Turkey

Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire by reformer and national hero Mustafa KEMAL, known as Ataturk or "Father of the Turks." One-party rule ended in 1950, and periods of instability and military coups have since fractured the multiparty democracy, in 1960, 1971, 1980, 1997, and 2016. 

Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and NATO in 1952. In 1963, Turkey became an associate member of the European Community; it began accession talks with the EU in 2005. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island and has since acted as patron state to the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which only Turkey recognizes. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a US-designated terrorist organization, began a separatist insurgency in Turkey in 1984, and the struggle has long dominated the attention of Turkish security forces. In 2013, the Turkish Government and the PKK conducted negotiations aimed at ending the violence, but intense fighting resumed in 2015. 

The Turkish Government conducted a referendum in 2017 in which voters approved constitutional amendments changing Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential system. 

Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria

39 00 N, 35 00 E

Middle East

slightly larger than Texas

7,200 km

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

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

coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite, borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone, magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable land, hydropower

52,150 sq km (2022)

Euphrates river source (shared with Syria, Iran, and Iraq [m]) - 3,596 km; Tigris river source (shared with Syria, Iran, and Iraq [m]) - 1,950 km

note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

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; the 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, reputed to be the landing place of Noah's ark, is in the far-eastern part of the country

Turkish 70-75%, Kurdish 19%, other minorities 6-11% (2016 est.)

Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

0.59% (2025 est.)

13.56 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-1.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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

15.848 million Istanbul, 5.397 million ANKARA (capital), 3.088 million Izmir, 2.086 million Bursa, 1.836 million Adana, 1.805 million Gaziantep (2023)

26.6 years (2020 est.)

15 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

1.88 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.92 (2025 est.)

2.24 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

3 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

32.1% (2016)

1.5% (2018 est.)

59.6% (2021 est.)

water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; land degradation; conservation of biodiversity

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

23.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

211.6 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

presidential republic

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

civil law system based on various European systems, notably the Swiss civil code

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

18 years of age; universal

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

ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CERN (observer), CICA, CPLP (associate observer), D-8, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EU (candidate country), FAO, FATF, G-20, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, PIF (partner), SCO (dialogue member), SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

29 October 1923 (republic proclaimed, succeeding the Ottoman Empire)

Republic Day, 29 October (1923)

description: red with a vertical white crescent moon and five-pointed white star centered just outside the crescent's opening

meaning: the flag colors and designs closely resemble the Ottoman Empire's flag; 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

vertical crescent moon with adjacent five-pointed star

red, white

$1.323 trillion (2024 est.)

sugar beets, wheat, milk, tomatoes, barley, maize, potatoes, apples, grapes, watermelons (2023)

textiles, food processing, automobiles, electronics, mining (coal, chromate, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper

2.2% (2024 est.)

36.081 million (2024 est.)

13.9% (2022 est.)

18.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Germany 9%, USA 6%, UK 6%, UAE 5%, Iraq 5% (2023)

garments, cars, gold, refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)

China 13%, Russia 9%, Germany 9%, Switzerland 6%, USA 5% (2023)

gold, refined petroleum, cars, plastics, natural gas (2023)

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

.tr

TC

116 (2025)

240 (2025)

Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK): Turkish Land Forces (Türk Kara Kuvvetleri), Turkish Naval Forces (Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri; includes naval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air Forces (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri)

Ministry of Interior: Gendarmerie General Command (aka Gendarmerie of the Turkish Republic), Turkish Coast Guard Command, General Directorate of Security (National Police) (2025)

approximately 495,000 active military personnel; approximately 150,000 Gendarmerie (2025)

the military's inventory is comprised of domestically produced and mostly European (such as Germany, Italy, and Spain) or US armaments; other suppliers have included Russia and South Korea; Türkiye's defense industry produces a range of weapons systems for both export and internal use, including armored vehicles, naval vessels, and unmanned aerial vehicles/drones; some of its domestically produced armaments are produced jointly with foreign partners or based on imported weapons systems and produced under license (2025)

military service is compulsory for Turkish men 20-41 for a period of 6-12 months; men and women may volunteer (2025)

approximately 250 Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR); approximately 30,000 Cyprus; 730 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR); Turkiye also has several thousand military personnel deployed to other countries under bilateral agreements, including Azerbaijan, Libya, Qatar, and Somalia  (2025)

the responsibilities of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) include protecting the country's territory and sovereignty, participating in international peacekeeping operations, fulfilling Türkiye’s military commitments to NATO, providing disaster/humanitarian relief and assistance to domestic law enforcement if requested by civil authorities, and supporting the country's overall national security interests; it also has overall responsibility for the security of Türkiye’s borders

Türkiye is active in international peacekeeping and other military/security operations under NATO and the UN, as well as under bilateral agreements with some countries, such as Azerbaijan, Libya, Somalia, and Qatar; Türkiye has been a member of NATO since 1952 and hosts the headquarters for a NATO Land Command and a Rapid Deployment Corps, multiple airbases for NATO and US aircraft, NATO air/missile defense systems, and training centers; the TAF is the second-largest military in NATO behind the US

the military traces its history back to 200 B.C., although the modern TAF was formed following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the conclusion of the Turkish War of Independence (1919-1923); the TAF traditionally has been viewed as the “guardian” of Turkish politics, but its political role was diminished after the failed 2016 coup attempt; the military has a stake in Türkiye's economy through a holding company that is involved in the automotive, defense, energy, finance, and logistics sectors, as well as iron and steel production (2025)

Turkish Space Agency (TUA; established 2018) (2025)

rocket test launch site on the Black Sea in Sinop Province; constructing a rocket launch facility in Somalia (2025)

has an ambitious national space program with a focus on satellites, satellite components, satellite launch capabilities, software development, ground station technologies, and building up the country’s space industries; manufactures and operates remote sensing and telecommunications satellites; in recent years has initiated a satellite/space launch vehicle (SLV) program with the goal of independently placing satellites into orbit and a probe on the Moon; works with more than 25 foreign space agencies and corporations, including those of Azerbaijan, China, France, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, Ukraine, and the US, as well as the ESA; has state-owned rocket and satellite development companies, including some under the Ministry of Defense; has a growing private space-industry sector, and the Turkish Government has pledged to increase the country's share of the global space market (2025)

1994 - first commercial communications satellite built jointly with and launched by France

2003 - first domestically built experimental remote sensing (RS) satellite (BILSAT) launched by Russia

2018 - launched first domestically produced solid-fuel sounding rocket to an altitude of 135 km (84 mi)
 
2024 - first Turkish astronaut in space on the International Space Station; first domestically produced communications satellite launched by US

2025 - successfully launched 2-stage hybrid rocket more than 200 km (124 mi) in altitude

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK); al-Qa'ida; Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C)