Turkey
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Modèle:Pp-semi-protected Modèle:Featured article Modèle:Dablink Modèle:Infobox Country Turkey (Modèle:Lang-tr), known officially as the Republic of Turkey (Modèle:Audio), is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in western Asia and Trakya (Rumelia) in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. Turkey borders eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west, Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhichevan), and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea and Archipelago are to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. Separating Anatolia and Thrace are the Sea of Marmara and the Turkish Straits (the Bosporus and the Dardanelles), which are commonly reckoned to delineate the border between Asia and Europe, thereby making Turkey transcontinental.<ref> Sabancı University
(2005)
. Geography of Turkey
. Sabancı University
. Retrieved on 2006-12-13. </ref>
Because of its strategic location astride two continents, Turkey's culture has a unique blend of Eastern and Western tradition. A powerful regional presence in the Eurasian landmass with strong cultural and economic influence in the area between the European Union in the west and Central Asia in the east, Russia in the north and the Middle East in the south, Turkey has come to acquire increasing strategic significance.<ref name= "Atatürk">Modèle:Cite book</ref><ref name= "Ottoman_Turkey">Modèle:Cite book</ref>
Turkey, classified as a developed country by the CIA, is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic whose political system was established in 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, following the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I. Since then, Turkey has become increasingly integrated with the West while continuing to foster relations with the Eastern world.
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Etymology
The name of Turkey, Türkiye in the Turkish language, can be divided into two words: Türk, which means "strong" in Old Turkic and usually signifying the inhabitants of Turkey or a member of the Turkish or Turkic peoples,<ref> American Heritage Dictionary
(2000)
. "Turk"
. Houghton Mifflin Company
. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. </ref> a later form of "tu-kin", name given by the Chinese to the people living south of the Altay Mountains of Central Asia as early as 177 BCE;<ref name="TurkEtymology"> Harper , Douglas
(2001)
. "Turk"
. Online Etymology Dictionary
. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. </ref> and the abstract suffix -iye (derived from Arabic), which means "owner" or "related to". The first recorded use of the term "Türk" or "Türük" as an autonym is contained in the Orkhon inscriptions of the Göktürks (Sky Turks) of Central Asia (c. 8th century CE). The English word "Turkey" is derived from the Medieval Latin "Turchia" (c. 1369).<ref name="TurkEtymology" />
History
Pre-Turkic History of Anatolia
The Anatolian peninsula (also called Asia Minor), comprising most of modern Turkey, is one of the oldest continually inhabited regions in the world due to its location at the intersection of Asia and Europe. The earliest Neolithic settlements such as Çatalhöyük (Pottery Neolithic), Çayönü (Pre-Pottery Neolithic A to Pottery Neolithic), Nevali Cori (Pre-Pottery Neolithic B), Hacilar (Pottery Neolithic), Göbekli Tepe (Pre-Pottery Neolithic A) and Mersin are considered to be among the earliest human settlements in the world.<ref name="AnatoliaNeolithic">Modèle:Cite paper</ref> The settlement of Troy starts in the Neolithic and continues 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 have radiated.<ref name="AnatoliaIndoEuropean">Modèle:Cite journal</ref>
The first major empire in the area was that of the Hittites, from the 18th through the 13th century BCE. Subsequently, the Phrygians, an Indo-European people, achieved ascendancy until their kingdom was destroyed by the Cimmerians in the 7th century BCE.<ref name="TroyHittiteEmpirePhrygians"> The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
(October 2000) . Anatolia and the Caucasus (Asia Minor), 2000 – 1000 B.C. in Timeline of Art History. . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
. Retrieved on 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 Hellenic periods.
The west coast of Anatolia was meanwhile settled by the Ionians, one of the ancient Greek peoples. The entire area was conquered by the Persian Achaemenid Empire during the 6th and 5th centuries and later fell to Alexander the Great in 334 BCE.<ref name="PersiansInAsiaMinor"> Hooker, Richard
(1999-06-06) . Ancient Greece: The Persian Wars . Washington State University, WA, United States
. Retrieved on 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 Rome by the mid-1st century BCE.<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
. Retrieved on 2006-12-21. </ref> In 324 CE, 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, WA
. Retrieved on 2006-12-26. </ref>
Turks and the Ottoman Empire
The House of Seljuk was a branch of the Kınık Oğuz Turks who in the 9th century resided on the periphery of the Muslim world, north of the Caspian and Aral Seas in the Yabghu Khaganate of the Oğuz confederacy.<ref>Modèle:Cite book</ref> In the 10th century, the Seljuks started migrating from their ancestral homelands towards the eastern regions of Anatolia, which eventually became the new homeland of Oğuz Turkic tribes following the Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt) in 1071. 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 the Middle East.<ref>Modèle:Cite book</ref>
In 1243, the Seljuk armies were defeated by the Mongols and the power of the empire slowly disintegrated. In its wake, one of the Turkish principalities governed by Osman I was to evolve into the Ottoman Empire, thus filling the void left by the collapsed Seljuks and Byzantines.<ref name="Ottomans">Modèle:Cite book</ref>
The Ottoman Empire interacted with both Eastern and Western cultures throughout its 623-year history. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was among the world's most powerful political entities, often locking horns with the powers of eastern Europe in its steady advance through the Balkans and the southern part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.<ref name= "Ottoman_Turkey">Modèle:Cite book</ref> Following years of decline, the Ottoman Empire entered World War I through the Ottoman-German Alliance in 1914, and was ultimately defeated. After the war, the victorious Allied Powers sought the dismemberment of the Ottoman state through the Treaty of Sèvres.<ref name="Ottomans" />
Republican era
The occupation of İstanbul and İzmir 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">Modèle:Cite book</ref> By September 18 1922, the occupying armies were repelled and the country saw the birth of the new Turkish state. On November 1, the newly founded parliament formally abolished the Sultanate, thus ending 623 years of Ottoman rule. The Treaty of Lausanne of 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" /> According to the Law on Family Names, the Turkish parliament presented Mustafa Kemal with the honorific name "Atatürk" (Father of the Turks) in 1934.<ref name= "Atatürk" />
Turkey entered World War II on the side of the Allies on February 23, 1945 as a ceremonial gesture and became a charter member of the United Nations in 1945.<ref name= "Turkey_UN" /> 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 US military and economic support.<ref name= "Truman Doctrine">Modèle:Cite book</ref>
After participating with United Nations forces in the Korean conflict, Turkey joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1952, becoming a bulwark against Soviet expansion into the Mediterranean. Following a decade of intercommunal violence on the island of Cyprus and the subsequent Athens-inspired coup, Turkey intervened militarily in 1974. Nine years later Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was established. TRNC is recognised only by Turkey.<ref>"
Timeline: Cyprus " , British Broadcasting Corporation , 2006-12-12 . Retrieved on 2006-12-25 . </ref>
Following the end of the single-party period in 1945, the multi-party period witnessed tensions over the following decades, and the period between the 1960s and the 1980s was particularly marked by periods of political instability that resulted in a number of military coups d'états in 1960, 1971, 1980 and a post-modern coup d'état in 1997.<ref name="TRPoliticsandMilitary" /> The liberalization of the Turkish economy that started in the 1980s changed the landscape of the country, with successive periods of high growth and crises punctuating the following decades.<ref name="80sLiberalization" />
Government and politics
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">Modèle:Cite book</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 head of state is the President of the Republic and has a largely ceremonial role. The president is elected for a seven-year term by the parliament but is not required to be one of its members. The last President, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, was elected on May 16 2000, after having served as the President of the Constitutional Court. He was succeeded on August 28 2007 by Abdullah Gül.<ref>"
Turks elect ex-Islamist president " , BBC , 2007-11-02 . Retrieved on 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
. Retrieved on 2006-12-16. </ref>
The Prime Minister is elected by the parliament through a vote of confidence in his government and is most often the head of the party that has the most seats in parliament. The current Prime Minister is the former mayor of İstanbul, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose conservative AKP 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 . Retrieved on 2006-12-14 . </ref><ref> Arnold , James . " Analysis: Turkey's year of crisis " , BBC , 2002-02-21 . Retrieved on 2006-12-14 . </ref> In the 2007 general elections, AKP received 46.6% of the votes and could defend its majority in parliament.<ref>" Turkey re-elects governing party " , BBC , 2007-07-22 . Retrieved on 2007-11-02 . </ref> Neither the Prime Minister nor the Ministers have to be members of the parliament, but in most cases they are (one notable exception was Kemal Derviş, the Minister of State in Charge of Economy following the financial crisis of 2001;<ref>" Profile: Kemal Derviş " , BBC , 2002-08-12 . Retrieved on 2006-12-14 . </ref> he is currently the president of the United Nations Development Programme).<ref>" UN post for Turkish ex-minister " , BBC , 2005-04-27 . Retrieved on 2006-12-14 . </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, whose ideologies range from the far left to the far right.<ref name="BYEGM_TrPolSys"> Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information
(2004-08-24) . Political Structure of Turkey . Turkish Prime Minister's Office
. Retrieved on 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 . Retrieved on 2006-12-14 . </ref><ref>" Turkey's Kurd party ban criticised " , BBC , 2003-03-14 . Retrieved on 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 that win at least 10% of the votes cast in a national parliamentary election gain the right to representation in the parliament.<ref name="BYEGM_TrPolSys" /> As a result of this threshold, the 2007 elections saw three parties formally entering parliament (compared to two in 2002).<ref> Hardy , Roger
. " Turkey leaps into the unknown " , BBC , 2002-11-04 . Retrieved on 2006-12-14 . </ref><ref> Rainsford , Sarah . " Turkey awaits AKP's next step " , BBC , 2007-11-02 . Retrieved on 2007-07-23 . </ref> However due to a system of alliances and independent candidatures, seven parties are currently represented in parliament. Independent candidates may run; however, they must also win at least 10% of the vote in their circonscription to be elected.<ref name="BYEGM_TrPolSys" />
Foreign relations
Turkey is a founding member of the United Nations (1945), the OECD (1961), the OSCE (1973) and the G20 industrial nations (1999).
In line with its traditional Western orientation, relations with Europe have always been a central part of Turkish foreign policy. Turkey became a member of the Council of Europe in 1949, applied for associate membership of the EEC (predecessor of the EU) 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 officially begun formal accession negotiations with the EU on October 3 2005.<ref name="TR_EUChrono" /> It is believed that the accession process will take at least 15 years due to Turkey's size and the depth of disagreements over certain issues.<ref> Interview with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on BBC Sunday AM
(PDF) . European Commission (2006-10-15)
. Retrieved on 2006-12-17. </ref> These include disputes with EU member Republic of Cyprus over Turkey's 1974 military intervention to prevent the island's annexation to Greece. Since then, Turkey does not recognize 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.<ref> Mardell , Mark
. " Turkey's EU membership bid stalls " , BBC , 2006-12-11 . Retrieved on 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 the 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 volatile Middle East. As well as hosting an important American base near the Syrian/Iraq border for US operations in the region, Turkey's status as a secular democracy and its positive relations with Israel made Ankara a crucial ally for Washington. In return, Turkey has benefited from the United States political, economic and diplomatic support. However, in recent years relations have been strained by the ongoing Iraq War. Facing strong domestic opposition in Turkey, a government motion to allow U.S. troops to attack Iraq from Turkey's border failed to reach the necessary majority. A primary concern for Turkey was an independent Kurdish state arising from a destabilised Iraq; it has previously fought an insurgent war on its own soil, in which an estimated 37,000 people lost their lives, against the PKK (listed as a terrorist organization by a number of states and organisations, including the U.S. and the EU).<ref> O'Toole , Pam
. " Turkey's fears of Kurdish resurgence " , BBC , 2003-03-26 . Retrieved on 2006-12-17 . </ref> The United States reluctance to threaten the relative stability of northern Iraq by launching operations against the PKK led the Turkish parliament to authorise a cross border military operation in 2007. <ref>BBC: Turkish MPs back attacks in Iraq</ref>
The independence of the Turkic states of the Soviet Union, with whom Turkey shares a common cultural and linguistic heritage, allowed Turkey to extend its economic and political relations deep into Central Asia. <ref>Modèle:Cite book</ref>. The most salient of these relations saw the completion of a multi billion dollar oil and gas pipeline from Baku in Azerbaijan to the port of Ceyhan in Turkey. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, as it is called, has formed 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 Caucaus, remains closed following its occupation of Azeri 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.</ref>. Relations with Armenia have been further strained by the controversy surrounding the forced deportations and related deaths of hundrends of thousands of Armenians in the last days of the Ottoman Empire, recognised by a number of countries and historians as the Armenian Genocide. Turkey rejects the term genocide, arguing instead that the deaths were a result of disease, famine and inter-ethnic strife<ref>"
Q&A Armenian 'genocide' " , BBC , 2006-10-12 . Retrieved on 2006-12-29 . </ref>
Military
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
. Retrieved on 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 1,043,550 uniformed personnel serving in its five branches.<ref>Economist Intelligence Unit:Turkey, p.23 (2005)</ref> Every fit heterosexual male Turkish citizen is required to serve in the military for time periods ranging from three weeks to fifteen months, depending on his education and job location (homosexuals have the right to be exempt, upon their own personal request).<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
. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. </ref>
In 1998, Turkey announced a program of modernization worth some US$31 billion over a ten 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 also a Level 3 contributor to the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, gaining an opportunity to develop and influence the creation of the next generation fighter spearheaded by the United States.<ref> US Department of Defense
(2002-07-11) . DoD, Turkey sign Joint Strike Fighter Agreement . US Department of Defense
. Retrieved on 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 the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and 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>Economist Intelligence Unit:Turkey, p.23 (2005)</ref><ref> Turkish General Staff
(2006) . Brief History of ISAF . Turkish Armed Forces
. Retrieved on 2006-12-16. </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 " , British Broadcasting Corporation , 2006-10-20 . Retrieved on 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 the 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 Yaşar Büyükanıt, who succeeded General Hilmi Özkök on August 26 2006.<ref>"
Turkish general vows to rout PKK " , British Broadcasting Corporation , 2006-08-26 . Retrieved on 2006-12-08 . </ref>
The Turkish military has traditionally held a powerful position in domestic Turkish politics, considering itself the guardian of Turkey's secular democracy<ref name="YAHOOTURKEY"/>. It has several times within the last decades forcibly removed elected governments believed to be straying from the principles of the state as established by Atatürk and enshrined in the constitution.<ref name="YAHOOTURKEY">Turkey's army defends secularism ahead of elections- Yahoo! News, Monday 27 August 2007</ref>
Administrative divisions
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 are the provinces of Hatay (capital: Antakya), Kocaeli (capital: İzmit) and Sakarya (capital: Adapazarı). Provinces with the largest populations are İstanbul (+10 million), Ankara (+4 million), İzmir (+3.4 million), Konya (+2.2 million), Bursa (+2.1 million) and Adana (+1.85 million).
The biggest city and the pre-Republican capital İstanbul is the financial, economic and cultural heart of the country.<ref name="USLC_TRGeo" /> Other important cities include İzmir, Bursa, Adana, Trabzon, Malatya, Gaziantep, Erzurum, Kayseri, İzmit, Konya, Mersin, Eskişehir, Diyarbakır, Antalya and Samsun. An estimated 67% of Turkey's population live in urban centers.<ref name="WorldBank_Turkey_glance"> World Bank
(2006-08-13) . Turkey at a glance (PDF) . World Bank
. Retrieved on 2006-12-10. </ref> In all, 12 cities have populations that exceed 500,000, and 48 cities have more than 100,000 inhabitants.
Major cities:
- İstanbul - 9,085,599
- Ankara - 3,540,522
- İzmir - 2,732,669
- Bursa - 1,630,940
- Adana - 1,397,853
- Konya - 1,294,817
- Gaziantep - 1,009,126
- Antalya - 936,330
(Population figures are given according to the 2000 census)<ref> Turkish Statistical Institute
(2000) . 2000 Census, population by provinces and districts (XLS) . Turkish Statistical Institute
. Retrieved on 2006-12-11. </ref>
Geography and climate
The territory of Turkey is more than 1,600 kilometres (1,000 mi) long and 800 km (500 mi) wide, with a roughly rectangular shape.<ref name="USLC_TRGeo"> US Library of Congress
. Geography of Turkey . US Library of Congress
. Retrieved on 2006-12-13. </ref> Turkey's area, inclusive of lakes, occupies 783,562<ref>UN Demographic Yearbook, accessed April 16, 2007</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" /> thus making Turkey a transcontinental country. Turkey's area makes it the world's 37th-largest country, and is about the size of Metropolitan France and the United Kingdom combined. Turkey is encircled by seas on three sides: the Aegean Sea to the west, the Black Sea to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Turkey also contains the Sea of Marmara in the northwest.<ref name="TRGeo_TRMinistryTourism" />
The European section of Turkey, in the northwest, is Eastern Thrace, and forms the borders of Turkey with Greece and Bulgaria. The Asian part of the country, Anatolia (also called Asia Minor), consists of a high central plateau with narrow coastal plains, between the Köroğlu and East-Black Sea mountain range 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 (16,94 ft).<ref name="TRGeo_TRMinistryTourism" /><ref> NASA - Earth Observatory
(2001) . Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağı), Turkey . NASA
. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. </ref>
Turkey is geographically divided into seven 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
. Retrieved on 2006-12-13. </ref>
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
. Retrieved on 2006-12-26. </ref>
Turkey has a Mediterranean temperate climate, with hot, dry summers and mild, wet and cold winters, though conditions can be much harsher in the more arid interior. Mountains close to the coast prevent Mediterranean influences from extending inland, giving the interior of Turkey a continental climate with distinct seasons. The central Anatolian Plateau is much more subject to extremes than coastal areas. Winters on the plateau are especially severe. Temperatures of −30 °C to −40 °C (−22 °F to -40 °F) can occur in the mountainous areas in the east, and snow may lie on the ground 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 in). May is generally the wettest month, whereas July and August are the most dry.<ref> Turkish State Meteorological Service
(2006) . Climate of Turkey . Turkish State Meteorological Service
. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. </ref>
Economy
Turkey is a developed country,<ref>CIA World Factbook</ref> a founding member of the OECD and the G20 industrial nations which brings together the 20 largest economies of the world.
For most of its republican history, Turkey has adhered to a quasi-statist approach, with strict government controls over private sector participation, foreign trade, and foreign direct investment. However, during the 1980s, Turkey began a series of reforms, initiated by Prime Minister Turgut Özal and designed to shift the economy from a statist, insulated system to a more private-sector, market-based model.<ref name="80sLiberalization">Modèle:Cite book</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 " , British Broadcasting Corporation , 1999-08-17 . Retrieved on 2006-12-12 . </ref> and 2001,<ref>" 'Worst over' for Turkey " , British Broadcasting Corporation , 2002-02-04 . Retrieved on 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
. Retrieved on 2006-12-10. </ref> Lack of additional 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>Modèle:Cite book</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. 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
. " Robust economy raises Turkey's hopes " , British Broadcasting Corporation , 2006-11-02 . Retrieved on 2006-12-12 . </ref>
The GDP growth rate for 2005 was 7.4%,<ref> Turkish Statistical Institute
(2006-12-11) . GNP and GDP as of September 2006 (DOC) . Turkish Statistical Institute
. Retrieved on 2006-12-11. </ref> thus making Turkey one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Turkey's economy is no longer dominated by traditional agricultural activities in the rural areas, but more so by a highly dynamic industrial complex in the major cities, mostly concentrated in the western provinces of the country, along with a developed services sector. The agricultural sector accounts for 11.9% of GDP, whereas industrial and service sectors make up 23.7% and 64.5%, respectively.<ref name="WorldBank_Turkey_glance" /> The tourism sector has experienced rapid growth in the last twenty years, and constitutes an important part of the economy. In 2005, there were 24,124,501 visitors to the country, who contributed 18.2 billion USD to Turkey's revenues.<ref> Anadolu Agency (AA)
. " Tourism statistics for 2005 " , Hürriyet , 2006-01-27 . Retrieved on 2006-12-10 . </ref> Other key sectors of the Turkish economy are construction, automotive industry, electronics and textiles.
In recent years, the chronically high inflation has been brought under control and this has led to the launch of a new currency to cement the acquisition of the economic reforms and erase the vestiges of an unstable economy. On January 1 2005, the old Turkish Lira was replaced by the New Turkish Lira by dropping off six zeroes (1 YTL= 1,000,000 TL).<ref>"
Turkey knocks six zeros off lira " , British Broadcasting Corporation , 2004-12-31 . Retrieved on 2006-12-11 . </ref> As a result of continuing economic reforms, inflation has dropped to 8.2% in 2005, and the unemployment rate to 10.3%.<ref name="WorldBank_TRStat"> World Bank
(2005) . Data and Statistics for Turkey . World Bank
. Retrieved on 2006-12-10. </ref> With a per capita GDP (Nominal) of 5,062 USD, Turkey ranked 69th in the world in 2005. In 2004, it was estimated that 46.2% of total disposable income was received by the top 20% income earners, while the lowest 20% received 6%.<ref> Turkish Statistical Institute
(2006-02-27) . The result of Income Distribution . Turkish Statistical Institute
. Retrieved on 2006-12-11. </ref>
Turkey's main trading partners are the European Union (59% of exports and 52% of imports as of 2005),<ref name="TSI_ForeignTrade2006"> Turkish Statistical Institute
(2006-11-30) . Foreign Trade Statistics as of October 2006 . Turkish Statistical Institute
. Retrieved on 2006-12-11. </ref> the United States, Russia and Japan. Turkey has taken advantage of a customs union with the European 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.<ref> Bartolomiej Kaminski
; Francis Ng
(2006-05-01) . Turkey's evolving trade integration into Pan-European markets . World Bank
. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. </ref> In 2005, exports amounted to 73.5 billion USD while the imports stood at 116.8 billion USD, with increases of 16.3% and 19.7% compared to 2004, respectively.<ref name="TSI_ForeignTrade2006" /> For 2006, the exports amounted to 85.8 billion USD, representing an increase of 16,8% over 2005.<ref> Turkish Exporters Assembly
. " Exports for 2006 stand at 85.8 billion USD " , Hürriyet , 2007-01-01 . Retrieved on 2007-01-01 . </ref> The most recent figure for exports is 100.1 billion USD as of September 2007.<ref> Turkish Exporters Assembly . " Turkish exports break $100 billion mark in past 12 months " , Hürriyet , 2007-10-02 . Retrieved on 2007-10-02 . </ref>
After years of low levels of foreign direct investment (FDI), Turkey succeeded in attracting 8.5 billion USD in FDI in 2005 and is expected to attract a higher figure in 2006.<ref> Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey
(2006) . Foreign Direct Investments in Turkey by sectors . Central Bank of Turkey
. Retrieved on 2006-12-12. </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
As of 2005, the population of Turkey stood at 72.6 million with a growth rate of 1.5% per annum.<ref name="WorldBank_Turkey_glance" /><ref name="WorldBank_TRStat" /> The Turkish population is relatively young, with 25.5% falling within the 0–15 age bracket.<ref> Intute
(2006-07) . Turkey - Population and Demographics . Intute
. Retrieved on 2006-12-10. </ref> According to statistics released by the government in 2005, life expectancy stands at 68.9 years for men and 73.8 years for women, with an overall average of 71.3 years for the populace as a whole.<ref> Anadolu Agency (AA)
. " Life expectancy has increased in 2005 in Turkey " , Hürriyet , 2006-12-03 . Retrieved on 2006-12-09 . </ref>
Education is compulsory and free from ages 6 to 15. The literacy rate is 95.3% for men and 79.6% for women, with an overall average of 87.4%.<ref> Turkish Statistical Institute
(2004-10-18) . Population and Development Indicators - Population and education . Turkish Statistical Institute
. Retrieved on 2006-12-11. </ref> This low figure is mainly due to prevailing feudal attitudes against women in the Arab- and Kurdish-inhabited southeastern provinces of the country.<ref> Jonny Dymond
. " Turkish girls in literacy battle " , British Broadcasting Corporation , 2004-10-18 . Retrieved on 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. The majority of the Turkish population are of Turkish ethnicity. Other major ethnic groups include the Kurds, Circassians, Roma, Arabs and the three officially-recognized minorities (per the treaty of Lausanne) of Greeks, Armenians and Jews. The largest non-Turkic ethnicity is the Kurds, a distinct ethnic group traditionally concentrated in the southeast of the country. Minorities other than the three official ones do not have any special group privileges, and while the term "minority" itself remains a sensitive issue in Turkey, it is to be noted that the degree of assimilation within various ethnic groups outside the recognized minorities is high, with the following generations adding to the melting pot of the Turkish main body. Within that main body, certain distinctions based on diverse Turkic origins could be made as well. Reliable data on the exact ethnic repartition of the population is not available, as the Turkish census figures do not include ethnic or racial figures.<ref name="Turkey_Ethnic_groups">Modèle:Cite book</ref>
Due to a demand for an increased labor force in post-World War II Europe, many Turkish citizens emigrated to Western Europe (particularly West Germany), contributing to the creation of a significant diaspora. Recently, Turkey has also become a destination for numerous immigrants, especially since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the consequent increase of freedom of movement in the region. These immigrants generally migrate from the former Soviet Bloc countries, as well as neighboring Muslim states, either to settle and work in Turkey or to continue their journey towards the European Union.<ref> Kirişçi , Kemal
(November 2003) . Turkey: A Transformation from Emigration to Immigration . Center for European Studies, Bogaziçi University
. Retrieved on 2006-12-26. </ref>
Turkish is the sole official language throughout Turkey. Reliable figures for the linguistic repartition of the populace are not available for reasons similar to those cited above.<ref name="Turkey_Ethnic_groups" /> The public broadcaster TRT broadcasts programs in 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
. Retrieved on 2006-08-10. </ref>
Nominally, 99.8% of the Turkish population is Muslim,<ref> Social values, Science and Technology
(PDF) (English) . Eurobarometer (June 2005)
. Retrieved on 2006-12-19. </ref> of whom over 75% belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. A sizeable minority, about 20% of the Muslim population, is affiliated with the Shi'a Alevi sect.<ref>Modèle:Cite book</ref> The mainstream Hanafite school of Sunni Islam is largely organized by the state, through the Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı (Religious Affairs Directorate), which controls all mosques and Muslim clerics. The remainder of the population belongs to other faiths, particularly Christian denominations (Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Syriac Orthodox), Judaism, Yezidism and Atheism.<ref> United Nations Population Fund
(2006) . Turkey - A Brief Profile . United Nations Population Fund
. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. </ref>
There is a strong tradition of secularism in Turkey. Even though the state has no official religion nor promotes any, it actively monitors the area between the religions. The constitution recognizes freedom of religion for individuals, whereas religious communities are placed under the protection of the state; but the constitution explicitly states that they cannot become involved in the political process (by forming a religious party, for instance) or establish faith-based schools. No party can claim that it represents a form of religious belief; nevertheless, religious sensibilities are generally represented through conservative parties.<ref name="TR_Secularism" /> Turkey prohibits by law the wearing of religious headcover and theo-political symbolic garments for both genders in government buildings, schools, and universities;<ref>"
The Islamic veil across Europe " , British Broadcasting Corporation , 2006-11-17 . Retrieved on 2006-12-13 . </ref> the law was upheld by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights as "legitimate" in Leyla Şahin v. Turkey on November 10 2005.<ref> European Court of Human Rights
(2005-11-10) . Leyla Şahin v. Turkey . ECHR
. Retrieved on 2006-11-30. </ref>
Culture
Turkey has a very diverse culture that is a blend of various elements of the Oğuz Turkic and 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 continues today. This mix is 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
. Retrieved on 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 methods 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, and architecture. Because of different historical factors playing an important role in defining the modern Turkish identity, Turkish culture is a product of efforts to be "modern" and Western, combined with the necessity felt to maintain traditional religious and historical values.<ref name="TR_culture">Modèle:Cite book</ref>
Turkish music and literature form great examples of such a mix of cultural influences. Many schools of music are popular throughout Turkey, from "arabesque" to hip-hop genres, as a result of the interaction between the Ottoman Empire and the Islamic world along with Europe, and thus contributing to a blend of Central Asian Turkic, Islamic and European traditions in modern-day Turkish music.<ref> Cinuçen Tanrıkorur
. The Ottoman music . www.turkmusikisi.com
. Retrieved on 2006-12-12. </ref> Turkish literature was heavily influenced by Arabic and, especially, Persian literature during most of the Ottoman era, though towards the end of the Ottoman Empire the effect of both Turkish folk and Western 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 work of Orhan Pamuk, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature.<ref>"
Pamuk wins Nobel Literature prize " , British Broadcasting Corporation , 2006-10-12 . Retrieved on 2006-12-12 . </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. Since the 18th century, Turkish architecture has been increasingly influenced by Western styles, and this can be particularly seen in Istanbul where buildings like the Blue Mosque and the Dolmabahçe Palace are juxtaposed next to numerous modern skyscrapers, all of them representing different traditions.<ref>Modèle:Cite book</ref>
The most popular sport in Turkey by far is football, with certain professional and national matches drawing tens of millions of viewers on television.<ref> Burak Sansal
(2006) . Sports in Turkey . allaboutturkey.com
. Retrieved on 2006-12-13. </ref> Nevertheless, other sports such as basketball and motorsports (following the inclusion of Istanbul Park on the Formula 1 racing calendar) have also become popular recently. The traditional Turkish national sport has been the Yağlı güreş (Oiled Wrestling) since Ottoman times.<ref> Burak Sansal
(2006) . Oiled Wrestling . allaboutturkey.com
. Retrieved on 2006-12-13. </ref>
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
External links
Modèle:Portal Modèle:Sisterlinks
Government
- Presidency of the Republic
- The Grand National Assembly
- The Prime Minister's Office
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Ministry of Interior Affairs
- Turkish Armed Forces
- Ministry of Defense
- Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Public institutions
- Directorate General of Press and Information
- Turkish Statistical Institute
- Central Bank
- Treasury
- Competition Authority
- Undersecretariat of Customs
- National Intelligence Organisation
- State Planning Organisation
- Turkish Standards Institution
- The Scientific and Technological Research Council
Additional profiles
Other
Modèle:Template group Modèle:Template groupModèle:Link FA Modèle:Link FA
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