IstanbulWhiteboy

we did a DIY divorce and you don't need an attorney. our total combined costs were around 5 or 600TL, including interpreter for the hearing (though we found one who did it for next to nothing. if you're in istanbul i can send you his info, otherwise expect to pay upwards of 400TL for the 10 minute hearing). the protokol document is pretty straightforward, we got a template off a website, but i unfortunately can't find the website. i do, however, have the version we ended up using (it's in turkish, but google translate does a pretty good job of translating it so you have a better idea of what's in it), so i can email that to you as well. we had it notarized at the local notary down the street from us. pm me with yr email address and i'll send the document (edited of personal information) and the interpreter's info if you want.

wow. ok i think the voice of reason needs to step in here: don't waste your youth thinking about marriage. this isn't the 18th century, people live past 35 nowadays. there's no reason to even consider marriage before 25 or even 30 (and if you look at the statistics marriages between people who are younger than that are doomed to fail). yes, the idea of an "exotic" relationship sounds wonderful, but you're not even close to ready for the reality of it. women much older than you have been burned time and time again by this exact same fantasy (and that's exactly what it is). i guarantee he's not waiting for you, he's not "saving himself" for you, so why torture yourself? don't ruin your life. date. date people close to you, geographically. enjoy your youth while you have it. you WILL regret it otherwise.

i just don't cut my hair but once every 10 years. problem solved =] though i do feel your pain. i got my decennial haircut two years ago, had to get it done twice because the jackass who did it the first time thought he was putting on a performance art show or something, all flare and no skill. went to the jandarma kamp with the ex after that and for 2TL got a great cut and no flash. i may never get it cut again....

if the mortgage is transferable have it put into your name. then the house is yours until he pays you back, and if he doesn't, you've got yourself a nice piece of real estate for 20,000 if it's not transferable don't be a sucker

doesn't matter that you're in the UK, you just can't be in turkey. dunno the official term for it, but in general people call it a 90/180 visa, or 90 days permitted in-country out of 180; the way i understand it is that from the date the visa was issued you have to wait 180 days before you can get another visa, whether or not you used your full 90 days permission

frustrating and EXPENSIVE (and potentially dangerous if he's already married, which is entirely possible).

Move on. not worth the heartache and hassle, and definitely not worth the expense of traveling to turkey only to discover the worst.

i think it's out of gas....

if you are found working without a permit, regardless of who owns the business, you can be fined AND deported, and believe me, you do NOT want to be put in the yabanci holding during the deportation process (my friend just went through it here in istanbul, it is very unpleasant to say the least)

same, i have mine for dsl. no real point in paying for a landline anymore

***FYI the show on the 13th has been postponed until August 3rd

i don't see a category for night life and entertainment (hint hint Ken) so i'm posting this here: if anyone in Istanbul is interested in seeing live local bands there's a show tomorrow night (friday the 4th) at Nina in Beyoglu (friends of mine). free admission, decent price on intoxicants (for beyoglu). they're also playing on Sunday the 13th in Kadikoy at Shaft (also a free show). PM me for more details or follow the links to their FB event pages below:Friday the 4th: https://www.facebook.com/events/244858289046819/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcomingSunday the 13th: https://www.facebook.com/events/599543120165503/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

yeah, yr chances of working are pretty slim unless you find an international company to work for before you get here, or do freelance or online work. most people teach english, but as you're not from what the MoE would consider a native english-speaking nation (and yes, i know english is prevalent where you're from. i don't make the rules, i just report 'em) your chances of getting a job as an english teacher are next to none. that being said, if you're adament about living here, you can look at bahcesehir (see the link in my signature), it's about 30km outside of istanbul, very quiet upper-middle class family-friendly area that's far enough from the city to feel like you're not in it, but close enough to get there easily enough when you want to

excellent! i posted a link to the main freelance forum page in the fb group

that's exactly why i created it. searched around and couldn't find anything, so decided to do it myself. it's very small at the moment, less than 3 days old and 17 members as i write this, but i'm hoping word will spread rather quickly. i know there are a lot of us out there...