Turkey is a blend unto itself. Turkey is truly a land of contrasts. Here scale the icy heights of remote Mount Ararat in search of Noah’s Ark, cross the historic Euphrates and Tigris rivers, follow in the footsteps of St Paul or simply relax on the golden Mediterranean sands of Patara beach.It's also a great country to visit. There's an enormous variety of things to see and do ranging from water sports to mountain trekking, archaeology to night-clubbing and river rafting to raki drinking.
The lands of Turkey are located at a point where the three continents making up the old world. Asia, Africa and Europe are closest to each other, and straddle the point where Europe and Asia meet. Geographically, the country is located in the northern half of the hemisphere at a point that is about halfway between the equator and the north pole, at a longitude of 36 degrees N to 42 degrees N and a latitude of 26 degrees E to 45 degrees E. Turkey is roughly rectangular in shape and is 1,660 kilometers wide.
Turkey's first known human inhabitants appeared in the Mediterranean region as early as 7500 BC. Although Anatolia (the western portion of Asian Turkey) is one of the oldest inhabited regions of the world, the history of Turkey as a national state began only with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1918. This webpage is dedicated to introduce every aspect of Turkey and the historical sites in Turkey.
This summary starts in 1923, which marked the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and the rise of the new Turkey. For full pre-1923 history, see the articles on Ottoman Empire.In 1923, After the postwar occupation, and a war for independence, the Turkish republic is proclaimed and Mustafa Kemal takes the position of president. Ankara is being prepared to become the capital of the new country. Kemal defines the new Turkey as a secular republic, based on the indirect will of its people, on a Turkish national feeling and on governmental influence on the economy. All these changes were to be implemented immediately.In 1924, The Caliphate is abolished, but this was short-lived, and never had much international influence. The abolishment instituted by Kemal was another effort to break free from the Ottoman past of Turkey.
From 1923- 38, The 15 years of Kemal at the lead, was a period of clever and moderate political leadership, based upon European ideals. Turkey had significant economical growth, and made great steps in direction of being considered a European state.In 1934, Mustafa Kemal receives the honorary title Atatürk, 'father of the Turks', from the Grand National Assembly.In 1938, Atatürk dies. Ismet Inönü takes over as president, and stays in power until 1950.From 1939- 45, Turkey is neutral during World War 2, but joins the Allies in 1945.
In 1945, A multi party system is introduced. USA gives economical aid after the war, and wins an important foothold in the country.In 1952, Turkey joins NATO.In 1950, Conflict with Greece over Cyprus and the natural resources in the Ægian Sea.In 1964, Turkey becomes an associated member of EEC (now EU).In 1970, Economical and political crisis. Violent actions from extremist groups.In 1974, Turkey occupies the northern part of Cyprus, and leaves NATO.In 1980, Military coup, the army takes control. Kenan Evren becomes president, and stays in power until 1989. Improvement in relations with NATO.In 1982, Civilian rule is restored. Evren continues as president.
In 1983, Elections brings the Motherland Party, and its leader Turgut Özal to power. Even if this result was little anticipated by the army, Özal enters the post of prime minister.In 1984, Military clashes with the Kurdish PKK, Kurdistan Worker's Party. PKK is a Marxist oriented group acting for independence of what they say are 15 million Kurds (these figures are apparently too high) living in Turkey.
In 1989, Özal becomes president.In 1993, Tansu Ciller of the True Path Party becomes the new prime minister.
In 1995, The Islamist Welfare Party becomes the largest party after the elections, making it hard for the other parties of Turkey to form a new government without having their support.In 1996, A new government is constituted on an agreement between the True Path Party, and the Welfare Party. The leader of the Welfare Party, Necmettin Erbakan, becomes prime minister. The agreement between the two parties, involved that Ciller would become prime minister in 1998.In 1997, Erbakan is forced to resign as prime minister in Turkey, after a long time campaign of the military forces. Mesut Yilmaz joins forces with Tansu Ciller, and forms a new government with himself as prime minister.In 1998 January, Erbakan's Welfare Party is outlawed by the Turkish constitutional court.November 25, The government of Mesut Yilmaz falls, following the loss in an parliamentary vote of confidence. For the weeks that followed, Yilmaz continued to govern Turkey.
In 1999 January 17, Bülent Ecevit wins a confidence vote in the Turkish national assembly, getting the support of Tansu Ciller's True Path Party, as well as Mesut Yilmaz' Motherland Party.Originally inhabited by a variety of different peoples – Hittites, Urartians, Phyrgians and Lydians – Turkey, or Asia Minor as it was called during much of the pre-modern period, was, for over 1000 years, the heartland of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, with Constantinople as its capital. Founded by Constantine the Great in AD 330, Constantinople survived the collapse of the Western Empire in the fifth century. It was the capital from which the brilliant and enigmatic Emperor Justinian (527-565) launched his ambitious projects to reunite the old Roman Empire, the western provinces of which had been occupied by Germanic people from northern Europe. The Byzantine Empire, from the death of Justinian until its eventual fall in 1453, was engaged in a long retreat in the face of numerous enemies, mainly the forces of Islam. However, the Byzantines took advantage of the success of the First Crusade (1096-1100), whose armies re-took many Byzantine possessions in Asia Minor, Syria and Palestine, although, as later events were to prove, the interests of the Byzantines and of the Christian Crusader states in Palestine were not always identical.
The Byzantine State never fully recovered and on many occasions during the next three centuries, a final defeat was only prevented by the disunity of its enemies and particularly by the massive fortifications of the city of Constantinople. The conquest of Constantinople in 1204 – the only time the fortifications were breached – was followed by one of the most savage and rapacious sackings in the history of the world. The treasures of Byzantium were beyond count or value and many priceless works of art were removed to Europe (mainly to Venice) during this time.
The Venetians, and later, the Russians, were almost constant enemies of the Ottomans during the late-17th and 18th centuries, during which time the empire sank into decline. In the late-18th century, attempts were made by some rulers to reform the empire but to little effect. The diplomatic history of Central Europe in the early modern period is highly complex and the Ottoman Empire became increasingly a pawn and victim of the various power struggles. Its disintegration and the forces of nationalism unleashed as a consequence caused schisms and conflicts that linger to this day throughout southern Europe and the Middle East. Turkey was known as ‘the sick man of Europe’ during this period.
Turkish history can thereafter be characterized a struggle between the forces of absolutism and reform. In 1914, the country became embroiled in World War I on the side of Germany. The following year saw one of the most ignominious episodes in Turkish history when an estimated one million Armenians - a long-settled national minority - were expelled from their homes and driven into the eastern deserts where they died of starvation or were killed. Although it is fiercely denied to this day by the Turkish authorities, there is compelling evidence that this was an officially sponsored and systematic policy, and was tantamount to genocide. After Turkey ended the war on the losing side, most of the remaining Ottoman possessions came under British and French control with the support of the newly-formed League of Nations (forerunner of the United Nations). Defeated and discredited, the Ottoman dynasty was overthrown in 1923 by a revolutionary movement led by Mustafa Kemal - better known as Ataturk - who established a single-party republic and laid the foundations of modern Turkey.
The period after the War of Independence saw sweeping social reforms and economic modernization, including the abolition of the Islamic social infrastructure and the development of a manufacturing industry. Atatürk’s successor, Ismet Inönü, kept Turkey out of World War II (except for the last four months) and introduced multi-party politics. The first elections were held in 1950. There have since been two prolonged periods of military rule, the second ending with elections in 1983, won by Turgut Özal and the Motherland Party. Martial law, however, remained in force in many provinces until 1987. Turkey joined NATO in 1952 and, since the lifting of suspensions with the end of military rule, is once more a full and active member of the OECD and the Council of Europe, as well as being an associate member of the EU. Turkey has been pursuing full EU membership since the early-1980s, with varying degrees of enthusiasm. The government elected in November 2002 is keen to join, and opened negotiations almost immediately after its accession (see below), but there are a number of major problems: the structure of the Turkish economy; a historically poor human rights record, especially with regard to the treatment of the country’s Kurdish minority; and the status of the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’, especially since the southern part of the island is one of the 2004 entrants (see Cyprus).
Important as relations with Europe are, Turkish foreign policy has major interests elsewhere. The collapse of the Soviet Union has given the country a key political and economic role in Central Asia, where Turkey has historic cultural and linguistic links with several countries. Turkey was the first country to recognize the independence of the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan and has provided consistent diplomatic support for the Azeris in their subsequent war against Armenia. Turkey has also sought closer political and economic links with the ‘Stans’ – the five Central Asian ex-republics of the former Soviet Union, mainly populated by people from Turkic ethnic groups. Several of these view Turkey as a suitable model to pursue in the course of their own development.
Turkey has a key strategic position on the northern edge of the ever-turbulent Middle East; in particular, it has a shared border with Iraq and has provided essential bases for UN and American military operations in the region. The government accrued benefits in the form of financial assistance and had a free hand in dealing with the insurgency of the Kurdish Workers Party – best known by its own acronym, PKK. The party was engaged in an armed struggle to secure civil and political rights for the Kurdish ethnic minority concentrated in the eastern part of the country. The PKK, now known as Kadak, has been steadily recovering its strength after a series of major blows at the end of the 1990s. The most important of these was the capture and imprisonment in 1999 of PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan, following his expulsion from long-term exile in Syria. The government compounded its success when the PKK declared a ceasefire shortly afterwards. The Kurdish diaspora is spread across several countries, mainly Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. The northern part of Iraq is now effectively an independent Kurdish-controlled region. The Turkish government is very uneasy about this, believing that the PKK/Kadak has exploited the enclave to recover and reorganize. The Turkish government has therefore pressurised the Americans to limit Kurdish autonomy in Iraq and offered several thousand troops to assist the overstretched coalition forces in Iraq.
Turkish domestic politics since the beginning of the 1990s have been dominated by the emergence of Islamic parties. At national elections in October 1991, the Islamist Refah (Welfare) was returned as the largest party, though lacking an overall majority. This caused some consternation both inside and outside the country. Ever since, the Islamists have been engaged in a fierce political struggle with the traditional parties and the military establishment which (in the form of the powerful National Security Council) sees itself as the guarantor of Ataturk’s secular legacy. The main political parties - Dogru Yol Partisi (DYP, True Path), Anavatan Partisi (AP, Motherland) and Demokratik Sol Partisi (DSP, Democratic Left) - were the subject of widespread disillusion among the electorate for their inertia, corruption and petty rivalries. Refah, by contrast, was notable for its relative probity and administrative competence. It drew substantial support from both the urban and rural poor.
Turkish food combines culinary traditions of a pastoral people originating from Central Asia and the influences of the Mediterranean regions. Lamb is a basic meat featured on all menus, often as shish kebab (pieces of meat threaded on a skewer and grilled) or doner kebab (pieces of lamb packed tightly round a revolving spit). Fish and shellfish are very fresh and barbunya (red mullet) and kiliç baligi (swordfish) are delicious. Dolma (vine leaves stuffed with nuts and currants) and karniyarik (aubergine stuffed with minced meat) are other popular dishes. Guests are usually able to go into a kitchen and choose from the pots if they cannot understand the names of the dishes. There are also a wide range of Turkish sweets and pastries including the famous Turkish Delight (originally made from dates, honey, roses and jasmine bound by Arabic gum and designed to sweeten the breath after coffee). Drinking raki is a ritual and is traditionally accompanied by a variety of meze (hors d'oeuvres).
Full country name: Turkey
Area: 779,452 sq km (483,260 sq mi)
Population: 65.7 million
Capital city: Ankara (pop 3.7 million)
People: Turks (85%), Kurds (12%), other Islamic peoples, Armenians, Jews
Language: Turkish
Religion: Muslim
Currency: Turkish lira (TL) |
