(Note: professional guides provide their services for a fee. Although they welcome inquiries about scheduling and availability of their services, they expect to be paid when they provide tourism information. You may be asked to arrange payment before questions are answered. Also, if you reserve a guide’s time in advance, you may be asked to arrange credit card payment at the time of reservation, just as for a hotel room, rental car, or flight. Please note that guides are not travel agents, and are not licensed to make reservations or other travel agency services.—Tom Brosnahan)
Hello! I’m Hakan Kocatürk…
I was born in Tarsus, the city of St Paul, and graduated from Tarsus Amerikan Koleji (Tarsus American High School). I loved mathematics, and was pretty good at it, so at the university I majored in electrical engineering, thinking this would be a way to get a good job.
Early on, I realized that my real loves are archeology, travel, nature, conservation, and helping people. I pursued my dream, finishing the professional training course to be a licensed tour guide.
Since 1992 I’ve been guiding groups, families, couples and individuals around Turkey. I particularly enjoy showing them archeological and religious sites(Muslim, Christian and Jewish), on tours of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor, and following in the footsteps of St Paul (my fellow citizen of Tarsus!)
Whether guiding or not, I’m concerned with ecology, our environment, and preservation of Turkey’s natural heritage.
I like to think of myself as an open-minded person who loves meeting and helping people.