I loved living and working in Turkey. It is a fascinating country that merges both Western and Eastern cultures which makes life there both more challenging and interesting. I also enjoyed working in both Ankara and Istanbul which are very different from each other.
Ankara is the capital city of Turkey. Most of the jobs for Turks there are civil jobs. As such most people earn the same amount of money. Maybe because of this and because of the type of person who is drawn to working for the government, Ankara even by its own citizens is described as “boring, but easy to live in”. It has good public transportation that normally is not too over-crowded and the standard of living is good. It’s also often possible to live within walking distance to your job.
Most English teaching jobs in Ankara will be in Kizilay. Kizilay is considered the hub of Ankara. It’s where the main bus stop and the subway merge. It is also where quite a few of the government buildings are. Kizilay is also where more of the night life is, so if you like being close to clubs and restaurants it is the place for you. If you don’t want to be in the middle of everything then there are areas such as Dikmen, Kavaklidere, etc. Also, as you look for apartments further away from Kizilay you will find cheaper places to live.