Background: Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL who was later honored with the title Ataturk or 'Father of the Turks.' Under his authoritarian leadership the country adopted wide-ranging social legal and political reforms. After a period of one-party rule an experiment with multi-party politics led to the 1950 election victory of the opposition Democratic Party and the peaceful transfer of power. Since then Turkish political parties have multiplied but democracy has been fractured by periods of instability and intermittent military coups (1960 1971 1980) which in each case eventually resulted in a return of political power to civilians. In 1997 the military again helped engineer the ouster - popularly dubbed a 'post-modern coup' - of the then Islamic-oriented government. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island and has since acted as patron state to the 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' which only Turkey recognizes. A separatist insurgency begun in 1984 by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - now known as the People's Congress of Kurdistan or Kongra-Gel (KGK) - has dominated the Turkish military's attention and claimed more than 30,000 lives. After the capture of the group's leader in 1999 the insurgents largely withdrew from Turkey mainly to northern Iraq. In 2004 KGK announced an end to its ceasefire and attacks attributed to the KGK increased. Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. In 1964 Turkey became an associate member of the European Community; over the past decade it has undertaken many reforms to strengthen its democracy and economy enabling it to begin accession membership talks with the European Union.

Geographic coordinates: 39 00 N 35 00 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 780,580 km²
Land: 770,760 km²
Water: 9,820 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 2,648 km
Border countries: (8) Armenia 268 km; , Azerbaijan 9 km; , Bulgaria 240 km; , Georgia 252 km; , Greece 206 km; , Iran 499 km; , Iraq 352 km; , Syria 822 km

Coastline: 7,200 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea; 12 nm in Black Sea and in Mediterranean Sea
Exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only: to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former USSR

Climate: temperate; hot dry summers with mild wet winters; harsher in interior

Terrain: high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several mountain ranges

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m

Natural resources: coal iron ore copper chromium antimony mercury gold barite borate celestite (strontium) emery feldspar limestone magnesite marble perlite pumice pyrites (sulfur) clay arable land: hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 29.81%
Permanent crops: 3.39%
Other: 66.8% (2005)

Irrigated land: 52,150 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 234 km³ (2003)

Natural hazards: severe earthquakes especially in northern Turkey along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van

Geography
Note: strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus Sea of Marmara Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Mount Ararat the legendary landing place of Noah's ark is in the far eastern portion of the country

Population: 71,892,808 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 1.013% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Turk
Adjective: Turkish

Ethnic groups: Turkish 80% Kurdish 20% (estimated)

Languages
Note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the European part of Turkey

Religions: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni) other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

Age structure
0-14 years: 24.4% (male 8,937,515/female 8,608,375)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 25,030,793/female 24,253,312)
65 years and over: 7% (male 2,307,236/female 2,755,576) (2008 est.)

Median age
Total: 29 years
Male: 28.8 years
Female: 29.2 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.013% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 16.15 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 6.02 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 est.)

Environment
Current issues: water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male/female
Total population: 1.02 male/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 36.98 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 40.44 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 33.34 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.14 years
Male: 70.67 years
Female: 75.73 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.87 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1%; note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Education expenditures: 4% of GDP (2004)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 87.4%
Male: 95.3%
Female: 79.6% (2004 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 11 years (2006)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Turkey
Conventional short form: Turkey
Local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
Local short form: Turkiye

Government type: republican parliamentary democracy

Capital
Name: Ankara
Geographic coordinates: 39 56 N, 32 52 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions: 81 provinces (iller singular - ili); Adana Adiyaman Afyonkarahisar Agri Aksaray Amasya Ankara Antalya Ardahan Artvin Aydin Balikesir Bartin Batman Bayburt Bilecik Bingol Bitlis Bolu Burdur Bursa Canakkale Cankiri Corum Denizli Diyarbakir Duzce Edirne Elazig Erzincan Erzurum Eskisehir Gaziantep Giresun Gumushane Hakkari Hatay Icel (Mersin) Igdir Isparta Istanbul Izmir (Smyrna) Kahramanmaras Karabuk Karaman Kars Kastamonu Kayseri Kilis Kirikkale Kirklareli Kirsehir Kocaeli Konya Kutahya Malatya Manisa Mardin Mugla Mus Nevsehir Nigde Ordu Osmaniye Rize Sakarya Samsun Sanliurfa Siirt Sinop Sirnak Sivas Tekirdag Tokat Trabzon (Trebizond) Tunceli Usak Van Yalova Yozgat Zonguldak

Independence: 29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday: Republic Day 29 October (1923)

Constitution: 7 November 1982

Legal system: civil law system derived from various European continental legal systems; note - member of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) although Turkey claims limited derogations on the ratified European Convention on Human Rights; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Abdullah GUL (since 28 August 2007)
Head of government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (since 14 March 2003); Deputy Prime Minister Cemil CICEK (since 29 August 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Hayati YAZICI (since 29 August 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Nazim EKREN (since 29 August 2007)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister
Elections: president elected by the National Assembly for one seven-year terms; prime minister appointed by the president from among members of parliament
Election results: Abdullah GUL received 339 votes in the third round of voting on 28 August 2007, after failing to garner the two thirds vote required by law in the first two rounds
Note: president-elect must have a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly on the first two ballots and a simple majority on the third ballot

Legislative branch
Elections: last held on 22 July 2007 (next to be held on November 2012)
Election results: percent of vote by party - AKP 46.7%, CHP 20.8%, MHP 14.3%, independents 5.2%, and other 13.0%; seats by party - AKP 341, CHP 112, MHP 71, independents 26; note - seats by party as of 17 December 2007 - AKP 340, CHP 87, MHP 70, DTP 20, DSP 13, independents 6, other 12, vacant 2 (DTP entered parliament as independents; DSP entered parliament on CHP's party list); only parties surpassing the 10% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; High Court of Appeals (Yargitay); Council of State (Danistay); Court of Accounts (Sayistay); Military High Court of Appeals; Military High Administrative Court

Political parties and leaders
Note: the parties listed above are some of the more significant of the 49 parties that Turkey had on 1 December 2004

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional members) Australia Group BIS BSEC CE CERN (observer) EAPC EBRD ECO EU (applicant) FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICRM IDA IDB IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OIC OPCW OSCE PCA SECI UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNMIS UNOCI UNOMIG UNRWA UNWTO UPU WCO WEU (associate) WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Nabi SENSOY
In the us chancery: 2,525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 612-6,700
In the us fax: [1] (202) 612-6,744
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ross WILSON
From the us embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 6,100 Ankara
From the us mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5,000, APO AE 9,823
From the us telephone: [90] (312) 455-5,555
From the us fax: [90] (312) 467-0019
From the us consulates general: Istanbul
From the us consulates: Adana; note - there is a Consular Agent in Izmir

Flag description: red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening

Economy overview: Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern industry and commerce along with a traditional agriculture sector that still accounts for more than 35% of employment. It has a strong and rapidly growing private sector yet the state still plays a major role in basic industry banking transport and communication. The largest industrial sector is textiles and clothing which accounts for one-third of industrial employment; it faces stiff competition in international markets with the end of the global quota system. However other sectors notably the automotive and electronics industries are rising in importance within Turkey's export mix. Real GNP growth has exceeded 6% in many years but this strong expansion has been interrupted by sharp declines in output in 1994 1999 and 2001. The economy is turning around with the implementation of economic reforms and 2004 GDP growth reached 9% followed by roughly 5% annual growth from 2005-07. Inflation fell to 7.7% in 2005 - a 30-year low - but climbed back to 8.5% in 2007. Despite the strong economic gains from 2002-07 which were largely due to renewed investor interest in emerging markets IMF backing and tighter fiscal policy the economy is still burdened by a high current account deficit and high external debt. Further economic and judicial reforms and prospective EU membership are expected to boost foreign direct investment. The stock value of FDI currently stands at about $85 billion. Privatization sales are currently approaching $21 billion. Oil began to flow through the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline in May 2006 marking a major milestone that will bring up to 1 million barrels per day from the Caspian to market. In 2007 Turkish financial markets weathered significant domestic political turmoil including turbulence sparked by controversy over the selection of former Foreign Minister Abdullah GUL as Turkey's 11th president. Economic fundamentals are sound marked by strong economic growth and foreign direct investment. Turkey's high current account deficit leaves the economy vulnerable to destabilizing shifts in investor confidence however.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $853.9 billion (2007 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 4.5% (2007 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $12,000 (2007 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 8.9%
Industry: 28.3%
Services: 62.8% (2007 est.)

Agriculture products: tobacco cotton grain olives sugar beets pulse citrus; livestock

Industries: textiles food processing autos electronics mining (coal chromite copper boron) steel petroleum construction lumber paper

Industrial production growth rate: 5.4% (2007 est.)

Labor force
Note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2007 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 35.9%
By occupation industry: 22.8%
By occupation services: 41.2% (3rd quarter, 2004)

Unemployment rate: 9.9% plus underemployment of 4% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2%
Highest 10: 34.1% (2003)

Distribution of family income gini index: 43.6 (2003)

Budget
Revenues: $145.5 billion
Expenditures: $156.1 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt: 38.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 8.7% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate: 25% (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit: $358.1 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $162.4 billion (2006)

Current account balance: -$37.58 billion (2007 est.)

Exports: $115.3 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: apparel foodstuffs textiles metal manufactures transport equipment
Partners: Germany 11.2% UK 8.1% Italy 7% France 5.6% Russia 4.4% Spain 4.3% (2007)

Imports: $162 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: machinery chemicals semi-finished goods fuels transport equipment
Partners: Russia 13.8% Germany 10.3% China 7.8% Italy 5.9% US 4.8% France 4.6% (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $76.51 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt external: $247.1 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $106.4 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $11.35 billion (2007 est.)

Exchange rates
Note: on 1 January 2005 the old Turkish lira (TRL) was converted to new Turkish lira (TRY) at a rate of 1,000,000 old to 1 new Turkish lira

Electricity
Production: 181.6 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption: 141.5 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Exports: 2.576 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Imports: 863 million kWh (2007 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 893 million m³ (2007 est.)
Consumption: 36.6 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Exports: 31 million m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 35.83 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Proven reserves: 8.495 billion m³ (1 January 2008 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 18.413 million (2007)
Mobile cellular: 61.976 million (2007)

Telephone system
General assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and expansion especially with cellular telephones
Domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay, is facilitating communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a domestic satellite system; the number of subscribers to mobile-cellular telephone service is growing rapidly
International: country code - 90; international service is provided by the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable and by submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas that link Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia; satellite earth stations - 12 Intelsat; mobile satellite terminals - 328 in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)

Internet
Country code: .tr
Hosts: 2.667 million (2008)
Users: 13.15 million (2006)

Military expenditures: 5.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation: 20 years of age (2004)

Airports: 117 (2007)
With paved runways total: 90
With paved runways over 3047 m: 15
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 33
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 19
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 19
With paved runways under 914 m: 4 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 27
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 17 (2007)

Heliports: 18 (2007)

Pipelines: gas 7,511 km; oil 3,636 km (2007)

Railways
Total: 8,697 km
Standard gauge: 8,697 km 1.435-m gauge (1,920 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways
Total: 426,951 km (includes 1,987 km of expressways) (2006)

Waterways: 1200 km (2005)

Merchant marine
Total: 612
By type: bulk carrier 101, cargo 281, chemical tanker 70, combination ore/oil 1, container 35, liquefied gas 7, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 51, petroleum tanker 31, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 28, specialized tanker 2
Foreign owned: 8 (Cyprus 2, Germany 1, Greece 1, Italy 3, UAE 1)
Registered in other countries: 595 (Albania 1, Antigua and Barbuda 6, Bahamas 8, Belize 15, Cambodia 26, Comoros 8, Dominica 5, Georgia 14, Greece 1, Isle of Man 2, Italy 1, Kiribati 1, Liberia 7, Malta 176, Marshall Islands 50, Moldova 3, Netherlands 1, Netherlands Antilles 10, Panama 94, Russia 80, Saint Kitts and Nevis 35, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 20, Sierra Leone 15, Slovakia 10, Tuvalu 2, UK 2, unknown 2) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Aliaga Diliskelesi Izmir Kocaeli (Izmit) Mercin Limani Nemrut Limani

Disputes international: complex maritime air and territorial disputes with Greece in the Aegean Sea; status of north Cyprus question remains; Syria and Iraq protest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper Euphrates waters; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq; border with Armenia remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Idps: 1-1.2 million (fighting 1984-99 between Kurdish PKK and Turkish military; most IDPs in southeastern provinces) (2007)

Illicit drugs: key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and to a lesser extent the US - via air land and sea routes; major Turkish and other international trafficking organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base into heroin exist in remote regions of Turkey and near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and over output of poppy straw concentrate; lax enforcement of money-laundering controls