in interior
Terrain: mostly mountains; narrow coastal plain; high central plateau
(Anatolia)
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m
Natural resources: antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate,
sulfur, iron ore
Land use:
arable land: 32%
permanent crops: 4%
permanent pastures: 16%
forests and woodland: 26%
other: 22% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 36,740 sq km (1993 est.)
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
@Turkey:People
Population: 64,566,511 (July 1998 est.)
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.)
Population growth rate: 1.6% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 21.38 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 5.35 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (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.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.82 years
male: 70.38 years
female: 75.39 years (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
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 82.3%
male: 91.7%
female: 72.4% (1995 est.)
@Turkey:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Turkey
conventional short form: Turkey
local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
local short form: Turkiye
Data code: TU
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
@Turkey:Economy
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.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$388.3 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 7.2% (1997)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$6,100 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 15%
industry: 28.4%
services: 56.6% (1996)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 99% (1997)
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)
Budget:
revenues: $38.5 billion
expenditures: $52.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $4.2
billion (1997)
Industries: textiles, food processing, mining (coal, chromite, copper,
boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper
Industrial production growth rate: 10.8% (1997 est.)
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
Telephones: 14.3 million (1995 est.)
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.)
@Turkey:Transportation
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
Merchant marine:
total: 528 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,205,399 GRT/10,400,716
DWT
ships by type: bulk 169, cargo 232, chemical tanker 26, combination
bulk 5, combination ore/oil 10, container 5, liquefied gas tanker 5,
oil tanker 40, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 3,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 21, short-sea passenger 9, specialized tanker 2
note: 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: 114 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 80
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
under 914 m: 5 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 34
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 25 (1997 est.)
Heliports: 2 (1997 est.)
@Turkey:Military
Military branches: Land Forces, Navy (includes Naval Air and Naval
Infantry), Air Force, Coast Guard, Gendarmerie
Military manpower-military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 17,761,347 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 10,789,134 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 658,946 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $4.3 billion (1996); note-figures
do not include about $7 billion for the government's counterinsurgency
effort
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 3.5% (1996)
@Turkey:Transnational Issues
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
@Turkmenistan:Geography
Location: Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and
Kazakhstan
Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 60 00 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
Area:
total: 488,100 sq km
land: 488,100 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
total: 3,736 km
border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km,
Uzbekistan 1,621 km
Coastline: 0 km
note: Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: subtropical desert
Terrain: flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains
in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian
Sea in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sarygamysh Koli -110 m
highest point: Ayrybaba 3,139 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt
Land use:
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 63%
forests and woodland: 8%
other: 26% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 13,000 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment-current issues: contamination of soil and groundwater with
agricultural chemicals, pesticides; salinization, water-logging of
soil due to poor irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion
of a large share of the flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation
contributes to that river's inability to replenish the Aral Sea;
desertification
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous
Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography-note: landlocked
@Turkmenistan:People
Population: 4,297,629 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39% (male 843,839; female 813,837)
15-64 years: 57% (male 1,211,477; female 1,249,085)
65 years and over: 4% (male 67,842; female 111,549) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.6% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 26.24 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 8.7 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 72.89 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.3 years
male: 57.68 years
female: 65.11 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.26 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Turkmen(s)
adjective: Turkmen
Ethnic groups: Turkmen 77%, Uzbek 9.2%, Russian 6.7%, Kazakh 2%, other
5.1% (1995)
Religions: Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%
Languages: Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 97% (1989 est.)
@Turkmenistan:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turkmenistan
local long form: none
local short form: Turkmenistan
former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code: TX
Government type: republic
National capital: Ashgabat
Administrative divisions: 5 welayatlar (singular-welayat): Ahal
Welayaty (Ashgabat), Balkan Welayaty (Nebitdag), Dashhowuz Welayaty
(formerly Tashauz), Lebap Welayaty (Charjew), Mary Welayaty
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name
following in parentheses)
Independence: 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 October (1991)
Constitution: adopted 18 May 1992
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers
Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first direct
presidential election occurred); note-the president is both the chief
of state and head of government
head of government: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers
Saparmurat NIYAZOV; note-the president is both the chief of state and
head of government; Deputy Chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers
Mukhamed ABALAKOV (since NA), Orazgeldy AYDOGDIYEV (since NA 1992),
Hudaayguly HALYKOV (since NA 1996), Rejep SAPAROV (since NA 1992),
Boris SHIKHMURADOV (since NA 1993), Batyr SARJAYEV (since NA 1993),
Ilaman SHIKHIYEV (since NA 1995), Yolly GURBANMURADOV (since NA 1997),
Saparmurat NURIYEV (since NA 1997)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
note: NIYAZOV has been asked by various local groups, most recently on
26 October 1995 at the annual elders meeting, to be "president for
life," but he has declined, saying the status would require an
amendment to the constitution
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 21 June 1992 (next to be held NA 2002;
note-extension of President NIYAZOV's term for an additional five
years overwhelmingly approved-99.9% of total vote in favor-by national
referendum held 15 January 1994); deputy chairmen of the cabinet of
ministers are appointed by the president
election results: Saparmurat NIYAZOV elected president without
opposition; percent of vote-Saparmurad NIYAZOV 99.5%
Legislative branch: under the 1992 constitution, there are two
parliamentary bodies, a unicameral People's Council or Halk Maslahaty
(more than 100 seats, some of which are popularly elected and some are
appointed; meets infrequently) and a unicameral Assembly or Majlis (50
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: People's Council-no elections; Assembly-last held 11
December 1994 (next to be held NA 1999)
election results: Assembly-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by
party-Democratic Party 45, other 5; note-all 50 preapproved by
President NIYAZOV
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT
[Saparmurat NIYAZOV]
note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small
opposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries
International organization participation: CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE,
ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat
(nonsignatory user), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OSCE,
PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
(observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Halil UGUR
chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-1500
FAX: [1] (202) 588-0697
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael W. COTTER
embassy: 9 Pushkin Street, Ashgabat
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [9] (9312) 35-00-45, 35-00-46, 35-00-42, 51-13-06, Tie Line
[8] 962-0000
FAX: [9] (9312) 51-13-05
Flag description: green field, including a vertical stripe on the
hoist side, with a claret vertical stripe in between containing five
white, black, and orange carpet guls (an asymmetrical design used in
producing rugs associated with five different tribes); a white
crescent and five white stars in the upper left corner to the right of
the carpet guls
note: a new flag has been reported
@Turkmenistan:Economy