Turkiye

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

• high central plateau (Anatolia);
• narrow coastal plain;
• several mountain ranges

fresh water lake(s):

Lake Beysehir - 650 sq km; Lake Egridir - 520 sq km

salt water lake(s):

Lake Van - 3,740 sq km; Lake Tuz - 1,640 sq km;

• the most densely populated area is found around the Bosporus in the northwest where 20% of the population lives in Istanbul;
• with the exception of Ankara, urban centers remain small and scattered throughout the interior of Anatolia;
• an overall pattern of peripheral development exists, particularly along the Aegean Sea coast in the west, and the Tigris and Euphrates River systems in the southeast

• severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van;
• landslides;
• flooding

volcanism:

• limited volcanic activity;
• its three historically active volcanoes;
• Ararat, Nemrut Dagi, and Tendurek Dagi have not erupted since the 19th century or earlier

• strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link the Black and Aegean Seas;
• the 3% of Turkish territory north of the Straits lies in Europe and goes by the names of European Turkey, Eastern Thrace, or Turkish Thrace;
• the 97% of the country in Asia is referred to as Anatolia;
• Istanbul, which straddles the Bosporus, is the only metropolis in the world located on two continents;
• Mount Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's ark, is in the far eastern portion of the country

noun:

Turk(s)

adjective:

Turkish

total:

34 years (2024 est.)

male:

33.4 years

female:

34.6 years

• the most densely populated area is found around the Bosporus in the northwest where 20% of the population lives in Istanbul;
• with the exception of Ankara, urban centers remain small and scattered throughout the interior of Anatolia;
• an overall pattern of peripheral development exists, particularly along the Aegean Sea coast in the west, and the Tigris and Euphrates River systems in the southeast

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.83 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

18.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male:

19.9 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

16.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

76.7 years (2024 est.)

male:

74.4 years

female:

79.2 years

total:

1.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.67 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

30.7% (2020 est.)

male:

42.1% (2020 est.)

female:

19.2% (2020 est.)

women married by age 15:

2%

women married by age 18:

14.7% (2018 est.)

• water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents;
• air pollution, particularly in urban areas;
• deforestation;
• land degradation;
• concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic;
• conservation of biodiversity

party to:

Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Environmental Modification

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

urban population:

77.5% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

1.11% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

particulate matter emissions:

23.25 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

372.72 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

57.53 megatons (2020 est.)

fresh water lake(s):

Lake Beysehir - 650 sq km; Lake Egridir - 520 sq km

salt water lake(s):

Lake Van - 3,740 sq km; Lake Tuz - 1,640 sq km;

municipal:

6.91 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial:

1.03 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural:

54.27 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

total global geoparks and regional networks:

1

global geoparks and regional networks:

Kula-Salihli (2023)

conventional long form:

Republic of Turkey

conventional short form:

Turkey

local long form:

Turkey Cumhuriyeti

local short form:

Turkey

etymology:

the name means "Land of the Turks"

note: Turkiye is an approved English short-form name for Turkey

name:

Ankara

geographic coordinates:

39 56 N, 32 52 E

time difference:

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

• Ankara has been linked with a second millennium B.C. Hittite cult center of Ankuwash, although this connection is uncertain;
• in classical and medieval times, the city was known as Ankyra (meaning "anchor" in Greek and reflecting the city's position as a junction for multiple trade and military routes);
• by about the 13th century the city began to be referred to as Angora;
• following the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, the city's name became Ankara

history:

several previous; latest ratified 9 November 1982

amendments:

• proposed by written consent of at least one third of Grand National Assembly (GNA) of Turkey (TBMM) members;
• adoption of draft amendments requires two debates in plenary TBMM session and three-fifths majority vote of all GNA members;
• the president of the republic can request TBMM reconsideration of the amendment and, if readopted by two-thirds majority TBMM vote, the president may submit the amendment to a referendum;
• passage by referendum requires absolute majority vote;
• amended several times, last in 2017

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Turkey

dual citizenship recognized:

yes, but requires prior permission from the government

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

President Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (chief of state since 28 August 2014; head of government since 9 July 2018)

head of government:

President Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (head of government since 9 July 2018; chief of state since 28 August 2014)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 14 May 2023 with a runoff on 28 May 2023 (next to be held in 2028)

election results:

2023: Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN reelected president in second round - Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (AKP) 52.2%, Kemal KILICDAROGLU (CHP) 47.8%; 2018: Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN reelected president in first round - Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (AKP) 52.6%, Muharrem INCE (CHP) 30.6%, Selahattin DEMIRTAS (HDP) 8.4%, Meral AKSENER (IYI) 7.3%, other 1.1%

description:

• unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkey Buyuk Millet Meclisi (600 seats);
• members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote, with a 7% threshold required to win a seat;
• members serve 5-year terms)

elections:

last held on 14 May 2023 (next to be held in 2028)

election results:

• percent of vote by party/coalition - People's Alliance 49.9% (AKP 35.6%, MHP 10.1%, YRP 2.8%, BBP 1%), Nation Alliance 35.4% (CHP 25.3%, IYI 9.7%), Labor and Freedom Alliance 10.7% (YSGP 8.9%, TIP 1.8%);
• seats by party/coalition - People's Alliance 323 (AKP 268, MHP 50, YRP 5), Nation Alliance 212 (CHP 169, IYI 43), Labor and Freedom Alliance 65 (YSGP 61, TIP 4);
• composition - men 480, women 119, percentage women 19.9%

highest court(s):

• Constitutional Court or Anayasa Mahkemesi (consists of the president, 2 vice presidents, and 12 judges);
• Court of Cassation (consists of about 390 judges and is organized into civil and penal chambers);
• Council of State (organized into 15 divisions - 14 judicial and 1 consultative - each with a division head and at least 5 members)

judge selection and term of office:

• Constitutional Court members - 3 appointed by the Grand National Assembly and 12 by the president of the republic;
• court president and 2 deputy court presidents appointed from among its members for 4-year terms;
• judges serve 12-year, nonrenewable terms with mandatory retirement at age 65;
• Court of Cassation judges appointed by the Board of Judges and Prosecutors, a 13-member body of judicial officials;
• Court of Cassation judges serve until retirement at age 65;
• Council of State members appointed by the Board and by the president of the republic;
• members serve renewable, 4-year terms

subordinate courts:

• regional appeals courts;
• basic (first instance) courts;
• peace courts;
• aggravated crime courts;
• specialized courts, including administrative and audit;
• note - a constitutional amendment in 2017 abolished military courts unless established to investigate military personnel actions during war conditions

• Democracy and Progress Party or DEVA
• Democrat Party or DP
• Democratic Regions Party or DBP
• Felicity Party (Saadet Party) or SP
• Free Cause Party or HUDA PAR
• Future Party (Gelecek Partisi) or GP
• Good Party or IYI
• Grand Unity Party or BBP
• Justice and Development Party or AKP
• Labor and Freedom Alliance (electoral alliance includes YSGP, HDP, TIP)
• Nationalist Movement Party or MHP
• New Welfare Party or YRP
• Party of Greens and the Left Future or YSGP
• People's Alliance (electoral alliance includes AKP, BBP, MHP, YRP)
• Peoples' Democratic Party or HDP
• Republican People's Party or CHP
• Workers' Party of Turkey or TIP

chief of mission:

Ambassador Sedat ÖNAL (since 17 June 2024)

chancery:

2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 612-6700

FAX:

[1] (202) 612-6744

email address and website:

[email protected]; T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı - Turkish Embassy In Washington, D.C. (mfa.gov.tr)

consulate(s) general:

Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Michael GOLDMAN (since September 2024)

embassy:

1480 Sokak No. 1, Cukurambar Mahallesi, 06530 Cankaya, Ankara

mailing address:

7000 Ankara Place, Washington DC 20512-7000

telephone:

[90] (312) 294-0000

FAX:

[90] (312) 467-0019

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://tr.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s) general:

Istanbul

consulate(s):

Adana

• red with a vertical white crescent moon (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening;
• the flag colors and designs closely resemble those on the banner of the Ottoman Empire, which preceded modern-day Turkey;
• the crescent moon and star serve as insignia for Turkic peoples;
• according to one interpretation, the flag represents the reflection of the moon and a star in a pool of blood of Turkish warriors

name:

"Istiklal Marsi" (Independence March)

lyrics/music:

Mehmet Akif ERSOY/Zeki UNGOR

note: lyrics adopted 1921, music adopted 1932; the anthem's original music was adopted in 1924; a new composition was agreed upon in 1932

total World Heritage Sites:

21 (19 cultural, 2 mixed)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Archaeological Site of Troy (c);
• Ephesus (c);
• Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape (c);
• Hierapolis-Pamukkale (m);
• Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia (m);
• Göbekli Tepe (c);
• Historic Areas of Istanbul (c);
• Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex (c);
• Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük (c);
• Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire (c);
• Gordion (c);
• Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği (c);
• Hattusha: the Hittite Capital (c);
• Nemrut Dağ (c);
• Xanthos-Letoon (c);
• City of Safranbolu (c);
• Pergamon and its Multi-Layered Cultural Landscape (c);
• Ephesus (c);
• Archaeological Site of Ani (c);
• Aphrodisias (c);
• Arslantepe Mound (c);
• Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia (c);
• Turkmenistan (c)

• upper middle-income, diversified Middle Eastern economy;
• heightened inflation and currency depreciation triggered by expansionary monetary and fiscal policy ahead of 2023 elections, now being reversed;
• industrializing economy that maintains large agricultural base

Fitch rating:

BB- (2019)

Moody's rating:

B2 (2020)

Standard & Poors rating: B+ (2018)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

agriculture:

6.2% (2023 est.)

industry:

28.3% (2023 est.)

services:

54% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

17.6% (2023 est.)

male:

14.8% (2023 est.)

female:

22.9% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

25.4% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

3.3% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

lowest 10%:

2% (2021 est.)

highest 10%:

34.7% (2021 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

production:

88.746 million metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption:

123.976 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports:

879,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports:

38.046 million metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves:

11.525 billion metric tons (2022 est.)

total petroleum production:

83,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

1.077 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

366 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

379.701 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

consumption:

52.887 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports:

581.666 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports:

54.536 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves:

3.794 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

general assessment:

• Turkey continues to develop its capabilities within its telecom sector, becoming one of the relatively few countries able to build and develop its own communications satellites;
• with the successful launch of the Turksat 5A and 5B satellites in 2021, the country has vastly increased its bandwidth capacity;
• these satellites will be joined by the Turksat 6A in 2023;
• the country’s telcos have invested in fiber infrastructure;
• deployment of fiber-based broadband networks are well established, with fiber accounting for 26.7% of all fixed broadband connections as of early 2022;
• the DSL sector still dominates, accounting for about 63% of connections, but its share is steadily declining, year-on-year, while the number of fiber connections has grown strongly;
• improved fixed and mobile infrastructure is underpinning the country’s initiatives relating to Smart City concepts, which have become a key area of focus for the emerging digital economy and the transformation to a knowledge-based economy;
• Turkey’s National Smart Cities Strategy and Action Plan runs through to 2023 (2022)

domestic:

fixed-line nearly 14 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity is 106 telephones per 100 persons (2022)

international:

• country code - 90;
• landing points for the SeaMeWe-3 & -5, MedNautilus Submarine System, Turcyos-1 & -2 submarine cables providing connectivity to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia ;
• satellite earth stations - 12 Intelsat;
• mobile satellite terminals - 328 in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2020)

• Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) operates multiple TV and radio networks and stations;
• multiple privately owned national television stations and 567 private regional and local television stations;
• multi-channel cable TV subscriptions available;
• 1,007 private radio broadcast stations (2019)

number of registered air carriers:

11 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 618

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

115,595,495 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

5,949,210,000 (2018) mt-km

total:

11,497 km (2018)

standard gauge:

11,497 km (2018) 1.435-m gauge (1.435 km high speed train)

total:

68,526 km (2023)

paved:

24,082 km (2018) (includes 2,159 km of expressways)

unpaved:

43,251 km (2018)

total ports:

54 (2024)

large:

3

medium:

3

small:

6

very small:

42

ports with oil terminals:

28

key ports:

Haydarpasa, Istanbul, Izmir, Mersin, Nemrut Limani Bay, Samsun