I purchased a 3G Wi-Fi version of the Kindle in time for my holiday this summer. On the advice of Martin of MoneySavingExpert.com website, I got a re-conditioned one sold by Amazon. He said that at £111, it was worth buying,as many of these re-conditioned models are just returned stock, and Amazon give a 12 month warranty, the same as the new models.
As this was a considerable saving on the £152 full price for the 3G model, I went ahead and bought it. I had checked first that the "free" 3G service provided by Amazon was available in Turkey, and it turned it that it is. The Kindle arrived in top-top condition, fully boxed, and I could not tell that it was "re-conditioned".
Although the interface is indeed somewhat "clunky", I was able to check my emails (essential for us as we run a business back home), go on Facebook, etc. anywhere, anytime, and all for free! I could check Dalaman Airport that the flights were coming in on time etc. The screen is in black and white, and it is true you must turn off 3G/wi-fi as soon as possible after use as it eats up the battery power. The unit will default to wi-fi but use the 3G when wi-fi is not available. I didn't have to use the facility of downloading extra books from Amazon as I was too busy surfing!!
I would highly recommend the 3G model and lots of people are getting them after seeing my one in action this year, so get one soon if you want one for Christmas!!
