ABOUT
TURKEY
A country where people form different cultures,
religions and ethnic backgrounds come together! A
geography, as ancient as the human culture, where the
ancient continents of Asia and Europe meet. Turkey is a
paradise of sea, sun and mountains, at the same time
offering the visitors the pleasure of historical
treasures of magnificent ancient cities. From April to
October, most parts of Turkey have an ideal climate
providing perfect conditions which a visitor can enjoy
the comfort of sandy beaches and also the unique
atmosphere of Ancient Cities. It is doubtless that just
one visit will not be enough, one will want to come back
time after time as the extraordinary places and tastes
are discovered.
Turkey,
exotic, colorful, many-faceted, romantic, ever-old and
ever-new, is the gateway and the key to the fabled East.
Turkey has a magnificent past and is a land full of
historic treasures.
Geograpy
Modern Turkey is a country of 780,576 square kilometers,
somewhat larger than the state of Texas or France and
Great Britain combined. It is bordered by the
Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Seas. In clockwise order,
Turkey shares borders with Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia,
Armenia, Iran, Iraq and Syria. About three percent of
the country is in Europe. South and east of the
Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus
stretches the peninsula known as Asia Minor or Anatolia.
Fertile plains fringe the coast; mountain ranges
separate them from the high central plateau. Nineteen
mountains are over 4,100 meters (13,800 feet) high; of
them Mt. Ararat (Agri Dag) is the highest at 5,073
meters (16,910 feet). Both the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers (Dicle and Firat) rise in Anatolia.
History
Turkey
has been called ‘’the cradle of civilization’’ and by
traveling through this historic land the tourists will
discover exactly what is meant by its phrase. The
world’s first town, a Neolithic city at Catalhoyuk ( by
Konya ), dates back to 6,500 BC. From the days of
Catalhoyuk up to the present time Turkey boasts of a
rich culture that trough the centuries has made a
lasting impression on modern civilization. The heir many
centuries of cultures makes Turkey a paradise of
information and cultural wealth. Hattis, Hittites,
Phrygians, Urartians, Lycians, Lydians, Ionians,
Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, and
Ottomans have all held important places in Turkey’s
history, and ancient sites and ruins scattered
throughout the country give proof to each civilization’s
unique distinction.
Turkey
also has a very fascinating recent history. Upon the
decline of the Ottoman Empire, a young man named Mustafa
Kemal, who was a soldier by occupation but a great
visionary in character, took the defeat of World War I
and turned it into a shining victory by liberating
Turkey of all foreign invaders. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
founded the Republic of Turkey on the 29th of October,
1923. He led his country into peace and stability, with
tremendous economic growth and complete modernization.
Through decades of change and growth Turkey still boasts
of this success by effectively living by their adopted
motto of ‘’Peace at Home, Peace in the World’’.
Pupulation
The current population of Turkey is over 65 million
people, of whom 60% live in the cities. Then ten most
populous cities in order are Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir
Adana, Bursa, Gaziantep, Eskisehir, Kayseri and
Diyarbakir. More than half the population is under the
age of 20.
Language
The Turkish Language belongs to the Ural Altaic group
and has an affinity to the Finno Hungarian languages.
Since 1928 Turkish has been written in a phonetic, Latin
alphabet of 29 letters and is spoken by some 150 million
people around the world.
Religion
While Turkey is a secular state, about 98% of the people
are Muslims; their faith is that of Islam. ‘Islam’ means
‘submission’; a Muslim is one of who submits himself to
God. Islam is the most recent of the three great
monotheistic religions, having developed from the
revelations by God to the Prophet Mohammed. He was born
in Mecca and lived from about AD 570 to June 8,632. His
activity as a Prophet encompassed the ten years before
his death. The holy book of Islam is the Koran; it is
believed to be the revelation of God to Mohammed. It
contains 114 suras (chapters) and 6,666 ayets (verses).
Allahuekber (God is incomparable) are the words calling
the people to prayer. The non-Muslim minority people are
concentrated in Istanbul. There are Sephardic Jews and
Christians of several backgrounds: Greek Orthodox,
Armenian Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, a
few Protestants and some others.
Political Structure
The Turkish Republic is based on secular democratic,
pluralist and parliamentary system, where human rights
are protected by law and social justice. The National
Assembly is elected by popular vote and the nation is
governed by the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime
Minister. Turkey is a founding member of OECD, the Black
Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, a member of NATO,
the European Council and the European Parliament, and an
associate member of the European Community.
Economy
Tourism: In recent years Turkey has become a major
tourist destination in Europe. With the rapid
development of both summer and winter resorts, more and
more people from all over the world are able to enjoy
the history, culture, and beautiful sites of Turkey.
Agriculture: Has got a very important place in the
Turkish economy. The main crops are wheat, rice, cotton,
tea, tobacco, hazelnuts, and fruit. Sheep are Turkey’s
most important livestock, and Turkey is one of European
wool and cotton producer. Southeast Anatolia Project
(Gap) is a multipurpose, integrated development project
comprising of dams, hydroelectric power plants and
irrigation facilities, that are to be built on the Firat
(Euphrates) and Dicle (Tigris) rivers. It will affect
agriculture, transportation, education, tourism, health
and other sectors.
Cuisine
The Turkish Cuisine is one of the best in the world. It
has a wide variety of dishes many prepared with fresh
vegetables and olive oil. Turkish food is very healthy
as well as delicious. The fresh fruits are plentiful and
very tasty.
Tipping
Tipping is customary at hotels and restaurants and for
guides and drivers during tours.
Customs
Turkey
has a strict antiquities law and prohibits exportation
of certain items. One may need to clear some items with
the appropriate authorities if in doubt.
Visas
Visas are required by many countries in order to visit
Turkey and therefore one must check with the appropriate
Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence to
learn what is required For US citizens, no prior request
is necessary, but a visa must be purchased upon arrival
in Turkey. Usually it is issued just before passing
passport control and is valid for 90 days.
Is it safe to visit Turkey?
Absolutely! Turkey is an Extremely safe country to visit
and especially for tourists. The Turks are very proud
people and welcome visitors and are honored to see
foreigners exploring their land. Therefore all visitors
are special guests and are treated like royalty. Crime
is low compared to many countries and the Ministry of
the Interior has established a special squad of police
that are assigned to the major tourist areas. We believe
that Turkey in general is safer than most any other
country in the region.
