Turkey

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
  - The northern folded zone
  - The southern folded zone
  - The central massif
  - The Arabian platform
- Drainage
  - Rivers
  - Lakes
- Soils
- Climate
  - Overview
  - Climatic regions
- Plant and animal life
  - Vegetation
  - Fauna
People
- Ethnic groups
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Resources
- Agriculture
- Industry
- Trade
- Transportation
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Justice
- Local government
- Political process
- Security
- Education
- Health and welfare
Cultural life
- Daily life
  - Work
  - Dress
  - Religious practice
- Cuisine
- Social roles and kinship
  - Male and female roles
  - Marriage and family life
  - Social change
- Arts and media
- Sports and recreation
History
- Mustafa Kemal and the Turkish War of Independence, 1919–23
  - The Fundamental Law and abolition of the sultanate
  - Declaration of the Turkish republic
- Turkey under Mustafa Kemal
  - Government
  - Opposition
  - Kemalist policies
- Turkey after Kemal “Atatürk”
  - World War II and the postwar era, 1938–50
  - Turkey under the Democrats, 1950–60
    - The economy
    - Political repressions
- The military coup of 1960
  - The National Unity Committee
  - The constitution of 1961
- The ascendancy of the right, 1961–71
- Political developments, 1970s to ’90s
  - Military intervention and coalition governments
  - The 1980s
    - The 1982 constitution
    - The Kurdish conflict
  - The 1990s
- Rise of the AKP in the 21st century
  - AKP challenges Kemalist, military entrenchment
  - An emboldened Erdoğan and the AKP face resistance
  - AKP under pressure: failed coup attempt, crackdown on dissidents, and economic crisis
- Foreign affairs since 1950
  - Early Cold War: Western-oriented policy and membership in NATO and CTO
  - Late Cold War: 1974 Cyprus crisis and balancing relations with the West and the Soviet Union
  - Post-Cold War: Neoliberalism, attempt to join the European Union, and the “zero problems” doctrine
  - Erdoğan era: Clash and cooperation with Russia in regional affairs
    - Turkish involvement in the Arab Spring and the Syrian Civil War
    - Turkish intervention in the Libyan Civil War
    - 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
    - 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Flag of Turkey featuring a red field with a white crescent moon and white five-pointed star.

Political map of Turkey showing provincial boundaries, major cities, and neighboring countries including Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan (Nakhchivan), Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Bodies of water such as the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea are labeled. An inset locator map highlights Turkey's position at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.

The Castle of St. Peter stands on a small peninsula surrounded by blue water and sailboats, with the city of Bodrum and hills visible in the background.

Map highlighting Turkey in light brown, showing its location at the crossroads of southeastern Europe and western Asia. Neighboring countries and bodies of water are labeled, including Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Cyprus, the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. The capital city, Ankara, is marked within Turkey.

Exploring Turkey's rich history and cultural heritage

Several boats and ferries travel on the Bosphorus River near the ornate Ortakoy Mosque and waterfront buildings in the Ortakoy neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey.

Map showing the Ottoman Empire at its greatest extent, with the empire highlighted in orange stretching across southeastern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, including Anatolia, Egypt, the Balkans, and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. Lighter orange areas indicate tributary and vassal states surrounding the core territory. Major cities such as Constantinople, Cairo, Baghdad, and Mecca are labeled, along with surrounding bodies of water like the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, and Red Sea.

Physical map of Turkey highlighting major mountain ranges such as the Pontic Mountains, Taurus Mountains, and Koroglu Mountains, the central Anatolian Plateau, and key peaks like Mount Ararat and Erciyes. National parks, rivers, and surrounding seas-the Black Sea to the north, Aegean Sea to the west, and Mediterranean Sea to the south-are also labeled. Neighboring countries and a small locator map in the lower left corner provide regional context.

Snow-covered Mount Ararat rises above green foothills under a partly cloudy sky, viewed from the Turkish side.

At a Glance

default image

Turkey: Media

country, Asia and Europe

Videos

Exploring Turkey's rich history and cultural heritage

Exploring Turkey's rich history and cultural heritage

Overview of Turkey.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

Images

Flag of Turkey featuring a red field with a white crescent moon and white five-pointed star.

Turkey

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Political map of Turkey showing provincial boundaries, major cities, and neighboring countries including Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan (Nakhchivan), Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Bodies of water such as the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea are labeled. An inset locator map highlights Turkey's position at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.

Turkey

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

The Castle of St. Peter stands on a small peninsula surrounded by blue water and sailboats, with the city of Bodrum and hills visible in the background.

Bodrum, Turkey: Castle of St. Peter

The Castle of St. Peter at Bodrum, Turkey, on the Aegean coast.

© Monticelllo/Dreamstime.com

Map highlighting Turkey in light brown, showing its location at the crossroads of southeastern Europe and western Asia. Neighboring countries and bodies of water are labeled, including Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Cyprus, the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. The capital city, Ankara, is marked within Turkey.

Turkey

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Several boats and ferries travel on the Bosphorus River near the ornate Ortakoy Mosque and waterfront buildings in the Ortakoy neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey.

Bosporus River

Boats on the Bosporus at Istanbul.

© Faraways/Shutterstock.com

Map showing the Ottoman Empire at its greatest extent, with the empire highlighted in orange stretching across southeastern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, including Anatolia, Egypt, the Balkans, and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. Lighter orange areas indicate tributary and vassal states surrounding the core territory. Major cities such as Constantinople, Cairo, Baghdad, and Mecca are labeled, along with surrounding bodies of water like the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, and Red Sea.

The Ottoman Empire at its greatest extent

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Physical map of Turkey highlighting major mountain ranges such as the Pontic Mountains, Taurus Mountains, and Koroglu Mountains, the central Anatolian Plateau, and key peaks like Mount Ararat and Erciyes. National parks, rivers, and surrounding seas-the Black Sea to the north, Aegean Sea to the west, and Mediterranean Sea to the south-are also labeled. Neighboring countries and a small locator map in the lower left corner provide regional context.

Physical features of Turkey

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Snow-covered Mount Ararat rises above green foothills under a partly cloudy sky, viewed from the Turkish side.

Mount Ararat

Mount Ararat, viewed from Turkey.

© Vladislav Jirousek/Dreamstime.com

Black Sea

Black Sea

Cove on a port along the coast of the Black Sea, Amasra, Turkey.

© Boris Stroujko/Fotolia

The city of Afyon, Turkey, with red-roofed buildings spread out below a massive cone-shaped volcanic rock formation dominating the background.

Afyonkarahisar, Turkey

City of Afyonkarahisar, Turkey, overlooked by a cone of volcanic rock.

Travel Photography—iStock/Getty Images

Traditional Ottoman houses line the bank of the Yesil River in Amasya, Turkey, with their reflections in the water and steep rocky cliffs forming a gorge on the right.

Yeşil River

The Yeşil River flanked by a gorge (right), Amasya, Turkey.

© Capa34/Dreamstime.com

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia, Istanbul.

© Digital Vision/Getty Images

The Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, with its large central dome, smaller domes, and six slender minarets rising above landscaped gardens.

Sultan Ahmed Cami (Blue Mosque)

The Sultan Ahmed Cami (Blue Mosque), Istanbul, by Mehmed Ağa, 1609–16.

© Connors Bros./Shutterstock.com

Mosaic detail of Jesus Christ with a halo, raising his right hand in blessing and holding a book in his left, from the Deesis Mosaic in Hagia Sophia, Istanbul.

Hagia Sophia: Deesis Mosaic

Detail of Jesus Christ from the Deesis Mosaic in the Hagia Sophia, Istanbul.

© Sergii Figurnyi/stock.adobe.com

Population density of Turkey

Population density of Turkey

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Alıntepe, Turkey

Alıntepe, Turkey

The village of Alıntepe, in the eastern Anatolian highlands of Turkey.

© Adam Woolfitt/Woodfin Camp & Associates

Aerial view of Istanbul showing the Blue Mosque with its six minarets in the foreground, Hagia Sophia behind it, and the Bosporus Strait in the background.

Istanbul

Aerial view of Istanbul.

© Berkomaster/Shutterstock.com

Vivarium in ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, Şanlıurfa, Turkey

Vivarium in ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, Şanlıurfa, Turkey

The vivarium of a 17th-century madrasah (theological school) of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān,...

© mitzo_bs/stock.adobe.com

Diyarbakır, Turkey

Diyarbakır, Turkey

Basalt walls surrounding the old town at Diyarbakır, Turkey.

Josephine Powell, Rome

Turkey: Ataturk Dam; Euphrates River

Turkey: Ataturk Dam; Euphrates River

Ataturk Dam, on the Euphrates River in southeastern Turkey.

© tella0303/Fotolia

Istanbul: Grand Bazaar

Istanbul: Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

muharremz—iStock/Thinkstock

Göreme National Park: cave dwellings

Göreme National Park: cave dwellings

Abandoned cave dwellings in Cappadocia; the site is now part of Göreme National Park,...

© adisa/Fotolia

Cappadocia, Turkey: Rose Valley

Cappadocia, Turkey: Rose Valley

Rose Valley, Cappadocia, Turkey.

Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Cappadocia, Turkey: Göreme

Cappadocia, Turkey: Göreme

Göreme, Cappadocia, Turkey.

Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia

A bird's-eye view of Hagia Sophia on the shore of the Bosporus, Istanbul.

© prmustafa/iStock.com

People walk and browse among market stalls with goods displayed outside, set on a cobblestone street in front of historic brick buildings in Safranbolu, Turkey.

Safranbolu, Turkey: bazaar

A bazaar in Safranbolu, Turkey.

© EvrenKalinbacak/Shutterstock.com

Falafel sandwich with falafel balls, lettuce, tomato, yellow pepper, and white sauce wrapped in flatbread.

Falafel sandwich

A falafel sandwich.

© hikari/stock.adobe.com

Two pieces of baklava with flaky phyllo layers and a nut filling topped with crushed pistachios on a white plate.

Baklava

Serving of baklava, a rich dessert of phyllo dough and nuts.

Africa Studio/stock.adobe.com

Glass of boza, a creamy Turkish dessert, topped with roasted chickpeas, next to a small bowl of chickpeas and a spoon, on a blue and white polka dot cloth.

boza

The traditional Turkish dessert Boza, or Bosa, with roasted chickpea.

© sebboy12/stock.adobe.com

Orhan Pamuk

Orhan Pamuk

Turkish novelist and Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk.

© david_shankbone

Kemal Atatürk

Kemal Atatürk

Turkey's founder and first president, Kemal Atatürk (né Mustafa Kemal).

Victor Console/ANL/REX/Shutterstock.com

Kayaköy, Turkey: church

Kayaköy, Turkey: church

Interior of a church in the abandoned village of Kayaköy, near Fethiye, southwestern...

© Ron Gatepain (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Kayaköy, Turkey

Kayaköy, Turkey

Abandoned village of Kayaköy, near Fethiye, southwestern Turkey. It was deserted...

© Ron Gatepain (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

The Ataturk Mausoleum in Ankara, Turkey, features a grand rectangular structure with tall columns, wide steps, and a large Turkish flag hanging at the entrance.

Atatürk Mausoleum

The Atatürk Mausoleum, Ankara, Turkey.

© Sedat Demir/Shutterstock.com

Necmettin Erbakan wearing a suit, striped tie, and glasses, looking at the camera.

Necmettin Erbakan

Turkish politician Necmettin Erbakan.

© ymphotos/Shutterstock.com

Tansu Çiller and Mesut Yılmaz

Tansu Çiller and Mesut Yılmaz

Turkish Prime Minister Tansu Çiller (left) and Prime Minister-designate Mesut Yılmaz,...

Burhan Ozbilici—AP/Shutterstock.com

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 2008.

Photo by Serkan Eldeleklioglu-Bora Omerogullari-Ozan Atasoy/Copyright World Economic Forum (www.weforum.org)

A group of people gather around and on top of a tank in Istanbul, Turkey, some holding Turkish flags, celebrating in the street after the failed military coup attempt.

Turkey: 2016 coup attempt

Supporters of Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan celebrating the failure of a coup attempt,...

© esrk/Shutterstock.com

Cappadocia, Turkey: cave city

Cappadocia, Turkey: cave city

Stone formations and cave city in Cappadocia, Turkey.

© Galyna Andrushko/Fotolia

Cappadocia, Turkey

Cappadocia, Turkey

Ancient rock-cut church and cave dwellings in Cappadocia, Anatolia, in present-day...

© Ozbalci/iStock.com

Cappadocia, Göreme National Park, Turkey: stone formations

Cappadocia, Göreme National Park, Turkey: stone formations

Stone formations in Cappadocia; the site is now part of Göreme National Park, Turkey.

© vkph/Fotolia

Aktepe, Cappadocia, Turkey: stone formations

Aktepe, Cappadocia, Turkey: stone formations

Stone formations in Aktepe, Cappadocia, Turkey.

Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Üçhisar, Cappadocia, Turkey: rock formations

Üçhisar, Cappadocia, Turkey: rock formations

Rock formations at night at Üçhisar, Cappadocia, Turkey.

Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Map of Europe color-coded to show the expansion of the European Union by year of joining, distinguishing original 1993 members, later additions in 1995, 2004, 2007, and 2013, as well as candidate countries and the United Kingdom as a former member. Country names are labeled within their borders.

European Union

Map of Europe with European Union member states.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Turkey

Turkey

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Audio

National anthem of Turkey

The instrumental version of the national anthem of Turkey.

Interactives

Turkey: Ethnic composition

Turkey: Ethnic composition

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Turkey: Religious affiliation

Turkey: Religious affiliation

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Turkey: Urban-rural

Turkey: Urban-rural

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Turkey: Age breakdown

Turkey: Age breakdown

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Turkey: Major import sources

Turkey: Major import sources

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Turkey: Major export destinations

Turkey: Major export destinations

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

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