Is Turkey a kid friendly country?

Turkey is one of the most kid friendly countries I’ve visited. I have been travelling to Turkey more or less every year since I was 10 years old, but it wasn’t until I visited Turkey with my 1 year old daughter, I realizied just how kid friendly Turkey is!
Here are the reasons for why I think Turkey is the perfect country to visit with children:

• Turkey does not have siesta
  The worst thing about travelling to countries like Spain and Italy with children is siesta. We have often experienced that many restaurants are closed around our usual mealtimes or they only serve drinks and it isn’t very ideal when travelling with hungry children.
  Supermarkets are often closed around siesta as well so it requires a bit more planning when it comes to food.
  You however don’t have to worry about siesta in Turkey! I think it’s so nice that there’s always an opportunity to get some food when the kids are starting to feel hungry or if you are trying to stick to the same shedule as home.

• There is a play area in (almost) every restaurant
  It’s very easy to find a restaurant with a playground for the kids which is so nice when you have small children who can’t sit still for a long amount of time.

• The Turks love children
  We are yet to meet a Turks who havn’t greeted us with a smile, havn’t said hello to our children or who has looked askance at us if our children are crying or aren’t able to sit still. They are really good at talking to them, they might also offer an extra snack or show the kids a trick or two while waiting for the food.

• There are a lot of kid friendly activities to do in Turkey
  Whether you have young or older children there is an activity for everyone.
  Wheter you want to go up in the mountains and bathe in the cold water, visit a water park, go on a boat tour, go diving, see historical sights, go shopping, enjoy a day at the beach, go rafting, zipling or paragliding there is something for every taste.

• A lot of the turkish cities are „made‟ for the turists
  We have been travelling a lot in the Alanya area and it is very characterized by tourists. In my adulthood I have missed some of the turkish culture and cousine but as a child it has been nice with the wide selection of international dishes, menu cards in different languages and the turkish being able to speak english and other scandinavian languages. And now that I’m travelling with children I appreciate it again.
  Over the last few years they have snug more and more turkish cousine onto the menus and I love it!

• It’s a cheap country to visit
  Besides the many activities for children to do in Turkey, it’s also a cheap travel destination.
  If you are from europe it’s a relatively short flight and you are often able to find good deals on tickets. Dining out are fairly cheap and shopping in Turkey is also cheap.

DISCLAIMER: My experiences are based on the Alanya and Antalya areas. I can’t gurantee e.g. Istanbul is just as kid friendly