from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Turkey
Introduction
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.
Geography
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
Geographic 39 00 N, 35 00 E
coordinates:
Map Middle East
references:
Area: total: 780,580 sq km
land: 770,760 sq km
water: 9,820 sq km
Area - slightly larger than Texas
comparative:
Land total: 2,648 km
boundaries: 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
Coastline: 7,200 km
Maritime territorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea; 12 nm in Black
claims: 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 lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
extremes: highest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m
Natural coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury,
resources: 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 52,150 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey,
hazards: along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake
Van
Environment - water pollution from dumping of chemicals and
current detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas;
issues: deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing
Bosporus ship traffic
Environment - party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty,
international Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
agreements: Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits
note: (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
People
Population: 70,413,958 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.5% (male 9,133,226/female 8,800,070)
15-64 years: 67.7% (male 24,218,277/female 23,456,761)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 2,198,073/female
2,607,551) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 28.1 years
male: 27.9 years
female: 28.3 years (2006 est.)
Population 1.06% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 16.62 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 5.97 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 39.69 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 43.27 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 35.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 72.62 years
expectancy at male: 70.18 years
birth: female: 75.18 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.92 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - less than 0.1% - note - no country specific models
adult provided (2001 est.)
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Turk(s)
adjective: Turkish
Ethnic groups: Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20% (estimated)
Religions: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly
Christians and Jews)
Languages: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri,
Kabardian
note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in
the Europe part of Turkey
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.5%
male: 94.3%
female: 78.7% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Turkey
conventional short form: Turkey
local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
local short form: Turkiye
Government republican parliamentary democracy
type:
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 81 provinces (iller, singular - il); Adana, Adiyaman,
divisions: 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,
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, Tunceli, Usak, Van,
Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak
Independence: 29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
National Republic Day, 29 October (1923)
holiday:
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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Ahmet Necdet SEZER (since 16
branch: 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 single 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
Legislative unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye
branch: 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
in 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%, Anavatan 5.1%, DSP 1.1%,
and other; 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 2005 - AKP 357, CHP 154,
ANAVATAN 22, DYP 4, SHP 4, HYP 1, independents 4,
vacant 4
Judicial Constitutional Court; High Court of Appeals (Yargitay);
branch: Council of State (Danistay); Court of Accounts
(Sayistay); Military High Court of Appeals; Military
High Administrative Court
Political Anavatan Partisi (once was Motherland Party) or
parties and ANAVATAN [Erkan MUMCU]; Democratic Left Party or DSP
leaders: [Mehmet Zeki SEZER]; Democratic People's Party or DEHAP
[Tuncer BAKIRHAN]; Felicity Party (sometimes translated
as Contentment Party) or SP [Necmettin ERBAKAN];
Justice and Development Party or AKP [Recep Tayyip
ERDOGAN]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP; Nationalist
Action Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI]; People's Rise
Party (Halkin Yukselisi Partisi) or HYP [Yasr Nuri
OZTURK]; Republican People's Party or CHP [Deniz
BAYKAL]; 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
Political Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Sami
pressure EVREN]; Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions
groups and or DISK [Suleyman CELEBI]; Independent Industrialists'
leaders: and Businessmen's Association or MUSIAD [Omer BOLAT];
Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Salim USLU];
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 Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association
or TUSIAD [Omer SABANCI]; Turkish Union of Chambers of
Commerce and Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat
HISARCIKLIOGLU]
International AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN (observer),
organization EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
participation: ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA,
NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC, OPCW, OSCE,
PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS,
UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Nabi SENSOY
representation chancery: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 612-6700
FAX: [1] (202) 612-6744
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles,
New York
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Ross WILSON
representation embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 06100
from the US: 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
Flag red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion
description: is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star
centered just outside the crescent opening
Economy
Economy - Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern
overview: 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%. Inflation fell to 7.7% in 2005 -
a 30-year low. Despite the strong economic gains in
2002-05, 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 debt. The public
sector fiscal deficit exceeds 6% of GDP - due in large
part to high interest payments, which accounted for
about 37% of central government spending in 2004. Prior
to 2005, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Turkey
averaged less than $1 billion annually, but further
economic and judicial reforms and prospective EU
membership are expected to boost FDI. Privatization
sales are currently approaching $21 billion.
GDP $584.5 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $332.5 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 7.4% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $8,400 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 11.7%
composition by industry: 29.8%
sector: services: 58.5% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 24.7 million
note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 35.9%
by occupation: industry: 22.8%
services: 41.2% (3rd qtr. 2004)
Unemployment 10.2% plus underemployment of 4% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 20% (2002)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 2.3%
income or highest 10%: 30.7% (2000)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 42 (2003)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 8.2% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 19.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $93.58 billion
expenditures: $115.3 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 68% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse,
products: citrus; livestock
Industries: textiles, food processing, autos, electronics, mining
(coal, chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum,
construction, lumber, paper
Industrial 5.9% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 133.6 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 79.3%
production by hydro: 20.4%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0.3% (2001)
Electricity - 140.3 billion kWh (2005)
consumption:
Electricity - 600 million kWh (2002)
exports:
Electricity - 1.2 billion kWh (2002)
imports:
Oil - 50,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
production:
Oil - 715,100 bbl/day (2005 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 46,110 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports: 616,500 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved 288.4 million bbl (1 January 2002)
reserves:
Natural gas - 560 million cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 22.6 billion cu m (2005 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2001 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 15.75 billion cu m (2001 est.)
imports:
Natural gas - 8.495 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
proved
reserves:
Current $-23.08 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $72.49 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures,
commodities: transport equipment
Exports - Germany 12.9%, UK 8.1%, Italy 7.6%, US 6.7%, France
partners: 5.2%, Spain 4.1% (2005)
Imports: $101.2 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels,
commodities: transport equipment
Imports - Germany 11.7%, Russia 11%, Italy 6.5%, China 5.9%,
partners: France 5%, US 4.6%, UK 4% (2005)
Reserves of $52.49 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $170.1 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - ODA, $635.8 million (2002)
recipient:
Currency Turkish lira (YTL); old Turkish lira (TRL) before 1
(code): January 2005
Currency code: TRL, YTL
Exchange Turkish liras per US dollar - 1.3436 (2005), 1.4255
rates: (2004), 1.5009 (2003), 1.5072 (2002), 1.2256 (2001)
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
Communications
Telephones - 18.978 million (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 43.609 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and
system: 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 AM 16, FM 107, shortwave 6 (2001)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 11.3 million (1997)
Television 635 (plus 2,934 repeaters) (1995)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 20.9 million (1997)
Internet .tr
country code:
Internet 1,313,135 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 50 (2001)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 16 million (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 117 (2006)
Airports - total: 89
with paved over 3,047 m: 15
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 33
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 4 (2006)
Airports - total: 28
with unpaved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 17 (2006)
Heliports: 18 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 4,621 km; oil 3,543 km (2006)
Railways: total: 8,697 km
standard gauge: 8,697 km 1.435-m gauge (2,122 km
electrified) (2005)
Roadways: total: 347,553 km
paved: 154,807 km (including 1,886 km of expressways)
unpaved: 192,747 km (2004)
Waterways: 1,200 km (2005)
Merchant total: 545 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,772,864 GRT/
marine: 7,313,070 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 109, cargo 239, chemical tanker
50, container 24, liquefied gas 6, passenger 4,
passenger/cargo 50, petroleum tanker 36, refrigerated
cargo 1, roll on/roll off 24, specialized tanker 2
foreign-owned: 7 (Cyprus 2, Germany 1, Italy 3,
Switzerland 1)
registered in other countries: 411 (Albania 1, Antigua
and Barbuda 8, Bahamas 8, Belize 11, Cambodia 26,
Comoros 11, Dominica 3, Georgia 30, Isle of Man 3,
North Korea 4, Liberia 1, Libya 2, Malta 123, Marshall
Islands 20, Netherlands Antilles 9, Panama 42, Russia
63, Saint Kitts and Nevis 6, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 25, Slovakia 8, Tuvalu 2, UK 2, unknown 3)
(2006)
Ports and Aliaga, Ambarli, Eregli, Haydarpasa, Istanbul, Izmir,
terminals: Kocaeli (Izmit), Toros
Military
Military Turkish Armed Forces (TSK): Land Forces, Naval Forces
branches: (includes naval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air
Force (Turk Hava Kuvvetleri) (2006)
Military 20 years of age (2004)
service age
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 20-49: 16,756,323
available for females age 20-49: 16,051,706 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 20-49: 13,905,901
for military females age 20-49: 13,335,812 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 679,734
reaching females age 20-49: 659,090 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $12.155 billion (2003)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 5.3% (2003)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Military - in the early 1990s, the Turkish Land Force was a large
note: 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 mobile forces with greatly enhanced firepower in
accordance with NATO's new strategic concept (2005)
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with
international: 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 IDPs: 350,000-1,000,000 (fighting from 1984-99 between
internally Kurdish PKK and Turkish military; most IDPs in
displaced southeastern provinces) (2005)
persons:
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 and
near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls
over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and output
of poppy straw concentrate; lax enforcement of
money-laundering controls