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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, but 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. |
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Location:
|
southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia (that portion
of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of
Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and
Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the
Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria |
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Geographic coordinates:
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39 00 N,
35 00 E |
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Map references:
|
Middle
East |
|
Area:
|
total:
780,580 sq km
land: 770,760 sq km
water: 9,820 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
|
slightly
larger than Texas |
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Land boundaries:
|
total:
2,648 km
border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9
km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran
499 km, Iraq 352 km, Syria 822 km |
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Coastline:
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7,200 km
|
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Maritime claims:
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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:
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temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters;
harsher in interior |
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Terrain:
|
high
central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain;
several mountain ranges |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m |
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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 |
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Land use:
|
arable
land: 30.93%
permanent crops: 3.31%
other: 65.76% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
|
42,000 sq
km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
|
very
severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along
an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van
|
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Environment - current issues:
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water
pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air
pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation;
concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship
traffic |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental
Modification |
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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
|
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Population:
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69,660,559 (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 26% (male 9,232,439/female 8,897,135)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 23,806,367/female
23,053,536)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 2,140,242/female
2,530,840) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
|
total:
27.7 years
male: 27.52 years
female: 27.89 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.09%
(2005 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
16.83
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
|
5.96
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
|
0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
|
at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
|
total:
41.04 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 44.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 37.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 72.36 years
male: 69.94 years
female: 74.91 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.94
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than
0.1% - note - no country specific models provided (2001
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Turk(s)
adjective: Turkish |
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Ethnic groups:
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Turkish
80%, Kurdish 20% (estimated) |
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Religions:
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Muslim
99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and
Jews) |
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Languages:
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Turkish
(official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek |
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Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.5%
male: 94.3%
female: 78.7% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Turkey
conventional short form: Turkey
local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
local short form: Turkiye |
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Government type:
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republican parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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Ankara
|
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Administrative divisions:
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81
provinces (iller, singular - il); 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, 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, Tunceli,
Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak |
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Independence:
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29
October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
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National holiday:
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Republic
Day, 29 October (1923) |
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Constitution:
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7
November 1982 |
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Legal system:
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civil law
system derived from various European continental legal
systems; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations; note - member of the European Court of
Human Rights (ECHR), although Turkey claims limited
derogations on the ratified European Convention on Human
Rights |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
|
chief
of state: President Ahmet Necdet SEZER (since 16 May
2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
ERDOGAN (14 March 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president on the nomination of the prime minister
elections: president elected by the National
Assembly for a seven-year term; election last held 5 May
2000 (next to be held May 2007); prime minister
appointed by the president from among members of
parliament
election results: Ahmed Necdet SEZER elected
president on the third ballot; percent of National
Assembly vote - 60%
note: president must have a two-thirds majority
of the National Assembly on the first two ballots and a
simple majority on the third ballot |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye
Buyuk Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 November 2002 (next to be
held NA 2007); note - a special rerun of the General
Election in the province of Siirt on 9 March 2003
resulted in the election of Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN to a
seat in parliament, a prerequisite for becoming prime
minister, on 14 March 2003
election results: percent of vote by party - AKP
34.3%, CHP 19.4%, DYP 9.6%, MHP 8.3%, ANAP 5.1%, DSP
1.1%, and others; seats by party - AKP 363, CHP 178,
independents 9; note - parties surpassing the 10%
threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats; seats by
party as of 1 December 2004 - AKP 368, CHP 171, DYP 4,
LDP 1, independents 5, vacant 1 |
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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 |
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Political parties and leaders:
|
Democratic Left Party or DSP [Mehmet Zeki SEZER];
Democratic People's Party or DEHAP [Tuncer BAKIRHAN];
Justice and Development Party or AKP [Recep Tayyip
ERDOGAN]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Emin SIRIN];
Motherland Party or ANAP [Ali Talip OZDEMIR];
Nationalist Action Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI];
Republican People's Party or CHP (includes the New
Turkey Party) [Deniz BAYKAL]; Felicity Party (sometimes
translated as Contentment Party) or SP [Necmettin
ERBEKAN]; Social Democratic People's Party or SHP [Murat
KARAYALCIN]; True Path Party (sometimes translated as
Correct Way Party) or DYP [Mehmet AGAR]
note: the parties listed above are some of the
more significant of the 49 parties that Turkey had on 1
December 2004 |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Sami
EVREN]; Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or
DISK [Suleyman CELEBI]; Independent Industrialists' and
Businessmen's Association or MUSIAD [Omer BOLAT]; Moral
Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Salim USLU]; Turkish
Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or TUSIAD
[Omer SABANCI]; Turkish Confederation of Employers'
Unions or TISK [Refik BAYDUR]; Turkish Confederation of
Labor or Turk-Is [Salih KILIC]; Turkish Confederation of
Tradesmen and Craftsmen or TESK [Dervis GUNDAY]; Turkish
Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges or
TOBB [M. Rifat HISARCIKLIOGLU] |
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International organization participation:
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AsDB,
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN (observer), EAPC,
EBRD, ECO, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NEA,
NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU,
WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO,
ZC |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief
of mission: Ambassador Dr. Osman Faruk LOGOGLU
chancery: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 612-6700
FAX: [1] (202) 612-6744
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los
Angeles, and New York |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief
of mission: Ambassador Eric S. EDELMAN
embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere,
06100 Ankara
mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823
telephone: [90] (312) 455-5555
FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019
consulate(s) general: Istanbul
consulate(s): Adana; note - there is a Consular
Agent in Izmir |
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
|
Turkey's
dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern industry and
commerce along with a traditional agriculture sector
that in 2004 still accounted 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. In recent years the economic situation has
been marked by erratic economic growth and serious
imbalances. 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.
Inflation, in recent years in the high double-digit
range, fell to 9.3% by 2004 - a 30-year low. Despite
these strong economic gains in 2002-04, which were
largely due to renewed investor interest in emerging
markets, IMF backing, and tighter fiscal policy, the
economy is still plagued with high debt and deficits.
The public sector fiscal deficit exceeds 6% of GDP - due
in large part to the huge burden of interest payments,
which accounted for more than 40% of central government
spending in 2004, and to populist spending. Foreign
direct investment (FDI) in Turkey remains low -
averaging less than $1 billion annually, but further
economic and judicial reforms and prospective EU
membership are expected to boost FDI. A major political
and economic issue over the next decade is whether or
not Turkey will become a member of the EU. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
|
$508.7
billion (2004 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
8.2%
(2004 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $7,400 (2004 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 11.7%
industry: 29.8%
services: 58.5% (2003 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
25.3
million
note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2003
est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture 35.9%, industry 22.8%, services 41.2% (3rd
quarter, 2004) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
9.3%
(plus underemployment of 4.0%) (2004 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
20%
(2002) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest
10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 30.7% (2000) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
42 (2003)
|
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
9.3%
(2004 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed):
|
17.3% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $78.53 billion
expenditures: $110.9 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
|
Public debt:
|
74.3% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
tobacco,
cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus;
livestock |
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Industries:
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textiles,
food processing, autos, mining (coal, chromite, copper,
boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper
|
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Industrial production growth rate:
|
16.5%
(2004 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
139.7
billion kWh (2003) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil
fuel: 79.3%
hydro: 20.4%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.3% (2001) |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
117.9
billion kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
433
million kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
3.6
billion kWh (2002) |
|
Oil - production:
|
48,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
619,500
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
46,110
bbl/day (2001) |
|
Oil - imports:
|
616,500
bbl/day (2001) |
|
Oil - proved reserves:
|
288.4
million bbl (1 January 2002) |
|
Natural gas - production:
|
312
million cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
15.94
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports:
|
0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports:
|
15.75
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves:
|
8.685
billion cu m (1 January 2002) |
|
Current account balance:
|
$-15.3
billion (2004 est.) |
|
Exports:
|
$69.46
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
apparel,
foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport
equipment |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Germany
13.9%, UK 8.8%, US 7.7%, Italy 7.4%, France 5.8%, Spain
4.2% (2004) |
|
Imports:
|
$94.5
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels,
transport equipment |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Germany
12.9%, Russia 9.3%, Italy 7.1%, France 6.4%, US 4.8%,
China 4.6%, UK 4.4% (2004) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
|
$37.1
billion (2004 est.) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$16.9
billion (2004 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
ODA,
$635.8 million (2002) |
|
Currency (code):
|
Turkish
lira (TRL), New Turkish lira (YTL) after 1 January 2005
|
|
Currency code:
|
TRL, YTL
|
|
Exchange rates:
|
Turkish
liras per US dollar - 1,425,500 (2004), 1,500,900
(2003), 1,507,200 (2002), 1,225,600 (2001), 625,200
(2000)
Note: on 1 January 2005 the old Turkish Lira
(TRL)was converted to New Turkish Lira (YTL) at a rate
of 1,000,000 old to 1 New Turkish Lira |
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar
year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
18,916,700 (2003) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
27,887,500 (2003) |
|
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 three submarine fiber-optic
cables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, linking
Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania,
and Russia; also by 12 Intelsat earth stations, and by
328 mobile satellite terminals in the Inmarsat and
Eutelsat systems (2002) |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 16, FM
107, shortwave 6 (2001) |
|
Radios:
|
11.3
million (1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
635 (plus
2,934 repeaters) (1995) |
|
Televisions:
|
20.9
million (1997) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.tr |
|
Internet hosts:
|
355,215
(2004) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
|
50 (2001)
|
|
Internet users:
|
5.5
million (2003) |
|
Railways:
|
total:
8,697 km
standard gauge: 8,697 km 1.435-m gauge (2,122 km
electrified) (2004) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
354,421 km
paved: 147,404 km (including 1,851 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 207,017 km (2002) |
|
Waterways:
|
1,200 km
(2003) |
|
Pipelines:
|
gas 3,177
km; oil 3,562 km (2004) |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Aliaga,
Ambarli, Eregli, Haydarpasa, Istanbul, Kocaeli (Izmit),
Skhira, Toros |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total:
526 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,666,895 GRT/7,311,504
DWT
by type: bulk carrier 108, cargo 228, chemical
tanker 45, combination ore/oil 1, container 25,
liquefied gas 6, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 50,
petroleum tanker 33, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll
off 22, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 8 (Cyprus 3, Denmark 2, Greece 1,
Italy 1, Switzerland 1)
registered in other countries: 231 (2005) |
|
Airports:
|
119 (2004
est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total:
87
over 3,047 m: 16
2,438 to 3,047 m: 30
1,524 to 2,437 m: 20
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total:
32
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 20 (2004 est.) |
|
Heliports:
|
14 (2004
est.) |
|
Military branches:
|
Turkish
Armed Forces (TSK): Land Forces, Naval Forces (includes
Naval Air and Naval Infantry), Air Force |
|
Military service age and obligation:
|
20 years
of age (2004) |
|
Manpower available for military service:
|
males
age 20-49: 16,756,323 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service:
|
males
age 20-49: 13,905,901 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
|
males:
679,734 (2005 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$12.155
billion (2003) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
5.3%
(2003) |
|
Military - note:
|
in the
early 1990s, the Turkish Land Force was a large but
badly equipped infantry force; there were 14 infantry
divisions, but only one was mechanized, and out of 16
infantry brigades, only six were mechanized; the
overhaul that has taken place since has produced highly
moblie forces with greatly enhanced firepower in
accordance with NATO's new strategic concept (2005) |
|
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:
350,000-1,000,000 (fighting from 1984-99 between Kurdish
PKK and Turkish military; most IDPs in southeastern
provinces) (2004) |
|
Illicit drugs:
|
key
transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western
Europe and - to a far lesser extent the US - via air,
land, and sea routes; major Turkish, Iranian, and other
international trafficking organizations operate out of
Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base
into heroin are in remote regions of Turkey as well as
near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over
areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of
poppy straw concentrate |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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