School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 11 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
2.9% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 155
Government ::Turkey
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Turkey
conventional short form: Turkey
local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
local short form: Turkiye
Government type:
republican parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Ankara
geographic coordinates: 39 56 N, 32 52 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
81 provinces (iller, singular - ili); Adana, Adiyaman,
Afyonkarahisar, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan,
Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol,
Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli,
Diyarbakir, Duzce, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir,
Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Igdir, Isparta,
Istanbul, Izmir (Smyrna), Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars,
Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli,
Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Mugla, Mus,
Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa,
Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon (Trebizond),
Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak
Independence:
29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 29 October (1923)
Constitution:
7 November 1982; amended 17 May 1987, 1995, 2001, 2007 and 2010;
note - amendment passed by referendum concerning presidential
elections on 21 October 2007
Legal system:
civil law system derived from various European continental legal
systems; note - member of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR),
although Turkey claims limited derogations on the ratified European
Convention on Human Rights; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Abdullah GUL (since 28 August 2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (since 14
March)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
nomination of the prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president elected directly for a five-year term (eligible
for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president from
among members of parliament
election results: on 28 August 2007 the National Assembly elected
Abdullah GUL president on the third ballot; National Assembly vote -
339
note: in October 2007 Turkish voters approved a referendum package
of constitutional amendments including a provision for direct
presidential elections
Legislative branch:
unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk Millet
Meclisi (550 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held on 22 July 2007 (next to be held by July 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - AKP 46.7%, CHP 20.8%,
MHP 14.3%, independents 5.2%, other 13.0%; seats by party - AKP 341,
CHP 112, MHP 71, independents 26; note - seats by party as of 15
November 2010 - AKP 335, CHP 101, MHP 70, BDP 20, DSP 6, DP 1, TP 1,
independents 7, vacant 9 (BDP entered parliament as independents;
DSP entered parliament on CHP's party list; DP and TP switched to
their respective parties after having been elected to parliament as
an independent or on the list of another party); only parties
surpassing the 10% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; High Court of Appeals (Yargitay); Council of
State (Danistay); Court of Accounts (Sayistay); Military High Court
of Appeals; Military High Administrative Court
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Left Party or DSP [Masum TURKER]; Democratic Party or DP
[Husamettin CINDORUK]; Equality and Democracy Party or EDP [Ziva
HALIS]; Felicity Party or SP [Necmettin ERBAKAN] (sometimes
translated as Contentment Party); Freedom and Solidarity Party or
ODP [Alper TAS]; Grand Unity Party or BBP [Yalcin TOPCU]; Justice
and Development Party or AKP [Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN]; Nationalist
Movement Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI]; Peace and Democracy Party or
BDP [Selahattin DEMIRTAS]; People's Rise Party or HSP [Numan
KURTULMUS]; Republican People's Party or CHP [Kemal KILICDAROGLU];
Turkey Party [Abdullatif SENER]
note: the parties listed above are some of the more significant of
the 61 parties that Turkey had according to the Ministry of Interior
statistics current as of May 2009
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey or TUSKON
[Rizanur MERAL}; Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Sami
EVREN]; Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK
[Suleyman CELEBI]; Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's
Association or MUSIAD [Omer Cihad VARDAN]; Moral Rights Workers
Union or Hak-Is [Salim USLU]; Turkish Confederation of Employers'
Unions or TISK [Tugrul KUDATGOBILIK]; Turkish Confederation of Labor
or Turk-Is [Mustafa KUMLU]; Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and
Craftsmen or TESK [Bendevi PALANDOKEN]; Turkish Industrialists' and
Businessmen's Association or TUSIAD [Umit BOYNER]; Turkish Union of
Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat
HISARCIKLIOGLU]
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN
(observer), CICA, D-8, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EU (applicant), FAO, FATF,
G-20, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU,
ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC, OPCW, OSCE,
Paris Club (associate), PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIFIL, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Namik TAN
chancery: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 612-6700
FAX: [1] (202) 612-6744
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Douglas A.
SILLIMAN
embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara
mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823
telephone: [90] (312) 455-5555
FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019
consulate(s) general: Istanbul
consulate(s): Adana; note - there is a Consular Agent in Izmir
Flag description:
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 Ottoman Empire, which preceded
modern-day Turkey; the crescent moon and star serve as insignia for
the Turks, as well as being traditional symbols of Islam; according
to legend, the flag represents the reflection of the moon and a star
in a pool of blood of Turkish warriors
National anthem:
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
Economy ::Turkey
Economy - overview:
Turkey's economy is increasingly driven by its industry and service
sectors, although its traditional agriculture sector still accounts
for about 30% of employment. An aggressive privatization program has
reduced state involvement in basic industry, banking, transport, and
communication, and an emerging cadre of middle-class entrepreneurs
is adding a dynamism to the economy. Turkey's traditional textiles
and clothing clothing sectors still account for one-third of
industrial employment, despite stiff competition in international
markets that resulted from the end of the global quota system. Other
sectors, notably the automotive, construction, and electronics
industries, are rising in importance and have surpassed textiles
within Turkey's export mix. Oil began to flow through the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline in May 2006, marking a major milestone
that will bring up to 1 million barrels per day from the Caspian to
market. Several gas pipelines also are being planned to help move
Central Asian gas to Europe via Turkey, which will help address
Turkey's dependence on energy imports over the long term. After
Turkey experienced a severe financial crisis in 2001, Ankara adopted
financial and fiscal reforms as part of an IMF program. The reforms
strengthened the country's economic fundamentals and ushered in an
era of strong growth - averaging more than 6% annually until 2009,
when global economic conditions and tighter fiscal policy slowed
growth to 4.7%, reduced inflation to 6.5% - a 34-year low - and cut
the public sector debt-to-GPD ratio below 50%. Turkey's
well-regulated financial markets and banking system weathered the
global financial crisis and GDP rebounded strongly to 7.3% in 2010,
as exports returned to normal levels following the recession. The
economy, however, continues to be burdened by a high current account
deficit and remains dependent on often volatile, short-term
investment to finance its trade deficit. The stock value of FDI
stood at $174 billion at year-end 2010, but inflows have slowed
considerably in light of continuing economic turmoil in Europe, the
source of much of Turkey's FDI. Further economic and judicial
reforms and prospective EU membership are expected to boost Turkey's
attractiveness to foreign investors. However, Turkey's relatively
high current account deficit, uncertainty related to policy-making,
and fiscal imbalances leave the economy vulnerable to destabilizing
shifts in investor confidence.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$958.3 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
$893.1 billion (2009 est.)
$937.1 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$729.1 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7.3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
-4.7% (2009 est.)
0.7% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$12,300 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
$11,600 (2009 est.)
$12,400 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8.8%
industry: 25.7%
services: 65.5% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
24.73 million
country comparison to the world: 24
note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2010 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 29.5%
industry: 24.7%
services: 45.8% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
12.4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
14.1% (2009 est.)
note: underemployment amounted to 4% in 2008
Population below poverty line:
17.11% (2008)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.9%
highest 10%: 33.2% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
41 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 56
43.6 (2003)
Investment (gross fixed):
18% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
Public debt:
48.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
46.3% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.7% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 194
6.3% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
15% (22 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 6
25% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA%
Stock of narrow money:
$57.02 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 44
$44.94 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$255.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
$202.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$401.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
$373.1 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$225.7 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 32
$117.9 billion (31 December 2008)
$286.6 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, hazelnuts, pulse,
citrus; livestock
Industries:
textiles, food processing, autos, electronics, mining (coal,
chromate, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber,
paper
Industrial production growth rate:
6% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
Electricity - production:
198.4 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
Electricity - consumption:
198.1 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
Electricity - exports:
1.12 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
790 million kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
52,980 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
Oil - consumption:
579,500 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Oil - exports:
133,100 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
Oil - imports:
734,600 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
Oil - proved reserves:
262.2 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
Natural gas - production:
1.014 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
Natural gas - consumption:
35.07 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24
Natural gas - exports:
708 million cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
Natural gas - imports:
35.77 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
Natural gas - proved reserves:
6.088 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
Current account balance:
-$38.82 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
-$13.94 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$117.4 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
$109.6 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport
equipment
Exports - partners:
Germany 9.6%, France 6.1%, UK 5.8%, Italy 5.8%, Iraq 5% (2009)
Imports:
$166.3 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24
$134.5 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport equipment
Imports - partners:
Russia 14%, Germany 10%, China 9%, US 6.1%, Italy 5.4%, France 5%
(2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$78 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
$75 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$270.7 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26
$268.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$84.45 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
$174 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$16.42 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
$15.42 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Turkish liras (TRY) per US dollar - 1.5181 (2010), 1.55 (2009),
1.3179 (2008), 1.319 (2007), 1.4286 (2006)
Communications ::Turkey
Telephones - main lines in use:
16.534 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 18
Telephones - mobile cellular:
62.78 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 17
Telephone system:
general assessment: comprehensive telecommunications network
undergoing rapid modernization and expansion especially in
mobile-cellular services
domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid
increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of
technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both
fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay, is facilitating
communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a
domestic satellite system; the number of subscribers to
mobile-cellular telephone service is growing rapidly
international: country code - 90; international service is provided
by the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable and by submarine fiber-optic
cables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas that link Turkey with
Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia; satellite
earth stations - 12 Intelsat; mobile satellite terminals - 328 in
the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)
Broadcast media:
national public broadcaster Turkish Radio and Television Corporation
(TRT) operates multiple TV and radio networks and stations; multiple
privately-owned national television stations and up to 300 private
regional and local television stations; multi-channel cable TV
subcriptions are obtainable; more than 1,000 private radio broadcast
stations (2009)
Internet country code:
.tr
Internet hosts:
3.433 million (2010)
country comparison to the world: 26
Internet users:
27.233 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 15
Transportation ::Turkey
Airports:
99 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 60
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 88
over 3,047 m: 16
2,438 to 3,047 m: 33
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
Heliports:
20 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 10,630 km; oil 3,636 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 8,697 km
country comparison to the world: 23
standard gauge: 8,697 km 1.435-m gauge (1,920 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 352,046 km
country comparison to the world: 19
paved: 313,151 km (includes 2,010 km of expressways)
unpaved: 38,895 km (2008)
Waterways:
1,200 km (2008)
country comparison to the world: 61
Merchant marine:
total: 645
country comparison to the world: 18
by type: bulk carrier 95, cargo 290, chemical tanker 85, combination
ore/oil 1, container 40, liquefied gas 6, passenger 1,
passenger/cargo 59, petroleum tanker 31, refrigerated cargo 1, roll
on/roll off 34, specialized tanker 2
foreign-owned: 3 (Germany 1, Italy 2)
registered in other countries: 686 (Albania 1, Antigua and Barbuda
7, Azerbaijan 1, Bahamas 3, Barbados 1, Belize 18, Cambodia 26,
Comoros 16, Cook Islands 4, Dominica 1, Georgia 22, Italy 3,
Kiribati 3, Liberia 15, Malta 211, Marshall Islands 72, Moldova 18,
Mongolia 1, former Netherlands Antilles 8, Panama 79, Russia 104,
Saint Kitts and Nevis 22, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 18,
Sierra Leone 14, Slovakia 2, Tanzania 7, Togo 4, Turkmenistan 1,
Tuvalu 1, UK 1, unknown 2) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Aliaga, Diliskelesi, Eregli, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Mercin Limani,
Yarimca
Military ::Turkey
Military branches:
Turkish Armed Forces (TSK): Turkish Land Forces (Turk Kara
Kuvvetleri), Turkish Naval Forces (Turk Deniz Kuvvetleri; includes
naval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air Force (Turk Hava
Kuvvetleri) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 20,832,658
females age 16-49: 20,337,037 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 17,447,579
females age 16-49: 17,173,063 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 695,326
female: 666,026 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
5.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
Military - note:
a "National Security Policy Document" adopted in October 2005
increases the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) role in internal security,
augmenting the General Directorate of Security and Gendarmerie
General Command (Jandarma); the TSK leadership continues to play a
key role in politics and considers itself guardian of Turkey's
secular state; in April 2007, it warned the ruling party about any
pro-Islamic appointments; despite on-going negotiations on EU
accession since October 2005, progress has been limited in
establishing required civilian supremacy over the military; primary
domestic threats are listed as fundamentalism (with the definition
in some dispute with the civilian government), separatism (the
Kurdish problem), and the extreme left wing; Ankara strongly opposed
establishment of an autonomous Kurdish region; an overhaul of the
Turkish Land Forces Command (TLFC) taking place under the "Force
2014" program is to produce 20-30% smaller, more highly trained
forces characterized by greater mobility and firepower and capable
of joint and combined operations; the TLFC has taken on increasing
international peacekeeping responsibilities, and took charge of a
NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) command in
Afghanistan in April 2007; the Turkish Navy is a regional naval
power that wants to develop the capability to project power beyond
Turkey's coastal waters; the Navy is heavily involved in NATO,
multinational, and UN operations; its roles include control of
territorial waters and security for sea lines of communications; the
Turkish Air Force adopted an "Aerospace and Missile Defense Concept"
in 2002 and has initiated project work on an integrated missile
defense system; Air Force priorities include attaining a modern
deployable, survivable, and sustainable force structure, and
establishing a sustainable command and control system (2008)
Transnational Issues ::Turkey
Disputes - international:
complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the
Aegean Sea; status of north Cyprus question remains; Syria and Iraq
protest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper Euphrates
waters; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in
Iraq; border with Armenia remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 1-1.2 million (fighting 1984-99 between Kurdish PKK and
Turkish military; most IDPs in southeastern provinces) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and,
to a lesser extent, the US - via air, land, and sea routes; major
Turkish and other international trafficking organizations operate
out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base into
heroin exist in remote regions of Turkey and near Istanbul;
government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy
cultivation and over output of poppy straw concentrate; lax
enforcement of money-laundering controls
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Turkmenistan (Central Asia)
Introduction ::Turkmenistan
Background:
Eastern Turkmenistan for centuries formed part of the Persian
province of Khurasan; in medieval times Merv (today known as Mary)
was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important
stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885,
Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic in 1924. It achieved
independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Extensive
hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a boon to this
underdeveloped country once extraction and delivery projects are
expanded. The Turkmen Government is actively working to diversify
its gas export routes beyond the still dominant Russian pipeline
network. In 2010, new gas export pipelines that carry Turkmen gas to
China and to northern Iran began operating, effectively ending the
Russian monopoly on Turkmen gas exports. President for Life
Saparmurat NYYAZOW died in December 2006, and Turkmenistan held its
first multi-candidate presidential election in February 2007.
Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW, a deputy cabinet chairman under NYYAZOW,
emerged as the country's new president.
Geography ::Turkmenistan
Location:
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 60 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 488,100 sq km
country comparison to the world: 52
land: 469,930 sq km
water: 18,170 sq km