To most Westerners, Turkey is an enigma.  Despite some perceptions to the contrary, Turkey is a safe, diverse and interesting country and is an outstanding destination for tourism and business.  Turkey is particularly interesting because of its diverse geography and its rich and storied history.  Turkey also has an expansive range of excellent cuisine, which varies from region to region.  Generally, you will find the Turkish people very friendly and receptive to Americans.  You should also find it relatively easy to communicate during your travel within Turkey, especially in the larger cities, where many people speak English.

Your trip to Turkey will be greatly enhanced if you do some homework in advance.  In particular, you should purchase a comprehensive guidebook, such as Lonely Planet's Guide to Turkey or other books that provide a historical perspective of Turkey.  Recommended reading includes Istanbul: The Imperial City by John Freely, published by Viking Press.  Unlike many history books, Istanbul: The Imperial City is very readable and serves as an excellent travel guide to Istanbul and Turkey.  Also, I recommend reading the biography of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, written by Lord Kinross.

You should also become familiar with the local weather conditions in Turkey. Temperatures in Turkey vary dramatically, depending on city's location.  The weather in Istanbul is very similar to Washington, DC, with hot summers and cold, wet winters. The weather in Ankara is more extreme because of its high altitude.  Izmir, located on the Aegean Sea is more temperate, as are the cities located on the Mediterranean Sea, such as Antalya and Adana.  Weather-wise, the best months to travel to Turkey are April, May, September and October.  The current weather conditions in Istanbul can be found on the Web at:  www.weatherunderground.com/cgibin/findweather/getForecast?query=istanbul.  The weather for other cities in Turkey can also be found on that same site.