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; it began accession membership talks with the European Union in 2005.

Geographic coordinates: 39 00 N 35 00 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 783,562 km²
Rank: 37
Land: 769,632 km²
Water: 13,930 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 (2008)

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
Volcanism: Turkey experiences little volcanic activity; its three historically active volcanoes; Ararat Nemrut Dagi and Tendurek Dagi have not erupted since the 19th century or earlier

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: 78,785,548 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 17
Growth rate: 1.235% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 95
Below poverty line: 17.11% (2008)

Nationality
Noun: Turk
Adjective: Turkish

Ethnic groups: Turkish 70-75% Kurdish 18% other minorities 7-12% (2008 est.)

Languages: Turkish (official) Kurdish other minority languages

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 26.6%
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 26,741,332/female 26,162,757)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 2,259,422/female 2,687,245) (2011 est.)

Median age
Total: 28.5 years
Male: 28.1 years
Female: 28.8 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.235% (2011 est.)
Rank: 95

Birth rate: 17.93 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 105

Death rate: 6.1 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 160

Net migration rate: 0.51 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 64

Urbanization
Urban population: 70% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.7% annual rate of change (2010-15 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: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 23.94 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 84
Male: 25 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 22.82 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.5 years
Rank: 126
Male: 70.61 years
Female: 74.49 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.15 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 111

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 1.451 physicians/1000 population (2008)
Rank: 82

Hospital bed density: 2.41 beds/1000 population (2008)
Rank: 89

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1%; less than 0.1% note - no country specific models provided (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 161
People living with hivaids: 4,600 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 120
Deaths: fewer than 200 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 102

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 16.1% (2007)
Rank: 30

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 3.5% (2004)
Rank: 99

Education expenditures: 2.9% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 136

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: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 11 years (2008)

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 Monday 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 Igdir Isparta Istanbul Izmir (Smyrna) Kahramanmaras Karabuk Karaman Kars Kastamonu Kayseri Kilis Kirikkale Kirklareli Kirsehir Kocaeli Konya Kutahya Malatya Manisa Mardin Mersin 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; amended several times; note - amendment passed by referendum 21 October 2007 concerning presidential elections

Legal system: civil law system based on various European legal systems notably the Swiss civil code; note - member of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) although Turkey claims limited derogations on the ratified European Convention on Human Rights

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Abdullah GUL
Head of government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (since 14 March 2003)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister
Elections: president elected directly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president from among members of parliament
Election results: on 28 August 2007 the National Assembly elected Abdullah GUL president on the third ballot; National Assembly vote - 339
Note: in October 2007 Turkish voters approved a referendum package of constitutional amendments including a provision for direct presidential elections

Legislative branch: unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held on 12 June 2011 (next to be held by June 2015)
Election results: percent of vote by party - AKP 49.8% CHP 25.9% MHP 13% independents 6.6% other 4.7%; seats by party - AKP 326 CHP 135 MHP 53 independents 36; note - 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: Democratic Left Party or DSP [Masum TURKER]; Democratic Party or DP [Namik Kemal ZEYBEK]; Equality and Democracy Party or EDP [Ziva HALIS]; Felicity Party or SP [Necmettin ERBAKAN] (sometimes translated as Contentment Party); Freedom and Solidarity Party or ODP [Alper TAS]; Grand Unity Party or BBP [Yalcin TOPCU]; Justice and Development Party or AKP [Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN]; Nationalist Movement Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI]; Peace and Democracy Party or BDP [Selahattin DEMIRTAS]; People's Voice Party or HSP [Numan KURTULMUS]; Republican People's Party or CHP [Kemal KILICDAROGLU]; Turkey Party or TP [Abdullatif SENER]
Note: the parties listed above are some of the more significant of the 61 parties that Turkey had according to the Ministry of Interior statistics current as of May 2009

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member) Australia Group BIS BSEC CE CERN (observer) CICA D-8 EAPC EBRD ECO EU (candidate country) FAO FATF G-20 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 Paris Club (associate) PCA SECI UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNRWA UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Namik TAN
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 consulate general: Chicago Houston Los Angeles New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Douglas A. SILLIMAN
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 consulate general: Istanbul
From the us consulate: Adana; note - there is a Consular Agent in Izmir

Flag description: red with a vertical white crescent moon (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening; the flag colors and designs closely resemble those on the banner of Ottoman Empire which preceded modern-day Turkey; the crescent moon and star serve as insignia for the Turks as well as being traditional symbols of Islam; according to legend the flag represents the reflection of the moon and a star in a pool of blood of Turkish warriors

National symbols: star and crescent

National anthem
Name: 'Istiklal Marsi'
Lyricsmusic: Mehmet Akif ERSOY/Zeki UNGOR
Note: lyrics adopted 1921 music adopted 1932; the anthem's original music was adopted in 1924; a new composition was agreed upon in 1932

Economy overview: Turkey's economy is increasingly driven by its industry and service sectors although its traditional agriculture sector still accounts for about 30% of employment. An aggressive privatization program has reduced state involvement in basic industry banking transport and communication and an emerging cadre of middle-class entrepreneurs is adding dynamism to the economy. Turkey's traditional textiles and clothing sectors still account for one-third of industrial employment despite stiff competition in international markets that resulted from the end of the global quota system. Other sectors notably the automotive construction and electronics industries are rising in importance and have surpassed textiles within Turkey's export mix. Oil began to flow through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline in May 2006 marking a major milestone that will bring up to 1 million barrels per day from the Caspian to market. Several gas pipelines also are being planned to help move Central Asian gas to Europe via Turkey which will help address Turkey's dependence on energy imports over the long term. After Turkey experienced a severe financial crisis in 2001 Ankara adopted financial and fiscal reforms as part of an IMF program. The reforms strengthened the country's economic fundamentals and ushered in an era of strong growth - averaging more than 6% annually until 2008 when global economic conditions and tighter fiscal policy caused GDP to contract in 2009 reduced inflation to 6.3% - a 34-year low - and cut the public sector debt-to-GPD ratio below 50%. Turkey's well-regulated financial markets and banking system weathered the global financial crisis and GDP rebounded strongly to 7.3% in 2010 as exports returned to normal levels following the recession. The economy however continues to be burdened by a high current account deficit and remains dependent on often volatile short-term investment to finance its trade deficit. The stock value of FDI stood at $174 billion at year-end 2010 but inflows have slowed considerably in light of continuing economic turmoil in Europe the source of much of Turkey's FDI. Further economic and judicial reforms and prospective EU membership are expected to boost Turkey's attractiveness to foreign investors. However Turkey's relatively high current account deficit uncertainty related to policy-making and fiscal imbalances leave the economy vulnerable to destabilizing shifts in investor confidence.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 17
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 16

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 94
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 9.6%
Industry: 26.7%
Services: 63.8% (2010 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 13.1% (2010 est.)
Rank: 15

Labor force: 25.64 million
Rank: 24
Note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2010 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 29.5%
By occupation industry: 24.7%
By occupation services: 45.8% (2005)

Unemployment rate: 14.1% (2009 est.)
Rank: 128
Note: underemployment amounted to 4% in 2008

Population below poverty line: 17.11% (2008)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.1%
Highest 10: 30.3% (2008)

Distribution of family income gini index: 43.6 (2003)
Rank: 64

Budget
Revenues: $169 billion
Expenditures: $195.4 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -3.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 113

Taxes and other revenues: 22.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 133

Public debt: 46.4% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 65

Inflation rate consumer prices: 6.3% (2009 est.)
Rank: 194

Central bank discount rate: 25% (31 December 2008)
Rank: 6

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 21% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 18

Stock of narrow money: $46.72 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 42

Stock of broad money: $349.6 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 23

Stock of domestic credit: $402.6 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 26

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 28

Current account balance: -$13.99 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 190

Exports: $109.6 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 32
Commodities: apparel foodstuffs textiles metal manufactures transport equipment
Partners: Germany 10.1% UK 6.4% Italy 5.7% France 5.3% Iraq 5.3% Russia 4.1% (2010)

Imports: $134.5 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 23
Commodities: machinery chemicals semi-finished goods fuels transport equipment
Partners: Russia 11.6% Germany 9.5% China 9.3% US 6.6% Italy 5.5% France 4.4% Iran 4.1% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $75 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 23

Debt external: $290.7 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 29

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $77.7 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 36

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $15.42 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 46

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 185.2 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 21
Consumption: 161 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 21
Exports: 1.55 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 737 million kWh (2009 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 674 million m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 66
Consumption: 38.12 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 25
Exports: 649 million m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 39
Imports: 38.04 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 9
Proven reserves: 6.173 billion m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 87

Telephones
Main lines in use: 16.202 million (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 19
Mobile cellular: 61.77 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 21

Telephone system
General assessment: comprehensive telecommunications network undergoing rapid modernization and expansion especially in mobile-cellular services
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)

Broadcast media: national public broadcaster Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) operates multiple TV and radio networks and stations; multiple privately-owned national television stations and up to 300 private regional and local television stations; multi-channel cable TV subscriptions are obtainable; more than 1000 private radio broadcast stations (2009)

Internet
Country code: .tr
Hosts: 3.433 million (2010)
Hosts rank: 26
Users: 27.233 million (2009)
Users rank: 15

Military expenditures: 5.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 14

Military service age and obligation: 19-41 years of age for male compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary service; 15 months conscript obligation for non-university graduates 6-12 months for university graduates; women serve in the Turkish Armed Forces only as officers; reserve obligation to age 41; under a law passed in November 2011 men aged 30 and older may pay $16,200 in lieu of mandatory military service (2011)

Airports: 99 (2010)
Rank: 59
With paved runways total: 88
With paved runways over 3047 m: 16
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 33
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 19
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 16
With paved runways under 914 m: 4 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 11
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 4 (2010)

Heliports: 20 (2010)

Pipelines: gas 10,706 km; oil 3,636 km (2010)

Railways
Total: 8,699 km
Rank: 24
Standard gauge: 8,699 km 1.435-m gauge (1928 km electrified) (2010)

Roadways
Total: 352,046 km
Rank: 19
Paved: 313,151 km (includes 2010 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 38,895 km (2008)

Waterways: 1200 km (2008)
Rank: 60

Merchant marine
Total: 645
Rank: 18
By type: bulk carrier 95 cargo 290 chemical tanker 85 combination ore/oil 1 container 40 liquefied gas 6 passenger 1 passenger/cargo 59 petroleum tanker 31 refrigerated cargo 1 roll on/roll off 34 specialized tanker 2
Foreign owned: 3 (Germany 1 Italy 2)
Registered in other countries: 686 (Albania 1 Antigua and Barbuda 7 Azerbaijan 1 Bahamas 3 Barbados 1 Belize 18 Cambodia 26 Comoros 16 Cook Islands 4 Dominica 1 Georgia 22 Italy 3 Kiribati 3 Liberia 15 Malta 211 Marshall Islands 72 Moldova 18 Mongolia 1 former Netherlands Antilles 8 Panama 79 Russia 104 Saint Kitts and Nevis 22 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 18 Sierra Leone 14 Slovakia 2 Tanzania 7 Togo 4 Turkmenistan 1 Tuvalu 1 UK 1 unknown 2) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Aliaga Diliskelesi Eregli Izmir Izmit (Kocaeli) Mercin (Icel) Limani Yarimca

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; in 2009 Swiss mediators facilitated an accord reestablishing diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey but neither side has ratified the agreement and the rapprochement effort has faltered; Turkish authorities have complained that blasting from quarries in Armenia might be damaging the medieval ruins of Ani on the other side of the Arpacay valley;

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Idps: 1-1.2 million (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