Project: Turkey /Country
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Location
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Turkey is a country located at the juncture of Southeast Europe and West Asia. It sits mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in West Asia, with a small portion called East Thrace located on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. Turkey is bordered by the Black Sea to the north; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran to the east; Iraq to the southeast; Syria and the Mediterranean Sea to the south; the Aegean Sea to the west; and Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest.
See Also: Geography of Turkey
Administrative Divisions
Turkey is subdivided into seven regions and 21 subregions for geographic, demographic, and economic purposes. However, these subdivisions are not administrative in nature. Administratively, Turkey is divided into 81 provinces, each of which is further divided into numerous districts. There are a total of 973 districts in Turkey.
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See Also: Administrative Divisions of Turkey
Ankara is Turkey's capital, while Istanbul is the nation's largest city. Other major cities include Izmir, Bursa (the former Ottoman capital), and Antalya.
History
The history of Turkey is a long and complex one. The region now forming the territory of the Republic of Turkey has been ruled by various cultures, including the Roman Byzantine Empire, the Seljuk Empire during the Medieval era, and the Ottoman Empire.
The Ottoman Empire was a powerful Islamic-run state that existed from the late 13th century to the early 20th century. Founded by Osman I, a Turkish tribal leader, the Ottoman Empire grew to become one of the most powerful states in the world, controlling large areas of the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. The Ottoman Empire was an Islamic-run superpower. By the beginning of the 17th century, the empire contained 32 provinces and vassal states.
During World War I, the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers, fighting against the Allied Powers. The empire suffered a series of military losses which ultimately led to its defeat. The subsequent Treaty of Sèvres imposed harsh terms on the Ottoman Empire, including the loss of its Arab territories and the imposition of foreign control over its finances and military. The treaty also recognized the independence of several Ottoman territories, including Greece, Armenia, and Lebanon.
After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Atatürk implemented a series of sweeping reforms aimed at modernizing Turkey and transforming it into a secular, democratic state. These reforms included the adoption of a new legal code, the introduction of a new alphabet, and the establishment of a multi-party political system. In the years following its founding, Turkey faced a number of challenges, including political instability, economic crises, and military coups. Despite these challenges, Turkey has emerged as a regional power and a key player in international affairs.
See also: History of Turkey
Ethnicities
The Turkish people are the largest ethnic group in Turkey, representing as much as 75% of the population. They are followed distantly by the Kurdish minority, who represent about 20% of the country's population and mostly live in the eastern and southeastern regions of Turkey, also known as Kurdistan. Smaller minorities, such as the Arabs, Albanians, Bosniaks, Circassians, Chechens, Georgians, Romani, Laz people and others, have diverse origins and cultures, and have often faced discrimination and oppression from the Turkish government in the past.
See Also: Turkish People
Language
The official language of Turkey is Turkish, which is spoken by about 90% of the population. There are also several minority languages spoken in Turkey, including Kurdish, Arabic, Zazaki, Laz, and others. Some Turks also speak foreign languages, such as English, German, and French, especially in urban areas and for education purposes.
See also: Turkish Language
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Religion
The most common religion in Turkey is Islam, which is followed by about 90% of the population. However, Turkey is officially a secular country which has had no state religion since 1928. There are also some religious minorities in Turkey, such as Christians, Jews, Baháʼís, Tengrists, and Yazidis. Some Turks also identify as irreligious, agnostic, atheist, or spiritual but not religious.
See Also: Religion in Turkey]
See Also: Demographics of Turkey
Turkish Naming Conventions
Turkish naming conventions are influenced by both Turkish and Islamic traditions. A Turkish name consists of an ad or an isim (given name) and a soyadı or soyisim (surname). While there is only one surname in the full name, there may be more than one given name. Married women may carry both their maiden and husband’s surnames. The patronymic element denotes the name of the father, often with the suffixes “-oğlu” (son of) for males and “-kızı” (daughter of) for females. Some Turkish people with a middle name may be referred to by just one of these names, while others are referred to with both names. Turkish names are often words with specific meanings in the Turkish language.
See Also: Turkish Names
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