Turkiye

Republic of TurkeyTurkiye Cumhuriyeti

republican parliamentary democracy

Turkiye as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 100 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

Populationas each edition published it

64.57 million July 1998 est. · 56.7m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.6% 1998 est. · 2.07% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 26.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

72.82 years 1998 est. · 70.41 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.47 children per woman 1998 est. · 3.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

38.27 deaths per 1,000 live births 1998 est. · 74 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$6,100 1997 est. · $3,670 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

7.2% 1997 · 5.9% in 1993

Geography

18 fields

Land useshare of 780,580 sq km

arable land 32%permanent crops 4%permanent pastures 16%forests and woodland 26%other 22% (1993 est.)irrigated 36,740 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

780,580sq km

land: 770,760 sq kmwater: 9,820 sq kmslightly 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

Highest point

5,166m

Mount Araratlowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m

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

Climate

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

Terrain

mostly mountains;
narrow coastal plain;
high central plateau (Anatolia)

Natural resources

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

Natural hazards

very 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, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Environmental Modification

Geography-note

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

People

15 fields

Population

64,566,511

(July 1998 est.)growth rate: 1.6% (1998 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1998 est.)

Birth

21.38Death

5.35Net migration

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1998 est.)72.82

70.38 · 75.39

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)82.3%

91.7% · 72.4%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Age structure

0-14 years:: 31% (male 10,165,804; female 9,802,232)
15-64 years:: 63% (male 20,790,422; female 20,106,320)
65 years and over:: 6% (male 1,706,939; female 1,994,794) (July 1998 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.85 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate

38.27 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.47 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Turk(s)
adjective:: Turkish

Ethnic groups

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); Prime Minister Mesut YILMAZ (since 12 July 1997) and Deputy Prime Ministers Bulent ECEVIT (since 12 July 1997) and Ismet SEZGIN (since 12 July 1997)

20 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%last held 24 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000)

Legislature, 550 seats, elected 24 December 1995seats by party

RP 158DYP 135ANAP 133DSP 75CHP 49

Percent of vote

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

Country name

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

Data code

Government type

republican parliamentary democracy

National capital

Ankara

Administrative divisions

80 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, Igdir, 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, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanli Urfa, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak; note: Karabuk, Kilis, Osmaniye and Yalova are the four newest provinces; the US Board on Geographic Names is awaiting an official Turkish administrative map for verification of the boundaries

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

Legal system

derived from various European continental legal systems; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Suleyman DEMIREL (since 16 May 1993)
head of government:: Prime Minister Mesut YILMAZ (since 12 July 1997) and Deputy Prime Ministers Bulent ECEVIT (since 12 July 1997) and Ismet SEZGIN (since 12 July 1997)
cabinet:: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister

note: there is also a National Security Council that serves as an advisory body to the president and the cabinet

elections:: president elected by the National Assembly for a seven-year term;
election last held 16 May 1993 (next scheduled to be held NA 2000);
prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
election results:: Suleyman DEMIREL elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 54%

Legislative branch

unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected to serve five-year terms)

elections:: last held 24 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000)
election results:: percent of vote by party-RP 21.38%, DYP 19.18%, ANAP 19.65%, DSP 14.64%, CHP 10.71%, independent 0.48%;
seats by party-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;
seating by party as
of 4 May 1998:: FP 142, ANAP 139, DYP 92, DSP 62, CHP 56, DTP 22, BBP 8, MHP 2, DP 1, DEPAR 1, independents 16, vacant 9

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

Motherland Party or ANAP [Mesut YILMAZ];
Democratic Left Party or DSP [Bulent ECEVIT];
True Path Party or DYP [Tansu CILLER];
Welfare Party or RP [Necmettin ERBAKAN] (officially outlawed on 22 February 1998);
Nationalist Action Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI];
Republican People's Party or CHP [Deniz BAYKAL];
Workers' Party or IP [Dogu PERINCEK];
Nation Party or MP [Aykut EDIBALI];
Democratic Party or DP [Korkut OZAL];
Grand Unity Party or BBP [Muhsin YAZICIOGLU];
Rebirth Party or YDP [Hasan Celal GUZEL];
People's Democracy Party or HADEP [Murat BOZLAK];
Main Path Party or ANAYOL [Gurcan BASER];
Democratic Target Party or DHP [Abdulkadir Yasar TURK];
Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Besim TIBUK];
New Democracy Movement or YDH [Huseyin ERGUN];
Labor Party or EP [Ihsan CARALAN];
Democracy and Peace Party or DBP [Refik KARAKOC];
Freedom and Solidarity Party or ODP [Ufuk URAS];
Peace Party or BP [Mehmet ETI];
Democratic Mass Party or DKP [Serafettin ELCI];
Democratic Turkey Party or DTP [Husamettin CINDORUK];
Virtue Party or FP [Ismail ALPTEKIN];
Changing Turkey Party or DEPAR [Gokhan CAPOGLU]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is [Bayram MERAL];
Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [Ridvan BUDAK];
Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Salim USLU];
Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or TUSIAD [Muharrem KAYHAN];
Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [Fuat MIRAS];
Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or TISK [Refik BAYDUR];
Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association or MUSIAD [Erol YARAR]

International organization participation

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Mark PARRIS
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 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

Economy

Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern | industry and commerce along with traditional village agriculture and | crafts.

28 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

-$388.3billion

purchasing power parity · (1997 est.)

GDP per capita, PPP

-$6,100

purchasing power parity · (1997 est.)

Real growth rate

7.2%

(1997)industrial production growth: 10.8% (1997 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

99%

(1997)

GDP-composition by sector(1996)

agriculture 15%industry 28.4%services 56.6% (1996)

Budget

Revenues

$38.5 billionExpenditures

$52.9 billion (1997)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $4.2 billion

Fixed lines

14.3 million

(1995 est.)

Economy-overview

Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern industry and commerce along with traditional village agriculture and crafts. It has a strong and rapidly growing private sector, yet the state still plays a major role in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication. Its most important industry-and the largest source of exports-is textiles and clothing, which is almost entirely in private hands.

The current economic situation is marked by strong growth coupled with serious imbalances. Real GDP expanded by about 7% in 1997 but inflation rose to 99% at yearend, and the public sector fiscal deficit probably remained near 10% of GDP. To some extent, Ankara is caught in a vicious fiscal circle because about half of all central government revenue is going to pay interest on the national debt.

The government that took office in July 1997-headed by Prime Minister YILMAZ's Motherland Party-enacted a 1998 budget that includes substantial tax increases and cuts in non-interest spending but these gains will be offset by a jump in interest payments. The government also is planning to overhaul the social welfare and tax systems and to speed up privatization, although these reforms will face tough political opposition.

Ankara is trying to increase trade with other countries in the region but most of Turkey's trade is still with OECD countries. Despite the implementation in January 1996 of customs union with the EU, foreign direct investment in the country remains low-about $0.5 billion annually-perhaps because potential investors are concerned about high inflation and the unsettled political situation.

Economic growth will slow in 1998 to perhaps 4%, and inflation should decline, although the government's 50% target appears overoptimistic. The current account deficit probably will remain small-1% to 1.5% of GDP - when Turkey's unrecorded "suitcase" exports are included.

Labor force

total:: 21.6 million
by occupation:: agriculture 43.1%, services 30.1%, industry 14.4%, construction 6.0% (1996)

note: about 1.5 million Turks work abroad (1994)

Unemployment rate

5.9% another 5.1% officially considered underemployed (April 1997)

Industries

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

Electricity-capacity

21.83 million kW (1997)

Electricity-production

103 billion kWh (1997)

Electricity-consumption per capita

1,636 kWh (1997)

Agriculture-products

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

Exports

total value:: $26 billion (f.o.b., 1997); note-substantial unrecorded exports estimated at $5.8 billion
commodities:: textiles and apparel 37%, iron and steel products 10%, foodstuffs 17% (1997)
partners:: Germany 20%, US 8%, Russia 8%, UK 6%, Italy 5% (1997)

Imports

total value:: $46.7 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
commodities:: machinery 26%, fuels 13%, raw materials 10%, foodstuffs 4% (1997)
partners:: Germany 16%, Italy 9%, US 9%, France 6%, UK 6% (1997)

Debt-external

$84.5 billion (September 1997)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $195 million (1993)

Currency

Turkish lira (TL)

Exchange rates

Turkish liras (TL) per US$1-212,500 (January 1998), 151,600 (1997), 81,405 (1996), 45,845.1 (1995), 29,608.7 (1994), 10,984.6 (1993)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

Telephone system

fair domestic and international systems

domestic:: trunk microwave radio relay network; limited open-wire network
international:: 12 satellite earth stations-Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), Eutelsat, and Inmarsat (Indian and Atlantic Ocean regions); 3 submarine fiberoptic cables (1996)

Radio broadcast stations

national broadcast stations 36, regional broadcast stations 108, local broadcast stations 1,058 (1996)

Radios

9.4 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations

15 national, 15 regional, 229 local

Televisions

10.53 million (1993 est.)

Transportation

10 fields

Merchant marine, 528 ships by typeships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,205,399 GRT/10,400,716 DWT

bulk 169cargo 232chemical tanker 26combination bulk 5combination ore/oil 10container 5liquefied gas tanker 5oil tanker 40passenger-cargo 1refrigerated cargo 3roll-on/roll-off cargo 21short-sea passenger 9specialized tanker 2note: Turkey owns an additional 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 313,523 DWT operating under the registries of The Bahamas, Malta, and Panama (1997 est.)

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m

over 3,047 m: 17 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 19

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m

total: 34 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8

Networkskm

Highways

381,631Railways

10,386

Highways: paved: 95,408 km (including 1,405 km of expressways) · unpaved: 286,223 km (1996 est.) · Railways: standard gauge: 10,386 km 1.435-m gauge (1,093 km electrified)

Railways

total:: 10,386 km
standard gauge:: 10,386 km 1.435-m gauge (1,093 km electrified)

Highways

total:: 381,631 km
paved:: 95,408 km (including 1,405 km of expressways)
unpaved:: 286,223 km (1996 est.)

Waterways

about 1,200 km

Pipelines

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

Ports and harbors

Gemlik, Hopa, Iskenderun, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Icel (Mersin), Samsun, Trabzon

Airports

114 (1997 est.)

Heliports

2 (1997 est.)

Military

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

7 fields

Military expenditures-percent of GDP

3.5%

(1996)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes-international

complex maritime, air and territorial disputes with Greece in Aegean Sea;
Cyprus question with Greece;
Hatay question with Syria;
dispute with downstream riparian states (Syria and Iraq) over water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers;
traditional demands on former Armenian lands in Turkey have subsided

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 TURKMENISTAN

Central Intelligence Agency. “Turkey.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/turkiye/1998.

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