Gülhane Park, located in the heart of the fortified city historically known as Constantinople, is one of Istanbul’s largest green spaces. Visit the park and you will certainly hear the high-pitched chirping of the park’s small, colourful birds. These are rose-ringed parakeets, whose natural range is in Asia and Africa. So how did they come to live in this park in Turkey? There are numerous theories: one claims the birds escaped from a smuggler’s truck after a minor traffic accident. It is said these birds are very talkative, so you might just try asking them how they really got there. Gülhane Park
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