and the ‘ghost town’ KayaKoy. The countryside around Fethiye is known for its huge diversity of flora - the growing and flowering seasons are from early spring until late autumn.
Fethiye History
Fethiye Rock Tombs 
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Fethiye is an old town, with a history going back to the 5th century B.C. In those days the city was called Telmessus and was part of the Lycian Empire. In the winter of 334-333 B.C. Alexander the Great arrived in this town. He made peace with the locals and then after several consecutive changes of power, the city came into the hands of Eumenes Pergamon in 189 B.C, as a gift from the Roman ruler of the day.
His empire fell in 133 B.C. and the remains of this historical period can be found in several rock tombs overlooking the city - one of the most spectacular is the tomb of Amyntas.
The tombs have been carved out into the rock faces behind the city, some with inscriptions dating back to the 4th century B.C.
In 1923 the town got its current name Fethiye in memory of a Turkish air-pilot, Fethi Bey who died in a plane crash in 1913.
