Turkey is a transcontinental country located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, bordered by eight nations and featuring diverse geography and a rich history dating back to 7500 BC. The modern Republic of Turkey was established in 1923, has a population of approximately 79.4 million, and has a mixed economy with significant agricultural contributions. Current challenges include an influx of refugees, economic instability, and ongoing conflicts with Kurdish insurgent groups.

1. TURKEY
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2. Turkey’s location is interesting because it is partially in Europe, partially in Asia.
The small area of land west of the Bosporus Strait is geographically Europe, while
the rest east of the strait is geographically Asia. Turkey borders three seas:
Aegean, Black, and Mediterranean. In area, it is slightly larger than the state of
Texas. Turkey’s geography includes plateaus, coastal plains, and mountain
ranges. Turkey borders eight countries: Bulgaria, Greece, Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia, Iran, Iraq, and Syria.

3. Country Quick Facts
● Full name: Republic of Turkey
● Population: about 79.4 million (July 2015)
● Capital: Ankara
● Largest city: Istanbul
● Official languages: Turkish
● Major religion: Muslim (99.8%, mostly Sunni)
● Life expectancy: male- 72.3 , female: 77
● Monetary unit: Turkish lira
● Main exports: apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufacturers, transport
equipment
● GNI per capita: $18,800 (2013)

4. History
● History in the land that is now Turkey
dates back to 7500 BC
● 547 BC Cyrus of Persia conquered most
of Anatolia (Turkey)
● 127 BC Anatolia becomes the Roman
Province of Asia or Asia Minor
● 330 AD Constantine, the ruler of the
Byzantine Empire, founds New Rome
(later to become Constantinople and
Istanbul, respectively)
● 1243 Mongol Invasion
● 1288 The Ottoman Empire is founded
Hagia Sophia was a Christian
basilica built in 537AD in
Constantinople (Istanbul). It was
later converted to a mosque
when the Ottomans took over
Constantinople. Today it is open
as a museum and is part of a
UNESCO World Heritage Site

5. History continued
● 1453 Constantinople conquered and becomes Istanbul
● 1520-1566 Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire
● 1699 the decline of the Ottoman Empire begins
● 1914 Turkey allies with Germany during WWI, but stays
neutral in WWII (1939)
● Late 1910s/early 1920s the Ottoman Empire falls
● 1923 What is left of the Ottoman Empire becomes the
Republic of Turkey, great reforms start taking place
● 1940s- democratic elections introduced
● 1952 Turkey joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO)
● 2005 The lira, Turkey’s current currency, is introduced
Sultan Suleyman the
Magnificent, ruler during the
Ottoman Golden Age

6. Hagia Sophia interior (above)
Library of Celsus,
Selçuk, Turkey
built in 135AD
(right)

7. Language
● HELLO: Merhaba
● GOODBYE: Hoşçakal
● YES: Evet
● NO: Hayır
● THANK YOU: Teşekkür ederim
● YOU’RE WELCOME: Bir şey değil
● PLEASE: Lütfen
● I LOVE YOU: Seni seviyorum
● HOW ARE YOU: Nasılsınız?

8. Government
● President: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
● Prime minister: Ahmet Davutoğlu
● Republican parliamentary democracy
● Voting age: 18 years old Erdoğan
Davutoğl
u

9. Current Issues
● Tons of refugees from Iraq and Syria (concerns
that they are not taken care of)
● Northern Cyprus: A self declared state (Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus) on the island of
Cyprus, Turkey is the only country to recognize it
● Disputes the idea that the mass killings of
Armenians in the early 20th century were genocide
● Unstable economy
● Turkey-PKK conflict: armed conflict between
Turkey and Kurdish insurgent groups that want
separation and to create their own independent
Kurdistan; Kurds are an ethnic minority in Turkey,
they also have their own language
● Human trafficking

10. Economy
● 18th largest economy in the world
● Largely free market economy
● Has been a candidate country for the European Union since 1999
● Agricultural sector still accounts for 25% of employment
● High current account deficit
● G20 country: group of the world’s largest advanced and emerging
economies
● Germany is their largest trading partner
● Dependent on short-term investment to finance its large current
account deficit

11. Currency
● Turkish lira
● 1 US Dollar= 2.79 lira

12. Traditional Turkish Dance

13. Traditional Clothing

14. Turkish Cuisine
● Turkey has one of the most famous cuisines in the
world
● Turkish food is a mix of Central Asian, Middle Eastern,
and Balkan cuisine by Ottoman chefs
● Typically rich in fish, lamb, beef, chicken, eggplants,
nuts, garlic, lentils, cumin, pepper, mint, oregano,
parsley, and paprika
● Doner Kebabs- sliced strips of chicken or beef in a pita-
like wrap with onions, lettuce, and tomatoes
● Baklava-layered pastry filled with nuts and covered in
sweet syrup
● Turkish delight- one of the oldest sweets in the world,
gel candy often filled with some type of nut like
hazelnut and covered in powdered sugar

15. (Left) Various types of
Turkish delight, (Below)
street doner kebab,
(bottom left) baklava

16. Turkish Coffee and Tea
● Turkey is well known for its own version of tea and coffee
● Tea is drank all throughout the day and sharing tea is a
sign of friendship; sugar is often presented in cubes
(pictured bottom left)
● Turkish coffee is much stronger than American coffee; it is
often served with a sweet like Turkish delight candies and
in fancy cup

17. Fun Facts
● The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul has 64 streets, 4,000 shops, and
25,000 workers
● Istanbul, which is not the capital of Turkey, is the 3rd largest city
in Europe
● Turkey has 15 world heritage sites
● Turks introduced tulips to the Dutch, which the Dutch are now
famous for
● Turkey has 82,693 mosques
● The ancient real-life city of Troy was located in modern-day
Turkey and is one of the 15 UNESCO sites
● Every 10 days a new plant species is discovered in Turkey

18. Archeological site of Troy, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hisarlık

19. Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey

20. Ankara
The Capital of Turkey

21. Istanbul
Turkey’s Largest City