The number of foreign residents in Antalya has reached 13,225, with Germans making up the biggest portion of this group. Some 2,745 Germans live in Antalya and its towns according to police office resources. The most popular district is within Antalya is Alanya. “I bought a house in Oba [in Alanya] six years ago and I am very satisfied with my life here,” said 59-year-old German Günter Wojeiechowski. “Alanya is a beautiful place; the sun is out more than 300 days a year. There is both the sea and the mountains, and I swim and sunbathe here freely. We have friendly chats with people and visit our Turkish neighbors. I adore the Turkish culture,” said Wojeiechowski, adding that life in Alanya is very different to life in Antalya.

Wojeiechowski’s neighbor Dörte Schumacher, who settled in Alanya seven years ago, said what he likes most about Alanya is the Turkish culture and the friendliness of its people. “I admire Turkish culture. The Turkish come and ask, ‘How do you do?’ Germans do not have such good manners. We feel pretty good here. Life is easygoing and comfortable. There is not much stress,” continued Schumacher. He further noted that he spends his days swimming, wandering around and relaxing. The neighbors both feel so connected to the area that they want to be buried there.

Fifty-four-year-old German Mathias Goldstein, who settled in Alanya in 2003 originally planning just to rest, later decided to go into business. Goldstein said that he has been performing jobs like making garage doors and installing heating and cooling systems in Alanya for the past three years. Like may locals, he too has profited from increased foreign interest in real estate in the area and the resultant development. Goldstein, who emphasized that they are pretty content living in Alanya as a family, said that he has improved his Turkish in a short time. “I want to spend the remainder of my life in Alanya and to be buried here,” he noted, adding that the warm relationships he has with people in Alanya are a key aspect of his love for the city. He noted that his children spend their holidays in Alanya.

His wife Ines Goldstein also said she was in love with Alanya. Ines, who works with her husband in their business, said that they have formed many friendships in Alanya and that she knows and greets most of the people she sees on the street. Ines said that the warmth of the Turkish people was the most significant factor in attracting them to the city. “Most of the foreigners do not need to learn Turkish since most of the Turkish people here know either English or German, but it shouldn’t be like this. It is necessary to learn the language,” said Ines. She also noted that both she and her husband have learned Turkish out of respect for the Turkish people and their culture. Ines stressed that they came here not to earn money but to live.

‘I’m here for the sake of my friends’

Alanya is home to people from nations other than just Germany. Norwegian Knut Alfei, an estate agent in Kaleiçi, said that he first visited Turkey’s beaches in 1996 and later decided to settle down in Alanya. “Originally I settled in Turkey because of the hot weather. Then I made friends here. They tied me to the place. Now I am here not for the weather but for my friends. I have been married to a Turkish woman for four-and-a-half years, and I want to spend the rest of my life here,” said Alfei, declaring that he adores Turkish people.

‘It is difficult to get a work permit’

Forty-year-old Nie Chang Qing from China, who now runs a restaurant in Antalya, said that he first came to Ankara to work with several friends in 2000. His friends eventually returned to China, and he decided to stay and live in Antalya. “Getting a work permit was really difficult,” he complained, adding: “I have been living here for seven years, nonetheless I have had problems getting a work permit every single year.” Speaking about Turkish people, he said: “People constantly want to talk to me. Turkish people are so easy to hit it off with.” Although he noted that from a Chinese perspective the Turkish are viewed as overly friendly. The main downside to living as a foreigner in Turkey was high prices they are sometimes charged -- the “tourist tariff” -- adding that the cost of living is higher in Turkey than in China.

‘Tourists do not appreciate the value of Antalya’

Monique Beyer, from Holland, who also lives in Antalya, said that her daughters’ father is a Turk and they decided to raise their children here. Beyer, who indicated that she has been living in Antalya for one-and-a-half years, commented that the Turkish people are very hospitable and treat foreigners well. “There are those who come from the villages and those that live in urban areas… The ones that live in cities are more modern and broadminded,” said Beyer.

Beyer noted that Antalya has a very hot climate, adding: “You can find anything here. Antalya is quite a nice place. I think that tourists do not value Antalya enough. There are many historical places in Antalya, however most tourists just stay at the hotels and don’t venture beyond the beaches. That’s a real shame. The citizens of Antalya don’t care for the city either. They don’t pay attention to the environment, they throw rubbish on the streets. They do not know the true value of the city.”

‘The Turks here are different                                               

German couple Manfred and Manuela Sanz prefer Antalya’s Kemer district for their vacations and have holidayed in Kemer for the last three years. “Many Turks live in Berlin and the city is often called ‘little Istanbul’. However when we came here we liked Turkey and the Turkish people more. People here are far different than those in Germany. They treat us better. People always want to engage us in conversation. We have really gotten comfortable with the Turks here and we would like to continue coming here,” said Manuela, who originally was not keen on spending her vacation in Turkey.

Manfred also argued that the Turks in Germany are “a little more conservative” compared to the Turks in Turkey. “Sometimes misunderstandings occur among different religions. However we really grew used to the Turks. People are so ready to lend a hand. Once we did not have money with us on the bus and they helped us out. I guess it is necessary to alter Turkey’s image abroad. They should push hard to promote their true image,” he urged.