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| :''This article is about the country of Turkey. For other uses, see ].'' | |||
| {{Infobox Country| | |||
| native_name = ''Türkiye Cumhuriyeti''| | |||
| conventional_long_name = Republic of Turkey| | |||
| common_name = Turkey| | |||
| national_motto = ]: ''Yurtta Sulh, Cihanda Sulh''<br>(]: "Peace at Home, Peace in the World")| | |||
| national_anthem = '']''| | |||
| image_flag = Flag of Turkey.svg| | |||
| image_coat = Turkey coat of arms.png| | |||
| symbol_type=Coat of arms| | |||
| image_map = LocationTurkey.png| | |||
| capital = ]|latd=52|latm=31|latNS=N|longd=13|longm=24|longEW=E| | |||
| largest_city = ]|latd=41|latm=1|latNS=N|longd=28|longm=57|longEW=E| | |||
| official_languages = ]| | |||
| government_type = ]| | |||
| leader_title1 = ] | | |||
| leader_title2 = ]| | |||
| leader_name1 = ] | | |||
| leader_name2 = ]| | |||
| sovereignty_type = ]s| | |||
| established_event1 = Formation of Parliament | | |||
| established_event2 = Start of War of Independence | | |||
| established_event3 = Victory Day | | |||
| established_event4 = Declaration of Republic| | |||
| established_date1 = ] ] | | |||
| established_date2 = ] ] | | |||
| established_date3 = ] ] | | |||
| established_date4 = ] ]| | |||
| area = 780,580| | |||
| areami²= 301,384 <!-- Do not remove per ] -->| | |||
| area_rank = 36th| | |||
| area_magnitude = 1 E11| | |||
| percent_water = 1.3| | |||
| population_estimate = 73,193,000<!--UN WPP-->| | |||
| population_estimate_year = 2005| | |||
| population_estimate_rank = 17th <sup>1</sup>| | |||
| population_census = 67,844,903| | |||
| population_census_year = 2000| | |||
| population_density = 90| | |||
| population_densitymi² = 230 <!-- Do not remove per ] -->| | |||
| population_density_rank = 82nd <sup>1</sup>| | |||
| GDP_PPP_year = 2006| | |||
| GDP_PPP = 610.0 billion<!--http://imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2006/01/data/dbcoutm.cfm?SD=2005&ED=2007&R1=1&R2=1&CS=3&SS=2&OS=C&DD=0&OUT=1&C=186&S=PPPWGT-PPPPC&RequestTimeout=120&CMP=0&x=39&y=13-->| | |||
| GDP_PPP_rank = 19th| | |||
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = 8,385<!--2006 IMF-->| | |||
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =75th| | |||
| HDI_year = 2003| | |||
| HDI = 0.750| | |||
| HDI_rank = 94th| | |||
| HDI_category = <font color="#FFCC00">medium</font>| | |||
| currency = ]<sup>2</sup>| | |||
| currency_code = TRY| | |||
| time_zone = EET| | |||
| utc_offset = +2| | |||
| time_zone_DST = CEST| | |||
| utc_offset_DST = +3| | |||
| cctld = ]| | |||
| calling_code = 90| | |||
| footnotes = 1. Population & Density ranks based on 2005 figures.<br>2. Since ] ], the ] (''Yeni Türk Lirası'') replaced the old ]. | |||
| }} | |||
| {{External_Timeline|Template:Timeline of History of the Republic of Turkey|History of the Republic of Turkey}} | |||
| '''Turkey''' (]: ''Türkiye''), officially the '''Republic of Turkey''' ({{Audio|asd.ogg|''Türkiye Cumhuriyeti''}}), is a ]n country located mainly in the ]n peninsula in ] ], with a small portion of its territory located in the ] region of ] ]. Turkey borders eight countries: ] to the northwest; ] to the west; ], ] and the ] exclave of ] to the northeast; ] to the east; and ] and ] to the southeast. In addition, it borders the ] to the north; the ] and the ] to the west; and the ] to the south. | |||
| The Republic of Turkey is a ], ], ]al ] whose political system was established in 1923. Turkey is a member state of the ], ], ], ], ], and the ]. Due to its strategic location, ] and between three seas, Turkey has been a historical crossroad between ] and ] cultures. It has been home to several great civilizations and the location of many battles between them. | |||
| == History == | |||
| ''Main article: ]'' | |||
| {{History of Republic of Turkey}} | |||
| Because of its strategic location at the intersection of ] and ], ] has been a cradle for several ]s since ] ages, with ] settlements such as ] (Pottery Neolithic), ] (] to pottery Neolithic), ] (]), ] (Pottery Neolithic), ] (]) and ]. The settlement of ] starts in the Neolithic and continues forward into the Iron Age. Through recorded history, Anatolians have spoken ], ] and ] languages, as well as many languages of uncertain affiliation. In fact, given the antiquity of the Indo-European ] and ] languages, some scholars have proposed Anatolia as the hypothetical center from which the ]s have radiated. Other authors have proposed an Anatolian origin for the ] of ancient ]. Iron Age peoples that have settled in or conquered Anatolia include the ]ns, ]s, ]ns, ]ns, ], ], ]s, ], ], ]s and ]. | |||
| ] at its greatest extent c. ]]] | |||
| The gradual conquest of Anatolia from the ] by ], under the ] with the ] and the rise of the ] in the ] was finalized by the rise of the ]. By the end of the 16th century, at the height of its power, the Ottoman Empire grew to cover Anatolia, ], the ], ] and ] and the ]. It comprised an area of about 5.6 million ]<ref>Regnal Chronologies. . Retrieved 6 April 2006.</ref>, though it controlled a much larger area, if adjoining areas dominated mainly by ]ic tribes, where the empire's ] was recognized, are included. The empire interacted with both ] and ] cultures throughout its 624-year history. | |||
| ] - 10th Sultan of the ]]] | |||
| In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Ottoman Empire was among the world's most powerful political entities, with the powers of eastern Europe constantly threatened by its steady advance through the ] and the southern part of the ]. Its navy was also a powerful force in the Mediterranean. On several occasions, the Ottoman army invaded central Europe, laying ] to ] in 1529 and again in 1683 in an attempt to conquer the ] domain, and was finally repulsed only by grand coalitions of European powers at sea and on land. | |||
| Following years of decline, the Ottoman Empire entered ] in an alliance with Germany in 1914, in which it was ultimately defeated and occuppied. After the war, western powers sought to partition the empire through the ]. With the support of the Allies, Greece had occupied ] as provided for in the Treaty. On ] ] this prompted the beginning of a nationalist movement under the command of ], a military commander who had distinguished himself in the ] (see ]). Kemal Pasha sought to revoke the terms of treaty signed by the Sultan in ]. This involved mobilizing every available part of Turkish society in what would become the ] (Turkish: ''Kurtuluş Savaşı''). | |||
| ] - Founder and first ] of the Republic of Turkey]] | |||
| By ] ] the occupying armies were repelled and the country saw the birth of a Turkish state. On ] ] the ] formally abolished the office of the Sultan, ending 631 years of Ottoman rule. In 1923 the ] recognized the sovereignty of the new Republic of Turkey. Kemal Pasha became the Republic's first President and instituted far reaching reforms with the aim of modernizing the new Republic from the remnants of its Ottoman past. According to the Law on Family Names, the Turkish Grand Assembly presented Mustafa Kemal with the honorific name "Atatürk" (meaning "Father of the Turks") in 1934. | |||
| Turkey entered ] on the Allied side in the latter stages of the war and became a charter member of the United Nations. Difficulties faced by Greece after World War II in quelling a communist rebellion and demands by the ] for military bases in the Turkish Straits prompted the United States to declare the ] in 1947. The doctrine enunciated American intentions to guarantee the security of Turkey and Greece and resulted in large scale U.S. military and economic support. | |||
| After participating with United Nations forces in the ], Turkey in 1952 joined the ]. Turkey intervened and militarily invaded ] in July 1974 in response to a Greek coup by ]. The breakaway de-facto independent ] is not officially recognised by any country except Turkey itself. | |||
| Turkey had ], ], ] and ]. The period of the 70s (]) and 80s was marked by political instability and rapid, but at times erratic economic growth. A series of economic shocks led to new elections in ], bringing into power the conservative ] led by the former mayor of Istanbul, ]. In October 2005, the ] opened accession negotiations with Ankara and thus Turkey is a candidate country to join the European Union as a full member, having been an associate member since ]. | |||
| {{see also|History of Anatolia|History of the Turkish people|Ottoman Empire|Atatürk's reforms}} | |||
| == Politics == | |||
| ] (''Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi'')]] | |||
| <!--Please add new information into relevant articles of the series--> | |||
| {{morepolitics|country=Turkey}} | |||
| Politics of Turkey takes place in a framework of a ] ] ] ], whereby the ] is the ], and of a pluriform multi-party system. ] is exercised by the government. ] is vested in both the ] and the ]. The ] is independent of the executive and the legislature. | |||
| ==Foreign Relations== | |||
| {{Main|Foreign relations of the Republic of Turkey}} | |||
| Turkey's main political, economic and military relations still remain firmly rooted within ] and the ]. Turkey is currently in the process of accession to the European Union, with which it has had an association agreement since ], and Customs Union since ]. A major source of tension in its EU aspirations is the issue of Cyprus, a member of the EU which Turkey does not recognise, but instead supports the ''de facto independent '' ]. ] has been urged to open its ports and recognise the Republic of Cyprus or face a possible halt in talks. Turkey supported a UN-backed peace agreement which was rejected by the Greek Cypriots, but supported by the Turkish Cypriots in 2004, thus paving the way for Greek Cypriot membership. The Greek Cypriot administration has since threatened the use of its veto if Ankara does not meet its EU obligations, though this has been judged an unlikely move. | |||
| Turkey has remained a close ally of the United States, supporting it in the war on terror in the post ] climate. However, the ] faced strong domestic opposition in Turkey and as such, the Turkish parliament voted against allowing US troops to attack Iraq from Turkey. This led a period of cooling in relations, but soon regained momentum through diplomatic, humanitarian and indirect military support. Turkey is particularly cautious about an independent Kurdish state arising from a destabilised ]. Turkey has fought an insurgent war against the Kurdistan Workers Party (]), that seeks Kurdish independence, in which some estimated 30,000 people have lost their lives. This has led Ankara to pressure the US into clamping down on guerrilla training camps in northern Iraq, though it remains reluctant due to its relative stability compared to the rest of Iraq. Turkey must therefore balance domestic pressures with commitments to its strongest ally. | |||
| === Greco-Turkish Relations === | |||
| Relations with neighbouring ] have historically been strained, and occasionally close to war. The antagonism can be traced all the way back to centuries of Ottoman Turkish rule over the Greek people and consequent struggle by the latter for the creation of a Greek ].The long divided island of ] as well as conflicts on ] remain the main sticking points between the two countries. Cyprus continues to be divided between a Greek Cypriot south, and a Turkish Cypriot north recognized only by Turkey. Efforts to reunite the island under the auspices of the ] have failed so far. As far as the Aegean Sea is concerned, it has long been considered as strategically important by Turkey for the easy passage of Turkish vessels. Turkey has made it clear that it will under no circumstances accept Greece to extend its territorial waters by a 12-mile distance around its islands since all of the Turkish west costs would then be blocked by Greek territorial waters. Turkey has repeatedly warned Greece that Turkey will consider such an act as a '']'' or, in other words, as a declaration of war on Turkey. | |||
| Nonetheless, following consecutive earthquakes in both Turkey and Greece and the quick response of aid and rescue teams from both sides, the two nations have entered a much more positive period of relations, with Greece actively supporting Turkey's struggle to enter the ]. A clear sign of improved relations occured on ] ]. A Greek and Turkish fighter jet were involved in a mid air collision in the southern Aegean. While the Turkish pilot ejected safely, the Greek pilot lost his life when his aircraft exploded. However, both countries agreed that the event should not affect their bilateral relations.<ref> May 23, 2006.</ref> | |||
| {{see also|Accession of Turkey to the European Union|Cyprus dispute|Greco-Turkish relations}} | |||
| == Military == | |||
| {{Main|Turkish Armed Forces}} | |||
| The Turkish Armed Forces (]: ''Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri'' or TSK) consist of the ], ] (includes Naval Air and Naval Infantry) and ]. The ] and ] operate as the part the Department of Internal Affairs in peacetime and are subordinate to the Army and Navy Commands respectively. In wartime, both have law enforcement and military functions. The Turkish Armed forces, with a combined troop strength of 1,043,550<ref>Economist Intelligence Unit: Turkey 2005 p.23.</ref> people, is the second largest standing force in NATO after the United States. Currently, 36,000<ref>Ibid.</ref> troops are stationed in Turkish-recognised ]. Every fit male Turkish citizen has to serve military service for varying time periods ranging between 1 month to 15 months depending on his education, job location, and occasional paid options. The Turkish Armed Forces became a member of the NATO Alliance on ], ]. | |||
| In 1998, Turkey announced a modernisation programme worth some $31 billion over a period of ten years including tanks, helicopters and assault rifles. Turkey is also a level three contributor to the ] (JSF) program, gaining an opportunity to develop and influence the creation of the next generation fighter spearheaded by the United States. | |||
| The Armed forces have traditionally been a politically powerful institution, considering itself the guardian of Atatürk's legacy. They have staged three coups between 1960 and 1980, whilst also influencing the removal of the Islam-oriented government of ] in 1997. Through the ], the army has influenced policy on issues it deems a threat to the country, including those relating to Kurdish insurgency and Islamism. In recent years, reforms have seen an increased civilian presence on the NSC and a decline in the military's influence as it attempts to comply with the EU's ]. Despite its influence in civilian affairs, the military continues to enjoy strong support from the nation, frequently seen as Turkeys most trusted institution.<ref>A poll published in September 2005 in the national Hürriyet paper found the army to Turkey's most trusted national institution. See Aydinli, Ersen, 2006. The Turkish Military's March Toward Europe. ''Foreign Affairs'' Jan/Feb2006, Vol. 85 Issue 1, p77-90. </ref> | |||
| The Commander-in-Chief is Chief General Staff General ]. | |||
| ==Geography== | |||
| :''Main article: ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] (''Ağrı Dağı'') - the tallest peak in Turkey]] | |||
| The territory of Turkey extends from 36° to 42° N and from 26° to 45° E in ]. It is roughly rectangular in shape and is 1,660 ]s (1,031 ]) wide. Turkey's area inclusive of lakes is 814,578 ]s<!--source needed--> (314,510 ]), of which 790,200 square kilometres (305,098 sq mi) occupies the ]n ] (also called Asia Minor) in ], and 3% or 24,378 square kilometres (9,412 sq mi) are located in ]. Many geographers consider Turkey politically in Europe, although it is rather a transcontinental country between Asia and Europe. The land borders of Turkey total 2,573 kilometres (1,599 mi), and the ] (including islands) total another 8,333 kilometres (5,178 mi). | |||
| <!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: ] is a ski resort in central ]]] --> | |||
| Turkey is generally divided into seven regions: the ], the ], the ], Central Anatolia, East Anatolia, Southeast Anatolia and the ] region. The uneven north Anatolian terrain running along the ] resembles a long, narrow belt. This region comprises approximately 1/6 of Turkey's total land area. As a general trend, the inland Anatolian plateau becomes increasingly rugged as it progresses eastward | |||
| Turkey forms a bridge between Europe and Asia, with the division between the two running from the ] (''Karadeniz'') to the north down along the ] (''Istanbul Boğazı'') strait through the ] (''Marmara Denizi'') and the ] (''Çanakkale Boğazı'') strait to the Aegean Sea (''Ege Denizi'') and the larger Mediterranean Sea (''Akdeniz'') to the south. The Anatolian peninsula or Anatolia (''Anadolu'') consists of a high central plateau with narrow coastal plains, in between the Köroğlu and East-Black Sea mountain range to the north and the ] (''Toros Dağları'') to the south. To the east is found a more mountainous landscape, home to the sources of rivers such as the ] (''Fırat''), ] (''Dicle'') and the ] (''Aras''), as well as ] (''Van Gölü'') and ] (''Ağrı Dağı''), Turkey's highest point at 5,137 metres (16,853 ]). | |||
| Turkey is also prone to very severe ]s. The Bosphorus and the Dardanelles owe their existence to the fault lines running through Turkey, leading to the creation of the Black Sea. There is an earthquake fault line across the north of the country from west to east. Within the last century there were many earthquakes along this fault line, the sizes and locations of these earthquakes can be seen on the Fault lines & Earthquakes image. This image also includes a small scaled map that shows other fault lines in Turkey. | |||
| The ] is a Mediterranean ], with hot, dry summers and mild, wet and cold winters, though conditions can be much harsher in the more arid interior. | |||
| == Administrative Divisions == | |||
| ] | |||
| {{main|Provinces of Turkey}} | |||
| Turkey is subdivided into 81 provinces (''iller'' in Turkish; singular ''il''). Each province is divided into subprovinces (''ilçeler''; singular ''ilçe''). The province usually bears the same name as the provincial capital, also called the central subprovince; exceptions are ] (capital: ]), ] (capital: ]) and ] (capital: ]). Major provinces include: ] 11 million, ] 4 million, ] 3.5 million, ] 2.1 million, ] 2.2 million, ] 1.8 million. | |||
| ===Cities=== | |||
| The capital city of Turkey is ], but the historic capital ] remains the financial, economic and cultural centre of the country. Other important cities include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. An estimated 68% of Turkey's population live in urban centers.<ref></ref> In all, 12 cities have populations exceeding 500,000 and 48 cities have more than 100,000 people. | |||
| ] | |||
| '''Major Cities :''' | |||
| :''Note:Population figures given are those according to the ] census'' | |||
| *] - 10,041,000 | |||
| *] - 4,319,000 | |||
| *] - 2,409,000 | |||
| *] - 1,195,000 | |||
| *] - 1,131,000 | |||
| *] - 854,000 | |||
| *] - 743,000 | |||
| *] - 603,000 | |||
| {{see also|List of cities in Turkey}} | |||
| {{clr}} | |||
| == Economy == | |||
| {{Infobox Country Economy | |||
| |country=Republic of Turkey | |||
| |image= | |||
| |caption= | |||
| |Fiscal_year=Calendar year | |||
| |Trade_organisations= ], ], ], ], customs union with the ] | |||
| |Pop_poverty=20%(2002) | |||
| |GDP_by_sector= | |||
| |Inflation=7.7% (2005) | |||
| |Labour_force=25,900,000 | |||
| |Labour_force_by_occupation= | |||
| |Unemployment=10% (plus underemployment of 4.0%) (2005 est.) | |||
| |Main_industries= | |||
| |Exports=$82bn | |||
| |export_partners=] 13.9%, ] 8.8%, <br>] 7.7%, ] 7.4%, ] 5.8%, <br>] 4.2% | |||
| |Imports=$137bn | |||
| |import_partners=] 12.9%, ] 9.3%, ] 7.1%, <br>] 6.4%, ] 4.8%, <br>] 4.6%, ] 4.4% | |||
| |Public_debt=57.8% of GDP (2005) | |||
| |External_debt= $145B | |||
| |Revenues= $190B | |||
| |Expenses= $210B | |||
| }} | |||
| {{Main|Economy of Turkey}} | |||
| Turkey's economy is a complex mix of modern industry and commerce along with a traditional ] sector that in ] still accounted for 30% of employment. Turkey has a strong and rapidly growing private sector, yet the state still plays a major role in basic industry, ], ], and ]. | |||
| Turkey began a series of reforms in the ]s designed to shift the economy from a statist, insulated system to a more private-sector, ]-based model. The reforms spurred rapid growth, but this growth was punctuated by sharp ]s and financial crises in ], ], and ]. Turkey's failure to pursue additional reforms, combined with large and growing ] ], resulted in high ], increasing macroeconomic volatility, and a weak ] sector. | |||
| soared by 210% in the Seventies. But this proved unsustainable and growth scaled back sharply to 70% in the Eighties and a disappointing 11% in the Nineties. | |||
| The ] government, in power from 1999 through ], restarted structural reforms in line with ongoing ] programs under the standby agreements signed with the ] (IMF), including passage of ] reform, public finance reform, state banks reform, banking sector reform, increasing transparency in public sector, and also introduction of related legislation to liberalize telecom, and energy markets. Under the IMF program, the government also sought to use ] policies to curb inflation. | |||
| In the 1990s, Turkey’s economy suffered from a series of coalition governments with weak economic policies, leading to a boom-and-bust cycle culminating in a severe banking and economic crisis in 2001 and a deep economic downturn (GNP fell 9.5% in 2001) and increase in unemployment. | |||
| The government was forced to float the lira and adopt a more ambitious economic reform program, including a very tight ], enhanced structural reforms, and unprecedented levels of IMF lending. | |||
| Large IMF loans tied to implementation of ambitious economic reforms, enabled Turkey to stabilize interest rates and the currency and to meet its debt obligations. In ] and ], the reforms began to show results. With the exception of a period of market jitters in the run-up to the ], inflation and interest rates have fallen significantly, the currency has stabilized, and confidence has begun to return. Turkey's economy grew an average of 7.5% per year from 2002 through 2005 - one of the highest sustained rates of growth in the world, rivaling countries like ] and ]. Inflation and interest rates have fallen significantly, the currency has stabilized, government debt has declined to more supportable levels, and business and consumer confidence have returned. At the same time, the booming economy and large inflows of portfolio investment have contributed to a growing current account deficit. Though Turkey’s economic vulnerabilities have been greatly reduced, the economy could still face problems in the event there is a sudden change in investor sentiment that leads to a sharp fall in the exchange rate. Continued implementation of reforms, including tight fiscal policy, is essential to sustain growth and stability. | |||
| ] (''Yeni Türk Lirası'' or YTL for short)]] | |||
| On 1 January 2005, the Turkish Lira was replaced by the ] by dropping six zeroes. That is, 1 new lira is equal to 1,000,000 old lira. This was to demonstrate the stablization achieved by the currency in recent years and to help promote exchange, investment, and trade. The new lira, however, depreciated by about 22% against major currencies within one month beginning in late May 2006. | |||
| Turkey has a number of bilateral investment and tax treaties, including with the United States, that guarantee free repatriation of capital in convertible currencies and eliminate double taxation. After years of low levels of foreign direct investment (]), in ] Turkey succeeded in attracting $9.6 billion in FDI and is expected to attract a similar level in 2006. 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 the rise in foreign investment. | |||
| Turkey seeks to improve its investment climate through administrative streamlining, an end to foreign investment screening, and strengthened intellectual property legislation. However, a number of disputes involving foreign investors in Turkey and certain policies, such as high taxation of cola products and continuing gaps in the intellectual property regime, inhibit investment. The Turkish privatization board is in the process of privatizing a series of state-owned companies, including the state alcohol and tobacco company and the oil refining parastatal. In 2004, the Privatization Board privatized the telephone company and some of the state-owned banks. The government also committed in the World Trade Organization to liberalize the telecommunications sector at the beginning of 2004. | |||
| {{See also|Economic history of Turkey}} | |||
| ==Society== | |||
| === Demographics === | |||
| {{Infobox Country Demographics | |||
| |country=Republic of Turkey | |||
| |image=] | |||
| |caption=1961-2005 | |||
| |size_of_population=70,413,958 <br>(2006 est.) | |||
| |growth=1.06% (2006 est.) | |||
| |birth=16.62 births/1,000 <br>population (2006 est.) | |||
| |death=5.97 deaths/1,000 <br>population (2006 est.) | |||
| |life=72.62 years (2006 est.) | |||
| |life_male=70.18 years | |||
| |life_female=75.18 years | |||
| |fertility=1.92 children born/woman (2006 est.) | |||
| |age_0-14_years=25.5% (male 9,133,226; female 8,800,070) | |||
| |age_15-64_years= 67.7% (male 24,218,277; female 23,456,761) | |||
| |age_65_years=6.8% (male 2,198,073; female 2,607,551) (2006 est.) | |||
| |sr_total_mf_ratio=1.02 male(s)/female | |||
| |sr_at_birth=1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.) | |||
| |sr_under_15=1.04 male(s)/female | |||
| |sr_15-64_years=1.03 male(s)/female | |||
| |sr_65_years=0.84 male(s)/female | |||
| |nation=''noun'': Turk(s) ''adjective'': Turkish | |||
| |major_ethnic=Turks | |||
| |minor_ethnic=Abkhazians, Albanians, Arabs, Armenians, Bosniaks, Chechens, Circassians, Georgians, Greeks, Hamshenis, Jews, Kabardin, Kurds, Laz, Levantines, Ossetians, Pomaks, Roma and Zazas.<ref>Within the defition established and internationally agreed in the ] ], three minority groups are officially recognized in Turkey, namely ], ] and ].</ref> | |||
| |official=Turkish | |||
| |spoken=Turkish, Kurdish, Azeri, Kabardian | |||
| }} | |||
| {{Main|Demographics of Turkey}} | |||
| The legal use of term "Turkish" (a citizen of Turkey) is different from the ethnic definition (an ]). However, the majority of the Turkish population are of ] ethnicity. Besides the minorities that have legal status as defined and internationally recognized by the ]; namely ], ] and ]; ] include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. While the term "]" itself remains a sensitive issue in Turkey, it is to be noted that the degree of intermixture between various ] outside the recognized minorities is high, the following generations generally adding into the melting-pot of the ] main body. Within that main body, certain distinctions based on diverse ] origins could be made as well by taking account of the same tendency as mentioned. | |||
| The largest group of non-Turkic ethnicity are the ], a distinct ethnic group concentrated in the southeast. The ] census determined that Kurdish was the ] of 7.1% of the population and knowledge of the language was stated by 8.4% of the population in total<ref>] & Grant McConnel, Linguistic composition of the nations of the world, vol,5, Europe and USSR, Québec, Presses de l'Université Laval, 1984, ISBN 2763770444</ref>. No accurate up-to-date figures are available for the Kurdish population, though some estimates such as the ] place their population at approximately 20%. <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/tu.html#People| title=CIA — The World Factbook| publisher=CIA| accessdate=2006-03-11}}</ref> | |||
| Though ] is the only official language throughout Turkey, broadcasts in local languages and dialects on State media outlets include ], ] (essentially ]), ] and ].Radio broadcasts are 60 minutes a day and five hours a week and 45 minutes a day and four hours a week on television <ref>http://www.byegm.gov.tr/REFERENCES/radyo-tv2002.htm Directorate General of Press and Information | |||
| - Historical background of radio and television broadcasting in Turkey</ref>. | |||
| Due to a demand for an increased labour force in ] between 1960 and 1980 many Turkish citizens, emigrated to ] (particularly ]), forming a significant overseas population. | |||
| ===Education=== | |||
| {{Main|Turkish education system}} | |||
| Education is compulsory and free from ages 7 to 15. There are around 820 higher education institutes including universities, with a total student enrollment of over 1 million. The 15 main universities are in ] and ]. Tertiary education is the responsibility of the Higher Education Council, and funding is provided by the state. From 1998 the universities were given greater autonomy, and were encouraged to raise funds from partnerships with industry. | |||
| There are approximately 85 ]. There are two types of universities, state and (private) foundational. State universities charge very low fees and foundationals are highly expensive with fees up to $15 000 or sometimes even more. The capacity in total of Turkish universities is approximately 300.000. Some universities can compete with the best world universities whereas some are unable to provide the necessary educational standards due to underfunding. However, university students are a lucky minority in Turkey. Universities provide either two or four years of education for undergraduate studies. For graduate studies, two further years is necessary, as is typical throughout the world. | |||
| The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey coordinates basic and applied research and development. There are 64 research institutes and organisations. R&D strengths include agriculture, forestry, health, biotechnology, nuclear technologies, minerals, materials, IT, and defence. | |||
| ===Culture=== | |||
| {{Main|Culture of Turkey}} | |||
| Turkey has a very diverse culture derived from various elements of the Ottoman Empire, European, and the Islamic traditions. As Turkey successfully transformed from the religion-driven former Ottoman Empire into a modern nation-state with a very strong separation of state and religion, the increase in the methods of artistic expression followed. During the first years of the republic, the government invested a large amount of resources into the fine arts, such as paintings, sculptures and architecture amongst other things. This was done as both a process of modernisation and of creating a cultural identity. Today the Turkish economy is diverse enough to subsidise individual artists with great freedom. | |||
| Because of different historical factors playing an important role in defining a Turkish identity, the ] is an interesting combination of clear efforts to be "modern" and ], combined with the necessity felt to maintain traditional religious and historical values. | |||
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| ===Religion=== | |||
| {{Main|Islam in Turkey}} | |||
| Nominally, 99% of the population is ]. Most belong to the ] branch of Islam. About 15-20% of the population are ] Muslims. There is also a small but significant ] ] minority, mainly of ] descent. The remaining 1% of the population are of other religions, mostly ] (], ] (Gregorian), ], ], ]s and ]s), ], ] and ]. | |||
| ]]] | |||
| Unlike other ]-majority countries, there is a strong tradition of ] in Turkey. Even though the state does not have any/or promote any religion, it actively monitors the area between the religions. The constitutional rule that prohibits discrimination on religious grounds is taken very seriously. The Turkish constitution recognises ] for ''individuals'', and the ''religious communities'' are placed under the protection of state, but the constitution explicitly states that they cannot become involved in the political process, by forming a religious party for example. No party can claim that it represents a form of religious belief. However, the religious sensibilities are generally represented through conservative parties. | |||
| The mainstream ] school of ] is largely organised by the state, through '']'' (Department of Religious Affairs). The Diyanet is the main Islamic framework established after abolition of the '']'' and ] of the old régime. As a consequence, they control all ]s and Muslim clerics. ]s are trained in ]s and at theology departments at universities. The department supports ] and has commissions authorised to give ] judgements on Islamic issues. The department is criticized by some Alevi Muslims for not supporting their beliefs. | |||
| The ] (''Patrik'') is the head of the Greek-Orthodox Church in Turkey and serves as the ] of all ] throughout the world. The ] is the head of the Armenian Church in Turkey, while the Jewish community is lead by the '']'', Turkey's ], based in Istanbul. | |||
| :{{see also|Jews of Turkey|Roman Catholicism in Turkey|Orthodox Church of Constantinople}} | |||
| ==Images of Turkey== | |||
| <center> | |||
| <gallery> | |||
| Image:Galata tower istanbul.jpg|İstanbul's ] | |||
| Image:Ephesus library-650px.jpg|Ancient ruins of ] | |||
| Image:Ataturkstadium2005CLfinal1.jpg|The 2005 ] Final in the ] | |||
| Image:Great Mosque Diyabakir.jpg|The Great Mosque of ] (''Ulu Camii'') | |||
| Image:Pamukkale3.jpg|Limestone formations and thermal springs in ] (cotton castle) | |||
| Image:View from Mardin to the Mesopotamian plains.jpg|Minaret of the Reyhane Mosque, ] | |||
| Image:Dalyan_-_Caunos2.JPG|Rock cut tombs of ] | |||
| Image:Karalosbay.jpg|Inlet of Karalos near ] | |||
| </gallery> | |||
| </center> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| {{portal}} | |||
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| ==References== | |||
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| ==External links== | |||
| {{sisterlinks|Turkey}} | |||
| '''Official Web Pages ''' | |||
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| {{History of Turks}} | |||
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Revision as of 01:20, 8 July 2006
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