Deleted:Turkey

Template:Two other uses

Republic of Turkey Türkiye Cumhuriyeti
Flag of Turkey Flag
Anthem: <span style="line-height:1.25em;">İstiklâl Marşı<small><br />Independence March</small></span><br><center>File:Istiklal Marsi-TSK.ogg</center>
Location of Turkey Location of Turkey
Capital		Ankara Template:Coord/input/ERROR{{#coordinates:41|1|N|28|57|E-->|type:city|| | |name= }}
Largest city		Istanbul <!--Currently only one set of coordinates implemented:
Official languages		Turkish
Ethnic groups		70–76% Turks,<ref name=CIA-Appendix/><ref name="Milliyet"/><br><ref>Turkey Demographics Profile 2011</ref> 16–18% Kurds+Zazas,<ref name=CIA-Appendix/><ref name="Milliyet"/><br> 8–12% others<ref name=CIA-Appendix/><ref name="Milliyet"/>
Demonym		Turkish
Government		Parliamentary republic
•	Founder	Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
•	President	Abdullah Gül
•	Prime Minister	Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
•	Speaker of the Parliament	Cemil Çiçek
•	President of the Constitutional Court	Haşim Kılıç
Legislature		Grand National Assembly
Succession to the Ottoman Empire
•	Treaty of Lausanne	July 24, 1923
•	Declaration of Republic	October 29, 1923
Area
•	Total	783,562 <!--http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/DYB2,003/Table03.pdf UN statistics, page 7 (PDF format) --> km2 (37th) 302,535 <!--Do not remove per WP:MOSNUM--> sq mi
•	Water (%)	1.3
Population
•	2010 estimate	73,722,988 <ref name=2010stat/> (18th)
•	2000 census	67,803,927 <ref name=2000trcensus/>
•	Density	94.1/km2 (108th) 239.8/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2010 estimate
•	Total	$1.116 trillion<ref name=WB-GDP-PPP/><ref>The World Bank: GDP, PPP (current international $)</ref> (15th)
•	Per capita	$15,340<ref>The World Bank: GDP per capita, PPP (current international $)</ref>
GDP (nominal)		2010 estimate
•	Total	$735.264 billion<ref name=WB-GDP/><ref>The World Bank: GDP (current US$)</ref> (17th)
•	Per capita	$10,106<ref>The World Bank: GDP per capita (current US$)</ref>
Gini (2008)		40<ref name = "wb-gini">"Gini Index". World Bank. http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI/. Retrieved 2 March 2011. </ref>
HDI (2011)		0.699<ref> "Human Development Report 2011" (PDF). http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2011_EN_Table1.pdf. Retrieved 2011-11-02. </ref>  · 92nd
Currency		Turkish lira<ref>The Turkish lira (Türk Lirası, TL) replaced the Turkish new lira on January 1, 2009.</ref> (TRY)
Time zone		EET (UTC+2)
•	Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Date format		dd/mm/yyyy (AD)
Drives on the		right
Calling code		90
Internet TLD		.tr

Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey <span style="white-space:nowrap;"> (About this sound Türkiye Cumhuriyeti )</span>, is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia (mostly in the Anatolian peninsula) and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhchivan) and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. The Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles (which together form the Turkish Straits) demarcate the boundary between East Thrace and Anatolia; they also separate Europe and Asia.<ref name="NatlGeoAtlas"> National Geographic Atlas of the World (7th ed.). Washington, D.C.: National Geographic. 1999. ISBN 0-7922-7528-4.  "Europe" (pp. 68–69); "Asia" (pp. 90–91): "A commonly accepted division between Asia and Europe ... is formed by the Ural Mountains, Ural River, Caspian Sea, Caucasus Mountains, and the Black Sea with its outlets, the Bosporus and Dardanelles."</ref>

Turkey is one of the six independent Turkic states. The vast majority of the population are Muslims.<ref name="KONDA Research and Consultancy">KONDA Research and Consultancy (2011-06-25). "Religion, Secularism and the Veil in daily life" (PDF). Milliyet. Archived from the original on 2009-03-25. http://web.archive.org/web/20090325005232/http://www.konda.com.tr/html/dosyalar/ghdl&t_en.pdf. </ref> The country's official language is Turkish, whereas Kurdish and Zazaki languages are spoken by Kurds and Zazas, who constitute 18% of the population.<ref name=ciaturkey>"CIA World Factbook gives 18% Kurds". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu.html#People. Retrieved 2011-05-16. </ref>

Oghuz Turks began migrating into the area now called Turkey (derived from the Medieval Latin Turchia, i.e. "Land of the Turks") in the 11th century. The process was greatly accelerated by the Seljuk victory over the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert.<ref>"Turkey – Turkish Origins". Countrystudies.us. http://countrystudies.us/turkey/5.htm. Retrieved 2011-05-16. </ref> Several small beyliks and the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm ruled Anatolia until the Mongol invasion. Starting from the 13th century, the Ottoman beylik united Anatolia and created an empire encompassing much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. After the Ottoman Empire collapsed following its defeat in World War&nbsp;I, parts of it were occupied by the victorious Allies. A cadre of young military officers, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his colleagues, organized a successful resistance to the Allies; in 1923, they would establish the modern Republic of Turkey with Atatürk as its first president.

Turkey is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic with an ancient cultural heritage. Turkey has become increasingly integrated with the West through membership in organizations such as the Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE and the G-20 major economies. Turkey began full membership negotiations with the European Union in 2005, having been an associate member of the European Economic Community since 1963 and having reached a customs union agreement in 1995. Turkey has also fostered close cultural, political, economic and industrial relations with the Middle East, the Turkic states of Central Asia and the African countries through membership in organizations such as the Turkic Council, Joint Administration of Turkic Arts and Culture, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Economic Cooperation Organization.

Turkey's location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia makes it a country of significant geostrategic importance.<ref name="Atatürk">Mango, Andrew (2000). Atatürk. Overlook. ISBN 1-5856-7011-1. Template:Page needed</ref><ref name="Ottoman_Turkey">Shaw, Stanford Jay; Shaw, Ezel Kural (1977). History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey; Vol.1, Empire of the Gazis. the rise and decline of the Ottoman Empire, 1280–1808. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-5212-9163-1. </ref><ref name="Stratfor">"Turkey and Russia on the Rise". Stratfor. 2009-03-17. http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20090317_turkey_and_russia_rise. Retrieved 2011-08-21. </ref> Given its strategic location, large economy and military strength, Turkey is a major regional power.<ref name="Stratfor"/><ref name="Heptagon">"Can Turkey Be a Source of Stability in the Middle East?". heptagonpost.com. 2010-12-18. http://www.heptagonpost.com/Dessi/can_turkey_be_a_source_of_stability_in_the_middle_east. Retrieved 2011-05-16. </ref>

Etymology

Main article: Name of Turkey

The name of Turkey, Türkiye in the Turkish language, can be divided into two components: the ethnonym Türk and the abstract suffix –iye meaning "owner", "land of" or "related to" (derived from the Arabic suffix –iyya, which is similar to the Greek and Latin suffixes –ia). The first recorded use of the term "Türk" or "Türük" as an autonym is contained in the Orkhon inscriptions of the Göktürks (Celestial Turks) of Central Asia (c. 8th century CE). The English word "Turkey" is derived from the Medieval Latin Turchia (c. 1369).<ref name="TurkEtymology">Harper, Douglas (2001). "Turk". Online Etymology Dictionary. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Turk. Retrieved 2011-05-24. </ref> The Greek cognate of this name, Tourkia (Template:Lang-el) was originally used by the Byzantines to describe medieval Hungary<ref group=dn>On the right side of the Corona Græca in the Holy Crown of Hungary, there is a picture of the Hungarian King Géza I (1074–1077), with the Byzantine Greek inscription: "ΓΕΩΒΙΤZΑC ΠΙΣΤΟC ΚΡΑΛΗC ΤΟΥΡΚΙΑC" (Geōvitzas pistós králēs Tourkías, meaning "Géza I, faithful kralj of the land of the Turks"). The contemporary Byzantine name for the Hungarians was "Turks".</ref><ref>Jenkins, Romilly James Heald (1967). De Administrando Imperio by Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. Corpus fontium historiae Byzantinae (New, revised ed.). Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies. ISBN 0884020215.  According to Constantine Porphyrogenitus, writing in his De Administrando Imperio (ca. 950 AD) "Patzinakia, the Pecheneg realm, stretches west as far as the Siret River (or even the Eastern Carpathian Mountains), and is four days distant from Tourkias (i.e. Hungary)."</ref>Template:Page needed<ref>Istvan Baan: "Byzanz und Ostmitteleuropa, 950–1453". Page 46.</ref> (since pre-Magyar Hungary was occupied by proto-Turkic and Turkic tribes, such as the Huns, Avars, Bulgars, Kabars, Pechenegs and Cumans.) Similarly, the medieval Khazar Empire, a Turkic state on the northern shores of the Black and Caspian seas, was referred to as Tourkia (Land of the Turks) in Byzantine sources. However, the Byzantines later began using this name to define the Seljuk-controlled parts of Anatolia in the centuries that followed the Battle of Manzikert in 1071.

History

Main article: History of Turkey

Antiquity

Main articles: History of Anatolia and Thrace#History

The Anatolian peninsula, comprising most of modern Turkey, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited regions in the world. The earliest Neolithic settlements such as Çatalhöyük (Pottery Neolithic), Çayönü (Pre-Pottery Neolithic A to Pottery Neolithic), Nevalı Çori (Pre-Pottery Neolithic B), Hacılar (Pottery Neolithic), Göbekli Tepe (Pre-Pottery Neolithic A) and Mersin (Yumuktepe) are considered to be among the earliest human settlements in the world.<ref name="AnatoliaNeolithic">Thissen, Laurens (2001-11-23) (PDF). Time trajectories for the Neolithic of Central Anatolia. CANeW – Central Anatolian Neolithic e-Workshop. Archived from the original on June 5, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070605005726/http://www.canew.org/files/Thissen%20lecture.pdf. Retrieved 2006-12-21. </ref>

File:Troy1.jpg

Portion of the legendary walls of Troy (VII), identified as the site of the Trojan War (ca. 1200 BCE.)

The settlement of Troy started in the Neolithic and continued into the Iron Age. Through recorded history, Anatolians have spoken Indo-European, Semitic and Kartvelian languages, as well as many languages of uncertain affiliation. In fact, given the antiquity of the Indo-European Hittite and Luwian languages, some scholars have proposed Anatolia as the hypothetical center from which the Indo-European languages radiated.<ref name="AnatoliaIndoEuropean">Balter, Michael (2004-02-27). "Search for the Indo-Europeans: Were Kurgan horsemen or Anatolian farmers responsible for creating and spreading the world's most far-flung language family?". Science 303 (5662): 1323. doi:10.1126/science.303.5662.1323. PMID 14988549. </ref> The Hattians were an ancient people who inhabited the Central Anatolia, noted at least as early as ca. 2300. Indo-European Hittites came to Anatolia and gradually absorbed Hattians ca. 2000–1700 BC. The first major empire in the area was founded by the Hittites, from the eighteenth through the 13th century BC. The Assyrians colonized parts of southeastern Turkey as far back as 1950 BC until the year 612 BC, when the Assyrian Empire was conquered by the Chaldean dynasty in Babylon.<ref>"Ziyaret Tepe – Turkey Archaeological Dig Site". uakron.edu. http://www3.uakron.edu/ziyaret/timeline_3period.html. Retrieved 2010-09-04. </ref><ref>"Assyrian Identity In Ancient Times And Today'" (PDF). http://www.aina.org/articles/assyrianidentity.pdf. Retrieved 2010-09-04. </ref> Following the Hittite collapse, the Phrygians, an Indo-European people, achieved ascendancy until their kingdom was destroyed by the Cimmerians in the 7th century BC.<ref name="TroyHittiteEmpirePhrygians">The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (October 2000). "Anatolia and the Caucasus, 2000–1000 B.C. in Timeline of Art History.". New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/03/waa/ht03waa.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-21. </ref> The most powerful of Phrygia's successor states were Lydia, Caria and Lycia. The Lydians and Lycians spoke languages that were fundamentally Indo-European, but both languages had acquired non-Indo-European elements prior to the Hittite and Hellenistic periods.

File:Celsus-Bibliothek2.jpg

The Celsus Library in Ephesus, dating from 135 AD.

Starting around 1200 BC, the coast of Anatolia was heavily settled by Aeolian and Ionian Greeks. Numerous important cities were founded by these colonists, such as Miletus, Ephesus, Smyrna (modern İzmir), and Byzantium (later Constantinople and Istanbul). The first state established in Anatolia that was called Armenia by neighboring peoples (Hecataeus of Miletus and Behistun Inscription) was the state of the Armenian Orontid dynasty. Anatolia was conquered by the Persian Achaemenid Empire during the 6th and 5th centuries BC and later fell to Alexander the Great in 334 BC.<ref name="PersiansInAsiaMinor">Hooker, Richard (1999-06-06). "Ancient Greece: The Persian Wars". Washington State University, Washington, United States. Archived from the original on 2010-11-20. http://www.webcitation.org/5uNLYWJA2. Retrieved 2006-12-22. </ref> Anatolia was subsequently divided into a number of small Hellenistic kingdoms (including Bithynia, Cappadocia, Pergamum, and Pontus), all of which had succumbed to the Roman Republic by the mid-1st century BC.<ref name="AlexanderToRome">The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (October 2000). "Anatolia and the Caucasus (Asia Minor), 1000 B.C. – 1 A.D. in Timeline of Art History.". New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/04/waa/ht04waa.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-21. </ref>

In 324, the Roman emperor Constantine I chose Byzantium to be the new capital of the Roman Empire, renaming it New Rome (later Constantinople and Istanbul). After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it became the capital of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire).<ref>Daniel C. Waugh (2004). "Constantinople/Istanbul". University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/cities/turkey/istanbul/istanbul.html. Retrieved 2006-12-26. </ref>

Turks and the Ottoman Empire

Main articles: Turkic migration, Great Seljuq Empire, and Ottoman Empire

File:Ottoman empire.svg

Ottoman territories acquired between 1481 and 1683.

The House of Seljuk was a branch of the Kınık Oğuz Turks who resided on the periphery of the Muslim world, north of the Caspian and Aral Seas in the Yabghu Khaganate of the Oğuz confederacy<ref>Wink, Andre (1990). Al Hind: The Making of the Indo Islamic World, Vol. 1, Early Medieval India and the Expansion of Islam, 7th–11th Centuries. Brill Academic Publishers. ISBN 90-04-09249-8. </ref>Template:Page needed in the 10th century. In the 11th century, the Seljuks started migrating from their ancestral homelands towards the eastern regions of Anatolia, which eventually became the new homeland of Oghuz Turkic tribes following the Battle of Manzikert in 1071.^{[citation needed]}

The victory of the Seljuks gave rise to the Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate; which developed as a separate branch of the larger Seljuk Empire that covered parts of Central Asia, Iran, Anatolia and Southwest Asia.<ref>Mango, Cyril (2002). The Oxford History of Byzantium. Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 0-19-814098-3. </ref>Template:Page needed

In 1243, the Seljuk armies were defeated by the Mongols, causing the Seljuk empire's power to slowly disintegrate. In its wake, one of the Turkish principalities governed by Osman I would, over the next 200 years, evolve into the Ottoman Empire, expanding throughout Anatolia, the Balkans and the Levant.<ref name="Ottomans">Kinross, Patrick (1977). The Ottoman Centuries: The Rise and Fall of the Turkish Empire. Morrow. ISBN 0-6880-3093-9. </ref>Template:Page needed In 1453, the Ottomans completed their conquest of the Byzantine Empire by capturing its capital, Constantinople.

File:Edirne 7333 Nevit.JPG

The Selimiye Mosque in Edirne is one of the most famous architectural legacies of the Ottoman Empire.

The Ottoman Empire's power and prestige peaked in the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. The empire was often at odds with the Holy Roman Empire in its steady advance towards Central Europe through the Balkans and the southern part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.<ref name="Ottoman_Turkey">Jay Shaw, Stanford; Kural Shaw, Ezel (1977). History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-5212-9163-1. </ref>Template:Page needed At sea, the empire contended with the Holy Leagues, composed of Habsburg Spain, the Republic of Venice and the Knights of St. John, for control of the Mediterranean. In the Indian Ocean, the Ottoman navy frequently confronted Portuguese fleets in order to defend its traditional monopoly over the maritime trade routes between East Asia and Western Europe; these routes faced new competition with the Portuguese discovery of the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. In addition, the Ottomans were occasionally at war with Persia over territorial disputes or caused by religious differences between 16th and 18th centuries.<ref>Kirk, George E. (2008). A Short History of the Middle East. Brill Academic Publishers. p. 58. ISBN 1443725684. </ref>

During nearly two centuries of decline, the Ottoman Empire gradually shrank in size, military power, and wealth. It entered World War I on the side of the Central Powers and was ultimately defeated. During the war, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were deported and exterminated in the Armenian Genocide.<ref>"FACT SHEET: ARMENIAN GENOCIDE". University of Michigan. http://www.umd.umich.edu/dept/armenian/facts/genocide.html. Retrieved 2010-07-15. </ref><ref>Totten, Samuel, Paul Robert Bartrop, Steven L. Jacobs (eds.) Dictionary of Genocide. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008, p. 19. ISBN 0-313-34642-9.</ref> The Turkish government denies that there was an Armenian genocide and claims that Armenians were only relocated from the eastern war zone.<ref>Patrick J. Roelle, Islam's Mandate- A Tribute to Jihad, AuthorHouse, 2010, ISBN 9781452080185, p. 33.</ref> Large scale massacres were also committed against the empire's other minority groups such as the Greeks and Assyrians.<ref>Bloxham, D. The great game of genocide: imperialism, nationalism, and the destruction of the Ottoman Armenians. Oxford University Press, 2005, p. 150</ref><ref name=Levene>Levene, Mark (1998). Creating a Modern "Zone of Genocide": The Impact of Nation- and State-Formation on Eastern Anatolia, 1878–1923, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Volume 12, Number 3 Winter 1998, pp.&nbsp;393–433. (abstract).</ref><ref name="Ferguson">Ferguson, Niall (2006). The War of the World: Twentieth-century Conflict And the Descent of the West, Penguin Press, p. 180</ref> Following the Armistice of Mudros on October 30, 1918, the victorious Allied Powers sought to partition the Ottoman state through the 1920 Treaty of Sèvres.<ref name="Ottomans" />

Republic era

Main articles: History of the Republic of Turkey and Atatürk's Reforms

File:MustafaKemalAtaturk.jpg

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey.

The occupation of Constantinople and Smyrna by the Allies in the aftermath of World War I prompted the establishment of the Turkish national movement.<ref name="Ottoman_Turkey" /> Under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pasha, a military commander who had distinguished himself during the Battle of Gallipoli, the Turkish War of Independence was waged with the aim of revoking the terms of the Treaty of Sèvres.<ref name="Atatürk"/>

By September 18, 1922, the occupying armies were expelled, and the new Turkish state was established. On November 1, the newly founded parliament formally abolished the Sultanate, thus ending 623 years of Ottoman rule. The Treaty of Lausanne of July 24, 1923, led to the international recognition of the sovereignty of the newly formed "Republic of Turkey" as the successor state of the Ottoman Empire, and the republic was officially proclaimed on October 29, 1923, in the new capital of Ankara.<ref name="Ottoman_Turkey" />

Mustafa Kemal became the republic's first President and subsequently introduced many radical reforms with the aim of founding a new secular republic from the remnants of its Ottoman past.<ref name="Ottoman_Turkey" /> With the Surname Law of 1934, the Turkish Parliament bestowed upon Mustafa Kemal the honorific surname "Atatürk" (Father of the Turks.)<ref name="Atatürk" />

File:Roosevelt Inonu Churchill.jpg

Roosevelt, İnönü and Churchill at the Second Cairo Conference which was held between December 4–6, 1943.

Turkey remained neutral during most of World War II but entered on the side of the Allies on February 23, 1945, as a ceremonial gesture and in 1945 became a charter member of the United Nations.<ref name="Turkey_UN">"Growth in United Nations membership (1945–2005)". United Nations. 2006-07-03. http://www.un.org/Overview/growth.htm. Retrieved 2006-10-30. </ref> Difficulties faced by Greece after the war in quelling a communist rebellion, along with demands by the Soviet Union for military bases in the Turkish Straits, prompted the United States to declare the Truman Doctrine in 1947. The doctrine enunciated American intentions to guarantee the security of Turkey and Greece, and resulted in large-scale U.S. military and economic support.<ref name="Truman Doctrine">Huston, James A. (1988). Outposts and Allies: U.S. Army Logistics in the Cold War, 1945–1953. Susquehanna University Press. ISBN 0-9416-6484-8. http://books.google.com/?id=ID4E3Lm8TsgC&pg=PA198&lpg=PA198&dq=turkey+cold+war. </ref>Template:Page needed

After participating with the United Nations forces in the Korean War, Turkey joined NATO in 1952, becoming a bulwark against Soviet expansion into the Mediterranean. Following a decade of Cypriot intercommunal violence and the Greek military coup of 15 July 1974, overthrowing President Makarios and installing Nikos Sampson as dictator, Turkey invaded the island Republic of Cyprus on 20 July.<ref name="Uslu2003">Uslu, Nasuh (2003). The Cyprus question as an issue of Turkish foreign policy and Turkish-American relations, 1959–2003. Nova Publishers. p. 119. ISBN 9781590338476. http://books.google.com/books?id=RYHWMKL2-CQC&pg=PA119. Retrieved 16 August 2011. </ref> Nine years later the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus which is only recognised by Turkey was established.<ref>"Timeline: Cyprus". BBC. 2006-12-12. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1021835.stm. Retrieved 2006-12-25. </ref>

The single-party period ended in 1945. It was followed by a tumultuous transition to multiparty democracy over the next few decades, which was interrupted by military coups d'état in 1960, 1971, 1980 and 1997.<ref name="TRPoliticsandMilitary">Hale, William Mathew (1994). Turkish Politics and the Military. Routledge, UK. ISBN 0-4150-2455-2. </ref>Template:Page needed In 1984, the PKK began an insurgency against the Turkish government; the conflict, which has claimed over 40,000 lives, continues today.<ref>"Turkey's PKK peace plan delayed". BBC. 2009-11-10. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8352934.stm. Retrieved 2010-02-06. </ref> Since the liberalization of the Turkish economy during the 1980s, the country has enjoyed stronger economic growth and greater political stability.<ref name="80sLiberalization" />

Politics

Main articles: Politics of Turkey, Constitution of Turkey, and Elections in Turkey

File:TBMM interior.jpg

The Grand Chamber of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara.

Turkey is a parliamentary representative democracy. Since its foundation as a republic in 1923, Turkey has developed a strong tradition of secularism.<ref name="TR_Secularism">Çarkoğlu, Ali (2004). Religion and Politics in Turkey. Routledge, UK. ISBN 0-4153-4831-5. http://books.google.com/?id=t5G_zw9exMQC&pg=PP1&lpg=PP1&dq=Religion+in+Turkey. </ref> Turkey's constitution governs the legal framework of the country. It sets out the main principles of government and establishes Turkey as a unitary centralized state.

The President of the Republic is the head of state and has a largely ceremonial role. The president is elected for a five-year term by direct elections. Abdullah Gül was elected as president on August 28, 2007, by a popular parliament round of votes, succeeding Ahmet Necdet Sezer.<ref>"Turks elect ex-Islamist president". BBC. 2007-11-02. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6966216.stm. Retrieved 2007-08-28. </ref>

Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers which make up the government, while the legislative power is vested in the unicameral parliament, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature, and the Constitutional Court is charged with ruling on the conformity of laws and decrees with the constitution. The Council of State is the tribunal of last resort for administrative cases, and the High Court of Appeals for all others.<ref name="TR_Constit">Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information (2001-10-17). "Turkish Constitution". Turkish Prime Minister's Office. Archived from the original on 2007-02-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20070203170110/http://www.byegm.gov.tr/mevzuat/anayasa/anayasa-ing.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-16. </ref>

The prime minister is elected by the parliament through a vote of confidence in the government and is most often the head of the party having the most seats in parliament. The current prime minister is the former mayor of İstanbul, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose conservative Justice and Development Party won an absolute majority of parliamentary seats in the 2002 general elections, organized in the aftermath of the economic crisis of 2001, with 34% of the suffrage.<ref>"Turkey's old guard routed in elections". BBC. 2002-11-04. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2392717.stm. Retrieved 2006-12-14. </ref>

File:Cropped rte.JPG

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been elected three times as Prime Minister: In 2002 (with 34% of the popular vote), in 2007 (with 47%) and in 2011 (with 49%).

In the 2007 general elections, the AKP received 46.6% of the votes and could defend its majority in parliament.<ref>"Turkey re-elects governing party". BBC. 2007-07-22. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6910444.stm. Retrieved 2007-11-02. </ref> Although the ministers do not have to be members of the parliament, ministers with parliament membership are common in Turkish politics. In 2007, a series of events regarding state secularism and the role of the judiciary in the legislature has occurred. These included the controversial presidential election of Abdullah Gül, who in the past had been involved with Islamist parties;<ref>"Turks elect ex-Islamist president". BBC News. 2007-08-28. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6966216.stm. Retrieved 2011-08-09. </ref> and the government's proposal to lift the headscarf ban in universities, which was annulled by the Constitutional Court, leading to a fine and a near ban of the ruling party.<ref>"Court annuls Turkish scarf reform". BBC News. 2008-06-05. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7438348.stm. Retrieved 2011-08-09. </ref>

Universal suffrage for both sexes has been applied throughout Turkey since 1933, and every Turkish citizen who has turned 18 years of age has the right to vote. As of 2004, there were 50 registered political parties in the country.<ref name="BYEGM_TrPolSys">Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information (2004-08-24). "Political Structure of Turkey". Turkish Prime Minister's Office. Archived from the original on 2007-02-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20070203025134/http://www.byegm.gov.tr/REFERENCES/Structure.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-14. </ref> The Constitutional Court can strip the public financing of political parties that it deems anti-secular or separatist, or ban their existence altogether.<ref>"Euro court backs Turkey Islamist ban". BBC. 2001-07-31. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1466160.stm. Retrieved 2006-12-14. </ref><ref>"Turkey's Kurd party ban criticised". BBC. 2003-03-14. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2850601.stm. Retrieved 2006-12-14. </ref>

There are 550 members of parliament who are elected for a four-year term by a party-list proportional representation system from 85 electoral districts which represent the 81 administrative provinces of Turkey (İstanbul is divided into three electoral districts, whereas Ankara and İzmir are divided into two each because of their large populations). To avoid a hung parliament and its excessive political fragmentation, only parties winning at least 10% of the votes cast in a national parliamentary election gain the right to representation in the parliament.<ref name="BYEGM_TrPolSys" /> Because of this threshold, in the 2007 elections only three parties formally entered the parliament (compared to two in 2002).<ref>Hardy, Roger (2002-11-04). "Turkey leaps into the unknown". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2399665.stm. Retrieved 2006-12-14. </ref><ref>Rainsford, Sarah (2007-11-02). "Turkey awaits AKP's next step". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6912052.stm. Retrieved 2007-07-23. </ref>

Human rights in Turkey have been the subject of much controversy and international condemnation. Between 1998 and 2008 the European Court of Human Rights made more than 1,600 judgements against Turkey for human rights violations, particularly the right to life and freedom from torture. Other issues such as Kurdish rights, women's rights and press freedom have also attracted controversy. Turkey's human rights record continues to be a significant obstacle to future membership of the EU.<ref>"Human rights in Turkey: still a long way to go to meet accession criteria", European Parliament Human Rights committee, October 26, 2010.</ref> The Turkish Journalists Association says that 58 of the country's journalists have been imprisoned. A former U.S. State Department spokesman, Philip J. Crowley, said that the United States had "broad concerns about trends involving intimidation of journalists in Turkey."<ref>"Greenslade + Turkey". Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade+world/turkey. Retrieved 2011-05-16. </ref>

Foreign relations

Main articles: Foreign relations of Turkey and Accession of Turkey to the European Union

File:EU Turkey flag.png

Turkey began full membership negotiations with the European Union in 2005, having been an associate member of the EEC since 1963.

File:2009 G-20 Pittsburgh summit.jpg

Turkey is a founding member of the OECD and the G-20 major economies.

Turkey is a founding member of the United Nations (1945), the OECD (1961), the OIC (1969), the OSCE (1973), the ECO (1985), the BSEC (1992) and the G-20 major economies (1999). On October 17, 2008, Turkey was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.<ref name="Hürriyet UN Security">"Hürriyet: Türkiye'nin üyeliği kabul edildi (2008-10-17)". Hurarsiv.hurriyet.com.tr. 2008-10-17. http://hurarsiv.hurriyet.com.tr/goster/haber.aspx?id=10149253&tarih=2008-10-17. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref> Turkey's membership of the council effectively began on January 1, 2009.<ref name="Hürriyet UN Security"/> Turkey had previously been a member of the U.N. Security Council in 1951–1952, 1954–1955 and 1961.<ref name="Hürriyet UN Security"/>

In line with its traditional Western orientation, relations with Europe have always been a central part of Turkish foreign policy. Turkey became a founding member of the Council of Europe in 1949, applied for associate membership of the EEC (predecessor of the European Union) in 1959 and became an associate member in 1963. After decades of political negotiations, Turkey applied for full membership of the EEC in 1987, became an associate member of the Western European Union in 1992, reached a Customs Union agreement with the EU in 1995 and has been in formal accession negotiations with the EU since 2005.<ref name="TR_EUChrono">"Chronology of Turkey-EU relations". Turkish Secretariat of European Union Affairs. Archived from the original on 2007-05-15. http://web.archive.org/web/20070515022203/http://www.abgs.gov.tr/en/tur-eu_relations_dosyalar/chronology.htm. Retrieved 2006-10-30. </ref>

Since 1974, Turkey has not recognized the (essentially Greek Cypriot) Republic of Cyprus as the sole authority on the island, but instead supports the Turkish Cypriot community in the form of the de facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus which is recognized only by Turkey.<ref>Mardell, Mark (2006-12-11). "Turkey's EU membership bid stalls". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6170749.stm. Retrieved 2006-12-17. </ref>

The other defining aspect of Turkey's foreign relations has been its ties with the United States. Based on the common threat posed by the Soviet Union, Turkey joined NATO in 1952, ensuring close bilateral relations with Washington throughout the Cold War. In the post–Cold War environment, Turkey's geostrategic importance shifted towards its proximity to the Middle East, the Caucasus and the Balkans. In return, Turkey has benefited from the United States' political, economic and diplomatic support, including in key issues such as the country's bid to join the European Union.

The independence of the Turkic states of the Soviet Union in 1991, with which Turkey shares a common cultural and linguistic heritage, allowed Turkey to extend its economic and political relations deep into Central Asia,<ref>Bal, Idris (2004). Turkish Foreign Policy In Post Cold War Era. Universal Publishers. ISBN 1-5811-2423-6. http://books.google.com/?id=vDzjkrTDKjYC&pg=PP1&lpg=PP1&dq=turkey+cold+war. </ref> thus enabling the completion of a multi-billion-dollar oil and natural gas pipeline from Baku in Azerbaijan to the port of Ceyhan in Turkey. The Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline forms part of Turkey's foreign policy strategy to become an energy conduit to the West. However, Turkey's border with Armenia, a state in the Caucasus, remains closed following its occupation of Azerbaijani territory during the Nagorno-Karabakh War.<ref>"U.S. Department of State: Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Armenia: Respect for Human Rights. Section 1, a". State.gov. 2007-03-06. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/78799.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref>

Military

Main article: Turkish Armed Forces

File:NATO-2002-Summit.jpg

Turkey joined NATO in 1952.

The Turkish Armed Forces consists of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. The Gendarmerie and the Coast Guard operate as parts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in peacetime, although they are subordinated to the Army and Navy Commands respectively in wartime, during which they have both internal law enforcement and military functions.<ref name="TSK_Organisation">Turkish General Staff (2006). "Turkish Armed Forces Defense Organization". Turkish Armed Forces. http://www.tsk.mil.tr/eng/genel_konular/savunmaorganizasyonu.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-15. </ref>

The Turkish Armed Forces is the second largest standing armed force in NATO, after the U.S. Armed Forces, with a combined strength of just over a million uniformed personnel serving in its five branches.<ref name="Economist">Economist Intelligence Unit:Turkey, p.23 (2005)</ref> Turkey is considered to be the strongest military power of the Middle East region besides Israel.<ref name="Heptagon"/>

Every fit male Turkish citizen otherwise not barred is required to serve in the military for a period ranging from three weeks to fifteen months, dependent on education and job location.<ref>United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Directorate for Movements of Persons, Migration and Consular Affairs – Asylum and Migration Division (July 2001). "Turkey/Military service" (PDF). UNHCR. Archived from the original on 2006-11-22. http://classic-web.archive.org/web/20061122042609/http://www.unhcr.org/home/RSDCOI/3c1622484.pdf. Retrieved 2006-12-27. </ref> Turkey does not recognise conscientious objection and does not offer a civilian alternative to military service.<ref>"EBCO – European Bureau for Conscientious Objection". Ebco-beoc.eu. http://www.ebco-beoc.eu/. Retrieved 2010-09-04. </ref>

File:Boeing 737 AEW&C MESA Peace Eagle.jpg

Boeing 737 AEW&C MESA Peace Eagle of the Turkish Air Force.

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Turkey is one of nine partner states of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) development and production program.

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Four MEKO 200 TN type frigates of the Turkish Navy in formation.

Turkey is one of five NATO member states which are part of the nuclear sharing policy of the alliance, together with Belgium, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.<ref>"Der Spiegel: '&#39;Foreign Minister Wants US Nukes out of Germany'&#39; (2009-04-10)". Spiegel.de. 2009-03-30. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,618550,00.html. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref> A total of 90 B61 nuclear bombs are hosted at the Incirlik Air Base, 40 of which are allocated for use by the Turkish Air Force.<ref>Hans M. Kristensen. "NRDC: U.S. Nuclear Weapons in Europe" (PDF). Natural Resources Defense Council, 2005. http://www.nrdc.org/nuclear/euro/euro_pt1.pdf. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref>

In 1998, Turkey announced a program of modernization worth US$160 billion over a twenty year period in various projects including tanks, fighter jets, helicopters, submarines, warships and assault rifles.<ref>Economist Intelligence Unit:Turkey, p.22 (2005)</ref> Turkey is a Level 3 contributor to the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program.<ref>US Department of Defense (2002-07-11). "DoD, Turkey sign Joint Strike Fighter Agreement". US Department of Defense. http://www.defenselink.mil/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=3417. Retrieved 2006-12-27. </ref>

Turkey has maintained forces in international missions under the United Nations and NATO since 1950, including peacekeeping missions in Somalia and former Yugoslavia, and support to coalition forces in the First Gulf War. Turkey maintains 36,000 troops in northern Cyprus; their presence is supported and approved by the de facto local government, but the Republic of Cyprus and the international community regard it as an illegal occupation force, and its presence has also been denounced in several United Nations Security Council resolutions.<ref>O.P. Richmond. Mediating in Cyprus: the Cypriot communities and the United Nations. Psychology Press, 1998. p. 260 [1]</ref> Turkey has had troops deployed in Afghanistan as part of the U.S. stabilization force and the UN-authorized, NATO-commanded International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) since 2001.<ref name="Economist"/><ref>Turkish General Staff (2006). "Brief History of ISAF". Turkish Armed Forces. http://www.tsk.tr/eng/uluslararasi/isaf_int/tarihce.htm. Retrieved 2011-07-06. </ref> In 2006, the Turkish parliament deployed a peacekeeping force of Navy patrol vessels and around 700 ground troops as part of an expanded United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the wake of the Israeli-Lebanon conflict.<ref>"Turkish troops arrive in Lebanon". BBC. 2006-10-20. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6069126.stm. Retrieved 2006-12-14. </ref>

The Chief of the General Staff is appointed by the president and is responsible to the prime minister. The Council of Ministers is responsible to parliament for matters of national security and the adequate preparation of the armed forces to defend the country. However, the authority to declare war and to deploy the Turkish Armed Forces to foreign countries or to allow foreign armed forces to be stationed in Turkey rests solely with the parliament.<ref name="TSK_Organisation" /> The actual commander of the armed forces is the Chief of the General Staff General Necdet Özel since August 4, 2011.<ref>"General Necdet Özel". NATO. 2011-08-29. </ref>

Administrative divisions

Main articles: List of regions of Turkey, Provinces of Turkey, Districts of Turkey, and List of cities in Turkey

The capital city of Turkey is Ankara. The territory of Turkey is subdivided into 81 provinces for administrative purposes. The provinces are organized into 7 regions for census purposes; however, they do not represent an administrative structure. Each province is divided into districts, for a total of 923 districts.

Provinces usually bear the same name as their provincial capitals, also called the central district; exceptions to this custom are the provinces of Hatay (capital: Antakya), Kocaeli (capital: İzmit) and Sakarya (capital: Adapazarı). Provinces with the largest populations are Istanbul (13 million), Ankara (5 million), İzmir (4 million), Bursa (3 million) and Adana (2 million).

The biggest city and the pre-Republican capital Istanbul is the financial, economic and cultural heart of the country.<ref name="USLC_TRGeo" /> An estimated 75.5% of Turkey's population live in urban centers.<ref>Turkish Statistical Institute (2010). "2009 Census, population living in cities". Turkish Statistical Institute. http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=6178. Retrieved 2010-01-25. </ref> In all, 19 provinces have populations that exceed 1 million inhabitants, and 20 provinces have populations between 1 million and 500,000 inhabitants. Only two provinces have populations less than 100,000.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Turkey

File:Bosphorus Bridge Night.jpg

Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, connecting Europe (left) and Asia (right.)

Turkey is a transcontinental<ref name="Immerfall2009">Immerfall, Stefan (2009-08-01). Handbook of European Societies: Social Transformations in the 21st Century. Springer. pp. 417–. ISBN 9780387881980. http://books.google.com/books?id=880rr6t5POQC&pg=PA417. Retrieved 9 August 2011. </ref> Eurasian country. Asian Turkey (made up largely of Anatolia), which includes 97% of the country, is separated from European Turkey by the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles (which together form a water link between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean). European Turkey (eastern Thrace or Rumelia in the Balkan peninsula) comprises 3% of the country.<ref>"Turkey". Turkish Odyssey. 2000-02-02. http://www.turkishodyssey.com/turkey/turkey.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref>

The territory of Turkey is more than 1,600 kilometres (1,000&nbsp;mi) long and 800&nbsp;km (500&nbsp;mi) wide, with a roughly rectangular shape.<ref name="USLC_TRGeo">US Library of Congress. "Geography of Turkey". US Library of Congress. http://countrystudies.us/turkey/18.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-13. </ref> It lies between latitudes 35° and 43° N, and longitudes 25° and 45° E. Turkey's area, including lakes, occupies 783,562<ref>"UN Demographic Yearbook, accessed April 16, 2007" (PDF). http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/DYB2004/Table03.pdf. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref> square kilometres (300,948 sq mi), of which 755,688 square kilometres (291,773 sq mi) are in Southwest Asia and 23,764 square kilometres (9,174 sq mi) in Europe.<ref name="USLC_TRGeo" /> Turkey is the world's 37th-largest country in terms of area. The country is encircled by seas on three sides: the Aegean Sea to the west, the Black Sea to the north and the Mediterranean to the south. Turkey also contains the Sea of Marmara in the northwest.<ref name="TRGeo_TRMinistryTourism" />

File:Oludeniz03.jpg

Ölüdeniz Beach near Fethiye on the Turkish Riviera.

The European section of Turkey, East Thrace, forms the borders of Turkey with Greece and Bulgaria. The Asian part of the country, Anatolia, consists of a high central plateau with narrow coastal plains, between the Köroğlu and Pontic mountain ranges to the north and the Taurus Mountains to the south. Eastern Turkey has a more mountainous landscape and is home to the sources of rivers such as the Euphrates, Tigris and Aras, and contains Lake Van and Mount Ararat, Turkey's highest point at 5,165 metres (16,946&nbsp;ft).<ref name="TRGeo_TRMinistryTourism" /><ref>NASA – Earth Observatory (2001). "Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağı), Turkey". NASA. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=4996. Retrieved 2006-12-27. </ref> Lake Tuz, Turkey's third-largest lake, is a macroscopically visible feature in the middle of the country.

Turkey is divided into seven census regions: Marmara, Aegean, Black Sea, Central Anatolia, Eastern Anatolia, Southeastern Anatolia and the Mediterranean. The uneven north Anatolian terrain running along the Black Sea resembles a long, narrow belt. This region comprises approximately one-sixth of Turkey's total land area. As a general trend, the inland Anatolian plateau becomes increasingly rugged as it progresses eastward.<ref name="TRGeo_TRMinistryTourism">Turkish Ministry of Tourism (2005). "Geography of Turkey". Turkish Ministry of Tourism. http://www.turizm.net/turkey/info/geography.html. Retrieved 2006-12-13. </ref>

File:NEO ararat big.jpg

Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağı) is the highest peak in Turkey at 5,165 m (16,946 ft.)

Turkey's varied landscapes are the product of complex earth movements that have shaped the region over thousands of years and still manifest themselves in fairly frequent earthquakes and occasional volcanic eruptions. The Bosporus and the Dardanelles owe their existence to the fault lines running through Turkey that led to the creation of the Black Sea. There is an earthquake fault line across the north of the country from west to east, which caused a major earthquake in 1999.<ref>"Brief Seismic History of Turkey". University of South California, Department of Civil Engineering. http://www.usc.edu/dept/civil_eng/structural_lab/eq-rp/seismicity.html. Retrieved 2006-12-26. </ref>

Climate

Main articles: Climate of Turkey and Environmental issues in Turkey

The coastal areas of Turkey bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea have a temperate Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild to cool, wet winters. The coastal areas of Turkey bordering the Black Sea have a temperate Oceanic climate with warm, wet summers and cool to cold, wet winters. The Turkish Black Sea coast receives the greatest amount of precipitation and is the only region of Turkey that receives high precipitation throughout the year. The eastern part of that coast averages 2,500 millimeters annually which is the highest precipitation in the country.

The coastal areas of Turkey bordering the Sea of Marmara (including Istanbul), which connects the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea, have a transitional climate between a temperate Mediterranean climate and a temperate Oceanic climate with warm to hot, moderately dry summers and cool to cold, wet winters. Snow does occur on the coastal areas of the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea almost every winter, but it usually lies no more than a few days. Snow on the other hand is rare in the coastal areas of the Aegean Sea and very rare in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea.

Conditions can be much harsher in the more arid interior. Mountains close to the coast prevent Mediterranean influences from extending inland, giving the central Anatolian plateau of the interior of Turkey a continental climate with sharply contrasting seasons.

Winters on the plateau are especially severe. Temperatures of −30 °C to −40 °C (−22 °F to −40 °F) can occur in eastern Anatolia, and snow may lie on the ground at least 120 days of the year. In the west, winter temperatures average below 1 °C (34 °F). Summers are hot and dry, with temperatures generally above 30 °C (86 °F) in the day. Annual precipitation averages about 400 millimetres (15 in), with actual amounts determined by elevation. The driest regions are the Konya plain and the Malatya plain, where annual rainfall frequently is less than 300 millimetres (12&nbsp;in). May is generally the wettest month, whereas July and August are the driest.<ref>Turkish State Meteorological Service (2006). "Climate of Turkey". Turkish State Meteorological Service. Archived from the original on 2007-01-10. http://web.archive.org/web/20070110140758/http://www.meteor.gov.tr/2006/english/eng-climateofturkey.aspx. Retrieved 2006-12-27. </ref>

Economy

Main articles: Economy of Turkey and Economic history of Turkey

File:Maslak financial district Istanbul.jpg

Maslak financial district in Istanbul.

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Turkish port cities and coastal towns like Istanbul, Izmir and Kuşadası are among the popular destinations of cruise ship holiday tours in the Mediterranean Sea.

Turkey has the world's 15th largest GDP-PPP<ref name=WB-GDP-PPP>The World Bank: World Development Indicators Database. Gross Domestic Product 2010, PPP. Last revised on 1 July 2011.</ref> and 17th largest Nominal GDP.<ref name=WB-GDP>The World Bank: World Development Indicators Database. Gross Domestic Product 2010. Last revised on 1 July 2011.</ref> The country is a founding member of the OECD and the G-20 major economies. During the first six decades of the republic, between 1923 and 1983, Turkey has mostly adhered to a quasi-statist approach with strict government planning of the budget and government-imposed limitations over private sector participation, foreign trade, flow of foreign currency, and foreign direct investment. However in 1983 Prime Minister Turgut Özal initiated a series of reforms designed to shift the economy from a statist, insulated system to a more private-sector, market-based model.<ref name="80sLiberalization">Nas, Tevfik F. (1992). Economics and Politics of Turkish Liberalization. Lehigh University Press. ISBN 0-9342-2319-X. </ref>

The reforms spurred rapid growth, but this growth was punctuated by sharp recessions and financial crises in 1994, 1999 (following the earthquake of that year),<ref>"Turkish quake hits shaky economy". BBC. 1999-08-17. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/422653.stm. Retrieved 2006-12-12. </ref> and 2001,<ref>"'Worst over' for Turkey". BBC. 2002-02-04. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1800869.stm. Retrieved 2006-12-12. </ref> resulting in an average of 4% GDP growth per annum between 1981 and 2003.<ref>World Bank (2005). "Turkey Labor Market Study" (PDF). World Bank. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTTURKEY/Resources/361616-1144320150009/Labor_C2.pdf. Retrieved 2006-12-10. </ref> Lack of additional fiscal reforms, combined with large and growing public sector deficits and widespread corruption, resulted in high inflation, a weak banking sector and increased macroeconomic volatility.<ref> OECD Reviews of Regulatory Reform – Turkey: crucial support for economic recovery : 2002. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. 2002. ISBN 92-64-19808-3. http://books.google.com/?id=ufYU_fR7mLgC&pg=PP1&lpg=PP1&dq=Turkey. </ref> Since the economic crisis of 2001 and the reforms initiated by the finance minister of the time, Kemal Derviş, inflation has fallen to single-digit numbers, investor confidence and foreign investment have soared, and unemployment has fallen. The International Monetary Fund forecasts a 6% inflation rate for Turkey in 2008.<ref>IMF: World Economic Outlook Database, April 2008. Inflation, end of period consumer prices. Data for 2006, 2007 and 2008.</ref>

File:TCDD CAF 1.jpg

TCDD high speed train.

Turkey has gradually opened up its markets through economic reforms by reducing government controls on foreign trade and investment and the privatisation of publicly owned industries, and the liberalisation of many sectors to private and foreign participation has continued amid political debate.<ref name="TR_Eco">Jorn Madslien (2006-11-02). "Robust economy raises Turkey's hopes". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6103008.stm. Retrieved 2006-12-12. </ref> The public debt to GDP ratio, while well below its levels during the recession of 2001, reached 46% in 2010 Q3. The GDP growth rate from 2002 to 2007 averaged 7%,<ref>Dilenschneider Group and Pangaeia Group, "Turkey 360: Did You Know", Foreign Affairs, January/February 2008</ref> which made Turkey one of the fastest growing economies in the world during that period. However, growth slowed to 1% in 2008, and in 2009 the Turkish economy was affected by the global financial crisis, with a recession of 5%. The economy was estimated to have returned to 8% growth in 2010.<ref name="world-factbook-tr"/>

In the early years of this century the chronically high inflation was brought under control and this led to the launch of a new currency, the Turkish new lira, on January 1, 2005, to cement the acquisition of the economic reforms and erase the vestiges of an unstable economy.<ref>"Turkey knocks six zeros off lira". BBC. 2004-12-31. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4137469.stm. Retrieved 2008-07-20. </ref> On January 1, 2009, the new Turkish lira was renamed once again as the Turkish lira, with the introduction of new banknotes and coins. As a result of continuing economic reforms, inflation dropped to 8% in 2005, and the unemployment rate to 10%.<ref name="WorldBank_TRStat">World Bank (2005). "Data and Statistics for Turkey". World Bank. http://www.worldbank.org.tr/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/TURKEYEXTN/0,,menuPK:361738~pagePK:141132~piPK:141109~theSitePK:361712,00.html. Retrieved 2006-12-10. </ref>

File:Turkish Airlines B777-300ER TC-JJB at LHR.jpg

One of the fastest growing airline companies in the world, Turkish Airlines was chosen as the official carrier by Europe's leading football clubs like FC Barcelona<ref>"Turkish Airlines signs sponsorship deal with Barcelona" (Press release). Turkish Airlines. 2010-01-18. http://www.turkishairlines.com/en-INT/press-releases/4396/turkish-airlines-signs-sponsorship-deal-with-barcelona-%E2%80%A6.aspx. Retrieved 2010-01-20. </ref> and Manchester United.<ref>"Turkish Airlines becomes sponsor of Manchester United" (Press release). Turkish Airlines. 2010-01-24. http://www.turkishairlines.com/en-INT/press-releases/4414/turkish-airlines-becomes-sponsor-of-manchester-united%E2%80%A6.aspx. Retrieved 2010-01-25. </ref> The company is also the primary sponsor of Euroleague Basketball.<ref>"An important strategic partnership agreement between Turkish Airlines and Euroleague Basketball" (Press release). Turkish Airlines. 2010-07-26. http://www.turkishairlines.com/en-INT/press-releases/5183/an-important-strategic-partnership-agreement-between-turkish-airlines-and-euroleague-basketball.aspx. Retrieved 2010-07-29. </ref>

Tourism in Turkey has experienced rapid growth in the last twenty years, and constitutes an important part of the economy. In 2008 there were 31 million visitors to the country, who contributed $22 billion to Turkey's revenues.<ref>"Tourism Statistics in 2008". TURKSTAT. 2009-01-29. http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=3993. Retrieved 2009-01-29. </ref> Other key sectors of the Turkish economy are banking, construction, home appliances, electronics, textiles, oil refining, petrochemical products, food, mining, iron and steel, machine industry and automotive. Turkey has a large and growing automotive industry, which produced 1,147,110 motor vehicles in 2008, ranking as the 6th largest producer in Europe (behind the United Kingdom and above Italy) and the 15th largest producer in the world.<ref>"Türkiye otomotiv sektöründe büyüyor". Ulaşım Online. 2009-06-29. http://www.ulasimonline.com/news_detail.php?id=8052&uniq_id=1246562801. Retrieved 2009-07-06. </ref><ref>"2008 PRODUCTION STATISTICS". OICA. http://oica.net/category/production-statistics/. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref> Turkey is also one of the leading shipbuilding nations; in 2007 the country ranked 4th in the world (behind China, South Korea and Japan) in terms of the number of ordered ships, and also 4th in the world (behind Italy, USA and Canada) in terms of the number of ordered mega yachts.<ref>"Turkish Shipbuilding Industry". Catania Investments. http://cataniainvestments.com/files/turkey/TURKISH_SHIP_BUILDING_INDUSTURY.pps. Retrieved 2011-05-16. </ref>

File:Esenboga terminal.jpg

Esenboğa International Airport in Ankara.

Turkey's economy is becoming more dependent on industry in major cities, mostly concentrated in the western provinces of the country, and less on agriculture. However, traditional agriculture is still a major pillar of the Turkish economy. In 2010, the agricultural sector accounted for 9% of GDP, while the industrial sector accounted for 26% and the services sector 65%.<ref name="world-factbook-tr"/> However, agriculture still accounted for 27% of employment.<ref>"Turkey – Agriculture and Enlargement" (PDF). http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/enlargement/countries/turkey/profile_en.pdf. Retrieved 2010-09-04. </ref> In 2004, it was estimated that 46% of total disposable income was received by the top of 20% income earners, while the lowest 20% received 6%.<ref>Turkish Statistical Institute (2006-02-27). "The result of Income Distribution". Turkish Statistical Institute. Archived from the original on 2006-10-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20061014214703/http://www.die.gov.tr/ENGLISH/SONIST/GELIR/k_270206.xls. Retrieved 2006-12-11. </ref> According to Eurostat data, Turkish PPS GDP per capita stood at 45 per cent of the EU average in 2008.<ref>"GDP per capita in PPS". Eurostat. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/2-25062009-BP/EN/2-25062009-BP-EN.PDF. Retrieved 2009-06-25. </ref>

File:BEKO stand at the international fair.jpg

Turkish brands like BEKO and Vestel are among the largest producers of consumer electronics and home appliances in Europe.

Turkey has taken advantage of the European Union – Turkey Customs Union, signed in 1995, to increase its industrial production destined for exports, while at the same time benefiting from EU-origin foreign investment into the country. Turkey now has also opportunity of a free trade agreement with the European Union (EU) – without full membership – that allows it to manufacture for tarif-free sale throughout the EU market.<ref>Morning, Money (2010-07-14). "The CIVETS: Windfall Wealth From the ′New′ BRIC Economies". Europeanbusiness.gr. http://www.europeanbusiness.gr/page.asp?pid=829. Retrieved 2011-05-16. </ref><ref>Bartolomiej Kaminski; Francis Ng (2006-05-01). "Turkey's evolving trade integration into Pan-European markets" (PDF). World Bank. http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2006/05/03/000016406_20060503112446/Rendered/PDF/wps3908.pdf. Retrieved 2006-12-27. </ref>

By 2009 exports were $110 bn and in 2010 it was $117 bn (main export partners in 2009: Germany 10%, France 6%, UK 6%, Italy 6%, Iraq 5%). However larger imports, which amounted to $166 billion in 2010, threatened the balance of trade (main import partners in 2009: Russia 14%, Germany 10%, China 9%, US 6%, Italy 5%, France 5%).<ref name="world-factbook-tr"/>

After years of low levels of foreign direct investment (FDI), Turkey succeeded in attracting $22 billion in FDI in 2007 and is expected to attract a higher figure in following years.<ref>"Yabancı sermayede rekor". Hürriyet. 2008. http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/ekonomi/8280578.asp?gid=196&sz=40655. Retrieved 2008-02-21. </ref> A series of large privatizations, the stability fostered by the start of Turkey's EU accession negotiations, strong and stable growth, and structural changes in the banking, retail, and telecommunications sectors have all contributed to a rise in foreign investment.<ref name="TR_Eco" />

Demographics

Main articles: Demographics of Turkey and Turkish people

Template:Bar percentTemplate:Bar percentTemplate:Bar percent

Ethnic groups in Turkey (2008)<ref name="Milliyet"/>
Ethnic groups			Percent

File:Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul on 3 June 2007.jpg

The historic İstiklal Avenue in Istanbul's cosmopolitan Beyoğlu district.

The last official census was in 2000 and recorded a total country population of 67,803,927 inhabitants.<ref name=2000trcensus>"2000 census". Citypopulation.de. http://www.citypopulation.de/Turkey-C20.html. </ref> According to the Address-Based Birth Recording System of Turkey, the country's population was 73.7 million people in 2010,<ref name=2010stat>"Turkish Statistical Institute". Turkstat.gov.tr. http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=8428. Retrieved 2011-05-16. </ref> nearly three-quarters of whom lived in towns and cities. According to the 2009 estimate, the population is increasing by 1.5% each year. Turkey has an average population density of 92 people per km². People within the 15–64 age group constitute 67% of the total population; the 0–14 age group corresponds to 26%; while senior citizens aged 65 years or older make up 7%.<ref>Turkish Statistical Institute (2010). "Population statistics in 2009". Turkish Statistical Institute. http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=6178. Retrieved 2010-01-28. </ref> In 1927, when the first official census was recorded in the Republic of Turkey, the population was 13.6 million.<ref>"Turkey". Library of Congress Country Studies.</ref>

Life expectancy stands at 71.1 years for men and 75.3 years for women, with an overall average of 73.2 years for the populace as a whole.<ref>Turkish Statistical Institute (2004-10-18). "Population and Development Indicators – Population and Demography". Turkish Statistical Institute. http://nkg.die.gov.tr/en/goster.asp?aile=1. Retrieved 2010-01-28. </ref> Education is compulsory and free from ages 6 to 15. The literacy rate is 96% for men and 80.4% for women, with an overall average of 88.1%.<ref>Turkish Statistical Institute (2004-10-18). "Population and Development Indicators – Population and Education". Turkish Statistical Institute. http://nkg.die.gov.tr/en/goster.asp?aile=3. Retrieved 2010-01-28. </ref> The low figures for women are mainly due to the traditional customs of the Arabs and Kurds who live in the southeastern provinces of the country.<ref>Jonny Dymond (2004-10-18). "Turkish girls in literacy battle". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3753582.stm. Retrieved 2006-12-11. </ref>

Article 66 of the Turkish Constitution defines a "Turk" as "anyone who is bound to the Turkish state through the bond of citizenship"; therefore, the legal use of the term "Turkish" as a citizen of Turkey is different from the ethnic definition. However, the majority of the Turkish population are of Turkish ethnicity. They are estimated at 70–75% by the CIA<ref name=CIA-Appendix>"CIA – The World Factbook". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/appendix/appendix-b.html. Retrieved 2011-05-16. </ref> and at 76.0% by a survey of Milliyet in 2007.<ref name="Milliyet">"55 milyon kişi 'etnik olarak' Türk / Güncel / Milliyet Gazete" (in Turkish). Milliyet.com.tr. http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2007/03/22/guncel/agun.html. Retrieved 2011-08-09. </ref>

The Kurds, a distinct ethnic group concentrated mainly in the southeastern provinces of the country, are the largest non-Turkic ethnicity, estimated at about 18% of the population according to the CIA<ref name=CIA-Appendix/> and at 15.7% according to a survey by the Milliyet daily newspaper.<ref name="Milliyet"/> Minorities other than the three officially recognized ones do not have any special group privileges, while the term "minority" itself remains a sensitive issue in Turkey. Reliable data on the ethnic mix of the population is not available, because Turkish census figures do not include statistics on ethnicity.<ref name="Turkey_Ethnic_groups">Extra, Guus; Gorter, Durk (2001). The other languages of Europe: Demographic, Sociolinguistic and Educational Perspectives. Multilingual Matters. ISBN 1-8535-9509-8. http://books.google.com/?id=hvmy_skUPNYC&pg=RA1-PA422&lpg=RA1-PA422&dq=%22ethnic+groups+in+turkey%22. </ref>

The three officially recognized major minorities ethnic groups (per the Treaty of Lausanne), i.e. are: Armenians, Greeks and Jews. Signed on January 30, 1923, a bilateral accord of population exchange between Greece and Turkey took effect in the 1920s, with close to 1.5 million Greeks moving from Turkey and some 500,000 Turks coming from Greece.<ref>"The Diaspora Welcomes the Pope". Spiegel.de. http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,451140,00.html. Retrieved 2011-08-09. </ref> Other ethnic groups include Abkhazians, Albanians, Arabs, Assyrians, Bosniaks, Circassians, Georgians, Hamshenis, Laz, Pomaks (Bulgarians), Roma.

Minorities of West European origin include the Levantines (or Levanter, mostly of French, Genoese and Venetian descent) who have been present in the country (particularly in Istanbul<ref>"NTV-MSNBC: "Giovanni Scognamillo ile sinema üzerine"". Arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com. http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/news/458504.asp. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref> and İzmir<ref>"Sabah daily newspaper: "Onlar İzmirli Hristiyan Türkler"". Arsiv.sabah.com.tr. http://arsiv.sabah.com.tr/2005/10/04/cp/gnc118-20051002-102.html. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref>) since the medieval period.

Urbanization

An estimated 71% of the population live in urban centers.<ref>Turkish Statistical Institute (2008). "Population statistics in 2007,population living in cities". Turkish Statistical Institute. http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=3894. Retrieved 2008-01-21. </ref> In all, 18 provinces have populations that exceed 1 million inhabitants, and 21 provinces have populations between 1 million and 500,000 inhabitants. Only two provinces have populations less than 100,000.

Language

Main article: Languages of Turkey

Turkish is the sole official language throughout Turkey. Reliable figures for the linguistic breakdown of the populace are not available for reasons similar to those cited above.<ref name="Turkey_Ethnic_groups" /> According to the CIA World Factbook, the Turkish language is spoken by about 70–75% of Turkey's population, while the Kurdish language is spoken by approximately 18%.<ref name="world-factbook-tr"/> The public broadcaster TRT broadcasts programmes in the local languages and dialects of Arabic, Bosnian, Circassian and Kurdish a few hours a week.<ref>Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information (2003). "Historical background of radio and television broadcasting in Turkey". Turkish Prime Minister's Office. Archived from the original on 2006-08-30. http://web.archive.org/web/20060830170539/http://www.byegm.gov.tr/REFERENCES/radyo-tv2002.htm. Retrieved 2006-08-10. </ref> A public television channel, TRT 6, which airs programs of Kurdish-language most of the time, was opened in early 2009.<ref>Nasuhi Güngör (2009). "Kurdish TRT". Zaman. http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?load=detay&link=162643. Retrieved 2009-02-25. </ref>

Religion

Main article: Religion in Turkey

Template:Bar percentTemplate:Bar percentTemplate:Bar percentTemplate:Bar percent

Religions in Turkey<ref name="KONDA Research and Consultancy"/>
Religions			Percent

File:Sultan Ahmed Mosque.jpg

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul.

Turkey is a secular state with no official state religion; the Turkish Constitution provides for freedom of religion and conscience.<ref>Prof. Dr. Axel Tschentscher, LL.M.. "ICL – International Constitutional Law – Turkey Constitution". Servat.unibe.ch. http://servat.unibe.ch/icl/tu00000_.html. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref><ref>"Turkey: Islam and Laicism Between the Interests of State, Politics, and Society" (PDF). Peace Research Institute Frankfurt. http://www.hsfk.de/downloads/prif78.pdf. Retrieved 2008-10-19. </ref> Islam is the dominant religion of Turkey, it exceeds 99% if secular people of Muslim background are included.<ref name="world-factbook-tr">"Turkey". World Factbook. CIA. 2010. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu.html. </ref><ref>From the introduction of Syncretistic Religious Communities in the Near East edited by her, B. Kellner-Heinkele, & A. Otter-Beaujean. Leiden: Brill, 1997.</ref><ref>"TURKEY" (PDF). Library of Congress – Federal Research Division. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Turkey.pdf. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref> Research firms suggest the actual Muslim figure is around 98%,<ref name=PewForum>"Mapping the Global Muslim Population" (PDF). http://pewforum.org/uploadedfiles/Topics/Demographics/Muslimpopulation.pdf. Retrieved 2011-08-09. </ref> or 97%.<ref name="KONDA Research and Consultancy"/>

There are about 120,000 people of different Christian denominations, including an estimated 80,000 Oriental Orthodox,<ref name="Zaman">"Foreign Ministry: 89,000 minorities live in Turkey". Todayszaman.com. 2008-12-15. http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=161291. Retrieved 2011-05-16. </ref> 35,000 Roman Catholics,<ref>"Roman Catholics by country". Fact-Archive.com. http://www.fact-archive.com/encyclopedia/Roman_Catholics_by_country. Retrieved 2011-07-05. </ref> 5,000 Orthodox (of them 3,000–4,000 being Greeks)<ref name="Zaman" /> and smaller numbers of Protestants. Today there are 236 churches open for worship in Turkey.<ref>Official Tourism Portal of Turkey</ref> The Orthodox Church has been headquartered in Istanbul since the 4th century AD. Christians represent less than 0.2% of Turkey's population, according to the CIA World Factbook.<ref>"Central Intelligence Agency". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html. Retrieved 2011-05-16. </ref>

There are about 26,000 people who are Jewish, the vast majority of whom are Sephardi.<ref>"An Overview of the History of the Jews in Turkey" (PDF). American Sephardi Federation. 2006. http://www.americansephardifederation.org/PDF/exhibitions/Jewish_Costumes_Early_History_Jews_in_Turkey.pdf. Retrieved 2008-10-19. </ref>

The Bahá'í Faith in Turkey has roots in Bahá'u'lláh's, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, being exiled to Constantinople, current-day Istanbul, by the Ottoman authorities. Bahá'ís cannot register with the government officially<ref name="regulation">"International Religious Freedom Report 2008 – Turkey". The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affair. 2008-09-19. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108476.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-15. </ref> but there are probably 10<ref name="10k">"For the first time, Turkish Baha’i appointed as dean". The Muslim Network for Baha’i Rights. 2008-12-13. http://www.bahairights.org/2008/11/13/for-the-first-time-turkish-bahai-appointed-as-dean/. Retrieved 2008-12-15. </ref> to 20<ref name="20k">"Turkey /Religions & Peoples". LookLex Encyclopedia. LookLex Ltd. 2008. http://www.looklex.com/e.o/turkey_4.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-15. </ref> thousand Bahá'ís, and around a hundred Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assemblies in Turkey.<ref name="Walbridge">Walbridge, John (March, 2002). "Chapter Four – The Baha’i Faith in Turkey". Occasional Papers in Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Studies 06 (01). http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/bhpapers/vol6/waless/chap4.htm. </ref>

Though academics suggest the Alevi population may be from 15 to 20 million.<ref name=usstate>"Turkey – International Religious Freedom Report 2007". State.gov. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90204.htm. Retrieved 2011-08-09. </ref><ref>"Asia Times Online :: Middle East News, Iraq, Iran current affairs". Atimes.com. 2010-02-18. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/LB18Ak04.html. Retrieved 2011-08-09. </ref> According to Aksiyon magazine, the number of Shiite Twelvers (excluding Alevis) is 3 million (4.2%), and they live in Istanbul, Iğdır, Kars, Ankara, İzmir, Manisa, Çorum, Muğla, Ağrı and Aydın.<ref name="caferi">"Caferi İmamlar" (in Turkish). Aksiyon.com.tr. 2004-10-11. http://www.aksiyon.com.tr/aksiyon/haber-15046-34-caferi-imamlar.html. Retrieved 2010-09-04. </ref> There are also some Sufi practitioners.<ref>"'&#39;Sufism'&#39;". All about Turkey. 2006-11-20. http://www.allaboutturkey.com/sufi.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref> The highest Islamic religious authority is the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Turkish: Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı), it interprets the Hanafi school of law, and is responsible for regulating the operation of the country's 80,000 registered mosques and employing local and provincial imams.<ref name=religiousfreedomreport>"Bureau of Democracy, Human rights and Labor – International Religious Freedom Report 2007– Turkey". State.gov. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90204.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref> The role of religion has been controversial debate over the years since the formation of Islamist parties.<ref>Civil society, religion, and the nation: modernization in intercultural context : Russia, Japan, Turkey Gerrit Steunebrink, Evert van der Zweerde. pp.175–184.</ref> Turkey was founded upon a strict secular constitution which forbids the influence of any religion, including Islam. There are sensitive issues, such as the fact that the wearing of the Hijab is banned in universities and public or government buildings as some view it as a symbol of Islam – though there have been efforts to lift the ban.<ref>"Headscarf row in Turkey parliament". BBC News. 1999-05-03. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/333641.stm. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref><ref>"Turkey eases ban on headscarves". BBC News. 2008-02-09. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7236128.stm. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref><ref>"Turkish leaders face court case". BBC News. 2008-03-31. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7321964.stm. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref><ref>"Turkey headscarf ruling attacked". BBC News. 2008-06-06. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7441227.stm. Retrieved 2010-11-01.  and "Turkish PM attacks proposed ban". BBC News. 2008-03-16. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7298291.stm. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref> The vast majority of the present-day Turkish people are Muslim and the most popular sect is the Hanafite school of Sunni Islam, which was officially espoused by the Ottoman Empire; according to the KONDA Research and Consultancy survey carried out throughout Turkey on 2007:<ref name="KONDA Research and Consultancy"/> 52.8% defined themselves as "a religious person who strives to fulfill religious obligations" (religious); 34.3 % defined themselves as "a believer who does not fulfill religious obligations" (believer); 9.7% defined themselves as "a fully devout person fulfilling all religious obligations" (fully devout); 2.3% defined themselves as "someone who does not believe in religious obligations" (non-believer/agnostic); and 0.9% defined themselves as "someone with no religious conviction" (atheist).<ref name="KONDA Research and Consultancy"/>

Culture

Main article: Culture of Turkey

File:Orhan Pamuk3.jpg

Orhan Pamuk is one of the leading contemporary Turkish novelists and the winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Turkey has a very diverse culture that is a blend of various elements of the Oğuz Turkic, Anatolian, Ottoman (which was itself a continuation of both Greco-Roman and Islamic cultures) and Western culture and traditions, which started with the Westernization of the Ottoman Empire and still continues today. This mix originally began as a result of the encounter of Turks and their culture with those of the peoples who were in their path during their migration from Central Asia to the West.<ref name="TR_culture" /><ref>Royal Academy of Arts (2005). "Turks – A Journey of a Thousand Years: 600–1600". Royal Academy of Arts. http://www.turks.org.uk/index.php?pid=8. Retrieved 2006-12-12. </ref>

As Turkey successfully transformed from the religion-based former Ottoman Empire into a modern nation-state with a very strong separation of state and religion, an increase in the modes of artistic expression followed. During the first years of the republic, the government invested a large amount of resources into fine arts; such as museums, theatres, opera houses and architecture. Diverse historical factors play important roles in defining the modern Turkish identity. Turkish culture is a product of efforts to be a "modern" Western state, while maintaining traditional religious and historical values.<ref name="TR_culture">Kaya, İbrahim (2003). Social Theory and Later Modernities: The Turkish Experience. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 0-8532-3898-7. http://books.google.com/?id=0Iy7pJBRgjYC&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&dq=Turkish+culture. </ref>

File:DolmabahceMainGate.JPG

One of the main entrance gates of the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul.

Turkish music and literature form great examples of such a mix of cultural influences, which were a result of the interaction between the Ottoman Empire and the Islamic world along with Europe, thus contributing to a blend of Turkic, Islamic and European traditions in modern-day Turkish music and literary arts.<ref>Cinuçen Tanrıkorur. "The Ottoman music". www.turkmusikisi.com. http://www.turkmusikisi.com/osmanli_musikisi/the_ottoman_music.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-12. </ref> Turkish literature was heavily influenced by Persian and Arabic literature during most of the Ottoman era, though towards the end of the Ottoman Empire, particularly after the Tanzimat period, the effect of both Turkish folk and European literary traditions became increasingly felt. The mix of cultural influences is dramatized, for example, in the form of the "new symbols [of] the clash and interlacing of cultures" enacted in the works of Orhan Pamuk, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature.<ref>"Pamuk wins Nobel Literature prize". BBC. 2006-10-12. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6044192.stm. Retrieved 2006-12-12. </ref> According to Konda public opinion researchers, 70% of Turkish citizens never read books.<ref>Azeri-Press Agency (APA) (23 Feb 2009). "70 percent of Turkish citizens never read book". http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=97615. Retrieved 31 July 2010. </ref>

Architectural elements found in Turkey are also testaments to the unique mix of traditions that have influenced the region over the centuries. In addition to the traditional Byzantine elements present in numerous parts of Turkey, many artifacts of the later Ottoman architecture, with its exquisite blend of local and Islamic traditions, are to be found throughout the country, as well as in many former territories of the Ottoman Empire. Mimar Sinan is widely regarded as the greatest architect of the classical period in Ottoman architecture. Since the 18th century, Turkish architecture has been increasingly influenced by Western styles, and this can be particularly seen in Istanbul where buildings like Dolmabahçe and Çırağan Palaces are juxtaposed next to numerous modern skyscrapers, all of them representing different traditions.<ref>Goodwin, Godfrey (2003). A History of Ottoman Architecture. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-5002-7429-0. </ref>

Sports

Main article: Sports in Turkey

File:Atatürk Olympic Stadium Istanbul.jpg

Atatürk Olympic Stadium hosted the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final.

The most popular sport in Turkey is Association football.<ref>Burak Sansal (2006). "Sports in Turkey". allaboutturkey.com. http://www.allaboutturkey.com/sports.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-13. </ref> Turkey's top teams include Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Trabzonspor and Beşiktaş. In 2000, Galatasaray cemented its role as a major European club by winning the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup. Two years later the Turkish national team finished third in the 2002 World Cup Finals in Japan and South Korea, while in 2008 the national team reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Euro 2008 competition. The Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul hosted the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final, while the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul hosted the 2009 UEFA Cup Final.

Other mainstream sports such as basketball and volleyball are also popular. Turkey hosted the finals of EuroBasket 2001 and the finals of the 2010 FIBA World Championship, winning second place on both occasions; while Efes Pilsen S.K. won the Korać Cup in 1996, finished second in the Saporta Cup of 1993, and made it to the Final Four of Euroleague and Suproleague in 2000 and 2001.<ref>Historic achievements of the Efes Pilsen Basketball Team</ref> Turkish basketball players such as Mehmet Okur and Hedo Turkoglu have also been successful in the NBA. Women's volleyball teams, namely Eczacıbaşı, Vakıfbank Güneş Sigorta and Fenerbahçe Acıbadem, have won numerous European championship titles and medals.

The traditional Turkish national sport has been yağlı güreş (oiled wrestling) since Ottoman times.<ref>Burak Sansal (2006). "Oiled Wrestling". allaboutturkey.com. http://www.allaboutturkey.com/yagligures.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-13. </ref> Edirne has hosted the annual Kırkpınar oiled wrestling tournament since 1361.<ref>"Kırkpınar Oiled Wrestling Tournament: History". Kirkpinar.com. 2007-04-21. http://www.kirkpinar.com/home.php?link=history&dil=en. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref> International wrestling styles governed by FILA such as Freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling are also popular, with many European, World and Olympic championship titles won by Turkish wrestlers both individually and as a national team.<ref>Christiane Gegner. "FILA Wrestling Database". Iat.uni-leipzig.de. http://www.iat.uni-leipzig.de/datenbanken/dbwrest/start.php. Retrieved 2010-11-01. </ref>

Weightlifting has been a successful Turkish sport. Turkish weightlifters, both male and female, have broken numerous world records and won several European,<ref>Turkish Weightlifting Federation: List of European (Avrupa) records by male and female weightlifters</ref> World and Olympic<ref>Turkish Weightlifting Federation: List of World (Dünya) and Olympic (Olimpiyat) records by male and female weightlifters</ref> championship titles. Naim Süleymanoğlu and Halil Mutlu have achieved legendary status as one of the few weightlifters to have won three gold medals in three Olympics.

File:Istanbul Park Turkish Grand Prix Circuit.jpg

Istanbul Park racing circuit a few hours before the F1 Turkish Grand Prix.

Motorsports are also popular in Turkey. The Rally of Turkey was included in the FIA World Rally Championship calendar in 2003,<ref>WRC Rally of Turkey: Brief event history</ref> while Formula One race weekends held at the Istanbul Park racing circuit occurred annually between the 2005 and 2011 Formula One seasons. The Turkish Grand Prix was, however, not included in the 2012 Formula One season's calendar.<ref>"Turkey dropped for 2012 F1 season". CNN. http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/motorsport/09/01/motorsport.f1.2012.calendar/index.html. Retrieved October 23, 2011. </ref><ref>"Turkish Grand Prix dropped from 2012 calendar". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/14738779.stm. Retrieved October 23, 2011. </ref><ref>"Turkey dropped from 2012 F1 calendar". REUTERS. http://af.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idAFJOE77U0NA20110831. Retrieved October 23, 2011. </ref> Other important annual motorsports events which are held at the Istanbul Park racing circuit include the MotoGP Grand Prix of Turkey, the FIA World Touring Car Championship, the GP2 Series and the Le Mans Series. From time to time Istanbul and Antalya also host the Turkish leg of the F1 Powerboat Racing championship; while the Turkish leg of the Red Bull Air Race World Series, an air racing competition, takes place above the Golden Horn in Istanbul. Surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding, paragliding and other extreme sports are becoming more popular every year.

See also

• List of Turkish people
• List of twin towns and sister cities in Turkey
• Public holidays in Turkey
• Timeline of Turkish history

References

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Bibliography

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History

• Findley, Carter Vaughn (2004). The Turks in World History. Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 0195177266. 
• Kinross, Patrick (1977). The Ottoman Centuries: The Rise and Fall of the Turkish Empire. Morrow. ISBN 0-6880-3093-9. 
• Mango, Andrew (2000). Atatürk: The Biography of the Founder of Modern Turkey. Overlook. ISBN 1-5856-7011-1. 
• Mango, Cyril (2002). The Oxford History of Byzantium. Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 0-19-814098-3. 
• Shaw, Stanford Jay; Kural Shaw, Ezel (1977). History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-5212-9163-1. 
• Wink, André (1990). Al Hind: The Making of the Indo Islamic World, Vol. 1, Early Medieval India and the Expansion of Islam, 7th–11th Centuries. Brill Academic Publishers. ISBN 90-04-09249-8. 

Politics and foreign policy

• Grigoriadis, Ioannis N. (2006). "Upsurge amidst Political Uncertainty. Nationalism in post-2004 Turkey. SWP Research Paper 2006/RP 11, October 2006" (PDF). Berlin: Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (German Institute for International and Security Affairs). http://www.swp-berlin.org/common/get_document.php?asset_id=3380. Retrieved 2007-07-31. 
• Hale, William Mathew (1994). Turkish Politics and the Military. Routledge (UK). ISBN 0-4150-2455-2. http://books.google.com/?id=50O5kEzZ1JQC&pg=RA1-PA1&dq=Turkish+Armed+Forces#PRA1-PA154,M1. 
• Kosebalaban, Hasan. Turkish Foreign Policy: Islam, Nationalism, and Globalization (Palgrave Macmillan; 2011) 240 pages; examines tensions among secularist nationalism, Islamic nationalism, secular liberalism, and Islamic liberalism in shaping foreign policy since the 1920s; concentrates on era since 2003
• Rubin, Barry M.; Heper, Metin (2002). Political Parties in Turkey. Routledge (UK). ISBN 0714652741. 

Foreign relations and military

• Bal, İdris (2004). Turkish Foreign Policy In Post Cold War Era. Universal Publishers. ISBN 1-5811-2423-6. http://books.google.com/?id=vDzjkrTDKjYC&pg=PP1&lpg=PP1&dq=turkey+cold+war. 
• Cook, Steven A.; Sherwood-Randall, Elizabeth (2006-06-15). "Generating Momentum for a New Era in U.S.-Turkey Relations" (PDF). Council on Foreign Relations. http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/TurkeyCSR.pdf. Retrieved 2006-12-17. 
• Huston, James A. (1988). Outposts and Allies: U.S. Army Logistics in the Cold War, 1945–1953. Susquehanna University Press. ISBN 0-9416-6484-8. http://books.google.com/?id=ID4E3Lm8TsgC&pg=PA198&lpg=PA198&dq=turkey+cold+war. 
• Rubin, Barry M.; Çarkoǧlu, Ali (2003). Turkey and the European Union: Domestic Politics, Economic Integration, and International Dynamics. Routledge (UK). ISBN 0714654027. http://books.google.com/?id=1Nxy_E8Gds4C&pg=PP1&lpg=PP1&dq=Turkey+European+Union. 
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Directorate for Movements of Persons, Migration and Consular Affairs – Asylum and Migration Division (July 2001) (PDF). Turkey/Military service. UNHCR. http://www.unhcr.org/home/RSDCOI/3c1622484.pdf. 

Geography and climate

• Turkish State Meteorological Service (2006). "Climate of Turkey". Turkish State Meteorological Service. http://classic-web.archive.org/web/20080419130806/http://www.meteor.gov.tr/2006/english/eng-climateofturkey.aspx. Retrieved 2006-12-27. 

Economy

• Kaminski, Bartolomiej; Ng, Francis (2006-05-01). "Turkey's evolving trade integration into Pan-European markets" (PDF). World Bank. http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2006/05/03/000016406_20060503112446/Rendered/PDF/wps3908.pdf. Retrieved 2006-12-27. 
• Nas, Tevfik F. (1992). Economics and Politics of Turkish Liberalization. Lehigh University Press. ISBN 0-9342-2319-X. 
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2002). OECD Reviews of Regulatory Refom – Turkey: crucial support for economic recovery : 2002. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. ISBN 92-64-19808-3. http://books.google.com/?id=ufYU_fR7mLgC&pg=PP1&lpg=PP1&dq=Turkey. 
• World Bank (2005). "Turkey Labor Market Study" (PDF). World Bank. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTTURKEY/Resources/361616-1144320150009/Labor_C2.pdf. Retrieved 2006-12-27. 

Demographics

• Çarkoǧlu, Ali (2004). Religion and Politics in Turkey. Routledge (UK). ISBN 0-4153-4831-5. http://books.google.com/?id=t5G_zw9exMQC&pg=PP1&lpg=PP1&dq=Religion+in+Turkey. 
• Extra, Guus; Gorter, Durk (2001). The other languages of Europe: Demographic, Sociolinguistic and Educational Perspectives. Multilingual Matters. ISBN 1-8535-9509-8. http://books.google.com/?id=hvmy_skUPNYC&pg=RA1-PA422&lpg=RA1-PA422&dq=%22ethnic+groups+in+turkey%22. 
• Shankland, David (2003). The Alevis in Turkey: The Emergence of a Secular Islamic Tradition. Routledge (UK). ISBN 0700716068. http://books.google.com/?id=lFFRzTqLp6AC&pg=PP1&lpg=PP1&dq=Religion+in+Turkey. 
• "Türkiyedeki Kürtlerin Sayısı! (Number of Kurds in Turkey!)" (in Turkish). Milliyet. 2008-06-06. http://www.milliyet.com.tr/default.aspx?aType=SonDakika&Kategori=yasam&ArticleID=873452&Date=07.06.2008&ver=16. Retrieved 2008-06-07. 
• Turkish Statistical Institute (2000). "2000 Census, population by provinces and districts" (XLS). Turkish Statistical Institute. Archived from the original on 2006-12-07. http://web.archive.org/web/20061207220323/http://www.die.gov.tr/nufus_sayimi/2000tablo5.xls. Retrieved 2006-12-11. 

Culture

• Goodwin, Godfrey (2003). A History of Ottoman Architecture. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-5002-7429-0. 
• Kaya, İbrahim (2003). Social Theory and Later Modernities: The Turkish Experience. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 0-8532-3898-7. http://books.google.com/?id=0Iy7pJBRgjYC&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&dq=Turkish+culture. 

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Further reading

• Mango, Andrew (2004). The Turks Today. Overlook. ISBN 1585676152. 
• Bozarslan, Hamit 'Turkey: Postcolonial discourse in a non-colonised state', in Prem Poddar et al., Historical Companion to Postcolonial Literatures—Continental Europe and its Colonies, Edinburgh University Press, 2008
• Pope, Hugh; Pope, Nicole (2004). Turkey Unveiled. Overlook. ISBN 1585675814. 
• Revolinski, Kevin (2006). The Yogurt Man Cometh: Tales of an American Teacher in Turkey. Citlembik. ISBN 9944424013. 
• Roxburgh, David J. (ed.) (2005). Turks: A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600–1600. Royal Academy of Arts. ISBN 1-903973-56-2.
• Turkey: A Country Study (1996). Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. ISBN 0-8444-0864-6.

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External links

• Official website
• "Turkey". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu.html. 
• Turkey at DMOZ
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