Hi Maggi,
be prepared for a runaround. First you go to the passport police in marmaris. they give you paperwork and you go to the tax office building where you hand over 800 ytl. you then go to the post office to get a registered post prepaid envelop and then back to the port police where they take everthing and you passport.
8 weeks later you residency will arrive. You will not be allowed to work in Turkey, for that your employer, on your behalf, has to apply and I think it costs 500 ytl ( not sure) and you can only work for them. If you leave that employer and work for another then you start the whole process over again. There are people in marmaris that will do all this for you, for a fee.
As a footnote the bloody system changes all the time and you can get conflicting advice. Confused........ cos I am

Thanks I had heard that there is a lot of messing to do.
Is this for a one year visa or for longer? I was told that for my first visa I can only have it for one year?
If the company I work for aren't getting me a work permit then I may be able to go without a residency visa as I will need to visit rhodes twice in summer then coming back to england for xmas for a month.
there is also a possibility then my partner will be starting his national service at last so I don't know if I will be there for over a year yet and it seems alot to pay if I might not need it but I'm to scared in case I get asked by the police at any point!!
Just thinking about all the paper work gives me a headache!!!

Ah Maggi,
the devil and the deep blue sea!! There are several people who do what you are thinking and as the process is so slow tend to get away with it. Obviously if you get caught you could risk deportation. The price I gave was for 2 year residency. Try asking you employers to start the paperwork and if you get caught tell the police that you are being processed and they usually leave you alone. By the way I havent said that!!!!!