HI MY NAME IS  TOLGA ONER 

 IN DECEMBER OF 1973 I WAS BORN IN ISTANBUL.

AS A NATIVE OF ISTANBUL I WAS RAISED ON THE EUROPEAN SIDE AND NOW I’M LIVING ON THE ASIAN SIDE OF THE CITY.

I SPENT MY CHILDHOOD IN A NEIGHBORHOOD CALLED AS   “FATİH”

( MEANING “THE CONQUEROR” ).

 THE NEIGHBORHOOD GOT IT’S NAME FROM THE LEGENDARY OTTOMAN SULTAN WHO CONQUERED CONSTANTINOPLE CITY  FROM THE BYZANTIANS   IN 1453 AD.

 A NEIGBORHOOD FULL OF ANCIENT ;ROMAN , BYZANTIAN AND OTTOMAN RELICS .

SO IMAGINE , ALL  THESE PLACES  USED TO BE MY  MOST FAVORABLE  PLAYGROUNDS .

AND BEING RAISED  IN A NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE THIS, IT WAS INEVITABLE FOR ME TO BECOME A TOUR GUIDE .

I WAS SO LUCKY TO HAVE PARENTS LIKE MINE .

 MY DAD IS A LAWYER AND MOM IS A TEACHER , AND SINCE THEY DEVOTED THEMSELVES TO THEIR PROFFESSIONS , THEY ARE STILL ACTIVELY WORKING…

THEY GAVE ME THE CHANCE TO STUDY ENGLISH  AT A PRIVATE SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THE HIGHER QUALITY OF EDUCATION .

AND HERE I HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING TAUGHT BY NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKING TEACHERS. THEN I STUDIED BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION   IN  MARMARA UNIVERSITY

 ( THE ONLY UNIVERSITY IN THE WORLD WHICH HAS IT’S CAMPUS BUILDINGS BOTH ON EUROPEAN  AND ASIAN CONTINENTS ).

IN 1995 ; I TOOK THE EXAM OF TURKISH MINISTERY OF TOURISM AND BECAME QUALIFIED AND LICENCED AS A PROFESSIONAL TOUR GUIDE .

 (   DATE OF ISSUE : 08.05.1995 )

AND SINCE THEN I’VE BEEN WORKING ACTIVELY AS  A TOUR GUIDE .

I NEVER LIKED THE IDEA OF SPENDING THE  WHOLE DAY IN AN OFFICE , ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A FREE-SPIRITED AND INDEPENDANT MINDED PERSON LIKE ME .

I  ALWAYS ENJOYED HAVING GOOD RELATIONS  WITH PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT  ;COUNTRIES, RELIGIONS AND CULTURES…

I LOVE GUIDING BECAUSE IT IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT MY COUNTRY , MY PEOPLE AND MY RICH CULTURE.

 I AM HAPPY TO INTRODUCE TURKEY AND SHARE ALL OF OUR WONDERS.

IT IS ALSO A  VALUABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT CULTURES AND LIFESTYLES ,TOO.

SWIMMING AND BIKING ARE MY FAVORITE SPORTS. I ENJOY BOOKS ABOUT HISTORY .

I LIKE LISTENING TO ;  SYMPONIC ROCK  &  ARIA & ETHNIC MUSIC

  FISHING AND  WATCHING MYSTIC FILMS ARE ALSO SUBJECTS OF MY INTEREST.