Welcome to Turkey

The modern Republic of Turkey is situated spanning Asia and Europe in one of the most historical areas of the globe. Turkey is a paradise of sun, sea, mountains, and lakes and offers a complete change from the stress and routine of everyday life. The Turkish people have an unrivalled reputation for hospitality, the cuisine is delicious, and 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 drinking raki.

Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, is the only city in the world that sits on two continents, and if offers an abundance of fascinating attractions, including the Bosphorus Strait, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar.

5 reasons to invest in Turkey

About the people

Climate

Area: Approx 780,000 sq km (483,000 sq mi)

Population: 67.8m (according to 1999 census)

Capital city: Ankara

People: Majority Turks. Minorities recognised under the Turkish Constitution: Jews, Armenians and Greeks. Other ethnic peoples include Kurds, Circassians and Bosnians.

Language: Turkish (official), Kurdish

Religion: Muslim

Currency: New Turkish Lira (YTL)

GEOGRAPHY

Location: South eastern Europe and south western Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria

Area: total: 780,580 sq km, land: 770,760 sq km, water: 9,820 sq km

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

Terrain: mostly mountains; narrow coastal plain; high central plateau (Anatolia)

HISTORY

Recent History

The Republic of Turkey was founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a military hero, in 1923. His aim was to transform Turkey into a modern, secular state, which could compare with Western European nations in terms of military and economic strength. Today, Turkey is a member of almost every Western European club. It joined NATO in 1952; the Council of Europe in 1949; and became a full candidate for European Union membership in 1999.

ECONOMY

GDP:US$361.5 billion in 2005 (US$300.6 billion in 2004)

GDP per head: US$5,016 in 2005 (US$ 4,187 in 2004)

Annual Growth: 7.4% in 2005 (8.9% in 2004)

Inflation: Year-on-year CPI as of March 2006: 8.16%

Exchange rate: 2.34 New Turkish Lira - 1 Pound Sterling (as of 11 April 2006)

Areas & Attractions

Turkey truly is a paradise waiting to be discovered. An incredibly varied and awe-inspiring country, Turkey offers you a breathtaking array of experiences and wonderful contrasts. To begin with, it’s right at the heart of the world being the crossroads of three geographical regions: Europe, Asia and the Middle East and historically, it is as rich as any tapestry.