The personnel of a travel agency are also introducing themselves when transferring the groups from arrival points of the country to the resort destination which may not be true unless they are issued official guiding license by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey.

Individuals who wear a label with a big word "GUIDE" may not be guides. Similar to the above paragraph, these people may be working with a travel agency and accompanying outgoing groups, are introducing themselves as guides. So be careful!

Foreign employees of foreign tour operators, probably not even having a work permit(!), who give information to the clients in the hotels or holiday resorts are not guides, either, but they are the representatives or escorts of their companies. Unfortunately, these people introduce themselves to the groups as if they are guides.

Who is a guide?:
As I stated above, a real guide is a person who went through necessary legal procedures to become a guide. That is; he/she...
1) ...must be a citizen of Turkey;
2) ...must be over the age of 18;
3) ...must be at least a graduate of a high-school;
4) ...has to have passed the examinations and interviews successfully that are given by the Ministry of Culture & Tourism of Turkey or must be a graduate of Guiding branch of a university;
5) ...has to have accomplished a 6-month-course, if not a graduate of Guiding Branch of a university, and completed a Grand Turkey tour for 30 days; and
6) ...must have passed the final exams at the end of the course and the tour.

After all these procedures, the individual is given a badge to guide which has to be worn visibly at all times when on sites and in the museums.

A guide is a person who introduces Turkey to the visitors best and correct possible way; is helpfull to the guests throughout the tour; and, provides full and extensive information and knowledge to the visitors.

The persons who guide within the borders of The Republic of Turkey are subject to Article 38 of Professional Tourist Guiding Regulation of Culture and Tourism Ministry: "Individuals who are not issued guiding license cannot perform guiding business. Those performing guiding business without a license will be subject to interrogation by the prosecutors in accordance with general legal implementations....."

Travel Agencies will have at least one Professional Tourist Guide during the tours they arrange. (Article 10 of Code No.: 1618, Law of Travel Agencies and Union of Travel Agencies)