TURKEY
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Turkey
General Information
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Turkey
Tips for Travelers
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ABOUT TURKEY
Official Name: The Republic of Turkey (Türkiye
Cumhuriyeti)
Founder: Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK ( 1881-1938 )
Capital: ANKARA
Population: 65.3 million (as of 2000)
Language: Turkish (uses Latin Alphabet)
Currency: Turkish Lira (TL)
Electricity: 220 volts a.c. all over Turkey
Weights and Measures: Metric and Kilo system
Flag: Red background with a white crescent and star in
the middle
Geography : Turkey's land mass is 814,578 sq.km. (% 3 on
the European continent, % 97 on the Asian continent) The
European and Asian sides are divided by the Istanbul
Bogazi (Bosphorus), the Sea of Marmara, and the
Canakkale Bogazi (Dardanelles). Anatolia is a high
plateau region rising progressively towards the east,
broken by the valleys of about 15 rivers, including the
Dicle (Tigres) and the Firat (Euphrates). There are
numerious lakes and some, such as Lake Van, are as large
as inland seas. In the north, the Eastern Black Sea
Mountain chain runs parallel to the Black Sea; in the
south, the Taurus mountains sweep down almost to the
narrow, fertile coastal plain along the coast. Turkey
enjoys a variety of climates, changing from the
temperate climate of the Back Sea region, to the
continental climate of the interior, then, to the
Mediterranean climate of the Aegean and Mediterranean
costal regions. The coastline of Turkey's four seas is
more then 8,333 km long.
History : Turkey has heen called "the cradle of
civilizaton" and by traveling through this historic
land, tourists will discover exactly what is meant by
this pharase. The world's first town, a neolithic city
at Catalhoyuk, dates back to 6,500 B.C. From the days of
Catalhoyuk up to the present, Turkey boasts a rich
culture that through the centuries has made a lasting
impression on modern civillcation. The heir to many
centuries of cultures makes Turkey a paradise of
information and cultural wealth. Hattis, Hittitess,
Phrygians, Urartians, Lycians, Lydians, Ionians,
Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, and
Ottomans have all made important contributions to
Turkish history, and ancient sites and ruins scattered
throughout the country give proof of each civilizaton's
unique distinction.
Turkey also has a very fascinating recent history. Upon
the decline of the Ottoman Empire, a young man named
Mustafa Kemal, who was a soilder by ocupation but in
character, a great visionary, took the defeat of World
War I and turned it into a shining victory by liberating
Turkey of al foreign invaders. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
founded the Republic of Turkey on October 29, 1923. He
led his country into peace and stability, with
tremendous economic growth and complete mtodernization.
Through decades of change and growth, Turkey till boasts
this succes, living by its adopted motto of "Peace at
Home, Peace in the World".
Population : 67,308,928 (July 2002 est.)
Language :Language
Turkish is the native tongue of 90 percent of the
population in Turkey. Turks had used numerous written
tongues since 8th century but the most common alphabets
used by the Turks are the Kök Turk, Uygur, Arabic and
Latin alphabets.
After the declaration of republic and the completion of
the national unification, especially between 1923-1928
years, the problem of the alphabet is discussed and
debated. In order to carry the new Turkish Republic to
the modern civilization level, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk,
the founder of the Republic had believed to use the
Western Culture and Civilization and therefore with this
aim Latin letters which are rearranged in a manner that
they are convenient to the vocal structure of the
Turkish language are accepted instead of the Arabic
alphabet which was currently in use in 1928.
The Historic development of Turkish Language as a
written tongue:
Ancient Turkish (VI - X Century) : The language used in
Uygur tongue written documents with the Orhon and
Yenisey Inscriptions.
Intermediate Turkish (XI - XV Century) : This language
certifies the period between the first Islamic written
document and completion of the formation of the new
written Turkish dialects. (Anatolian Turkish -
Azerbaijani Turkish - Turkoman Turkish)
New Turkish (XV - XX Century) : (Uzbek language -
Kipchak Language)
In Anatolia, a written language called Ottoman language
which was developed from Oğuz language was used during
this period.
Modern Turkish (XX Century) : The modern Turkish
includes the Turkish dialects used in various locations
all around the world in XX. Century. In this century,
Turkey Turkish language is used in Anatolia.
Turkish is located among the ending languages in the
world tongue classification. The root of the words are
not altered while the word structure and declination.
The declinations and building of the words are executed
by the affixes. The order of the words and affixes are
as "root + building affix + declination affix" .
There are 29 letters in Turkish language in the Republic
period Latin letters. ç,ğ,ı,ö,ş letters are peculiar
only to Turkish alphabet. .
Religion : 99 % of the Turkish population is Muslims.
Turkey is a secular government and therefore the members
of other religions are free to realize their religious
activities and ceremonies.
Economy :
Tourism : In recent years, Turkey has become a major
tourist destination in Europe. With the rapid
development of both summer and winter resorts, more and
more people from around the world are able to enjoy the
history, culture, and beautiful sites of Turkey. From
swimming in the Mediterranean to skiing in Uludag,Turkey
has something to offer every tourist.
Agriculture : This plays a very important role in the
Turkish economy. The main crops are wheat,rice, cotton,
tea, tobacco, hazelnuts, and fruit. Sheep are Turkeys
most important livestock, and Turkey is one of the major
cotton and wool producers.
Southeast Anatolia Project (GAP) : GAP is a
multi-purpose, integrated development project comprising
of dams, hydroelectric power plants and irrigation
facilities currently being built on the Firat
(Euphrates) and Dicle (Tigris) rivers. It will effect
agriculture, transportation, education, tourism, health
and other sectors. ATATURK DAM, included in the project,
is among the first 10 dams in the world.
Natural resources : The principal minerals extracted are
coal, chrome (an important export), iron,copper,
bauxite, marble and sulphur.
Industry : Industry is developing rapidly and is
directed mainly towards the processing of agricultural
products, metallurgy, textiles, and the manufacture of
automobiles and agricultural machinery.
Famous Landmarks
Ayasofya Museum, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Dolmabahçe
Palace, ancient City of Troy, Ephesus, Aphrodisias,
Pergamon, Pamukkale, Göreme- Cappadocia, Mt.Nemrut,
Safranbolu
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