Turkey

§1. 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.

§2. Turkey 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 coordinates:
  39 00 N, 35 00 E

Map references:
  Middle_East

Area:
  total: 780,580 km²
  land: 770,760 km²
  water: 9,820 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly larger than Texas

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

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
  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:
  42,000 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending
  from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van

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

Environment - international agreements:
  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

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

§3. Turkey 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 growth rate:
  1.06% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  16.62 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  5.97 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

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 mortality rate:
  total: 39.69 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 43.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 35.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 72.62 years
  male: 70.18 years
  female: 75.18 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.92 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  less than 0.1% - note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA

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.)

§4. Turkey Government

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:
  Ankara

Administrative divisions:
  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

Independence:
  29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday:
  Republic Day, 29 October (1923)

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 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

Legislative branch:
  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 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 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:
  Anavatan Partisi (once was Motherland Party) or ANAVATAN [Erkan MUMCU];
  Democratic Left Party or DSP [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 [Emin
  SIRIN]; 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 pressure groups and leaders:
  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 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 organization participation:
  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, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA,
  NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WEU
  (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Nabi SENSOY
  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, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ross WILSON
  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

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

§5. Turkey Economy

Economy - overview:
  Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern 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 (purchasing power parity):
  $552.7 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $336.4 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  5.1% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $7,900 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 11.7%
  industry: 29.8%
  services: 58.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  24.7 million
  note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 35.9%, industry 22.8%, services 41.2% (3rd quarter, 2004)

Unemployment rate:
  10% plus underemployment of 4% (2005 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)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  7.7% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  19.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $93.58 billion
  expenditures: $115.3 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

Public debt:
  67.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  5.5% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
  133.6 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  140.3 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:
  600 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
  1.2 billion kWh (2002)

Oil - production:
  50,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  715,100 bbl/day (2005 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:
  560 million m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  22.6 billion m³ (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  15.75 billion m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  8.495 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
  $-22 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $72.49 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment

Exports - partners:
  Germany 13.9%, UK 8.8%, US 7.7%, Italy 7.3%, France 5.8%, Spain 4.2% (2004)

Imports:
  $101.2 billion f.o.b. (2005 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:
  $46.5 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $161.8 billion (30 June 2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  ODA, $635.8 million (2002)

Currency (code):
  Turkish lira (YTL); old Turkish lira (TRL) before 1 January 2005

Exchange rates:
  Turkish liras per US dollar - 1.3436 (2005), 1.4255 (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

§6. Turkey Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  19,125,200 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  34,707,500 (2004)

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)

Television broadcast stations:
  635 (plus 2,934 repeaters) (1995)

Internet country code:
  .tr

Internet hosts:
  753,394 (2005)

Internet users:
  5.5 million (2003)

§7. Turkey Transportation

Airports:
  120 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 88
  over 3,047 m: 15
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 32
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
  914 to 1,523 m: 18
  under 914 m: 4 (2005)

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 (2005)

Heliports:
  16 (2005)

Pipelines:
  gas 3,177 km; oil 3,562 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 8,697 km
  standard gauge: 8,697 km 1.435-m gauge (2,122 km electrified) (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 354,421 km
  paved: 147,404 km (including 1,886 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 207,017 km (2003)

Waterways:
  1,200 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 538 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,745,132 GRT/7,261,125 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 109, cargo 235, chemical tanker 45, combination
    ore/oil 1, container 26, liquefied gas 5, passenger 4, passenger/cargo
    51, petroleum tanker 36, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 23,
    specialized tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 10 (Cyprus 3, Italy 3, South Korea 1, Monaco 1, Netherlands
    1, Switzerland 1)
  registered in other countries: 344 (Albania 1, Antigua and Barbuda 5, The
    Bahamas 10, Belize 8, Cambodia 17, Comoros 10, Dominica 1, France 1,
    Georgia 24, Honduras 1, Isle of Man 3, North Korea 4, Liberia 2, Libya 2,
    Malta 101, Marshall Islands 24, Netherlands Antilles 8, Panama 31, Russia
    54, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 23,
    Slovakia 8, UK 1, unknown 3) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Aliaga, Ambarli, Eregli, Haydarpasa, Istanbul, Kocaeli (Izmit), Skhira,
  Toros

§8. Turkey Military

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 mobile forces with
  greatly enhanced firepower in accordance with NATO's new strategic concept
  (2005)

§9. Turkey Transnational Issues

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) (2005)

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


<Factbook 2006>
