1

Too much zigzagging. Get a map and optimise it a bit.

2

Hello,we've met before somewhere :) Welcome to the forum.I would agree the route needs tidying up a bit but also that this is probably just a wish list rather than a plan.How to save some days...
...even allowing for initial jet lag cut 1 or even 2 from Istanbul,
...depending on arrival time there drop 1 or even 2 from Gallipoli,
...unless you have a burning need to go there(like family live there)drop Eskişehir altogether,this is just a very ordinary if pleasant town with nothing of interest for visitors,
....you could drop Bursa too but if you want to go then 1 day is enough,
...drop Izmir altogether but add1 of those days on to Selçuk instead,
....like Eskişehir,unless you have a burning desire or reason to go there,drop Adana altogether,
.....drop 1 day from Konya unless you want to use a day to go to Çatal Höyük,
So that has cut out around 10 days.However,if possible I would allow 1 extra day around Fethiye as this is a good base for that area.I would also allow 1 extra day in Cappadocia too as this is a very large area with a great deal to see and do.But this would still keep you at c.44-45 days even allowing for travelling time.

3

Updated version

Day 1 – 9 Istanbul
Day 9 – 11 Bursa
Day 11 – 14 Canakkale
Day 14 – 15 Bergama
Day 15 – 17 Izmir
Day 17 – 20 Selcuk
Day 20 – 22 Bodrum
Day 22 – 24 Pamukkale
Day 24 – 27 Fethiye
Day 27 – 29 Antalya
Day 31 – 34 Goreme – Cappadocia
Day 34 – 36 Adana
Day 36 – 38 Gaziantep
Day 38 – 40 Sanliurfa
Day 40 – 42 Mardin
Day 42 – 45 Ankara
Day 45 – 48 Kars
Day 48 – 51 Trabzon
Day 51 – 52 Amasra
Day 52 – 54 Eskisehir

4

Hi cimbom, I would suggest you visit the cities like Kars, Mardin etc. earlier as it might get cold, snowy in December. Cities in the South and on the West coast would still be fine in December.

5

I like that you are giving yourselves some time in the itinerary as you will be doing a lot of traveling! In the following, I omitted Antalya and Fethiye from your original, and it includes two internal flights: IST - Kars and IST - Mardin to save a great deal of land travel time. You begin in the NE and work your way back to Istanbul via Ankara and Bursa. Then you fly to Mardin in the SE and work your way back to Istanbul again to end your adventure with nine days in the city. Were I to trim more, such would begin with one night from Gaziantep, both nights in Adana and one night from Çanakkale.

Begin with flight from Istanbul to Kars

Night 1 - 3 Kars

Night 4 Erzurum

Night 5 - 7 Trabzon

Night 8 - 10 Amasya

Night 11 - 13 Ankara

Night 14 - 15 Eskişehir

Night 16 - 17 Bursa

Day 18 FLY ISTANBUL - MARDIN

Night 19 - 21 Mardin

Night 22 - 24 Şanlıurfa

Night 25 - 26 Gaziantep

Night 27 - 28 Adana

Night 29 - 33 Cappadocia

Night 34 - 35 Konya

Night 36 - 37 Pamukkale

Night 38 - 40 Bodrum

Night 41 - 42 Ephesus

Night 43 Bergama

Night 44 - 45 Çanakkale

Night 46 - 53 Istanbul

6

Having just returned from 5 weeks in Turkey, you will appreciate something about any place you choose to visit. One nice thing is that the bus system is phenomenal. These are clean, neat, quiet, non-smoking Mercedes Benz buses that serve beverages and snacks and stop every 2 hours for about 30 minutes. It is best to purchase your ticket the day before so you don't feel pressured deciding between the hundreds of bus companies. Once you arrive at your destination city, ask for the 'service bus' to the part of town you wish to go. These are fast and efficient and FREE. Also note that any time you need to use a bathroom (unless it is in a restaurant) you will be asked to pay 1 TL so keep some change handy. Some places only have squat toilets and some have both but also keep some paper handy for unexpected facilities. We've traveled on buses all over the world and none rivals this experience. It took a lot of stress out of our trip.