Turkey

Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in <a href="/facts/Anatolia/vMkrLrPr">Anatolia</a> in <a href="/facts/West_Asia/xXM15vIz">West Asia</a>, with a relatively small part called <a href="/facts/East_Thrace/9tznf4uK">East Thrace</a> in <a href="/facts/Southeast_Europe/zxgEvCdQ">Southeast Europe</a>. It borders the <a href="/facts/Black_Sea/M0rLKvge">Black Sea</a> to the north; <a href="/facts/Georgia_(country)/ccBF8bBE">Georgia</a>, <a href="/facts/Armenia/t3GQx9sU">Armenia</a>, <a href="/facts/Azerbaijan/Ho5joRTJ">Azerbaijan</a>, and <a href="/facts/Iran/24yukge8">Iran</a> to the east; <a href="/facts/Iraq/pqYSFJw8">Iraq</a>, <a href="/facts/Syria/7pDXGzq8">Syria</a>, and the <a href="/facts/Mediterranean_Sea/Vr2pzVbM">Mediterranean Sea</a> to the south; and the <a href="/facts/Aegean_Sea/Vx4Gg5CT">Aegean Sea</a>, <a href="/facts/Greece/lqHw8bTB">Greece</a>, and <a href="/facts/Bulgaria/Er5pY3YS">Bulgaria</a> to the west. Turkey is home to over 85 million people; most are ethnic <a href="/facts/Turkish_people/3Rg0k6vU">Turks</a>, while ethnic <a href="/facts/Kurds_in_Turkey/h3UrQcJN">Kurds</a> are the <a href="/facts/Minorities_in_Turkey/AofyXqjK">largest ethnic minority</a>. Officially <a href="/facts/Secularism_in_Turkey/VBmDFpYq">a secular state</a>, Turkey has <a href="/facts/Islam_in_Turkey/QpwD9Fcx">a Muslim-majority</a> population. <a href="/facts/Ankara/llGIJ0vj">Ankara</a> is Turkey's capital and second-largest city. <a href="/facts/Istanbul/Xo1hzGWH">Istanbul</a> is its largest city and economic center. Other major cities include <a href="/facts/%25C4%25B0zmir/CUkMRT28">İzmir</a>, <a href="/facts/Bursa/oXpCUeNy">Bursa</a>, and <a href="/facts/Antalya/pVSkzcaY">Antalya</a>.
First inhabited by modern humans during the <a href="/facts/Late_Paleolithic/BnpabgyJ">Late Paleolithic</a>, present-day Turkey was home to <a href="/facts/List_of_ancient_peoples_of_Anatolia/sogy5x5U">various ancient peoples</a>. The <a href="/facts/Hattians/1DQUVaty">Hattians</a> were assimilated by the <a href="/facts/Hittites/jqG8LbLK">Hittites</a> and other <a href="/facts/Anatolian_peoples/WrydRtRH">Anatolian peoples</a>. <a href="/facts/Classical_Anatolia/ce7fYvm9">Classical Anatolia</a> transitioned into cultural <a href="/facts/Hellenization/w07GMufL">Hellenization</a> after <a href="/facts/Alexander_the_Great/8N3gLElj">Alexander the Great</a>'s conquests, and later <a href="/facts/Romanization_(cultural)/XtyKWbgT">Romanization</a> during the <a href="/facts/Roman_Empire/l4E1aUuV">Roman</a> and <a href="/facts/Byzantine_Empire/njEELXWF">Byzantine</a> eras. The <a href="/facts/Seljuk_Empire/PIdMSP62">Seljuk Turks</a> began migrating into Anatolia in the 11th century, starting the <a href="/facts/Turkification/Bd3K0zeJ">Turkification</a> process. The Seljuk <a href="/facts/Sultanate_of_Rum/FxM7T3tz">Sultanate of Rum</a> ruled Anatolia until the <a href="/facts/Mongol_invasions_of_Anatolia/UuElQDp5">Mongol invasion</a> in 1243, when it disintegrated into <a href="/facts/Anatolian_beyliks/IPwH9JE0">Turkish principalities</a>. Beginning in 1299, the <a href="/facts/Ottoman_Empire/6QvfTRsg">Ottomans</a> united the principalities and <a href="/facts/Rise_of_the_Ottoman_Empire/IWb7h4Hz">expanded</a>. <a href="/facts/Mehmed_II/gdtDX2nE">Mehmed II</a> conquered <a href="/facts/Fall_of_Constantinople/JwpayQqv">Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) in 1453</a>. During the reigns of <a href="/facts/Selim_I/aVcgQv8C">Selim I</a> and <a href="/facts/Suleiman_the_Magnificent/AQKbFdJu">Suleiman the Magnificent</a>, the Ottoman Empire became a <a href="/facts/Global_power/KBtjXLun">global power</a>. From 1789 onwards, the empire saw major changes, <a href="/facts/Tanzimat/I83H2yXu">reforms</a>, centralization, and <a href="/facts/Rise_of_nationalism_in_the_Ottoman_Empire/BH5168C7">rising nationalism</a> while <a href="/facts/Decline_and_modernization_of_the_Ottoman_Empire/0H9nK1qn">its territory declined</a>.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, <a href="/facts/Persecution_of_Muslims_during_the_Ottoman_contraction/ArVDMSSk">persecution of Muslims during the Ottoman contraction</a> and <a href="/facts/Persecution_of_Muslims/2geADI3y">in the Russian Empire</a> resulted in large-scale loss of life and <a href="/facts/Muhacir/U7RV5Ejm">mass migration into modern-day Turkey</a> from the <a href="/facts/Balkans/5Hy8ly0d">Balkans</a>, <a href="/facts/Caucasus/sE8P8Ejg">Caucasus</a>, and <a href="/facts/Crimean_Khanate/JPtgG0dx">Crimea</a>. Under the control of the <a href="/facts/Three_Pashas/xwpyIbGp">Three Pashas</a>, the Ottoman Empire <a href="/facts/Ottoman_entry_into_World_War_I/QhrptDal">entered World War I</a> in 1914, during which the Ottoman government committed <a href="/facts/Late_Ottoman_genocides/WAIPE0sR">genocides</a> against its <a href="/facts/Armenian_genocide/n4qY58hs">Armenian</a>, <a href="/facts/Greek_genocide/BhTKfBBw">Greek</a>, and <a href="/facts/Assyrian_genocide/v8wng75H">Assyrian</a> subjects. Following Ottoman defeat, the <a href="/facts/Turkish_War_of_Independence/GtV8LuII">Turkish War of Independence</a> resulted in the <a href="/facts/Abolition_of_the_Ottoman_sultanate/XSyTpBso">abolition of the sultanate</a> and the signing of the <a href="/facts/Treaty_of_Lausanne/u3edX8Q9">Treaty of Lausanne</a>. Turkey emerged as a more homogenous <a href="/facts/Nation_state/1T5FVEJP">nation state</a>. The Republic <a href="/facts/Proclamation_of_the_Republic_of_Turkey/b5GpzXaF">was proclaimed</a> on 29 October 1923, modelled on <a href="/facts/Atat%25C3%25BCrk%2527s_reforms/kR518f4R">the reforms</a> initiated by the country's first president, <a href="/facts/Mustafa_Kemal_Atat%25C3%25BCrk/RYKRRRst">Mustafa Kemal Atatürk</a>. Turkey <a href="/facts/Turkey_during_World_War_II/gENanptK">remained neutral during most of World War II</a>, but was involved in the <a href="/facts/Korean_War/Qo93pNhE">Korean War</a>. Several military interventions interfered with the transition to a multi-party system.
Turkey is an <a href="/facts/Gross_national_income/KeJVJcR5">upper-middle-income</a> and <a href="/facts/Emerging_country/FoGN9n5F">emerging country</a>; <a href="/facts/Economy_of_Turkey/GwsvVoao">its economy</a> is the world's <a href="/facts/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)/k3Lf3RIL">16th-largest by nominal</a> and <a href="/facts/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)/fDw3Ibeo">12th-largest by PPP-adjusted GDP</a>. As the <a href="/facts/List_of_countries_by_electricity_production/4TVnQd21">15th-largest electricity</a> producer in the world, Turkey aims to become a hub for regional energy transportation. It is a <a href="/facts/Unitary_state/HAxK1eMM">unitary</a> presidential <a href="/facts/Presidential_system/lFFCrzpv">republic</a>. Turkey is a founding member of the <a href="/facts/OECD/CI9W2zGv">OECD</a>, <a href="/facts/G20/pFut6kJQ">G20</a>, and <a href="/facts/Organization_of_Turkic_States/xMl695nL">Organization of Turkic States</a>. With a geopolitically significant location, Turkey is a <a href="/facts/NATO/dCeTddMY">NATO</a> member and has <a href="/facts/Member_states_of_NATO/fEaDpxcX">its second-largest military force</a>. It may be recognized as an <a href="/facts/Emerging_power/YouWwHna">emerging</a>, a <a href="/facts/Middle_power/ku44qNYY">middle</a>, and a <a href="/facts/Regional_power/5sEzSjCx">regional</a> power. As <a href="/facts/Accession_of_Turkey_to_the_European_Union/IAgL2SNM">an EU candidate</a>, Turkey is part of the <a href="/facts/European_Union_Customs_Union/zklwV2Cu">EU Customs Union</a>.
Turkey has coastal plains, <a href="/facts/Geography_of_Turkey/ldMkYM1S">a high central plateau</a>, and various mountain ranges; <a href="/facts/Climate_of_Turkey/rnCsK7dy">its climate</a> is temperate with harsher conditions in the interior. Home to three <a href="/facts/Biodiversity_hotspot/rGVdhvvG">biodiversity hotspots</a>, Turkey is prone to <a href="/facts/List_of_earthquakes_in_Turkey/HKrwoI4x">frequent earthquakes</a> and is <a href="/facts/Climate_change_in_Turkey/LdIvkuQk">highly vulnerable to climate change</a>. Turkey has <a href="/facts/Health_care_in_Turkey/43PBNL7l">a universal healthcare system</a>, growing <a href="/facts/Education_in_Turkey/mwgkz2XX">access to education</a>, and increasing levels of <a href="/facts/Global_Innovation_Index/mIqcsoF4">innovativeness</a>. It is a leading <a href="/facts/Turkish_television_drama/3IK13Yaz">TV content</a> exporter. With numerous UNESCO <a href="/facts/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Turkey/H5THaEl0">World Heritage</a> sites and <a href="/facts/Intangible_cultural_heritage/3bXsRUoc">intangible cultural heritage</a> inscriptions, and <a href="/facts/Turkish_cuisine/nMRDtnv9">a rich and diverse cuisine</a>, Turkey is the <a href="/facts/World_Tourism_rankings/WHLW8GqP">fourth most visited country</a> in the world.

Turkey open-in-new

Turkey