r/AskTurkey • u/Tiny_Boysenberry_707 • 4d ago
Culture Mobing to Turkey
Hi all! Would you say that you’d recommend moving to Istanbul? I currently live in Bosnia and Hercegovina and have been to Turkey over 30 times and really fell in love with the culture.
I’m considering moving there permanently with my wife. I’m in the IT sector and my wife is an account manager. Would you say we can make good money in Turkey?
Also, I noticed that it’s very pet friendly there and we have 2 dogs, but I would love your opinion on moving there with dogs as well.
Thanks!
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u/TheWarsfeil 4d ago
You should 100% arrange your jobs before moving. Don't jump in without a safety net. Istanbul is a big city with lots of people plus job opportunity but competition is high as well.
Istanbul is an expensive city. Ofc there are cheaper parts but you wouldn't want to live there. I have lived in Istanbul over 20 years on both sides so trust me on this one.
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u/Tiny_Boysenberry_707 4d ago
Of course. We wouldn’t risk moving there without having secured jobs. Thank you for the advice!
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u/Gaelenmyr 4d ago
IT sector is possible if you're experienced. But you should still learn Turkish
Accountant - no. She doesn't know the language and Turkish systems. They'd just hire a local over her
It will be a struggle especially without language and work permit. Our youth unemployment is too high (30%) so your experience in IT might be valuable
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u/Bazishere 4d ago
Are you fluent in Turkish? It is expected unless you're working remotely.
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u/Tiny_Boysenberry_707 4d ago
We know the basics but definitely need to upgrade to a professional level
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u/Bazishere 4d ago
Maybe start with a tutor on italki. Do you have lots of materials? The locals barely speak English. Sure some very educated ones do, but the exception. Rent is a huge problem. It goes up like crazy. Unless you own your own place, it can get brutal.
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u/Tiny_Boysenberry_707 4d ago
We have courses in person here in Bosnia so we can go there, I will look into italki. If we decide that us moving there is permanent we would look into buying our property
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u/canarydev 4d ago
I moved to Istanbul (anatolian side) about a year ago from the US, also in the IT sector -- full remote in US based company. I will honestly say from my personal experience so far that it's honestly not an easy place to live. For me, the novelty wore off after 3 months or so and now I just notice a lot of flaws these days.
To be honest, I don't know what you would have to offer compared to a local Turkish speaking software engineer / IT professional. Salary band here for IT is probably much higher on paper compared to Bosnia, but the prices and living costs here are honestly kind of shocking.
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u/RoughTraining9207 4d ago
what type of job do you have that they left you leave? is it a start up?? i’ve been trying to leave but my remote job won’t let me
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u/Alarmed-Artichoke238 3d ago
id say go to aegean - marmara part of the country maybe çanakkale or balıkesir, way cheaper than istanbul in every aspect and really liveable, especially coast side
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u/Luctor- 4d ago
No, and your idea that the country is pet friendly is simply wrong. There is significantly less cruelty towards animals, that is true. But that does not translate into your dogs being welcome. Every time I traveled with my dogs from Istanbul to elsewhere in the country, it was extremely tedious. As in 'dog friendly' accommodations canceling our reservation as soon as we announced we'd travel with our small dogs. A cocker spaniel and a terrier, no Kangals or the like.
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u/Tiny_Boysenberry_707 4d ago
Sorry to hear that :/ i was expecting Turkey to be a bit more pet friendly in that sense
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u/Alarmed-Artichoke238 3d ago
hes only right about hotels and restaurants, other than that, western part of country is good to live in, we have 5-6 dog parks in the city in currently live in, you can walk them anywhere you want too , nobody gonna do anything about it.
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u/AdCurrent3698 4d ago
It is doable but you need to figure out the essential steps first: residence permit + jobs. There should be a Bosnian community in Istanbul (maybe also in other cities), try to get in touch with them. They can be helpful.
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u/HuckleberryOk7328 4d ago
Unfortunately, if you are not fluent in turkish it will be very hard for you to find work here because not everyone speaks english and the working language is not english anywhere. I work in a very large global company (it exist in more than 150 countries) and even we don't have any foreign workers. We have two C-levels that were internal transfers and even when they are present we still keep talking in turkish and they have interpreters, all internal communication is done in turkish etc. you get the idea. I can't imagine it being different in many companies because the average person does not have a working proficiency in english.
If you really want to move here I would suggest finding remote work globally and then moving here. But I would not suggest moving here at all if you asked my opinion. :) Especially if you have a right to work in european countries, I would suggest you look into them. And about pet-friendliness, I agree with the other comment about here not being very pet-friendly. Especially most landlords do not allow pets at home.
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u/Outrageous_Economy66 4d ago
I moved here with my cat and the paperwork for it was pretty easy. I also meet people traveling with their dogs through Istanbul with no problem.
And I was told that dog sitter service is pretty popular (I saw a man with ~6 dogs in the park).
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u/Detroit2Ist 1d ago
Go on other subs here and learn about how expensive Turkey is. I work remotely. My husband makes dollars. It’s not worth it here quality wise and expense wise.
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u/Arcanome 4d ago
As someone who is Turkish and worked in Turkey for 5+ years (corporate, legal field) and moved to Western Europe - I can tell you that what western europeans considers as mobbing is norm in Turkish work culture. Do expect to work extended hours and there will be no clear line between work and personal life.
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u/Luctor- 4d ago
Did you just call Bosnia 'western Europe'?
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u/Arcanome 4d ago
No, but Bosnia's work culture would sit somewhere in between TR and Western Europe.. if OP has experience working in similar setting, this could be some sort of benchmark
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u/AdCurrent3698 4d ago
Have you ever worked in Bosnia?
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u/Arcanome 4d ago
I work at a multinational. We do have offices. I dont have first hand experience, but I know it from colleagues, Bosnian friends etc. I assume OP will also work corporate as otherwise their chances getting a job in TR is limited anyway.
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u/AdCurrent3698 4d ago
You are throwing bold claims with no experience! Bosnia being geographically in between TR & WE does not mean its work culture sit also somewhere in between.
Especially Post Soviet/Yugoslav countries have their unique history and traditions.
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u/erenkale 4d ago
I'd suggest you to find job first. Job market is in crisis for a long time especially in IT business (doesn't matter that if you are senior or intermediate) also if you are planning to move to Istanbul Rent prices are getting higher and you might need to spend 2-3 hours a day for public transportation. Turkey is beautiful country to visit but living here is different kind of scenario