Turkiye

Republic of TurkeyTurkiye Cumhuriyeti

republican parliamentary democracyIndependence 29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman

Turkiye as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 90 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalAnkara
Position39 00 N, 35 00 E
Area780,580 sq km
LocationSouthwestern Asia (that part west of the Bosporus is
1996

Every edition of Turkiye

Populationas each edition published it
62.48 million July 1996 est. · 56.7m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.67% 1996 est. · 2.07% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 26.8 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
71.92 years 1996 est. · 70.41 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.58 children per woman 1996 est. · 3.6 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
43.2 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 74 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$5,500 1995 est. · $3,670 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
6.8% 1995 est. · 5.9% in 1993

Geography

15 fields

Land useshare of 780,580 sq km

arable land 30%permanent crops 4%meadows and pastures 12%forest and woodland 26%other 28%irrigated 22,200 sq km (1989 est.)
Area
780,580sq km
land area: 770,760 sq kmcomparative area: slightly larger than Texas
Coastline
7,200km
exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only - to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former USSRterritorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea,; 12 nm in the Black Sea and in the Mediterranean Sea
Land boundaries
2,627km
border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 331 km, Syria 822 km

Location

Southwestern Asia (that part west of the Bosporus is sometimes included with 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

International disputes

  • complex maritime, air and territorial disputes with Greece in Aegean Sea;
  • Cyprus question;
  • Hatay question with Syria;
  • dispute with downstream riparians (Syria and Iraq) over water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Climate

  • temperate;
  • hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters;
  • harsher in interior

Terrain

  • mostly mountains;
  • narrow coastal plain;
  • high central plateau (Anatolia)
lowest point:
Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point:
Mount Ararat 5,166 m

Natural resources

antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulfur, iron ore

Environment

current issues:
  • water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents;
  • air pollution, particularly in urban areas;
  • deforestation
natural hazards:
very severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van
international agreements:
  • party to - Air Pollution, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling;
  • signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Desertification, Environmental Modification

Geographic note

strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas

People

15 fields
Population
62,484,478
(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 1.67% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth
22.26Death
5.52Net migration
0

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years71.92
69.53 · 74.43
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy82.3%
91.7% · 72.4%
MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:
32% (male 10,192,195; female 9,836,045)
15-64 years:
62% (male 19,859,717; female 19,187,769)
65 years and over:
6% (male 1,571,451; female 1,837,301) (July 1996 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.86 male(s)/female
all ages:
1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

43.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.58 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Turk(s)
adjective:
Turkish

Ethnic divisions

Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20%

Religions

Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (Christian and Jews)

Languages

Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic

Government

Republican parliamentary democracy; President Suleyman DEMIREL (since 16 May 1993) was elected for a seven-year term by the National Assembly; Prime Minister Mesut YILMAZ (since 12 March 1996) and Deputy Prime Minister Nahit MENTESE (since 12 March 1996) were appointed by the president

22 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

21.38%
RP 21.38%DYP 19.18%ANAP 19.65%DSP 14.64%CHP 10.71%independent 0.48%

Legislature, 550 seatsseats by party

550 total) RP 158DYP 135ANAP 133DSP 75CHP 49

Name of country

conventional long form:
Republic of Turkey
conventional short form:
Turkey
local long form:
Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
local short form:
Turkiye

Type of government

republican parliamentary democracy

Capital

Ankara

Administrative divisions

79 provinces (iller, singular - il); Adana, Adiyaman, Afyon, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gazi Antep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Icel, Iggdir, Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir, Kahraman Maras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanli Urfa, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak; note: Karabuk, Kilis, and Yalova are three new Turkish provinces mentioned in the 24 December 1995 election results

Independence

29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday

Anniversary of the Declaration of the Republic, 29 October (1923)

Constitution

7 November 1982

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
President Suleyman DEMIREL (since 16 May 1993) was elected for a seven-year term by the National Assembly
head of government:
Prime Minister Mesut YILMAZ (since 12 March 1996) and Deputy Prime Minister Nahit MENTESE (since 12 March 1996) were appointed by the president

National Security Council

advisory body to the president and the cabinet; cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the president on nomination of the prime minister

Grand National Assembly of Turkey

  • (Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi) elections last held 24 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000);
  • results - RP 21.38%, DYP 19.18%, ANAP 19.65%, DSP 14.64%, CHP 10.71%, independent 0.48%;
  • seats - 550 total) RP 158, DYP 135, ANAP 133, DSP 75, CHP 49

note: seats held by various parties are subject to change due to defections, creation of new parties, and ouster or death of sitting deputies; current seats by party are as follows: RP 158,

DYP 135, ANAP 126, DSP 75, CHP 49, BBP 7

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court, judges appointed by the president; Court of Appeals, judges are elected by the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors

Political parties and leaders

  • True Path Party (DYP), Tansu CILLER;
  • Motherland Party (ANAP), Mesut YILMAZ;
  • Welfare Party (RP), Necmettin ERBAKAN;
  • Democratic Left Party (DSP), Bulent ECEVIT;
  • Nationalist Action Party (MHP), Alparslan TURKES;
  • New Party (YP), Yusuf Bozkurt OZAL;
  • Republican People's Party (CHP), Deniz BAYKAL;
  • Workers' Party (IP), Dogu PERINCEK;
  • Nation Party (MP), Aykut EDIBALI;
  • Democrat Party (DP), Murat UZMAN;
  • Grand Unity Party (BBP), Muhsin YAZICIOGLU;
  • Rebirth Party (YDP), Hasan Celal GUZEL;
  • People's Democracy Party (HADEP), Murat BOZLAK;
  • Main Path Party (ANAYOL), Gurcan BASER;
  • Democratic Target Party (DHP), Abdulkadir Yasar TURK;
  • Liberal Party (LP), Besim TIBUK;
  • New Democracy Movement (YDH), Cem BOYNER;
  • Labor Party (EP), Abdullah Levent TUZER;
  • Democracy and Peace Party (DBP), Refik KARAKOC;
  • Freedom and Solidarity Praty (ODP), Ufuk URAS

Other political or pressure groups

  • Turkish Confederation of Labor (Turk-Is), Bayram MERAL;
  • Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions (DISK), Ridvan BUDAK;
  • Moral Rights Workers Union (Hak-Is), Salim USLU;
  • Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD), Halis KOMILI;
  • Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), Ali Osman ULUSOY;
  • Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions (TISK), Refik BAYDUR;
  • Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD), Erol YARAR

International organization participation

AsDB, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC, NATO, NEA, OECD, OIC, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Nuzhet KANDEMIR
chancery:
1714 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:
[1] (202) 659-8200
consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:
Ambassador Marc GROSSMAN
embassy:
110 Ataturk Boulevard, Ankara
mailing address:
PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823
telephone:
[90] (312) 468-6110

FAX

[90] (312) 467-0019

consulate(s) general:
Istanbul
consulate(s):
Adana

Flag

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

Economy

The Turkish economy consists of a mixture, on | the one hand, of modern industry and commerce, and, on the other | hand, of time-honored village agriculture and crafts.

21 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$5,500
(1995 est.)
Real growth rate
6.8%
(1995 est.)industrial production growth: 8.8% (1995)
Unemployment rate
10.2%
(1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector(1994)

agriculture 15.5%industry 33.2%services 51.3% (1994)

Budget

Revenues
$30.2 billionExpenditures
$35 billion (1995)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $2.8 billion

Installed generating capacity, 18,710,000 kW

Electricity production
71 billionElectricity consumption per capita
1,079 (1993)

Economic overview

The Turkish economy consists of a mixture, on the one hand, of modern industry and commerce, and, on the other hand, of time-honored village agriculture and crafts. Since World War II, it has become increasingly integrated into the West European economic arena, for example, as a member of OECD. The economy has improved significantly since the 1994 crisis, when the economy experienced a sharp drop and inflation hit triple digits.

The crisis - sparked by the downgrading in January 1994 of Turkey's international credit rating by two US rating agencies - stemmed from years of loose monetary and fiscal policies that had exacerbated inflation and allowed the public debt, money supply, and current account deficit to explode.

In April 1994, then Prime Minister CILLER introduced a stabilization package that paved the way for a $950 million IMF standby loan. However, because the government missed key macroeconomic targets in 1995 and the December national election produced months of political wrangling, the IMF put the agreement - and release of remaining funds - on hold.

The new center-right minority government that finally has emerged will find it difficult to balance the need for new austerity measures and tough structural reforms with the pressure for continued buoyant growth. Ankara is also likely to face internal opposition to policies it must implement as part of the Turkey-EU customs union agreement - which came into force on 1 January 1996 - because many industries are unfit for EU competition and much-needed revenues will decline with the elimination of import tariffs and surcharges.

Meanwhile, Ankara's heavy debt repayment schedule in 1996 makes it necessary for Turkish leaders to bolster the confidence of both domestic and foreign investors.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $345.7 billion (1995 est.)

Labor force

20.9 million; by occupation: agriculture 46%, services 31%, industry 23% note: about 1.5 million Turks work abroad (1994)

Industries

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

Agriculture

tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulses, citrus; livestock

Illicit drugs

  • major transit route for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish to Western Europe and 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 as well as near Istanbul;
  • government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate

Exports

$20.7 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities:
textiles and apparel 37%, steel products 12%, fruits and vegetables 11% (1994)
partners:
Germany 22%, Russia 8%, US 8%, Italy 6% (1994)

Imports

$32.6 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities:
machinery 25%, fuels 17%, raw materials 11%, foodstuffs 5% (1994)
partners:
Germany 16%, US 10%, Italy 9%, Russia 8% (1994)

External debt

$73.8 billion (1995 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $195 million (1993) note: aid for Gulf war efforts from coalition allies (1991), $4.1 billion; aid pledged for Turkish Defense Fund, $2.5 billion

Currency

Turkish lira (TL)

Exchange rates

Turkish liras (TL) per US$1 - 60,502.1 (January 1996), 45,845.1 (1995), 29,608.7 (1994), 10,984.6 (1993), 6,872.4 (1992), 4,171.8 (1991)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

8 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 104 in all

17
over 3 047 m
19
2 438 to 3 047 m
12
1 524 to 2 437 m
2
18
914 to 1 523 m
8
28
under 914 m
PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways
386,704Railways
10,386
Highways: paved: 45,683 km (including 862 km of expressways) · unpaved: 341,021 km (1992 est.) · Railways: standard gauge: 10,386 km 1.435-m gauge (1,088 km electrified)

Railways

total:
10,386 km
standard gauge:
10,386 km 1.435-m gauge (1,088 km electrified)

Highways

total:
386,704 km
paved:
45,683 km (including 862 km of expressways)
unpaved:
341,021 km (1992 est.)

Waterways

about 1,200 km

Pipelines

  • crude oil 1,738 km;
  • petroleum products 2,321 km;
  • natural gas 708 km

Ports

Gemlik, Hopa, Iskenderun, Istanbul, Izmir, Izmit, Mersin, Samsun, Trabzon

Merchant marine

total:
465 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,509,741 GRT/9,494,434 DWT
ships by type:
bulk 139, cargo 212, chemical tanker 18, combination bulk 7, combination ore/oil 12, container 2, liquefied gas tanker 4, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 43, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 15, short-sea passenger 7, specialized tanker 2

note: Turkey owns an additional 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 247,369 DWT operating under the registries of Malta, Panama, Libya, and Greece (1995 est.)

Heliports

2 (1995 est.)

Communications

Land Forces, Navy (includes Naval Air and Naval | Infantry), Air Force, Coast Guard, Gendarmerie

9 fields
Fixed lines
6.89 million
(1990 est.)

Telephone system

fair domestic and international systems

domestic:
trunk microwave radio relay network; limited open-wire network
international:
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 2 Inmarsat (Indian and Atlantic Ocean regions); 1 submarine cable

Radio broadcast stations

AM 15, FM 94, shortwave 0

Radios

9.4 million (1992 est.)

Televisions

10.53 million (1993 est.) Defense

Branches

Land Forces, Navy (includes Naval Air and Naval Infantry), Air Force, Coast Guard, Gendarmerie

Manpower availability

males age 15-49:
16,937,828
males fit for military service:
10,312,010
males reach military age (20) annually:
637,456 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures

  • exchange rate conversion - $6.0 billion, 4% of GDP (1995);
  • note - figures do not include about $7 billion for the government's counterinsurgency effort against the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Turkey.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/turkiye/1996.

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