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This article is about the Republic of Turkey. For other uses, see Turkey (disambiguation).
Türkiye Cumhuriyeti
Republic of Turkey
Flag of TurkeyEmblem of Turkey
FlagEmblem
Motto: Yurtta Sulh, Cihanda Sulh
Peace at Home, Peace in the World
Anthem: İstiklâl Marşı
The Anthem of Independence
Location of Turkey
Location of Turkey (red)
on the European continent (dark grey)
CapitalAnkara
39°55'48.00′N 32°50′E / <span class="geo-dec geo" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "'" 32.833">Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "'", 32.833
Largest cityIstanbul
Official languagesTurkish
DemonymTurkish
GovernmentParliamentary republic
 - PresidentAbdullah Gül
 - Prime MinisterRecep Tayyip Erdoğan
Successionto the Ottoman Empire² 
 - War of IndependenceMay 19, 1919 
 - Formation of ParliamentApril 23, 1920 
 - Declaration of RepublicOctober 29, 1923 
Area
 - Total783,562 km² (37th)
302,535 sq mi 
 - Water (%)1. The flag of Turkey consists of a white crescent moon and a Star on a Red background The Republic of Turkey does not have an official Coat of arms. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's The İstiklâl Marşı (Independence March is the Turkish National Anthem, officially adopted on March 12, 1921 - two years before Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after İstanbul. As of 2007 the population of Turkey stood at 705 million The Turkish population is relatively young with 25 Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place The Turkish people (Türk Halkı also known as " Turks " ( Türkler) are defined mainly as being speakers of Turkish as a First language For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a Republic which operates under a Parliamentary system of government The President of Turkey ( Cumhurbaşkanı) is the Head of state of the Republic of Turkey. Abdullah Gül PhD GCB, (born October 29, 1950) is the 11th President of the Republic of Turkey, serving in that office since This is a chronological list of Prime Ministers of Turkey, since the establishment of that position in 1920, during the Turkish War of Independence. "Erdoğan" redirects here For the Turkish Helicopter Erdoğan see Kamov Ka-50. The Partitioning of the Ottoman Empire was a political event that occurred after World War I. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Turkish War of Independence (Kurtuluş Savaşı May 19, 1919 October 29, 1923) refers to the political and military resistance developed Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common " The establishment of the Turkish national movement " explains the creation of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar Events 437 - Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor, marries Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of his cousin Theodosius II Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here Surface areas between 100000 km² and 1000000 km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 3
Population
 - 2007 census70,586,256[1] (17th³)
 - Density93/km² (102nd³)
240/sq mi
GDP (PPP)2008 IMF estimate
 - Total$941. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic 6 billion[2] (15th)
 - Per capita$13,511[2] 
GDP (nominal)2008 IMF estimate
 - Total$748. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic 3 billion[2] (17th)
 - Per capita$10,738[2] 
Gini (2005)38 (medium) 
HDI (2007)▲ 0. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 775 (medium) (84th)
CurrencyNew Turkish Lira5 (TRY)
Time zoneEET (UTC+2)
 - Summer (DST)EEST (UTC+3)
Internet TLD.tr
Calling code+90
2Treaty of Lausanne (1923). This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The new lira (yeni türk lirası is the Currency of Turkey. The de facto independent state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus also ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Daylight saving time ( DST A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E The Treaty of Lausanne ( July 24, 1923) was a Peace treaty signed in Lausanne that settled the Anatolian part of the Partitioning
3Population and population density rankings based on 2005 figures.
4Human Development Report 2007/2008, page 230. United Nations Development Programme (2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
5The New Turkish Lira (Yeni Türk Lirası, YTL) replaced the old Turkish Lira on 1 January 2005. The new lira (yeni türk lirası is the Currency of Turkey. The de facto independent state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus also The Lira ( Turkish Türk lirası or TL) was the currency of Turkey until 2005 New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

External Timeline
A graphical timeline is available here:
History of the Republic of Turkey

Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (help·info)), is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in western Asia and Thrace (Rumelia) in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. For the superstate in George Orwell 's novel see Nations of Nineteen Eighty-Four. In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia (largely overlapping with the Middle East) is the southwestern portion of Asia. Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe Rumelia or Rumeli ( Turkish: Rumeli ("Land of the Romans" from Rum: "Greek" "Roman" and El The term Southern Europe can have four definitions geographical political climatic phytogeographic 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 state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (Naxçıvan Muxtar Respublikası Նախիջևանի Ինքնավար Հանրապետություն Нахичеванская Автономная For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية 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. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. The Aegean Islands (Νησιά Αιγαίου Nisiá Aigaíou; Ege Adaları are a group of Islands in the Aegean Sea, with mainland Greece The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey 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. The Sea of Marmara ( Turkish: Marmara Denizi, Greek: Θάλασσα του Μαρμαρά or Προποντίς, Bulgarian The term Turkish Straits (Türk Boğazları in northwestern Turkey refers to the two narrow Straits that connect the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean The Bosporus or Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait, (İstanbul Boğazı (Βόσπορος is a Strait that forms the boundary between the See also [[Hellespont]] The Dardanelles ( Turkish: Çanakkale Boğazı Greek: Δαρδανέλλια Dardanellia) formerly This is a list of countries spanning more than one continent, sometimes referred to as transcontinental states. [3]

Due to its strategic location astride two continents, Turkey's culture has a unique blend of Eastern and Western tradition. The culture of Turkey is diverse combining elements derived from Ottoman, European and Middle Eastern traditions The term Eastern world refers very broadly to the various Cultures social structures and philosophical systems of " the East " Western culture (sometimes equated with Western Civilization) are terms which are used to refer to Cultures of European origin A powerful regional presence in the Eurasian landmass with strong historic, 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. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. [4][5]

Turkey 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. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system A secular state is a State or Country that is officially neutral in matters of Religion, neither supporting nor opposing any particular religious beliefs A unitary state is a State whose three Organs of state are governed Constitutionally as one single unit with one Constitutionally created A constitutional Republic is a State where the Head of state and other officials are elected as representatives of the people and Politics of Turkey takes place in a framework of a strictly secular parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (19 May 1881 &ndash 10 November 1938 was an army officer revolutionary Statesman The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Since then, Turkey has become increasingly integrated with the West through membership in organizations such as the Council of Europe (1949), NATO (1952), OECD (1961), OSCE (1973) and the G20 industrial nations (1999). The Council of Europe (Conseil de l'Europe is the oldest International organisation working towards European integration, being founded in 1949 The North Atlantic Treaty The G20 ( Group of 20) is a group consisting of 19 of the world's largest economies together with the European Union. Turkey began full membership negotiations with the European Union in 2005, having been an associate member since 1963, and having reached a customs union agreement in 1995. Turkey's application to acceede to the European Union (previously the European Communities) was made on 14 April 1987 The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in On 31 December 1995 the customs union between Turkey and the European Union came into effect Meanwhile, Turkey has continued to foster close political, economic and industrial relations with the Eastern world, particularly with the states of the Middle East, Central Asia and East Asia. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south

Contents

Etymology

Main article: Names of Turkey

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,[6] a later form of "Tu–kin", a name given by the Chinese to the people living south of the Altay Mountains of Central Asia as early as 177 BCE;[7] and the abstract suffix –iye (derived from the Arabic suffix –iyya, but is also associated with the Medieval Latin suffix –ia in Turchia, and the Medieval Greek suffix –ία in Τουρκία), which means "owner" or "related to". The English name for Turkey is derived from the Medieval Latin Turchia (c The English name for Turkey is derived from the Medieval Latin Turchia (c Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Old Turkic (also East Old Turkic, Orkhon Turkic, Old Uyghur) is the earliest attested Turkic language, found in inscriptions by the The Turkish people (Türk Halkı also known as " Turks " ( Türkler) are defined mainly as being speakers of Turkish as a First language The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Altai Mountains (Алтай Altay; Алтай 阿尔泰山脉 are a Mountain range in central Asia, where Russia, Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Arabic is a Semitic language See Arabic language for more information on the language in general Medieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the Liturgical language of the medieval Medieval Greek (Μεσαιωνική Ελληνική is a linguistic term that describes the fourth period in the history of the Greek language. 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. An exonym (from Greek el ἔξω exo = out el ὄνομα onoma = name is a name for a place that is not used within that place by the local The Old Turkic script (also Göktürk script, Orkhon script, Orkhon-Yenisey script; Turkish: Orhun Yazıtları, 鄂爾渾文字 Göktürks ( Turkish: Gök Türkler) were a Turkic people of ancient Central Asia. 8th century CE). The English word "Turkey" is derived from the Medieval Latin "Turchia" (c. Medieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the Liturgical language of the medieval 1369). [7]

History

Pre-Turkic history of Anatolia

Main article: History of Anatolia
Portion of the legendary walls of Troy (VII), identified as the site of the Trojan War (ca. 1200 BCE)
Portion of the legendary walls of Troy (VII), identified as the site of the Trojan War (ca. The History of Anatolia encompasses the region known as Anatolia ( Turkish Anadolu) known by the Latin name of Asia Minor, considered to be Troy ( Greek: grc Τροία Troia, also, Ilion; Latin: Trōia, Īlium, Hittite: Wilusa or In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her 1200 BCE)

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. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos Çatalhöyük (ʧɑtɑl højyk in Turkish also Çatal Höyük and Çatal Hüyük, or any of the three without Diacritics çatal is Turkish Çayönü is a Neolithic settlement in southern Turkey inhabited around 7200 to 6600 BC The Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (short PPNA around 9000 BC represents the early Neolithic in the Levantine and upper Mesopotamian region of the Fertile Nevalı Çori was an early Neolithic settlement on the middle Euphrates, in the province of Şanlıurfa (Urfa, eastern Turkey. Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB is a division of the Neolithic developed by Dame Kathleen Kenyon during her Archaeological excavations at Jericho Hacilar is an early human settlement in southwestern Turkey, 25 km southwest of present day Burdur. Göbekli Tepe ( Turkish for "Hill with a Belly") is a hilltop sanctuary built on the highest point of an elongated mountain ridge about 15km northeast This article is about the city of Mersin see Mersin Province, (named İçel province until 2002 for information about the surrounding area [8] The settlement of Troy starts in the Neolithic and continues into the Iron Age. Troy ( Greek: grc Τροία Troia, also, Ilion; Latin: Trōia, Īlium, Hittite: Wilusa or This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. Through recorded history, Anatolians have spoken Indo-European, Semitic and Kartvelian languages, as well as many languages of uncertain affiliation. The Semitic languages are a Language family whose living representatives are spoken by more than 467 million people across much of the Middle East, The South Caucasian languages (also known as Ibero-Caucasian or Kartvelian) are spoken primarily in Georgia, with smaller groups of speakers in Turkey 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. Hittite or Nesili is the Extinct language once spoken by the Hittites, a people who created an empire centered on ancient Hattusas (modern Luwian (sometimes spelled Luvian) is an extinct language of the Anatolian branch of the [9]

The Celsus Library in Ephesus, dating from 135 CE
The Celsus Library in Ephesus, dating from 135 CE

The first major empire in the area was that of the Hittites, from the 18th through the 13th century BCE. Ephesus ( Hittite Apasa; Ancient Greek; Turkish Efes) was a city of ancient Anatolia. The Hittites were an ancient Anatolian people who spoke a language of the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family and established Subsequently, the Phrygians, an Indo-European people, achieved ascendancy until their kingdom was destroyed by the Cimmerians in the 7th century BCE. In antiquity Phrygia (Φρυγία was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. See Cimmeria (Conan or Cimmeria (Poem for the fiction of Robert E [10] The most powerful of Phrygia's successor states were Lydia, Caria and Lycia. Defining Lydia Aside from a legend related by Herodotus, who states that the name Lydia came from king Lydus at the time of the fall of Troy Municipalities of Caria Cramer's detailed catalog of Carian towns in Classical Greece is based entirely on ancient sources "Sidyma" redirects here For the Moth Genus named thus see Sidyma (moth. 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. This article focuses on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic age for the historical aspects see Hellenistic period.

Starting around 1200 BC, the west coast of Anatolia was settled by Aeolian and Ionian Greeks. The Aeolians (Αἰολεῖς were one of the three ancient Greek tribes The Ionians ( Greek:, Iōnes singular) were one of the three populations into which the Ancient Greeks considered the population of Hellenes to have been The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions 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. The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire ( haχɒmaneʃijɒn (558–330 BC was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' [11] 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. This article focuses on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic age for the historical aspects see Hellenistic period. Description Several major cities sat on the fertile shores of the Propontis (which is now known as Sea of Marmara) Nicomedia, Chalcedon, Cius Cappadocia (or Capadocia, Turkish Kapadokya, from Greek: Καππαδοκία / Kappadokía which in turn is from the Persian: Geography The Black Sea region loosely called Pontus by various scholars has a steep rocky coast with rivers that cascade through the gorges of the coastal ranges The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial [12] 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). Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus (27 February ca. 272 &ndash 22 May 337 commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or Saint Constantine This article is about the city See also Byzantine Empire. Byzantium ( Greek: Βυζάντιον Latin: la BYZANTIVM The term " New Rome " has been used in the following contexts Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it became the capital of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire). The Western Roman Empire refers to the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285 the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern [13]

Turks and the Ottoman Empire

Main articles: Turkic migration, History of the Turkish people, Seljuk Empire, and Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power (ca. 1680)
The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power (ca. The Turkic migration as defined in this article was the expansion of the Turkic peoples across most of Central Asia into Europe and the Middle This page is for Turkish people (Turkic people of Turkey history of Turkic peoples can be found under History of the Turkic peoples. The Great Seljuq Empire was a Medieval Sunni Muslim empire established by the Qynyq branch of Oghuz Turks that once controlled The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish 1680)
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) is one of the most famous architectural legacies of the Ottoman Empire
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) is one of the most famous architectural legacies of 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. Ottoman architecture is the Architecture of the Ottoman Empire which emerged in Bursa and Edirne in 14th and 15th centuries The Oghuz (variously known as Ghuzz, Guozz, Kuz, Oguz, Oğuz, Okuz, Oufoi, Ouz, Ouzoi, Muslim history began in Arabia with the Muhammad 's first recitations of the Qur'an in the 7th century The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea. The Aral Sea ( Kazakh: Арал Теңізі Aral Tengizi, Orol dengizi Russian: Аральскοе мοре Tajik / Persian: Daryocha-i For other titles related to and uses of Khan, see that article Origin The title [14] 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 Battle of Manzikert, or Malazgirt, was fought between the Byzantine Empire and Seljuq forces led by Alp Arslan on August 26 1071 near Manzikert Malazgirt (also Malâzgird; Մանզիկերտ Manzikert) is a town in Muş Province in eastern Turkey, with a population of 23697 (year 2000 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. The Great Seljuq Empire was a Medieval Sunni Muslim empire established by the Qynyq branch of Oghuz Turks that once controlled [15]

In 1243, the Seljuk armies were defeated by the Mongols and the power of the empire slowly disintegrated. The Mongol Empire ( Mongolyn Ezent Güren or mn Их Mонгол улс Ikh Mongol Uls; 1206–1368 was the largest contiguous Empire 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. Osman I (1258 Sogut, Anatolia, Turkey &ndash1326 Sogut) Ottoman: عثمان بن أرطغرل Turkish: Osman The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Byzantine Greeks or Byzantines or Romaioi, is a conventional term used by modern historians to refer to the medieval Greek or Hellenized citizens [16]

The Ottoman Empire interacted with both Eastern and Western cultures throughout its 623-year history. The term Eastern world refers very broadly to the various Cultures social structures and philosophical systems of " the East " Western culture (sometimes equated with Western Civilization) are terms which are used to refer to Cultures of European origin In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was among the world's most powerful political entities, often locking horns with the Holy Roman Empire in its steady advance towards Central Europe through the Balkans and the southern part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth on land;[5] and with the combined forces (Holy Leagues) of Habsburg Spain, the Republic of Venice and the Knights of St. John at sea for the control of the Mediterranean basin; while frequently confronting Portuguese fleets at the Indian Ocean for defending the Empire's monopoly over the ancient maritime trade routes between East Asia and Western Europe, which had become increasingly compromised since the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic Habsburg Spain refers to the history of Spain over the 16th and 17th centuries (1516-1700 when this country was ruled by the Habsburg dynasty (also associated to The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta (known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta ( SMOM) Order of Malta Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' The Cape of Good Hope ( Afrikaans: Kaap die Goeie Hoop, Kaap de Goede Hoop Cabo da Boa Esperança Persian Language: دماغه امید نیک

Following years of decline, the Ottoman Empire entered World War I through the Ottoman-German Alliance in 1914, and was ultimately defeated. The military and political events during the decline of the Ottoman Empire covers the era between 1828 to 1908 World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Ottoman-German Alliance was established between the Ottoman Empire and the German Empire on August 2nd 1914 After the war, the victorious Allied Powers sought the dismemberment of the Ottoman state through the Treaty of Sèvres. The Entente Powers (from Triple Entente) were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The Partitioning of the Ottoman Empire was a political event that occurred after World War I. The Treaty of Sèvres ( 10 August 1920) was the Peace treaty between the Ottoman Empire and Allies at the end of World War [16]

Republic era

Main articles: History of the Republic of Turkey and Atatürk's reforms
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey

The occupation of İstanbul and İzmir by the Allies in the aftermath of World War I prompted the establishment of the Turkish national movement. The Republic of Turkey is the Successor state of the Ottoman Empire, created after the overthrow of Sultan Mehmet VI Vahdettin by the Atatürk's Reforms ( Turkish: Atatürk Devrimleri or Atatürk İnkılapları) were a series of significant political legal cultural social and economic Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (19 May 1881 &ndash 10 November 1938 was an army officer revolutionary Statesman The Occupation of İzmir was the rule in the İzmir district by Greek forces under the High Commissioner Aristidis Stergiadis, aligned with the Allied " The establishment of the Turkish national movement " explains the creation of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. [5] 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. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (19 May 1881 &ndash 10 November 1938 was an army officer revolutionary Statesman Pasha or pacha, formerly bashaw, (paşa پاشا ( Persian: پاشا ( Armenian: Փաշա was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire The Turkish War of Independence (Kurtuluş Savaşı May 19, 1919 October 29, 1923) refers to the political and military resistance developed [4] By September 18, 1922, the occupying armies were repelled and the country saw the birth of the new Turkish state. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. On November 1, the newly founded parliament formally abolished the Sultanate, thus ending 623 years of Ottoman rule. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi - TBMM, usually referred to simply as Meclis - "the Parliament" is the Unicameral Sultan (سلطان is an Islamic title with several historical meanings 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. The Treaty of Lausanne ( July 24, 1923) was a Peace treaty signed in Lausanne that settled the Anatolian part of the Partitioning Succession of states is a theory in International relations regarding the recognition and acceptance of a newly created State by other states based on Events 437 - Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor, marries Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of his cousin Theodosius II Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after İstanbul. [5]

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. The President of Turkey ( Cumhurbaşkanı) is the Head of state of the Republic of Turkey. Atatürk's Reforms ( Turkish: Atatürk Devrimleri or Atatürk İnkılapları) were a series of significant political legal cultural social and economic [5] According to the Law on Family Names, the Turkish parliament presented Mustafa Kemal with the honorific name "Atatürk" (Father of the Turks) in 1934. [4]

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. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar [17] 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. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The Greek Civil War (ο Eμφύλιος, "the Civil War" fought from 1946 to 1949 by the Governmental forces receiving logistical support by the United Kingdom The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The term Turkish Straits (Türk Boğazları in northwestern Turkey refers to the two narrow Straits that connect the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean The Truman Doctrine was a proclamation by US President Harry S The doctrine enunciated American intentions to guarantee the security of Turkey and Greece, and resulted in large-scale US military and economic support. [18]

After participating with the 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. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the The Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. Following a decade of intercommunal violence on the island of Cyprus and the subsequent Athens-inspired coup, Turkey intervened militarily in 1974. Cypriot intercommunal violence refers to periods of inter-ethnic conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots on the island of Cyprus from Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on July 20 1974, was a Turkish Military operation against a coup which had been staged by the Cypriot The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on July 20 1974, was a Turkish Military operation against a coup which had been staged by the Cypriot Nine years later Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was established. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus ( TRNC) (Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti KKTC) commonly called Northern Cyprus (Kuzey Kıbrıs though its TRNC is recognised only by Turkey. [19]

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. The single-party period of the Republic of Turkey begins after the Turkish War of Independence with the declaration of the Republic on October 29, 1923. The multi-party period of the Republic of Turkey started with the establishment of the opposition Liberal Republican Party ( Serbest Cumhuriyet Fırkası) by Ali Turkey was affected by violent clashes during the 1970s between Far left and Far right militant groups which culminated in the 1980 military coup. The military coup in Turkey 1960 was a Coup d'etat staged by a group of Turkish army officers against the government of the Democratic Party on May The 1971 Turkish coup d'état, carried out that 12 March, was the second to take place in the Republic of Turkey, coming 11 years after its 1960 predecessor The September 12 1980 Turkish coup d'état, headed by Chief of the General Staff General Kenan Evren, was the third Coup d'etat in the history of The 28 February operation in Turkey was the military overthrowing of the Coalition government led by Necmettin Erbakan of the Welfare Party on [20] 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. [21]

Government and politics

Main articles: Politics of Turkey, Constitution of Turkey, and Elections in Turkey
The Grand Chamber of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara
The Grand Chamber of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara

Turkey is a parliamentary representative democracy. Politics of Turkey takes place in a framework of a strictly secular parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime The current Constitution of Turkey, ratified in 1982 establishes the organization of the government of the Republic of Turkey and sets out the principles and rules of the Turkey elects on the national level a Legislature. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ( Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi) has 550 members elected for The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi - TBMM, usually referred to simply as Meclis - "the Parliament" is the Unicameral Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after İstanbul. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives Since its foundation as a republic in 1923, Turkey has developed a strong tradition of secularism. A secular state is a State or Country that is officially neutral in matters of Religion, neither supporting nor opposing any particular religious beliefs [22] Turkey's constitution governs the legal framework of the country. The current Constitution of Turkey, ratified in 1982 establishes the organization of the government of the Republic of Turkey and sets out the principles and rules of the 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. Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state This is a complete list of Presidents of Turkey consisting of the eleven Heads of state in the country's inception following the Turkish War of Independence The president is elected for a five-year term by direct elections. The last President, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, was elected on May 16, 2000, after having served as the President of the Constitutional Court. Ahmet Necdet Sezer (born September 13, 1941 in Afyonkarahisar) was the tenth President of the Republic of Turkey. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The Constitutional Court of Turkey (Anayasa Mahkemesi is the highest legal body for constitutional review in Turkey. He was succeeded on August 28, 2007 by Abdullah Gül. Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Abdullah Gül PhD GCB, (born October 29, 1950) is the 11th President of the Republic of Turkey, serving in that office since [23] 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. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. This is a chronological list of Prime Ministers of Turkey, since the establishment of that position in 1920, during the Turkish War of Independence. The cabinet (Council of Ministers of Turkey comprises the heads of the major ministries A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi - TBMM, usually referred to simply as Meclis - "the Parliament" is the Unicameral 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. In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State The basics of the legal system in the Republic of Turkey are laid out in Articles 138 to 160 of the 1982 Constitution. The Council of State is the tribunal of last resort for administrative cases, and the High Court of Appeals for all others. The Turkish Council of State (Danıştay is the highest Administrative court in the Republic of Turkey and is based in Ankara. The High Court of Appeals of Turkey ( Yargıtay) is the last instance for reviewing decisions and judgements given by courts of justice and which are not referred by law [24]

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. Political parties in Turkey lists political parties in Turkey. 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. "Erdoğan" redirects here For the Turkish Helicopter Erdoğan see Kamov Ka-50. The Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi or AK Parti, or AKP) is the incumbent Turkish Political party, which describes Turkey's 15th general election was held on November 3, 2002 following the collapse of the DSP-MHP-ANAP coalition led by Bülent Ecevit. [25][26] In the 2007 general elections, the AKP received 46. Turkey's 16th general election was held on July 22 2007 and resulted in a resounding victory for the incumbent Justice and Development Party. 6% of the votes and could defend its majority in parliament. [27] 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 the Economy following the financial crisis of 2001;[28] he is currently the president of the United Nations Development Programme). Kemal Derviş is a Turkish Economist and Politician. He was born on January 10, 1949 in Istanbul to a Turkish father and [29]

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. Universal suffrage (also universal adult suffrage, general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to As of 2004, there were 50 registered political parties in the country, whose ideologies range from the far left to the far right. Political parties in Turkey lists political parties in Turkey. Ultra-left|Radical left|Radicalism (historical|Hard left Far left and extreme left are terms used to discuss the position a group or person occupies within a Political spectrum Far right, extreme right, ultra-right, or radical right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group [30] The Constitutional Court can strip the public financing of political parties that it deems anti-secular or separatist, or ban their existence altogether. Separatism refers to the advocacy of a state of cultural ethnic tribal religious racial or gender separation from the larger group often with demands for greater political autonomy [31][32]

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). Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of Voting systems used in multiple-winner Elections (e Turkey is divided into 81 provinces called iller in Turkish (singular is il, see Turkish alphabet for capitalization of i İzmir, historically Smyrna, is the third most populous city of Turkey and the country's largest port after İstanbul. 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. In Parliamentary systems a hung parliament is one in which no one Political party has an outright majority and means it is most commonly equally balanced In Party-list proportional representation systems an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes either [30] As a result of this threshold, the 2007 elections saw three parties formally entering the parliament (compared to two in 2002). [33][34] However, due to a system of alliances and independent candidatures, seven parties are currently represented in the parliament. Independent candidates may run; however, they must also win at least 10% of the vote in their circonscription to be elected. [30]

Foreign relations

Main articles: Foreign relations of Turkey and Accession of Turkey to the European Union
Roosevelt, İnönü and Churchill at the Second Cairo Conference in December 1943
Roosevelt, İnönü and Churchill at the Second Cairo Conference in December 1943

Turkey is a founding member of the United Nations (1945), the OECD (1961), the OSCE (1973) and the G20 industrial nations (1999). Foreign relations of the Republic of Turkey are the Turkish government's policies in its external relations with the International community. Turkey's application to acceede to the European Union (previously the European Communities) was made on 14 April 1987 Mustafa İsmet İnönü ( September 24 1884 &ndash December 25, 1973) was a Turkish Army General, Prime Minister Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 The Second Cairo Conference (codenamed "SEXTANT" of December 4 – December 6, 1943, held in Cairo, Egypt, addressed The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The G20 ( Group of 20) is a group consisting of 19 of the world's largest economies together with the European Union.

Turkey is a founding member of the Council of Europe, since 1949
Turkey is a founding member of the Council of Europe, since 1949
Turkey is among the earliest members of NATO, since 1952
Turkey is among the earliest members of NATO, since 1952

In line with its traditional Western orientation, relations with Europe have always been a central part of Turkish foreign policy. The Council of Europe (Conseil de l'Europe is the oldest International organisation working towards European integration, being founded in 1949 The North Atlantic Treaty 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. The Council of Europe (Conseil de l'Europe is the oldest International organisation working towards European integration, being founded in 1949 The European Community (EC is one of the Three pillars of the European Union (EU created under the Maastricht Treaty (1992 The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in 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. The Western European Union ( WEU) is a partially dormant European defence and security organization established on the basis of the Treaty of Brussels of 1948 On 31 December 1995 the customs union between Turkey and the European Union came into effect Turkey's application to acceede to the European Union (previously the European Communities) was made on 14 April 1987 Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [35] 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. [36] These include disputes with EU member Republic of Cyprus over Turkey's 1974 military intervention to prevent the island's annexation to Greece. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía For the Genus of Grass skipper Butterflies, see Enosis (butterfly. 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. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus ( TRNC) (Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti KKTC) commonly called Northern Cyprus (Kuzey Kıbrıs though its [37]

The other defining aspect of Turkey's foreign relations has been its ties with the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 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. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The North Atlantic Treaty Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the 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 NATO air base near the Turkish border with Syria and Iraq for U. Incirlik Air Base (İncirlik Hava Üssü, an important air base in NATO 's Southern Region is located in İncirlik, 12 km east of Adana, S. operations in the region, Turkey's status as a secular democracy and its positive relations with Israel made Ankara a crucial ally for Washington. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. 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.

Since the late 1980s, Turkey began to increasingly cooperate with the leading economies of East Asia, particularly with Japan and South Korea, on a large number of industrial sectors; ranging from the co-production of automotive and other transportation equipment, such as high-speed train sets, to electronical goods, home appliances, construction materials and military hardware. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː

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. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south [38] The most salient of these relations saw the completion of a multi billion dollar oil and natural gas pipeline from Baku in Azerbaijan to the port of Ceyhan in Turkey. Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South 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. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is a crude oil pipeline from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli Oil field in the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean However, Turkey's border with Armenia, a state in the Caucasus, remains closed following its occupation of Azeri territory during the Nagorno-Karabakh War. The Nagorno-Karabakh War refers to the armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small ethnic Enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh [39] Relations with Armenia have been further strained by the controversy surrounding the forced deportations and related deaths of hundreds 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. Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction in whole or in part of an ethnic racial religious or national group [40]

Military

Main articles: Turkish Armed Forces and Conscription in Turkey
A KC-135R-CRAG Stratotanker of the Turkish Air Force refueling TAI-built F-16 fighter jets
A KC-135R-CRAG Stratotanker of the Turkish Air Force refueling TAI-built F-16 fighter jets

The Turkish Armed Forces consists of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF (Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri or TSK consist of the Army, the Navy (including naval aviation and naval infantry and the Air Force In Turkey, compulsory military service applies to all male citizens from twenty to forty one years of age (with some exceptions WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling ( IFR) air-to-air refueling ( AAR) or tanking, is Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF (Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri or TSK consist of the Army, the Navy (including naval aviation and naval infantry and the Air Force The Turkish Army ( Turkish: Türk Kara Kuvvetleri) is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. The Turkish Navy (Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. The Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. 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. The Turkish Coast Guard ( Ottoman Turkish: Rusumet Emaneti Teşkilatı, Turkish: Sahil Güvenlik Komutanlığı) is a branch of [41]

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. For the military meaning see Armed forces. For the Soviet sports society see Armed Forces (sports society Armed Forces The North Atlantic Treaty The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States [42] 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). The militaries of the world have a variety of responses to Gays Lesbians and Bisexuals Most Western military forces have now removed policies excluding sexual [43]

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

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. The MEKO family of Warships was developed by the German company Blohm + Voss. The Turkish Navy (Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been A tank is a tracked, Armoured fighting vehicle designed for Front-line combat which combines Operational mobility and tactical A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed History Since 400 AD Chinese children have played with bamboo flying toys. A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability A warship is a Ship that is built and primarily intended for Combat. An assault rifle is a Selective fire Rifle or Carbine (not to be confused with a semi-automatic only replica firing Ammunition with muzzle [44] 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. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout [45]

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. Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian 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. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, The War in Afghanistan, which began on October 7 2001 as the U International Security Assistance Force (10 ( ISAF) is a NATO -led security and development mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations [46][47] 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. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, was created by the United Nations, with the adoption of Security Council Resolution Background See also Israel-Lebanon conflict The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO had engaged in cross-border attacks from Southern Lebanon [48]

The Chief of the General Staff is appointed by the President, and is responsible to the Prime Minister. The Chief of the General Staff in Turkey is a military officer of the rank of General who presides over the General Staff of the Turkish Armed 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. [41] 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. General Mehmet Yaşar Büyükanıt (b September 1, 1940) was the 25th Chief of the Turkish General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces General Hilmi Özkök (born 1940 in Turgutlu, Manisa Province) was the 24th Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces. Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. [49]

The Turkish military has traditionally held a powerful position in domestic Turkish politics, considering itself the guardian of Turkey's secular democracy. [50] 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. [50]

Administrative divisions

Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, connecting Europe (left) and Asia (right)
Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, connecting Europe (left) and Asia (right)
Main articles: Regions of Turkey, Provinces of Turkey, Districts of Turkey, and List of cities in Turkey

The capital city of Turkey is Ankara. The Bosphorus Bridge, also called the First Bosphorus Bridge ( Turkish: Boğaziçi Köprüsü or 1 The provinces of Turkey are organized into 7 census-defined regions ( bölge) which were originally defined at the First Geography Congress in 1941 Turkey is divided into 81 provinces called iller in Turkish (singular is il, see Turkish alphabet for capitalization of i The 81 provinces of Turkey are divided into 923 Districts ( ilçeler; sing This is a list of cities in Turkey by population Included are cities that are provincial capitals or have a population of at least 7000 Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after İstanbul. 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. The provinces of Turkey are organized into 7 census-defined regions ( bölge) which were originally defined at the First Geography Congress in 1941 A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population 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). Hatay is a province of southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast with Syria to the south and east Antakya (انطاكية Anṭākyä; Ἀντιόχεια Antiókheia or Antiócheia) is the seat of the Hatay Province in southern Kocaeli is a province of Turkey. Its capital is İzmit, which is sometimes referred to as Kocaeli itself İzmit (ancient Nicomedia) is a city in Turkey, administrative center of Kocaeli Province as well as the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Sakarya is a city and province of the same name in Turkey, located on the coast of Black Sea. Adapazarı is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of Sakarya Province. Provinces with the largest populations are İstanbul (+12 million), Ankara (+4. Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey Ankara Province (Ankara ili in central Turkey is the location of the country's capital the city of Ankara. 4 million), İzmir (+3. İzmir is a province of Turkey in western Anatolia on the Aegean coast whose capital is the city of Izmir. 7 million), Bursa (+2. Bursa is a province in western Turkey, along the Sea of Marmara. 4 million), Adana (+2. Adana Province is a province with a surface area of 14030 km² located in the Mediterranean region of southern Turkey. 0 million) and Konya (+1. Konya is a Province of Turkey located in central Anatolia. The provincial Capital is the City of Konya. 9 million).

The biggest city and the pre-Republican capital İstanbul is the financial, economic and cultural heart of the country. Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey [51] Other important cities include İzmir, Bursa, Adana, Trabzon, Malatya, Gaziantep, Erzurum, Kayseri, Kocaeli, Konya, Mersin, Eskişehir, Diyarbakır, Antalya and Samsun. İzmir, historically Smyrna, is the third most populous city of Turkey and the country's largest port after İstanbul. Bursa (historically also known as Prussa, Greek: Προύσα and later as Brusa) is a city in northwestern Turkey and the seat Adana (the ancient Antioch in Cilicia or Antioch on the Sarus) is the capital of Adana Province in Turkey. Trabzon ( Greek: Τραπεζούντα, Trapezounta) is a city on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey and the capital of Malatya ( Hittite: Melid; Greek: Μαλάτεια Malateia; Armenian: Մալաթիա Malatia; Kurdish: Theodosiopolis redirects here it is also a name of the ancient city of Apros, Thrace Kayseri ( Ottoman Turkish:قیصریه Greek: Καισάρεια / Kaisareia: Latin: Caesarea Mazaca Zazaish Kocaeli is a province of Turkey. Its capital is İzmit, which is sometimes referred to as Kocaeli itself Konya ( قونیه; also Koniah, Konieh, Konia, and Qunia; historically also known as Iconium ( Latin This article is about the city of Mersin see Mersin Province, (named İçel province until 2002 for information about the surrounding area Eskişehir ( eskē'shehēr, Eskişehir "Old City" Latin: Dorylaeum; Greek: Δορύλαιον Dorylaion) is a city Diyarbakır (دیاربکر Diyâr-i Bekr 'land of the Bekr ' (from Persian) Kurdish Amed Zazaki language Dêrbekir Syriac Antalya (formerly known as Adalia; from Pamphylian Greek: Αττάλεια Attália) is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Samsun ( Greek: Σαμψούντα, Samsounta, Amisos) is a city in northern Turkey, on the coast of the Black An estimated 70. 5% of Turkey's population live in urban centers. [52] 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.

Ankara
Kırklareli
Edirne
Tekirdağ
Çanakkale
Balıkesir
Bursa
Yalova
İstanbul
Kocaeli
Sakarya
Düzce
Zonguldak
Bolu
Bilecik
Eskişehir
Kütahya
Manisa
İzmir
Aydın
Muğla
Denizli
Burdur
Uşak
Afyon
Isparta
Antalya
Konya
Mersin
Karaman
Aksaray
Kırşehir
Kırıkkale
Çankırı
Karabük
Bartın
Kastamonu
Sinop
Çorum
Yozgat
Nevşehir
Niğde
Adana
Hatay
Osmaniye
K. Maraş
Kayseri
Sivas
Tokat
Amasya
Samsun
Ordu
Giresun
Erzincan
Malatya
Gaziantep
Kilis
Şanlıurfa
Adıyaman
Gümüşhane
Trabzon
Rize
Bayburt
Erzurum
Artvin
Ardahan
Kars
Ağrı
Iğdır
Tunceli
Elâzığ
Diyarbakır
Mardin
Batman
Siirt
Şırnak
Bitlis
Bingöl
Muş
Van
Hakkâri


Major provinces:

(Population figures are given according to the 2007 census)[53]

Geography and climate

Main articles: Geography of Turkey and Environmental issues in Turkey
Ölüdeniz near Fethiye in the Turkish Riviera
Ölüdeniz near Fethiye in the Turkish Riviera

Turkey is a transcontinental[54] Eurasian country. Ankara Province (Ankara ili in central Turkey is the location of the country's capital the city of Ankara. Kırklareli is a province in northwestern Turkey on the west coast of the Black Sea. Edirne is the westernmost province of Turkey, located in Eastern Thrace along the Greek border Tekirdağ province is in Trakya ( Thrace) the northwestern part of Turkey. Çanakkale is a province of Turkey, located in the northwestern part of the country Balıkesir is a province in midwestern Turkey, having coastlines on both the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean. Bursa is a province in western Turkey, along the Sea of Marmara. Yalova Province is a province in northwestern Turkey, on the eastern coast of the Sea of Marmara. Istanbul Province is a province located in north-west Turkey. Kocaeli is a province of Turkey. Its capital is İzmit, which is sometimes referred to as Kocaeli itself Sakarya is a city and province of the same name in Turkey, located on the coast of Black Sea. Düzce is a province in northwestern Turkey. It is on the coastline of the Black Sea and is traversed by the main Highway between İstanbul Zonguldak is a province along the western Black Sea coast region of Turkey. Bolu is a province in north western in the Black Sea region of Turkey, midpoint between the large cities of Istanbul and Ankara. Bilecik is a province in midwest Turkey, neighboring Bursa to the east Kocaeli and Sakarya to the north Bolu to the west Eskişehir Eskişehir (literal meaning old town) is a province in northwestern Turkey. Kütahya is a province of Turkey. It is 11889 km² in size and the population is 684082 (2006 est Manisa Province is a province in western Turkey. Its neighboring provinces are İzmir to the west Aydın to the south Denizli to İzmir is a province of Turkey in western Anatolia on the Aegean coast whose capital is the city of Izmir. Aydın is a province of southwestern Turkey, located in the Aegean Region. Muğla is a province of Turkey, as the country's south-western corner on the Aegean Sea. Denizli is a province of Turkey in Western Anatolia, on high ground above the Aegean coast Burdur is a province of Turkey, located in the southwest and bordering Muğla and Antalya to the South Denizli to the West Afyon Uşak (from Uşşak meaning "lovers" is a province in western Turkey. Afyonkarahisar (also called more simply Afyon) is a province in western Turkey. Isparta is a province in southwestern Turkey. Its adjacent provinces are Afyon to the northwest Burdur to the southwest Antalya Antalya Province is located on the Mediterranean coast of south-west Turkey, between the Taurus Mountains and the Mediterranean sea. Konya is a Province of Turkey located in central Anatolia. The provincial Capital is the City of Konya. Mersin province is in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast between Antalya and Adana. Karaman is a province of central Turkey. It has an area of 9163 km². Aksaray is a province in central Turkey. Its adjacent provinces are Konya along the west and south Niğde to the southeast Nevşehir Kırşehir Province is located in central Turkey, forming part of the central Anatolian region Kırıkkale is a province of Turkey. It is located on the crossroads of major highways east of Ankara leading east to the Black Sea region Çankırı is a province of Turkey, which lies close to the capital Ankara. Karabük is a province in northern central Turkey. The main city is Karabük which is located about 200 km north of Ankara and about Bartın is a small province in northern Turkey on the Black Sea, surrounding the city of Bartın Kastamonu is one of the provinces of Turkey, in the Black Sea region to the north of the country Sinop is a province of Turkey, along the Black Sea. It is located between 41 and 42 degrees North latitude and between 34 and 35 degrees East longitude Çorum is a province in the Black Sea region of Turkey, but lying inland and having more characteristics of Central Anatolia than the Black Sea coast Yozgat is a province in central Turkey. Its adjacent provinces are Çorum to the northwest Kırıkkale to the west Kırşehir to Nevşehir is a province in central Turkey with its capital in Nevşehir. Niğde is a small rural province in the southern part of Central Anatolia Turkey. Adana Province is a province with a surface area of 14030 km² located in the Mediterranean region of southern Turkey. Hatay is a province of southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast with Syria to the south and east Osmaniye is a Turkish province located in southern Turkey. It became a province in 1996. Kahramanmaraş (or simply Maraş) is a province of Turkey. Its provincial capital is Kahramanmaraş city, the traffic code is 46 The Kayseri Province, in central Turkey, is an area that has been linked with mythological stories as well as important figures in Turkish history. The province of Sivas is located at the eastern part of the Central Anatolian region of Turkey; it is the second largest province in Turkey Tokat is a province in northern Turkey. Its adjacent provinces are Amasya to the northwest Yozgat to the southwest Sivas to the Amasya is a province of Turkey, situated on the Yeşil River in the Black Sea Region to the north of the country Samsun is a province of Turkey on the Black Sea coast with a population of 1209137 (2000 Ordu is a province of Turkey, located on the Black Sea coast Its adjacent provinces are Samsun to the northwest Tokat to the Giresun is a province of Turkey on the Black Sea coast Its adjacent provinces are Trabzon to the east Gümüşhane to the south-west Erzincan Province is a Province on the Eastern region of Anatolia, Turkey and home to Erzincan, a city which was destroyed and rebuilt after an earthquake Malatya Province is a province of Turkey. It is part of a larger mountainous area Gaziantep is a province in south-central Turkey. Its capital is the city of Gaziantep which had a population of 853513 as of 2000 History There is evidence of human occupation from 4000 years ago in the Middle Bronze Age. Şanlıurfa ( Syriac: Urhoy,: urfa,: ar-Rûha is a province in Southeast Anatolia, Turkey. Adıyaman is a province in south-central Turkey. The province was created in 1954 out of part of Malatya Province. Gümüşhane Province is a province in northern Turkey, bordering Bayburt to the east Trabzon to the north Giresun and Erzincan Trabzon is a province of Turkey on the Black Sea coast Located in a strategically important region Trabzon is of the oldest Trade Port Rize is a province of north-east Turkey, on the eastern Black Sea coast between Trabzon and Artvin. Bayburt Province is a political province in the north-east of Turkey with capital Bayburt. The Province of Erzurum ( Arzen in antiquity Karin in ancient Armenian, Theodosiupolis or Theodosiopolis during Artvin is a province in Turkey, on the Black Sea coast in the north-eastern corner of the country on the border with Georgia (country. Ardahan Province is a province in the far north-east of Turkey, at the very end of the country where Turkey borders with Georgia and Armenia. Kars is a province (il of Turkey, located in the northeastern part of the country Ağrı ( Armenian: Արարատի is a province on the eastern borders of Turkey, bordering Iran to the east Kars to the North Erzurum Iğdır (Iğdır Îdir Իգդիր İğdır Игдир ایگدیر is a province in eastern Turkey, located along the border with Armenia, Azerbaijan Tunceli ( Zazaki: Dêrsım, is a province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. Elazığ Province is a Province of Turkey with its seat in the City of Elazığ. Diyarbakır is a province in eastern Turkey. The province covers an area of 15355 km² and the population is 1494321 Mardin Province ( Syriac: ܡܶܪܕܺܝܢ Merdin; Kurdish: Mêrdîn Arabic: مردين Mardīn) is a province of Turkey Batman (short for the Bati Raman mountains is a Turkish province in the predominantly Kurdish southeast of Anatolia. Siirt (Sêrt is a province of Turkey, located in the southeast Şırnak is a Turkish province in southeastern Anatolia. It has a population of 403607 (2006 est Bitlis is a province of eastern Turkey, located to the west of Lake Van. Bingöl Province is a province of Turkey in Eastern Anatolia. Muş is a province in eastern Turkey. It is 8196 km² in area and has a population of 488997 (2006 est Van is a province in eastern Turkey, between Lake Van and the Iranian border Hakkâri is a province in the southeast corner of Turkey, located at the juncture of Iraq and Iran. Istanbul Province is a province located in north-west Turkey. Ankara Province (Ankara ili in central Turkey is the location of the country's capital the city of Ankara. İzmir is a province of Turkey in western Anatolia on the Aegean coast whose capital is the city of Izmir. Bursa is a province in western Turkey, along the Sea of Marmara. Adana Province is a province with a surface area of 14030 km² located in the Mediterranean region of southern Turkey. Konya is a Province of Turkey located in central Anatolia. The provincial Capital is the City of Konya. Antalya Province is located on the Mediterranean coast of south-west Turkey, between the Taurus Mountains and the Mediterranean sea. Mersin province is in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast between Antalya and Adana. Gaziantep is a province in south-central Turkey. Its capital is the city of Gaziantep which had a population of 853513 as of 2000 Şanlıurfa ( Syriac: Urhoy,: urfa,: ar-Rûha is a province in Southeast Anatolia, Turkey. Diyarbakır is a province in eastern Turkey. The province covers an area of 15355 km² and the population is 1494321 Kocaeli is a province of Turkey. Its capital is İzmit, which is sometimes referred to as Kocaeli itself Hatay is a province of southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast with Syria to the south and east Manisa Province is a province in western Turkey. Its neighboring provinces are İzmir to the west Aydın to the south Denizli to Samsun is a province of Turkey on the Black Sea coast with a population of 1209137 (2000 Turkey is situated in Anatolia and Southeastern Europe (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosphorus is geographically part of Europe and Anatolia The main Environmental issues in Turkey are Water pollution from the dumping of chemicals and detergents Air pollution, particularly in urban Ölüdeniz is a small resort village in the Muğla Province on the South West coast of Turkey on the Aegean Sea to the south and the high steep sided Fethiye is a City and district of Muğla Province in the Aegean region of Turkey with about 68000 Inhabitants The Turkish Riviera (also known as "The Turquoise Coast" is a popular term used to define an area of southwest Turkey encompassing Antalya, Muğla This is a list of countries spanning more than one continent, sometimes referred to as transcontinental states. For the superstate in George Orwell 's novel see Nations of Nineteen Eighty-Four. In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity Asian Turkey (made up largely of Anatolia), which includes 97% of the country, is separated from European Turkey by the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles (which together form a water link between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean). Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black The Bosporus or Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait, (İstanbul Boğazı (Βόσπορος is a Strait that forms the boundary between the The Sea of Marmara ( Turkish: Marmara Denizi, Greek: Θάλασσα του Μαρμαρά or Προποντίς, Bulgarian See also [[Hellespont]] The Dardanelles ( Turkish: Çanakkale Boğazı Greek: Δαρδανέλλια Dardanellia) formerly The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey European Turkey (eastern Thrace or Rumelia in the Balkan peninsula) includes 3% of the country. For Turkey in the European Union see Accession of Turkey to the European Union European Turkey or Turkey in Europe was the term used Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe Rumelia or Rumeli ( Turkish: Rumeli ("Land of the Romans" from Rum: "Greek" "Roman" and El [55] 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. [51] Turkey's area, inclusive of lakes, occupies 783,562[56] 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. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia (largely overlapping with the Middle East) is the southwestern portion of Asia. [51] Turkey's area makes it the world's 37th-largest country, and is about the size of Metropolitan France and the United Kingdom combined. This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. Metropolitan France (France métropolitaine or la Métropole, or colloquially l'Hexagone) is the part of France located in Europe, including The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located 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. Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey Turkey also contains the Sea of Marmara in the northwest. The Sea of Marmara ( Turkish: Marmara Denizi, Greek: Θάλασσα του Μαρμαρά or Προποντίς, Bulgarian [57]

The European section of Turkey, in the northwest, is Eastern Thrace, and forms the borders of Turkey with Greece and Bulgaria. East Thrace, or Eastern Thrace (Източна Тракия Iztochna Trakiya; Ανατολική Θράκη or Turkish Thrace, is the part of the modern 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. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black For the Taurus Mountains on the moon see Montes Taurus. For Mount Taurus outside Cold Spring New York, see Bull Hill. 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 ft). The Euphrates ( ( Arabic: ar نهر الفرات; Turkish: tr Fırat Syriac: syr ܦܪܬ; Hebrew: he פרת The Tigris is the eastern member of the two great Rivers that define Mesopotamia, along with the Euphrates, which flows from the mountains of southeastern Lake Van (Van Gölü Gola Wanê Վանա լիճ Daryacheye Van ("Lake of Van" is the largest Lake Mount Ararat (see section Names for other names is the tallest peak in Turkey. [57][58]

Turkey is geographically divided into seven regions: Marmara, Aegean, Black Sea, Central Anatolia, Eastern Anatolia, Southeastern Anatolia and the Mediterranean. The Mediterranean Region (Akdeniz Bölgesi is one of the seven geographical regions of Turkey. 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. [57]

Mt. Ararat is the highest peak in Turkey at 5,165 m (16,946 ft)
Mt. Ararat 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. Mount Ararat (see section Names for other names is the tallest peak in Turkey. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the The Bosporus and the Dardanelles owe their existence to the fault lines running through Turkey that led to the creation of the Black Sea. The Bosporus or Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait, (İstanbul Boğazı (Βόσπορος is a Strait that forms the boundary between the See also [[Hellespont]] The Dardanelles ( Turkish: Çanakkale Boğazı Greek: Δαρδανέλλια Dardanellia) formerly In Geology a fault, or fault line, is a planar rock fracture which shows evidence of relative movement There is an earthquake fault line across the north of the country from west to east, which caused a major earthquake in 1999. The 1999 İzmit Earthquake was an approximately 76 magnitude earthquake that struck northwestern Turkey on August 17, 1999 [59]

The coastal areas of Turkey bordering the Mediterranean Sea have a temperate Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild, wet and cold winters. A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide 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. Continental climate is a Climate that is characterized by Winter Temperatures cold enough to support a fixed period of Snow cover each Year A season is one of the major divisions of the Year, generally based on yearly periodic changes in Weather. 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. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 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. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. 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. [60]

Economy

Main articles: Economy of Turkey and Economic history of Turkey
Levent financial district in Istanbul
Levent financial district in Istanbul

Turkey is a founding member of the OECD and the G20 industrial nations. Turkey 's Economy is a complex mix of traditional Craftsmanship and modern industries, increasingly dominated by the latter This article details the economic history of the Republic of Turkey. Levent is one of the main business districts of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European side of the city Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey The G20 ( Group of 20) is a group consisting of 19 of the world's largest economies together with the European Union.

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. Statism (or Etatism) is a very loose and often Derogatory term that is used to describe Specific instances of state intervention in personal social Foreign direct investment ( FDI) in its classic definition is defined as a company from one country making a physical investment into building a factory in another country 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. Halil Turgut Özal ( October 13, 1927 &ndash April 17, 1993) was a Turkish liberal political leader Prime minister A market economy is a realized Social system based on the Division of labour in which the prices of Goods and Services are determined in a [21] 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),[61] and 2001,[62] resulting in an average of 4% GDP growth per annum between 1981 and 2003. A recession is a contraction phase of the Business cycle. The U [63] 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. The public sector is the part of economic and administrative life that deals with the delivery of goods and services by and for the Government, whether national Regional A budget deficit occurs when an Entity (often a Government) spends more Money than it takes in Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain In economics inflation or price inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services over a period of time As of September 2006 the size of the banking industry is 882% of total financial sector in Turkey Macroeconomics is a branch of Economics that deals with the performance structure and behavior of a national or regional Economy as a whole [64]

Maslak financial district in Istanbul
Maslak financial district in Istanbul

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. Maslak is one of the main Business districts of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European side of the city Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey Kemal Derviş is a Turkish Economist and Politician. He was born on January 10, 1949 in Istanbul to a Turkish father and The IMF forecasts a 6% inflation rate for Turkey in 2008. The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic [65] 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. Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business [66] According to Forbes magazine, Istanbul, Turkey's financial capital, had a total of 35 billionaires as of March 2008 (up from 25 in 2007), ranking 4th in the world behind Moscow (74 billionaires), New York City (71 billionaires) and London (36 billionaires), while ranking above Hong Kong (30 billionaires), Los Angeles (24 billionaires), Mumbai (20 billionaires), San Francisco (19 billionaires), Dallas (15 billionaires) and Tokyo (15 billionaires). Forbes is an American Publishing and media company Its flagship publication Forbes magazine is published bi-weekly Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of The City of New York London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. [67]

TCDD high speed train
TCDD high speed train

The GDP growth rate from 2002 to 2007 averaged 7. The Turkish State Railways started building High-speed rail lines in 2003 4%,[68][69] which made Turkey one of the fastest growing economies in the world during that period. The World Bank forecasts a 5. The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e 4% GDP growth rate for Turkey in 2008. [70] 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. In 2007, the agricultural sector accounted for 8. 9% of the GDP, while the industrial sector accounted for 30. 8% and the services sector accounted for 59. 3%. [71] The tourism sector has experienced rapid growth in the last twenty years, and constitutes an important part of the economy. In 2007, there were 27,214,988 visitors to the country, who contributed 18. Tourism in Turkey is focused largely on a variety of archaeological and historical sites and on Seaside resorts along its Aegean and Mediterranean 5 billion USD to Turkey's revenues. [72] Other key sectors of the Turkish economy are banking, construction, automotive, home appliances, electronics, textiles, oil refining, petrochemical products, food, mining, iron and steel, and machine industry.

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). New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Lira ( Turkish Türk lirası or TL) was the currency of Turkey until 2005 The new lira (yeni türk lirası is the Currency of Turkey. The de facto independent state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus also [73] As a result of continuing economic reforms, inflation has dropped to 8. 2% in 2005, and the unemployment rate to 10. 3%. [74] 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%. [75]

Esenboğa International Airport in Ankara
Esenboğa International Airport in Ankara

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. Esenboğa International Airport ( Ankara Esenboğa Havalimanı or Esenboğa Uluslararası Havalimanı) is an Airport in Ankara, the Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after İstanbul. On 31 December 1995 the customs union between Turkey and the European Union came into effect [76] 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. [77] For 2006, the exports amounted to 85. 8 billion USD, representing an increase of 16,8% over 2005. [78] In 2007 the exports reached 110. 5 billion USD[79] (main export partners: Germany 11. 2%, UK 8%, Italy 6. 95%, France 5. 6%, Spain 4. 3%, USA 3. 88%; total EU exports 56. 5%. ) However, larger imports amounting to about 156. 9 billion USD[80] threaten the balance of trade (main import partners: Russia 13. 8%, Germany 10. 3%, China 7. 8%, Italy 6%, USA 4. 8%, France 4. 6%, Iran 3. 9%, UK 3. 2%; total EU imports 40. 4%; total Asia imports 27%). [81][82]

After years of low levels of foreign direct investment (FDI), Turkey succeeded in attracting 21. Foreign direct investment ( FDI) in its classic definition is defined as a company from one country making a physical investment into building a factory in another country 9 billion USD in FDI in 2007 and is expected to attract a higher figure in following years. [83] 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. Turkey's application to acceede to the European Union (previously the European Communities) was made on 14 April 1987 [66]

Demographics

Main articles: Demographics of Turkey, Turkish people, Immigration to Turkey, Religion in Turkey, and Secularism in Turkey
İstiklal Avenue in Istanbul's cosmopolitan Beyoğlu district
İstiklal Avenue in Istanbul's cosmopolitan Beyoğlu district

As of 2007, the population of Turkey stood at 70. As of 2007 the population of Turkey stood at 705 million The Turkish population is relatively young with 25 The Turkish people (Türk Halkı also known as " Turks " ( Türkler) are defined mainly as being speakers of Turkish as a First language Since the 19th century an Exodus by the large portion of Turkish ( Turkic) and Muslim peoples (who are termed " Muhacir " under Islam is the largest religion of Turkey More than 99 percent of the population is Muslim, mostly Sunni. Secularism in Turkey was introduced with the Turkish Constitution of 1924 and later the Atatürk's Reforms set the administrative and political requirements to create İstiklal Avenue ( Turkish: İstiklal Caddesi, Greek: Μεγάλη Οδός του Πέραν, French: Grand Rue de Pera Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey Beyoğlu is a district located on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city (historic peninsula of Constantinople) by the 5 million with a growth rate of 1. 04 % per annum. The average population density (the number of persons per square kilometer) is 92 in Turkey; this changes between 11 and 2,420 in the country's provinces. Turkey is divided into 81 provinces called iller in Turkish (singular is il, see Turkish alphabet for capitalization of i Istanbul Province has the highest population density with 2,420 persons per square kilometer. Istanbul Province is a province located in north-west Turkey. The proportion of the population living in cities is 70. 5 %. Half of Turkey's population is below the age of 28. 3. Persons within the 15-64 age group, i. e. the working ages, constitute 66. 5 % of the total population. The 0-14 age group corresponds to 26. 4 % of Turkey's population; while senior citizens with 65 years of age or older correspond to 7. 1 % of the total population. [84] According to statistics released by the government in 2005, life expectancy stands at 68. Life expectancy is the average number of years of life remaining at a given age 9 years for men and 73. 8 years for women, with an overall average of 71. 3 years for the populace as a whole. [85] Education is compulsory and free from ages 6 to 15. The Turkish Education System was built in accordance with the Atatürk's Reforms after the Turkish War of Independence. The literacy rate is 95. traditional definition of literacy is considered to be the ability to read and write or the ability to use Language to read, write, listen, 3% for men and 79. 6% for women, with an overall average of 87. 4%. [86] The relatively low figure for women is mainly due to the prevailing feudal attitudes in the rural areas of the country, particularly in the southeastern provinces. [87]

Bağdat Avenue in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul, on the Anatolian side, is a popular high street
Bağdat Avenue in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul, on the Anatolian side, is a popular high street

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. Bağdat Avenue (Bağdat Caddesi literally Baghdad Avenue) is a notable High street located in the Anatolian part of İstanbul, Turkey See Kadikoi for the village on the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine. Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black The current Constitution of Turkey, ratified in 1982 establishes the organization of the government of the Republic of Turkey and sets out the principles and rules of the Turkish nationality law, is based primarily on the principle of Jus sanguinis. The majority of the Turkish population are of Turkish ethnicity. The Turkish people (Türk Halkı also known as " Turks " ( Türkler) are defined mainly as being speakers of Turkish as a First language Other major ethnic groups include the Kurds, Circassians, Zazas, Bosnians, Georgians, Albanians, Roma, Arabs and the three officially-recognized minorities (per the Treaty of Lausanne) of Greeks, Armenians and Jews. The Kurds in Turkey ( Kurdish: Kurdên li Tirkiye, Turkish: Türkiye'deki Kürtler) are an Indo-European people first mentioned Circassians is a term derived from the Turkic Cherkess ( Çerkes) and is not the self-designation of any people The Zazas or Dimilis are an Iranic (Aryan ethnic group and an ethnic minority in Turkey. This is page about Bosnians (as citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina) The Georgians (ქართველები kartvelebi) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus, the oldest group of the } Albanians (Shqiptarët are an Ethnic group and a Nation, in the sense of sharing a common Albanian culture speaking the Albanian language The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins In 1995 Turkey 's ethnic Arab population was estimated at 800000 to 1 million according to the US Library of Congress Country Study The Treaty of Lausanne ( July 24, 1923) was a Peace treaty signed in Lausanne that settled the Anatolian part of the Partitioning Greeks in Turkey (Rumlar are Greek -speaking Eastern Orthodox Christians who mostly live in Istanbul and on the two Armenians in Turkey (Türkiye Ermenileri Թուրքահայեր Պոլսահայեր the latter meaning Istanbul-Armenian have an estimated population of 40000 (1995 to 70000 Jews {ref|name|§}} have lived in the geographic area of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) for more than 2400 years The largest non-Turkic ethnicity is the Kurds, a distinct ethnic group traditionally concentrated in the southeast of the country. Reliable data on the exact ethnic repartition of the population are hard to obtain, as the Turkish census figures do not include ethnic or racial figures. According to a 2008 report prepared for the National Security Council of Turkey by academics of three Turkish universities in eastern Anatolia, there were approximately 50 to 55 million ethnic Turks, 12,5 million Kurds (including 3 million Zazas), 2,5 million Circassians (Adige), 2 million Bosnians, 1,3 million Albanians, 1 million Georgians, 870,000 Arabs, 700,000 Roma, 600,000 Pomaks, 80,000 Laz, 60,000 Armenians, 20,000 Jews, 15,000 Greeks and 13,000 Hemshins living in Turkey. Per article 118 of the Turkish Constitution, the National Security Council ( Turkish: Milli Güvenlik Kurulu (MGK is set up as an advisory organ composed [88] 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. A region or society where several different groups are spontaneously assimilated is sometimes referred to as a Melting pot. The melting pot is an analogy for the way in which homogeneous societies develop in which the ingredients in the pot (people of different cultures races and religions are Within that main body, certain distinctions based on diverse Turkic origins could be made as well. The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family [89]

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. Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( The term Turkish diaspora (Türk diyasporası refers to the estimated population of Turkish people in the world migrated outside of Turkey. 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. [90]

Cafés at the port of İzmir
Cafés at the port of İzmir

Turkish is the sole official language throughout Turkey. İzmir, historically Smyrna, is the third most populous city of Turkey and the country's largest port after İstanbul. Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Reliable figures for the linguistic repartition of the populace are not available for reasons similar to those cited above. [89] The public broadcaster TRT broadcasts programs in local languages and dialects of Arabic, Bosnian, Zazaish, Circassian and Kurdish a few hours a week. The Turkish Radio and Television Corporation also known as TRT, ( Türkiye Radyo ve Televizyon Kurumu) was founded in 1964, it is the national Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Bosnian language (Bosnian bosanski jezik) sometimes referred as Bosniak language or Bosniac language is a South Slavic language native The Kurdish language (Kurdish Kurdî or کوردی is a term used for the language spoken by Kurds. [91]

Nominally, 99% of the Turkish population is Muslim[92][93] of whom over 75% belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic A sizeable minority, about over 20% of the Muslim population, is affiliated with the Shi'a Alevi sect. Alevis (Aleviler Elewî are a religious sub-ethnic and cultural community in Turkey, numbering in the millions [94] According to a Eurobarometer poll in 2005, 95% of Turkish citizens responded that "they believe there is a God". Eurobarometer is a series of surveys regularly performed on behalf of the European Commission since 1973 God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. [95] 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 Hanafi ( Arabic حنفي school is the oldest of the four schools of thought ( Madhhabs Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger The remainder of the population belongs to other faiths, particularly Christian denominations (Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Syriac Orthodox), Judaism, and Yezidism. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world The Armenian Apostolic Church (Հայաստանեայց Առաքելական Եկեղեցի Hayasdaneaytz Arakelagan The Syriac Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Middle East with members spread throughout the world Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut The Yazidi (also Yezidi, Kurdish: ئزیدی or Êzidî, Arabic: يزيدي or ايزدي Assyrian/Syriac: ܓ̰ܠܟܝܐ is a [96]

There is a strong tradition of secularism in Turkey. Secularism in Turkey was introduced with the Turkish Constitution of 1924 and later the Atatürk's Reforms set the administrative and political requirements to create 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. Freedom of religion is the freedom of an individual or community in public or private to manifest religion or belief in teaching practice worship and observance No party can claim that it represents a form of religious belief; nevertheless, religious sensibilities are generally represented through conservative parties. [22] Turkey prohibits by law the wearing of religious headcover and theo-political symbolic garments for both genders in government buildings, schools, and universities;[97] the law was upheld by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights as "legitimate" in the Leyla Şahin v. Islam and clothing Hijab or ħijāb ( ar حجاب, pronounced) is the Arabic term for "cover" (noun based on the root حجب meaning "to The European Court of Human Rights ( ECtHR) (Cour européenne des droits de l’homme in Strasbourg was established under the European Convention on Human Rights Turkey case on November 10, 2005. Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [98]

Culture and sports

Main articles: Culture of Turkey, Sports in Turkey, Arts in Turkey, Turkish literature, and Ottoman architecture
Sufi whirling dervishes
Sufi whirling dervishes

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. The culture of Turkey is diverse combining elements derived from Ottoman, European and Middle Eastern traditions The National Sport of Turkey is Yağlı güreş also known as Oiled Wrestling Turkish art refers to all works of Art originating from the geographical area of what is present day Turkey. Turkish literature (Türk edebiyatı or Türk yazını is the collection of written and oral texts composed in the Turkish language, either in its Ottoman Ottoman architecture is the Architecture of the Ottoman Empire which emerged in Bursa and Edirne in 14th and 15th centuries Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف The Mevlevi Order or the Mevleviye are a Sufi order founded by the followers of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi, a 13th century Persian The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black The culture of the Ottoman Empire evolved over several centuries as the ruling administration of the Turks absorbed adapted and modified the cultures of conquered In modern Olympic and amateur Wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling is a particular style and variation For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Western culture (sometimes equated with Western Civilization) are terms which are used to refer to Cultures of European origin Westernization or occidentalization (from occident, see wiktionary) is a process whereby societies come under or adopt the Western 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. The Turkic migration as defined in this article was the expansion of the Turkic peoples across most of Central Asia into Europe and the Middle [99][100] 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. [99]

Orhan Pamuk, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature
Orhan Pamuk, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature

Turkish music and literature form great examples of such a mix of cultural influences. Ferit Orhan Pamuk (born on 7 June 1952 in Istanbul) generally known simply as Orhan Pamuk, is a Turkish Novelist and professor of Comparative The music of Turkey includes diverse elements ranging from Central Asian folk music and music from Ottoman Empire dominions such as Persian music, Turkish literature (Türk edebiyatı or Türk yazını is the collection of written and oral texts composed in the Turkish language, either in its Ottoman 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. Arabesque or Arabesk ( Turkish: Arabesk is a genre termed so by Turkish musicologists for a type of sound to come out of Turkey in the 1950s and 1960s History Before Turkish hip hop took hold in Turkey specifically Istanbul and Ankara it originally grew out of Turkish ethnic enclaves in Germany [101] Turkish literature was heavily influenced by Persian and Arabic 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. Persian literature ( spans two and a half millennia though much of the pre- Islamic material has been lost Arabic literature ( Arabic: الأدب العربي Al-Adab Al-Arabi) is the writing produced both Prose and Poetry, by speakers 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. Ferit Orhan Pamuk (born on 7 June 1952 in Istanbul) generally known simply as Orhan Pamuk, is a Turkish Novelist and professor of Comparative The Nobel Prize in Literature (Nobelpriset i litteratur is awarded annually since 1901 to an author from any country who has in the words from the will of Alfred [102]

Turkish film directors have won numerous prestigious awards in the recent years. Nuri Bilge Ceylan won the Best Director Award at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival with the film Üç Maymun. Nuri Bilge Ceylan (born 1959 in Istanbul) is a Turkish photographer and film director The Best Director Award (Prix de la mise en scène is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. The 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival was held May 14 through 25, 2008. Turkish film director Fatih Akın, who lives in Germany and has dual Turkish-German citizenship, won the Golden Bear Award at the 2004 Berlin Film Festival with the film Head-On. Fatih Akın ( August 25, 1973 in Hamburg, Germany) is a German film director The Berlin International Film Festival, also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading Film festivals and most reputable media events held in Berlin "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Berlin International Film Festival, also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading Film festivals and most reputable media events held in Berlin Head-On ( German: Gegen die Wand ( Against the Wall) Turkish: In 2007 Fatih Akın won the Best Director Award at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival and the Best Screenplay Award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, as well as the Lux Prize by the European Parliament, with the film The Edge of Heaven. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival (Antalya Altın Portakal Film Festivali, held annually since 1963 in Antalya, is the most important national Film festival The Best Screenplay Award (Prix du scénario is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. The 2007 Cannes Film Festival, also known as the 60th Annual Cannes Film Festival ran from May 16 to 27 2007 The Lux Prize for European Cinema, introduced in 2007, is a prize given to a competing film by the European Parliament. The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU This article is on the film by Fatih Akın. For the song by Wham!, see " The Edge of Heaven " Another famous Turkish film director is Ferzan Özpetek, who won the Golden Orange Award at the Antalya Film Festival and the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Silver Ribbon Award with the film Il Bagno Turco, the first movie which brought him international fame. Ferzan Özpetek (b February 3, 1959, Turkey) is a Turkish Screenwriter and Film director who currently resides in One of his latest works, Facing Windows, won the David di Donatello Award (Best Film), Scholars Jury Award (Best Direction), Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Award (Best Original Story), Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Crystal Globe Award (Best Direction), Bangkok International Film Festival (Best Film), Foyle Film Festival (Best Feature), Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival (Audience Award, Best Feature), and the Seattle International Film Festival (Best Film) awards.

Dolmabahçe Palace, Istanbul
Dolmabahçe Palace, Istanbul

Architectural elements found in Turkey are also testaments to the unique mix of traditions that have influenced the region over the centuries. The Dolmabahçe Palace (Dolmabahçe Sarayı in Istanbul, Turkey, located at the European side of the Bosphorus, served as the main administrative 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. Byzantine architecture is the Architecture of the Byzantine Empire. Ottoman architecture is the Architecture of the Ottoman Empire which emerged in Bursa and Edirne in 14th and 15th centuries 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. The Dolmabahçe Palace (Dolmabahçe Sarayı in Istanbul, Turkey, located at the European side of the Bosphorus, served as the main administrative [103]

The most popular sport in Turkey is football. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered [104] Turkey's top teams include Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş. Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü (Fenerbahçe Sports Club commonly known as Fenerbahçe (feneːɾbatʃe is a professional Sports club based in the district of Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü (commonly Beşiktaş, bɛʃɪktɑːʃ ( English: Beşiktaş Gymnastics Club) is a professional Sports club In 2000, Galatasaray cemented its role as a major European club by winning the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup. The UEFA Cup is a football competition for European club teams organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA. The European Super Cup ( UEFA Super Cup) is at stake in an annual football game between the reigning champions of the UEFA Cup and the Champions Two years later the Turkish national team finished third in the 2002 World Cup Finals in Japan and South Korea. The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30. Other mainstream sports such as basketball, volleyball and motorsports (following the inclusion of Istanbul Park on the Formula 1 racing calendar) have also become popular recently. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 active players (5 normal players and one 'libero' are separated by a net that is usually four feet Istanbul Park (İstanbul Park also known as the Istanbul Racing Circuit or initially Istanbul Otodrom, is a Motor sports Race track in The men's national basketball team finished second in Eurobasket 2001 while Efes Pilsen S.K. won the Korac Cup in 1996, finished second in the European Cup of 1993, and made it to the Final Four of Euroleague and Suproleague in 2000 and 2001. EuroBasket is the name commonly used to refer to the men's Basketball championship contested biennially by the national teams of the European Continent under Efes Pilsen Spor Kulübü ( English: Efes Pilsen Sport Club) is a Turkish professional Basketball club based in İstanbul and sponsored The Korać Cup was an annual Basketball club competition held by FIBA between 1972 and 2002 EuroLeague WomenThe Euroleague (EL is one of the professional Basketball competitions in Europe, with teams from thirteen different European countries Suproleague (also known as FIBA Suproleague) was the FIBA European Basketball Champions' Cup for the 2000/01 season Turkish basketball players have also been successful in the NBA. In June 2004, Mehmet Okur won the 2004 NBA Championship with the Detroit Pistons, becoming the first Turkish player to win an NBA title. Mehmet Okur (born May 26 1979 in Yalova, Turkey) is a Turkish professional Basketball player who currently plays for The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003–04 National Basketball Association season. The Detroit Pistons are a team in the National Basketball Association based in the Detroit metropolitan area Okur was selected to the Western Conference All-Star Team for the 2007 NBA All-Star Game, also becoming the first Turkish player to participate in this event. The Western Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams and organized in three divisions of five teams each The 2007 NBA All-Star Game was played on Sunday February 18, 2007 at the University of Nevada Las Vegas ' Thomas Another successful Turkish player in the NBA is Hidayet Türkoğlu, who was given the NBA's Most Improved Player Award for the 2007-2008 season, on April 28, 2008. Hidayet Türkoğlu, commonly referred to as Hedo Turkoglu (born March 19 1979 in Gaziosmanpaşa, Istanbul, Turkey. The National Basketball Association's Most Improved Player Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA award given since the 1985–86 NBA season, to Women's volleyball teams such as Eczacıbaşı and Vakıfbank Güneş Sigorta have been the most successful by far in any team sport, winning numerous European championship titles and medals. Eczacıbaşı Istanbul is a Turkish Volleyball club which is playing their home matches at the Eczacıbaşı Spor Salonu hall in Istanbul. Vakıfbank Güneş Sigorta Istanbul is a Turkish Volleyball club which plays its home matches at the Haldun Alagaş Sports Hall in Istanbul. Surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding, paragliding and other extreme sports are becoming more popular every year. The traditional Turkish national sport has been the Yağlı güreş (Oiled Wrestling) since Ottoman times. Yağlı güreş (In English ˈjɑːlə ˈgurεʃ in Turkish ˈjɑːlɯ ˈɟyrεʃ is the Turkish national Sport. [105] 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. The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, also known in French as Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées (FILA, is an international Freestyle wrestling is a style of Amateur wrestling that is practiced throughout the world Greco-Roman wrestling is a style of Amateur wrestling that is practiced throughout the world Another major sport in which the Turks have been internationally successful is weightlifting; as Turkish weightlifters, both male and female, have broken numerous world records and won several European, World and Olympic championship titles. Weightlifting, also called Olympic weightlifting or Olympic-style weightlifting, is a sport in which participants attempt a maximum weight single lift of a barbell Naim Süleymanoğlu and Halil Mutlu have achieved legendary status as one of the few weightlifters to have won three gold medals in three Olympics. Naim Süleymanoğlu (born January 23, 1967 in Ptichar Bulgaria) formerly known as Naim Suleimanov (Наим Сюлейманов is Halil Mutlu (born Huben Hubenov on July

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Address-based Population Register System (2007 census). Results announced on January 20, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d IMF: World Economic Database, April 2008 GDP, GDP per capita, GDP-PPP and GDP-PPP per capita figures for Turkey. Figures are for 2007 and 2008.
  3. ^ Sabancı University (2005). Geography of Turkey. Sabancı University. Retrieved on 2006-12-13. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life
  4. ^ a b c Mango, Andrew (2000). Ataturk. Overlook. ISBN 1-5856-7011-1.  
  5. ^ a b c d e Shaw, Stanford Jay; Kural Shaw, Ezel (1977). History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-5212-9163-1.  
  6. ^ American Heritage Dictionary (2000). The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language ( AHD) is an American Dictionary of the English language published by "Turk". Houghton Mifflin Company. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas (2001). "Turk". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the
  8. ^ Thissen, Laurens (2001-11-23). Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of "Time trajectories for the Neolithic of Central Anatolia" (PDF). . CANeW - Central Anatolian Neolithic e-Workshop Retrieved on 2006-12-21. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian
  9. ^ 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. Science is the Academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is considered one of the world's most prestigious Scientific  
  10. ^ The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (October 2000). The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an art museum located on the eastern edge of Central Park, along what is known as Museum Mile in New York City, 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. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian
  11. ^ Hooker, Richard (1999-06-06). Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Ancient Greece: The Persian Wars. Washington State University, WA, United States. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies
  12. ^ The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (October 2000). The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an art museum located on the eastern edge of Central Park, along what is known as Museum Mile in New York City, 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. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian
  13. ^ Daniel C. Waugh (2004). Constantinople/Istanbul. University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Retrieved on 2006-12-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht.
  14. ^ 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.  
  15. ^ Mango, Cyril (2002). The Oxford History of Byzantium. Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 0-1981-4098-3.  
  16. ^ a b Kinross, Patrick (1977). The Ottoman Centuries: The Rise and Fall of the Turkish Empire. Morrow. ISBN 0-6880-3093-9.  
  17. ^ Growth in United Nations membership (1945–2005). United Nations (2006-07-03). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Retrieved on 2006-10-30. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge.
  18. ^ 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.  
  19. ^ "Timeline: Cyprus", British Broadcasting Corporation, 2006-12-12. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian Retrieved on 2006-12-25. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian  
  20. ^ Hale, William Mathew (1994). Turkish Politics and the Military. Routledge, UK. ISBN 0-4150-2455-2.  
  21. ^ a b Nas, Tevfik F. (1992). Economics and Politics of Turkish Liberalization. Lehigh University Press. ISBN 0-9342-2319-X.  
  22. ^ a b Çarkoǧlu, Ali (2004). Religion and Politics in Turkey. Routledge, UK. ISBN 0-4153-4831-5.  
  23. ^ "Turks elect ex-Islamist president", BBC, 2007-11-02. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Retrieved on 2007-08-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital  
  24. ^ Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information (2001-10-17). Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Turkish Constitution. Turkish Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved on 2006-12-16. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion
  25. ^ "Turkey's old guard routed in elections", BBC, 2002-11-04. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Retrieved on 2006-12-14. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people  
  26. ^ Arnold, James. "Analysis: Turkey's year of crisis", BBC, 2002-02-21. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland Retrieved on 2006-12-14. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people  
  27. ^ "Turkey re-elects governing party", BBC, 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Retrieved on 2007-11-02. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000  
  28. ^ "Profile: Kemal Derviş", BBC, 2002-08-12. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid Retrieved on 2006-12-14. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people  
  29. ^ "UN post for Turkish ex-minister", BBC, 2005-04-27. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1124 - David I becomes King of Scotland. 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated Retrieved on 2006-12-14. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people  
  30. ^ a b c Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information (2004-08-24). "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Political Structure of Turkey. Turkish Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved on 2006-12-14. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people
  31. ^ "Euro court backs Turkey Islamist ban", BBC, 2001-07-31. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently Retrieved on 2006-12-14. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people  
  32. ^ "Turkey's Kurd party ban criticised", BBC, 2003-03-14. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. Retrieved on 2006-12-14. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people  
  33. ^ Hardy, Roger. "Turkey leaps into the unknown", BBC, 2002-11-04. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Retrieved on 2006-12-14. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people  
  34. ^ Rainsford, Sarah. "Turkey awaits AKP's next step", BBC, 2007-11-02. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Retrieved on 2007-07-23. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France.  
  35. ^ Chronology of Turkey-EU relations. Turkish Secretariat of European Union Affairs. Retrieved on 2006-10-30. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge.
  36. ^ Interview with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on BBC Sunday AM (PDF). European Commission (2006-10-15). The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 533 - Byzantine General Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Retrieved on 2006-12-17. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila
  37. ^ Mardell, Mark. Mark Mardell (born 10 September 1957 is the Europe Editor for BBC News. "Turkey's EU membership bid stalls", BBC, 2006-12-11. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Retrieved on 2006-12-17. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila  
  38. ^ Bal, Idris (2004). Turkish Foreign Policy In Post Cold War Era. Universal Publishers. ISBN 1-5811-2423-6.  
  39. ^ U.S. Department of State: Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Armenia: Respect for Human Rights. Section 1, a.
  40. ^ "Q&A Armenian 'genocide'", BBC, 2006-10-12. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Retrieved on 2006-12-29. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II  
  41. ^ a b Turkish General Staff (2006). The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF (Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri or TSK consist of the Army, the Navy (including naval aviation and naval infantry and the Air Force Turkish Armed Forces Defense Organization. Turkish Armed Forces. Retrieved on 2006-12-15. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of
  42. ^ Economist Intelligence Unit:Turkey, p. 23 (2005)
  43. ^ United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Directorate for Movements of Persons, Migration and Consular Affairs - Asylum and Migration Division (July 2001). Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR (established December 14, 1950) is a Turkey/Military service (PDF). UNHCR. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the
  44. ^ Economist Intelligence Unit:Turkey, p. 22 (2005)
  45. ^ US Department of Defense (2002-07-11). The United States Department of Defense ( DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. DoD, Turkey sign Joint Strike Fighter Agreement. US Department of Defense. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the
  46. ^ Economist Intelligence Unit:Turkey, p. 23 (2005)
  47. ^ Turkish General Staff (2006). The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF (Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri or TSK consist of the Army, the Navy (including naval aviation and naval infantry and the Air Force Brief History of ISAF. Turkish Armed Forces. Retrieved on 2006-12-16. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion
  48. ^ "Turkish troops arrive in Lebanon", British Broadcasting Corporation, 2006-10-20. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony Retrieved on 2006-12-14. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people  
  49. ^ "Turkish general vows to rout PKK", British Broadcasting Corporation, 2006-08-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert. Retrieved on 2006-12-08. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe.  
  50. ^ a b Turkey's army defends secularism ahead of elections- Yahoo! News, Monday 27 August 2007
  51. ^ a b c US Library of Congress. Yahoo! News is an Internet -based News aggregator provided by Yahoo!. The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress Geography of Turkey. US Library of Congress. Retrieved on 2006-12-13. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life
  52. ^ Turkish Statistical Institute (2008). Turkish Statistical Institute (commonly known as TURKSTAT; (Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu or TÜİK is the Turkish Government agency commissioned with producing 2007 Census,population living in cities. Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved on 2008-01-21. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade.
  53. ^ Turkish Statistical Institute (2008). Turkish Statistical Institute (commonly known as TURKSTAT; (Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu or TÜİK is the Turkish Government agency commissioned with producing 2007 Census, population by provinces. Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved on 2008-01-21. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade.
  54. ^ Sabancı University (2005). Geography of Turkey. Sabancı University. Retrieved on 2006-12-13. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life
  55. ^ Turkish Odyssey: Turkey
  56. ^ UN Demographic Yearbook, accessed April 16, 2007
  57. ^ a b c Turkish Ministry of Tourism (2005). Geography of Turkey. Turkish Ministry of Tourism. Retrieved on 2006-12-13. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life
  58. ^ NASA - Earth Observatory (2001). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağı), Turkey. NASA. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the
  59. ^ Brief Seismic History of Turkey. University of South California, Department of Civil Engineering. Retrieved on 2006-12-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht.
  60. ^ Turkish State Meteorological Service (2006). Turkish State Meteorological Service (Devlet Meteoroloji İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü or DMİ is the Turkish government bureau commissioned with producing the meteorological Climate of Turkey. Turkish State Meteorological Service. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the
  61. ^ "Turkish quake hits shaky economy", British Broadcasting Corporation, 1999-08-17. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Retrieved on 2006-12-12. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian  
  62. ^ "'Worst over' for Turkey", British Broadcasting Corporation, 2002-02-04. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons Retrieved on 2006-12-12. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian  
  63. ^ World Bank (2005). The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e Turkey Labor Market Study (PDF). World Bank. Retrieved on 2006-12-10. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V
  64. ^ (2002) OECD Reviews of Regulatory Reform - Turkey: crucial support for economic recovery : 2002. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. ISBN 92-64-19808-3.  
  65. ^ IMF: World Economic Outlook Database, April 2008. Inflation, end of period consumer prices. Data for 2006, 2007 and 2008.
  66. ^ a b Jorn Madslien. "Robust economy raises Turkey's hopes", British Broadcasting Corporation, 2006-11-02. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Retrieved on 2006-12-12. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian  
  67. ^ Forbes list of "Billionaire Cities" in The Sunday Times article "Turkey’s new rich find the Midas touch". March 9, 2008.
  68. '^ Dilenschneider Group and Pangaeia Group, Turkey 360: Did You Know, Foreign Affairs, January/February 2008
  69. ^ Turkish Statistical Institute (2006-12-11). Turkish Statistical Institute (commonly known as TURKSTAT; (Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu or TÜİK is the Turkish Government agency commissioned with producing Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office GNP and GDP as of September 2006 (DOC). Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved on 2006-12-11. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office
  70. ^ The World Bank: Regional Economic Prospects
  71. ^ CIA World Factbook 2008: Turkey - Economy
  72. ^ NTV-MSNBC. NTV Turkey is a Turkish nationwide Television news channel NTV was founded in 1996 and has partnered with MSNBC since May 2000 ""Turizm geliri 2007’de rekor kırdı"", NTV-MSNBC, 2008-01-30. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Retrieved on 2008-01-30. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain  
  73. ^ "Turkey knocks six zeros off lira", British Broadcasting Corporation, 2004-12-31. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Retrieved on 2006-12-11. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office  
  74. ^ World Bank (2005). The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e Data and Statistics for Turkey. World Bank. Retrieved on 2006-12-10. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V
  75. ^ Turkish Statistical Institute (2006-02-27). Turkish Statistical Institute (commonly known as TURKSTAT; (Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu or TÜİK is the Turkish Government agency commissioned with producing Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation The result of Income Distribution. Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved on 2006-12-11. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office
  76. ^ Bartolomiej Kaminski; Francis Ng (2006-05-01). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Turkey's evolving trade integration into Pan-European markets. World Bank. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the
  77. ^ Turkish Statistical Institute: Foreign Trade of Turkey
  78. ^ Turkish Exporters Assembly. "Exports for 2006 stand at 85.8 billion USD", Hürriyet, 2007-01-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Retrieved on 2007-01-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC  
  79. ^ CIA World Factbook 2008: Turkey - Economy
  80. ^ CIA World Factbook 2008: Turkey - Economy
  81. ^ Gümrükler Genel Müdürlüğü. "2006-2007 Seçilmiş Ülkeler İstatistikleri". Retrieved on 2008-03-12. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving
  82. ^ Xinhua. "Turkey puts 2008 export target at 125 bln dollars", peopledaily, 2008-01-02. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Retrieved on 2008-01-02. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire.  
  83. ^ Hürriyet (2008). Hürriyet (meaning Liberty) is an influential high-circulation broadsheet daily Turkish newspaper. Yabancı sermayede rekor. Hürriyet. Retrieved on 2008-02-21. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland
  84. ^ Turkish Statistical Institute (2008). Turkish Statistical Institute (commonly known as TURKSTAT; (Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu or TÜİK is the Turkish Government agency commissioned with producing 2007 Census,population statistics in 2007. Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved on 2008-01-21. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade.
  85. ^ Anadolu Agency (AA). Anadolu Agency ( AA) (Anadolu Ajansı is the Turkish state news agency commissioned with producing news releases pertaining to the country "Life expectancy has increased in 2005 in Turkey", Hürriyet, 2006-12-03. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Retrieved on 2006-12-09. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city  
  86. ^ Turkish Statistical Institute (2004-10-18). Turkish Statistical Institute (commonly known as TURKSTAT; (Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu or TÜİK is the Turkish Government agency commissioned with producing "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 1009 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid Population and Development Indicators - Population and education. Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved on 2006-12-11. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office
  87. ^ Jonny Dymond. "Turkish girls in literacy battle", British Broadcasting Corporation, 2004-10-18. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 1009 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid Retrieved on 2006-12-11. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office  
  88. ^ "Türkiyedeki Kürtlerin Sayısı! (Number of Kurds in Turkey!)", Milliyet, 2008-06-06. Milliyet ( Turkish for " nationality " is a major Turkish Daily newspaper founded in 1950. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Retrieved on 2008-06-07. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins (Turkish) 
  89. ^ a b Extra, Guus; Gorter, Durk (2001). The other languages of Europe: Demographic, Sociolinguistic and Educational Perspectives. Multilingual Matters. ISBN 1-8535-9509-8.  
  90. ^ Kirişçi, Kemal (November 2003). Turkey: A Transformation from Emigration to Immigration. Center for European Studies, Bogaziçi University. Retrieved on 2006-12-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht.
  91. ^ 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. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire
  92. ^ Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs - Background Note: Turkey
  93. ^ International Religious Freedom Report 2006 - Turkey
  94. ^ Shankland, David (2003). The Alevis in Turkey: The Emergence of a Secular Islamic Tradition. Routledge (UK). ISBN 0-7007-1606-8.  
  95. ^ Eurobarometer Poll, 2005
  96. ^ United Nations Population Fund (2006). The United Nations Population Fund ( UNFPA) began operations in 1969 as the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (the name was changed in 1987 Turkey - A Brief Profile. United Nations Population Fund. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the
  97. ^ "The Islamic veil across Europe", British Broadcasting Corporation, 2006-11-17. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers Retrieved on 2006-12-13. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life  
  98. ^ European Court of Human Rights (2005-11-10). The European Court of Human Rights ( ECtHR) (Cour européenne des droits de l’homme in Strasbourg was established under the European Convention on Human Rights Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw Leyla Şahin v. Turkey. ECHR. Retrieved on 2006-11-30. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats
  99. ^ a b Kaya, İbrahim (2003). Social Theory and Later Modernities: The Turkish Experience. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 0-8532-3898-7.  
  100. ^ Royal Academy of Arts (2005). This article refers to an art institution in London For other meanings of Royal Academy see Royal Academy (disambiguation. Turks - A Journey of a Thousand Years: 600–1600. Royal Academy of Arts. Retrieved on 2006-12-12. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian
  101. ^ Cinuçen Tanrıkorur. Cinuçen Tanrıkorur was an Oud master prolific composer of Turkish classical music, musicologist and music journalist The Ottoman music. www. turkmusikisi. com. Retrieved on 2006-12-12. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian
  102. ^ "Pamuk wins Nobel Literature prize", British Broadcasting Corporation, 2006-10-12. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Retrieved on 2006-12-12. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian  
  103. ^ Goodwin, Godfrey (2003). A History of Ottoman Architecture. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-5002-7429-0.  
  104. ^ Burak Sansal (2006). Sports in Turkey. allaboutturkey. com. Retrieved on 2006-12-13. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life
  105. ^ Burak Sansal (2006). Oiled Wrestling. allaboutturkey. com. Retrieved on 2006-12-13. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life

References

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 0688030939.  
  • Mango, Andrew (2000). Ataturk: The Biography of the Founder of Modern Turkey. Overlook. ISBN 1585670111.  
  • Mango, Cyril (2002). The Oxford History of Byzantium. Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 0198140983.  
  • Shaw, Stanford Jay; Kural Shaw, Ezel (1977). History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521291631.  
  • 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 9004092498.  
Politics
Foreign relations and military
Geography and climate
  • Turkish State Meteorological Service (2006). Climate of Turkey. Turkish State Meteorological Service. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the
Economy
  • Kaminski, Bartolomiej; Ng, Francis (2006-05-01). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Turkey's evolving trade integration into Pan-European markets (PDF). World Bank. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the
  • Nas, Tevfik F. (1992). Economics and Politics of Turkish Liberalization. Lehigh University Press. ISBN 093422319X.  
  • 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 9264198083.  
  • World Bank (2005). Turkey Labor Market Study (PDF). World Bank. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the
Demographics
  • "Türkiyedeki Kürtlerin Sayısı! (Number of Kurds in Turkey!)", Milliyet, 2008-06-06. Milliyet ( Turkish for " nationality " is a major Turkish Daily newspaper founded in 1950. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Retrieved on 2008-06-07. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins (Turkish) 
  • Turkish Statistical Institute (2000). 2000 Census, population by provinces and districts (XLS). Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved on 2006-12-11. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office
Culture

Further reading

External links

Government

Public institutions

Additional profiles

Other

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Dictionary

turkey

-noun

  1. Either of two species of bird in the family Meleagrididae with fan-shaped tails and wattled necks.
  2. (colloquial) A failure.
  3. (slang, usually derogatory) A stupid or incompetent person.
  4. (bowling) The act of throwing three strikes in a row.

Turkey

-proper noun

  1. Country at the intersection of Europe and Asia on the Mediterranean. Official name: Republic of Turkey.
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