Travel in Turkey

Railways

total: 8,607 km
standard gauge: 8,607 km 1.435-m gauge (1,524 km electrified) (1999)

Railway map

Cities with underground railway systems: Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Bursa, Adana(under construction).
Cities with Light Rail Transit systems: Istanbul, Ankara, Eskisehir, Konya, Antalya, Kayseri(under construction)
In 2004, Marmaray project started on a rail tunnel under the Bosphorus straights.

Between Istanbul and Ankara, a high speed railroad line is being constructed now next to the normal speed railroad which is being renovated. When the construction is over, the travel time between the two major cities will reduce from 6,5 hours to 3 hours and 10 minutes with trains ordered from Spain that can reach up to 250km/h. The construction of the high speed railroad line between Ankara and Konya is also soon to begin to connect the two cities with a direct railroad connection and reduce the travel time from several hours to approximately one hour. Several other high speed and normal railroad projects are in the process of planning right now.

see also TCDD - Türkiye Devlet Demir Yollari (Turkish Republic Railways)

Railway links with adjacent countries
Armenia - closed
Bulgaria - yes - 1435mm
Greece - yes - 1435mm
Georgia - under reconstruction - break-of-gauge 1435mm/1524mm.
Iran - via Lake Van ferry.
Iraq - via Syria
Syria - yes - 1435mm

Road Transport

Highways
total: 382,397 km
paved: 95,599 km (including 1,726 km of expressways)
unpaved: 286,798 km (1999 est.)

Car ownership
In 2004, there were a total of 5,359,579 passenger cars in Turkey. (link). The provinces with the highest rates of car ownership were:-

1 - Ankara (158 cars per 1,000 pop.)
2 - Istanbul (129)
3 - Mugla (106)
4 - Izmir (103)
5 - Eskisehir (98)
6 - Denizli (98)
7 - Antalya (95)
8 - Burdur (90)
9 - Kayseri (85)
10- Karabük (84)
11- Bursa (83)
12- Zonguldak (79)

Waterways

about 1,200 km

Ports and harbors
Black Sea
Hopa
Samsun
Trabzon
Zonguldak
Aegean Sea
Izmir
Mediterranean Sea
Iskenderun
Mersin
Sea of Marmara
Gemlik
Istanbul
Izmit

Airports

118 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 82
over 3,047 m: 16
2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 5 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 36
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 26 (1999 est.)

Heliports
2 (1999 est.)