Turkiye

Republic of TurkeyTurkiye Cumhuriyeti

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

Turkiye as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 108 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

65.6 million July 1999 est. · 56.7m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.57% 1999 est. · 2.07% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 26.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

73.29 years 1999 est. · 70.41 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.41 children per woman 1999 est. · 3.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

35.81 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 74 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$6,600 1998 est. · $3,670 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

2.8% 1998 est. · 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 Black Sea and in 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
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

65,599,206

(July 1999 est.)growth rate: 1.57% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth

20.92Death

5.27Net migration

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1999 est.)73.29

70.81 · 75.88

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:: 30% (male 10,148,457; female 9,781,452)
15-64 years:: 64% (male 21,255,506; female 20,560,070)
65 years and over:: 6% (male 1,775,164; female 2,078,557) (1999 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:: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population:: 1.02 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

35.81 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.41 children born/woman (1999 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 Bulent ECEVIT (since 11 January 1999)

19 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 18 April 1999)

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

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 Bulent ECEVIT (since 11 January 1999)
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 May 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 by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:: last held 24 December 1995 (next to be held 18 April 1999)
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 1 January 1999:: FP 144, ANAP 137, DYP 97, DSP 61, CHP 55, DTP 12, BBP 8, MHP 3, DP 1, DEPAR 1, independents 20, vacant 11

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 outlawed on 22 February 1998

Political pressure groups and leaders

Turkish Confederation of Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association or MUSIAD

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, OPCW, 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
consulate(s) general:: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Mark R. PARRIS
embassy:: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Ankara
mailing address:: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823
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 has a dynamic economy that is a complex | mix of modern industry and commerce along with traditional village | agriculture and crafts.

31 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$6,600

purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)

Real growth rate

2.8%

(1998 est.)industrial production growth: 4.1% (1998 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

70%

(1998)

Unemployment rate

10%

(1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector(1998)

agriculture 14.4%industry 28.7%services 56.9% (1998)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

20%

Germany

16%

Italy

Russia

France

Exports $31 billion (f.o.b., 1998)Imports $47 billion (f.o.b., 1998)(1998) · (1997)

Budget

Revenues

$44.4 billionExpenditures

$58.5 billion (1998)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $3.7 billion

Electricity

fossil fuel 62.4%hydro 37.1%other 0.5% (1997)nuclear 0%

Electricity production

103 billion (1997)Electricity consumption

91.16 billion (1996)Electricity exports

300 million (1996)Electricity imports

265 million (1996)

Economy--overview

Turkey has a dynamic economy that 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 largest exporter--is textiles and clothing, which is almost entirely in private hands. The economic situation in recent years has been marked by rapid growth coupled with partial success in implementing structural reform measures. Inflation declined to 70% in 1998, down from 99% in 1997, but the public sector fiscal deficit probably remained near 10% of GDP--due in large part to interest payments which accounted for 42% of central government spending in 1998.

The government enacted a new tax law and speeded up privatization in 1998 but made no progress on badly needed social security reform. Ankara is trying to increase trade with other countries in the region yet most of Turkey's trade is still with OECD countries. Despite the implementation in January 1996 of a customs union with the EU, foreign direct investment in the country remains low--about $1 billion annually--perhaps because potential investors are concerned about still-high inflation and the unsettled political situation. Economic growth will remain about the same in 1999; inflation should decline further.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$425.4 billion (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force

22.7 million (April 1998) note: about 1.5 million Turks work abroad (1994)

Labor force--by occupation

agriculture 42.5%, services 34.5%, industry 23% (1996)

Industries

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

Agriculture--products

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

Exports

$31 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports--commodities

textiles and apparel 30%, foodstuffs 15%, iron and steel products 13% (1997)

Imports

$47 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports--commodities

machinery and equipment 50%, fuels, minerals, foodstuffs (1997)

Debt--external

$93.4 billion (1998)

Economic aid--recipient

ODA, $195 million (1993)

Currency

Turkish lira (TL)

Exchange rates

Turkish liras (TL) per US$1--331,400 (January 1999), 260,724 (1998), 151,865 (1997), 81,405 (1996), 45,845.1 (1995), 29,608.7 (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

17 million

(in addition, there are 1.5 million cellular telephone subscribers) (1997 est.)

Telephone system

fair domestic and international systems; undergoing modernization and refurbishment programs

domestic:: cable; AMPS standard cellular system in Ashkhabad with plans for expansion
international:: 12 satellite earth stations--Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), Eutelsat, and Inmarsat (Indian and Atlantic Ocean regions);
3 submarine fiber-optic cables (1996);
connected internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe Fiber-Optic Line that became operational in 1998

Radio broadcast stations

AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA note: there are 36 national broadcast stations, 108 regional broadcast stations, and 1,058 local broadcast stations (1996)

Radios

9.4 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations

69 (in addition, there are 476 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

10.53 million (1993 est.)

Transportation

10 fields

Merchant marine, 531 ships by type(1998 est.)

bulk 159cargo 239chemical tanker 32combination bulk 5combination ore/oil 6container 12liquefied gas tanker 5oil tanker 36passenger-cargo 1refrigerated cargo 3roll-on/roll-off cargo 21short-sea passenger 9specialized tanker 3

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m

over 3,047 m: 16 2,438 to 3,047 m: 25 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 16

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m

total: 36 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9

Networkskm

Highways

382,397Railways

10,386

Highways: paved: 95,599 km (including 1,560 km of expressways) · unpaved: 286,798 km (1997 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:: 382,397 km
paved:: 95,599 km (including 1,560 km of expressways)
unpaved:: 286,798 km (1997 est.)

Waterways

about 1,200 km

Pipelines

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

Military

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

7 fields

Military expenditures--percent of GDP

4.3%

(1997)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes--international

complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in Aegean Sea;
Cyprus question with Greece;
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--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 as well as near Istanbul;
government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate

Central Intelligence Agency. “Turkey.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/turkiye/1999.

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