Turkey Population: 81,257,239
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History | |
Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was later honored with the title Ataturk or "Father of the Turks." Under his leadership, the country adopted radical social, legal, and political reforms. After a period of one-party rule, an experiment with multi-party politics led to the 1950 election victory of the opposition Democrat Party and the peaceful transfer of power. Since then, Turkish political parties have multiplied, but democracy has been fractured by periods of instability and military coups (1960, 1971, 1980), which in each case eventually resulted in a return of formal political power to civilians. In 1997, the military again helped engineer the ouster - popularly dubbed a "post-modern coup" - of the then Islamic-oriented government. An unsuccessful coup attempt was made in July 2016 by a faction of the Turkish Armed Forces. 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. A separatist insurgency begun in 1984 by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a US-designated terrorist organization, has long dominated the attention of Turkish security forces and claimed more than 40,000 lives. In 2013, the Turkish Government and the PKK conducted negotiations aimed at ending the violence, however intense fighting resumed in 2015. Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. In 1963, Turkey became an associate member of the European Community; it began accession talks with the EU in 2005. Over the past decade, economic reforms, coupled with some political reforms, have contributed to a growing economy, although economic growth slowed in recent years. From 2015 and continuing through 2016, Turkey witnessed an uptick in terrorist violence, including major attacks in Ankara, Istanbul, and throughout the predominantly Kurdish southeastern region of Turkey. On 15 July 2016, elements of the Turkish Armed forces attempted a coup that ultimately failed following widespread popular resistance. More than 240 people were killed and over 2,000 injured when Turkish citizens took to the streets en masse to confront the coup forces. The government accused followers of the Fethullah Gulen transnational religious and social movement ("Hizmet") for allegedly instigating the failed coup and designates the movement’s followers as terrorists. Since the attempted coup, Turkish Government authorities arrested, suspended, or dismissed more than 130,000 security personnel, journalists, judges, academics, and civil servants due to their alleged connection to Gulen's movement. Following the failed coup, the Turkish Government instituted a State of Emergency from July 2016 to July 2018. The Turkish Government conducted a referendum on 16 April 2017 in which voters approved constitutional amendments changing Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential system. The amendments went into effect fully following the presidential and parliamentary elections in June 2018. |
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Geography | |
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Location: | 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 |
Geographic coordinates: | 39 00 N, 35 00 E |
Area: | total: 783,562 sq km land: 769,632 sq km water: 13,930 sq km Size comparison: slightly larger than Texas |
Land Boundaries: | total: 2,816 km border countries (8): Armenia 311 km, Azerbaijan 17 km, Bulgaria 223 km, Georgia 273 km, Greece 192 km, Iran 534 km, Iraq 367 km, Syria 899 km |
Coastline: | 7,200 km |
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only: to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former USSR 12 nm in Black Sea and in Mediterranean Sea |
Climate: | temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior |
Terrain: | high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several mountain ranges |
Natural resources: | 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 |
Land use: | agricultural land: 49.7% (2011 est.) arable land: 26.7% (2011 est.) permanent crops: 4% (2011 est.) permanent pasture: 19% (2011 est.) forest: 14.9% (2011 est.) other: 35.4% (2011 est.) |
Irrigated land: | 52,150 sq km (2012) |
Natural hazards: | severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van; landslides; flooding volcanism: limited volcanic activity; its three historically active volcanoes; Ararat, Nemrut Dagi, and Tendurek Dagi have not erupted since the 19th century or earlier |
Current Environment Issues: | water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; land degradation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic; conservation of biodiversity |
International Environment Agreements: | party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification |
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People | |
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Nationality: | noun: Turk(s) adjective: Turkish |
Ethnic groups: | Turkish 70-75%, Kurdish 19%, other minorities 7-12% (2016 est.) |
Languages: | Turkish (official), Kurdish, other minority languages |
Religions: | Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews) |
Population: | 81,257,239 (July 2018 est.) |
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 24.26% (male 10,085,558 /female 9,627,967) 15-24 years: 15.88% (male 6,589,039 /female 6,311,113) 25-54 years: 43.26% (male 17,798,864 /female 17,349,228) 55-64 years: 8.82% (male 3,557,329 /female 3,606,120) 65 years and over: 7.79% (male 2,825,738 /female 3,506,283) (2018 est.) |
Dependency ratios: | total dependency ratio: 50.1 (2015 est.) youth dependency ratio: 38.4 (2015 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 11.7 (2015 est.) potential support ratio: 8.5 (2015 est.) |
Median age: | total: 31.4 years male: 30.9 years female: 31.9 years (2018 est.) |
Population growth rate: | 0.49% (2018 est.) |
Birth rate: | 15.4 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
Death rate: | 6 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
Net migration rate: | -4.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
Urbanization: | urban population: 75.1% of total population (2018) rate of urbanization: 2.04% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) |
Major urban areas - population: | 14.751 million Istanbul 4.919 million ANKARA (capital) 2.937 million Izmir 1.916 million Bursa 1.73 million Adana 1.632 million Gaziantep (2018) |
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2018 est.) Mother's mean age at first birth: 22.3 years (2010 est.) |
Maternal mortality rate: | 16 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) |
Infant mortality rate: | total: 16.9 deaths/1,000 live births male: 18.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) |
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 75.3 years male: 72.9 years female: 77.7 years (2018 est.) |
Total fertility rate: | 2 children born/woman (2018 est.) |
Contraceptive prevalence rate: | 73.5% (2013) |
Physicians density: | 1.76 physicians/1,000 population (2014) |
Hospital bed density: | 2.7 beds/1,000 population (2013) |
Drinking water source: | improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% of population (2015 est.) |
Sanitation facility access: | improved: urban: 98.3% of population (2015 est.) rural: 85.5% of population (2015 est.) total: 94.9% of population (2015 est.) unimproved: urban: 1.7% of population (2015 est.) rural: 14.5% of population (2015 est.) total: 5.1% of population (2015 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | n/a |
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | n/a |
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | n/a |
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: | 32.1% (2016) |
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: | 2.3% (2013) |
Education expenditures: | 4.3% of GDP (2015) |
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2016 est.) total population: 96.2% male: 98.8% female: 93.6% (2016 est.) |
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): | total: 18 years male: 18 years female: 17 years (2016) Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 20.5% male: 17.7% female: 25.6% (2017 est.) |
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Government | |
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Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Turkey conventional short form: Turkey local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti local short form: Turkiye etymology: the name means "Land of the Turks" |
Government type: | presidential republic |
Capital: | name: Ankara geographic coordinates: 39 56 N, 32 52 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
Administrative divisions: | 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 |
Independence: | 29 October 1923 (republic proclaimed succeeding the Ottoman Empire) |
National holiday: | Republic Day, 29 October (1923) |
Constitution: | history: several previous; latest ratified 9 November 1982 amendments: proposed by written consent of at least one-third of Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) members; adoption of draft amendments requires two debates in plenary TBMM session and three-fifths majority vote of all GNA members; the president of the republic can request TBMM reconsideration of the amendment and, if readopted by two-thirds majority TBMM vote, the president may submit the amendment to a referendum; passage by referendum requires absolute majority vote; amended several times, last in 2017 (2018) |
Legal system: | civil law system based on various European legal systems, notably the Swiss civil code |
Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
Executive branch: | chief of state: President Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (since 10 August 2014); Vice President Fuat OKTAY (since 9 July 2018) head of government: President Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (since 10 August 2014); note - a 2017 constitutional referendum eliminated the post of prime minister after the 2018 general election cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 24 June 2018 (next scheduled for June 2023) election results: Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN reelected president in the first round; Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (AKP) 52.6%, Muharrem INCE (CHP) 30.6%, Selahattin DEMIRTAS (HDP) 8.4%, Meral AKSENER (IYI) 7.3%, other 1.1% |
Legislative branch: | description: unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi (600 seats - increased from 550 seats beginning with June 2018 election; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms - increased from 4 to 5 years beginning with June 2018 election) elections: last held on 24 June 2018 (next to be held in June 2023) election results: percent of vote by party - People's Alliance 53.7% (AKP 42.6%, MHP 11.1%), Nation Alliance 33.9% (CHP 22.6%, IYI 10%, SP 1.3%), HDP 11.7%, other 0.7%; seats by party - People's Alliance 344 (AKP 295, MHP 49), National Alliance 189 (CHP 146, IYI 43), HDP 67; composition - men 496, women 104, percent of women 17.3%; note - only parties surpassing a 10% threshold can win parliamentary seats |
Judicial branch: | highest courts: Constitutional Court or Anayasa Mahkemesi (consists of the president, 2 vice presidents, and 12 judges); Court of Cassation (consists of about 390 judges and is organized into civil and penal chambers); Council of State (organized into 15 divisions - 14 judicial and 1 consultative - each with a division head and at least 5 members) judge selection and term of office: Constitutional Court members - 3 appointed by the Grand National Assembly and 12 by the president of the republic; court president and 2 deputy court presidents appointed from among its members for 4-year terms; judges serve 12-year, nonrenewable terms with mandatory retirement at age 65; Court of Cassation judges appointed by the Board of Judges and Prosecutors, a 13-member body of judicial officials; Court of Cassation judges serve until retirement at age 65; Council of State members appointed by the Board and by the president of the republic; members serve renewable, 4-year terms subordinate courts: regional appeals courts; basic (first instance) courts; peace courts; aggravated crime courts; specialized courts, including administrative and audit; note - a constitutional amendment in 2017 abolished military courts unless established to investigate military personnel actions during war conditions |
Political parties and leaders: | Democrat Party or DP [Gultekin UYSAL] Democratic Regions Party or DBP [Sebahat TUNCEL, Mehmet ARSLAN] Felicity Party or SP [Temel KARAMOLLAOGLU] Free Cause Party or HUDAPAR [Ishak SAGLAM] Good Party or TYIi [Meral AKSENER] Grand Unity Party or BBP [Mustafa DESTICI] Justice and Development Party or AKP [Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN] Nation Alliance (CHP, IYI, SP) (electoral alliance) Nationalist Movement Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI] People's Alliance (AKP, MHP) (electoral alliance) Patriotic Party or VP [Dogu PERINCEK] People's Democratic Party or HDP [Pervin BULDAN, Sezai TEMELLI] Republican People's Party or CHP [Kemal KILICDAROGLU] note: as of December 2018, 83 political parties were legally registered |
International organization participation: | 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, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
National symbol(s): | vertical crescent moon with adjacent five-pointed star; national colors: red, white |
National anthem: | name: "Istiklal Marsi" (Independence March) lyrics/music: Mehmet Akif ERSOY/Zeki UNGOR note: lyrics adopted 1921, music adopted 1932; the anthem's original music was adopted in 1924; a new composition was agreed upon in 1932 |
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Serdar KILIC (since 21 May 2014) chancery: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 612-6700 FAX: [1] (202) 612-6744 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York |
Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affairs Jeffrey M. HOVENIER (since August 2018) embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823 telephone: [90] (312) 455-5555 FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019 consulate(s) general: Istanbul consulate(s): Adana |
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Economy | |
Turkey's largely free-market economy is driven by its industry and, increasingly, service sectors, although its traditional agriculture sector still accounts for about 25% of employment. The automotive, petrochemical, and electronics industries have risen in importance and surpassed the traditional textiles and clothing sectors within Turkey's export mix. However, the recent period of political stability and economic dynamism has given way to domestic uncertainty and security concerns, which are generating financial market volatility and weighing on Turkey’s economic outlook. Current government policies emphasize populist spending measures and credit breaks, while implementation of structural economic reforms has slowed. The government is playing a more active role in some strategic sectors and has used economic institutions and regulators to target political opponents, undermining private sector confidence in the judicial system. Between July 2016 and March 2017, three credit ratings agencies downgraded Turkey’s sovereign credit ratings, citing concerns about the rule of law and the pace of economic reforms. Turkey remains highly dependent on imported oil and gas but is pursuing energy relationships with a broader set of international partners and taking steps to increase use of domestic energy sources including renewables, nuclear, and coal. The joint Turkish-Azerbaijani Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline is moving forward to increase transport of Caspian gas to Turkey and Europe, and when completed will help diversify Turkey's sources of imported gas. After Turkey experienced a severe financial crisis in 2001, Ankara adopted financial and fiscal reforms as part of an IMF program. The reforms strengthened the country's economic fundamentals and ushered in an era of strong growth, averaging more than 6% annually until 2008. An aggressive privatization program also reduced state involvement in basic industry, banking, transport, power generation, and communication. Global economic conditions and tighter fiscal policy caused GDP to contract in 2009, but Turkey's well-regulated financial markets and banking system helped the country weather the global financial crisis, and GDP growth rebounded to around 9% in 2010 and 2011, as exports and investment recovered following the crisis. The growth of Turkish GDP since 2016 has revealed the persistent underlying imbalances in the Turkish economy. In particular, Turkey’s large current account deficit means it must rely on external investment inflows to finance growth, leaving the economy vulnerable to destabilizing shifts in investor confidence. Other troublesome trends include rising unemployment and inflation, which increased in 2017, given the Turkish lira’s continuing depreciation against the dollar. Although government debt remains low at about 30% of GDP, bank and corporate borrowing has almost tripled as a percent of GDP during the past decade, outpacing its emerging-market peers and prompting investor concerns about its long-term sustainability. | |
GDP (purchasing power parity): | $2.186 trillion (2017 est.) $2.034 trillion (2016 est.) $1.972 trillion (2015 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars |
GDP (official exchange rate): | $851.5 billion (2017 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate: | 7.4% (2017 est.) 3.2% (2016 est.) 6.1% (2015 est.) |
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $27,000 (2017 est.) $25,500 (2016 est.) $25,000 (2015 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars |
Gross national saving: | 25.5% of GDP (2017 est.) 24.5% of GDP (2016 est.) 24.8% of GDP (2015 est.) GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 59.1% (2017 est.) government consumption: 14.5% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 29.8% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 1.1% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 24.9% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -29.4% (2017 est.) GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 6.8% (2017 est.) industry: 32.3% (2017 est.) services: 60.7% (2017 est.) |
Agriculture - products: | tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, hazelnuts, pulses, citrus; livestock |
Industries: | textiles, food processing, automobiles, electronics, mining (coal, chromate, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper |
Industrial production growth rate: | 9.1% (2017 est.) |
Labor force: | 31.3 million (2017 est.) note: this number is for the domestic labor force only; number does not include about 1.2 million Turks working abroad, nor refugees |
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 18.4% industry: 26.6% services: 54.9% (2016) |
Unemployment rate: | 10.9% (2017 est.) 10.9% (2016 est.) |
Population below poverty line: | 21.9% (2015 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 30.3% (2008) |
Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 40.2 (2010) 43.6 (2003) |
Budget: | revenues: 172.8 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 185.8 billion (2017 est.) |
Taxes and other revenues: | 20.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.) Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
Public debt: | 28.3% of GDP (2017 est.) 28.3% of GDP (2016 est.) |
Fiscal year: | calendar year |
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 11.1% (2017 est.) 7.8% (2016 est.) |
Current account balance: | -$47.44 billion (2017 est.) -$33.14 billion (2016 est.) |
Exports: | $166.2 billion (2017 est.) $150.2 billion (2016 est.) |
Exports - commodities: | apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment |
Exports - partners: | Germany 9.6%, UK 6.1%, UAE 5.9%, Iraq 5.8%, US 5.5%, Italy 5.4%, France 4.2%, Spain 4% (2017) |
Imports: | $225.1 billion (2017 est.) $191.1 billion (2016 est.) |
Imports - commodities: | machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport equipment |
Imports - partners: | China 10%, Germany 9.1%, Russia 8.4%, US 5.1%, Italy 4.8% (2017) |
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $107.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $106.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.) |
Debt - external: | $452.4 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $404.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.) |
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $180.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $133.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.) |
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $47.44 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $38.31 billion (31 December 2016 est.) |
Market value of publicly traded shares: | $188.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $219.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $195.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.) |
Exchange rates: | Turkish liras (TRY) per US dollar - 3.628 (2017 est.) 3.0201 (2016 est.) 3.0201 (2015 est.) 2.72 (2014 est.) 2.1885 (2013 est.) |
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Energy | |
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Electricity - production: | 261.9 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
Electricity - consumption: | 231.1 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
Electricity - exports: | 1.442 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
Electricity - imports: | 6.33 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
Electricity - installed generating capacity: | 78.5 million kW (2016 est.) |
Electricity - from fossil fuels: | 53% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
Electricity - from nuclear fuels: | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: | 33% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
Electricity - from other renewable sources: | 14% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
Crude oil - production: | 245,000 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
Crude oil - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
Crude oil - imports: | 521,500 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
Crude oil - proved reserves: | 341.6 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.) |
Refined petroleum products - production: | 657,900 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
Refined petroleum products - consumption: | 989,900 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
Refined petroleum products - exports: | 141,600 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
Refined petroleum products - imports: | 560,000 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
Natural gas - production: | 368.1 million cu m (2017 est.) |
Natural gas - consumption: | 53.6 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
Natural gas - exports: | 622.9 million cu m (2017 est.) |
Natural gas - imports: | 55.13 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 5.097 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.) |
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy: | 379.5 million Mt (2017 est.) |
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Communications | |
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Cellular Phones in use: | total subscriptions: 77,800,170 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 96 (2017 est.) |
Telephone system: | general assessment: comprehensive telecommunications network undergoing rapid modernization and expansion, especially in mobile-cellular services; rise in subscribers and increase in bundled packages; DSL has largest share of fixed broadband technologies, but fibre-optic is growing with significant investment; 4G LTE networks well incorporated in Turkey, 87% coverage of the population; 5G trials (2018) domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay, is facilitating communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a domestic satellite system; fixed-line 14 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity is 96 telephones per 100 persons (2018) international: country code - 90; international service is provided by the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable and by submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas that link Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia; satellite earth stations - 12 Intelsat; mobile satellite terminals - 328 in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems |
Broadcast media: | Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) operates multiple TV and radio networks and stations; multiple privately owned national television stations and 567 private regional and local television stations; multi-channel cable TV subscriptions available; 1,007 private radio broadcast stations (2019) |
Internet country code: | .tr |
Internet users: | total: 46,838,412 percent of population: 58.3% (July 2016 est.) |
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Transportation | |
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Airports: | 98 (2013) |
Airports (paved runways): | total 91 (2013) over 3,047 m: 16 (2013) 2,438 to 3,047 m: 38 (2013) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 (2013) 914 to 1,523 m: 16 (2013) under 914 m: 4 (2013) |
Airports (unpaved runways): | total 7 (2013) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013) 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2013) under 914 m: 2 (2013) |
Heliports: | 20 (2013) |
Pipelines: | 14,666 km gas, 3,293 km oil (2017) |
Railways: | total 12,710 km (2018) standard gauge: 11,497 km 1.435-m gauge (1.435 km high speed train) (2018) |
Roadways: | total 67,333 km (2018) paved: 24,082 km (includes 2,159 km of expressways) (2018) unpaved: 43,251 km (2018) |
Waterways: | 1,200 km (2010) |
Merchant marine: | total 1,277 by type: bulk carrier 61, container ship 70, general cargo 305, oil tanker 139, other 702 (2018) |
Ports and terminals: | major seaport(s): Aliaga, Ambarli, Diliskelesi, Eregli, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Mersin (Icel), Limani, Yarimca container port(s) (TEUs): Ambarli (3,131,621), Mersin (Icel) (1,592,000) (2017) LNG terminal(s) (import): Izmir Aliaga, Marmara Ereglisi |
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Military | |
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The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has actively pursued the goal of asserting civilian control over the military since first taking power in 2002; the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) role in internal security has been significantly reduced; the TSK leadership continues to be an influential institution within Turkey, but plays a much smaller role in politics; the Turkish military remains focused on the threats emanating from the Syrian civil war, Russia's actions in Ukraine, and the PKK insurgency; primary domestic threats are listed as fundamentalism (with the definition in some dispute with the civilian government), separatism (Kurdish discontent), and the extreme left wing; Ankara strongly opposed establishment of an autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq; an overhaul of the Turkish Land Forces Command (TLFC) taking place under the "Force 2014" program is to produce 20-30% smaller, more highly trained forces characterized by greater mobility and firepower and capable of joint and combined operations; the TLFC has taken on increasing international peacekeeping responsibilities including in Afghanistan; the Turkish Navy is a regional naval power that wants to develop the capability to project power beyond Turkey's coastal waters; the Navy is heavily involved in NATO, multinational, and UN operations; its roles include control of territorial waters and security for sea lines of communications; the Turkish Air Force adopted an "Aerospace and Missile Defense Concept" in 2002 and has initiated project work on an integrated missile defense system; Air Force priorities include attaining a modern deployable, survivable, and sustainable force structure, and establishing a sustainable command and control system; Turkey is a NATO ally and hosts NATO's Land Forces Command in Izmir, as well as the AN/TPY-2 radar as part of NATO Missile Defense (2014) | |
Military branches: | Turkish Armed Forces (TSK): Turkish Land Forces (Turk Kara Kuvvetleri), Turkish Naval Forces (Turk Deniz Kuvvetleri; includes naval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air Forces (Turk Hava Kuvvetleri) (2019) |
Military service age and obligation: | Turkey has a system of male compulsory military service from 21-41 years of age (in case of mobilization, up to 65 years of age) and is expected to implement a new five-tier conscription model in May 2019; Tier 1: Six-months of obligatory service with possible exemption (subject to a lottery system), following 21-day basic training, in exchange for a one-time payment of 31,343 Turkish Lira; Tier 2: Following initial six-month conscription period, an additional six months paid service and possibility to convert to "Specialized Sergeant" category with full pay and benefits; Tier 3: Aimed at vocational school graduates, consists of 12-month service with possibility to convert to non-commissioned officer status; Tier 4: Aimed at university graduates, consists of 12-month service with possibility to convert to officer status (First Lieutenant); Tier 5: Turkish citizens with a residence or work permit who have worked abroad for at least 3 years (1095 days) can be exempt from military service in exchange for 5,000 EUR or its equivalent in foreign currencies (2019) |
Military expenditures: | 2.88% of GDP (2018) 2.2% of GDP (2017) 1.73% of GDP (2016) 1.85% of GDP (2015) 1.9% of GDP (2014) |
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Transnational Issues | |
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Disputes - International: | complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the Aegean Sea; status of north Cyprus question remains; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq; in 2009, Swiss mediators facilitated an accord reestablishing diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey, but neither side has ratified the agreement and the rapprochement effort has faltered; Turkish authorities have complained that blasting from quarries in Armenia might be damaging the medieval ruins of Ani, on the other side of the Arpacay valley |
Refugees and internally displaced persons: | refugees (country of origin): 3,643,870 (Syria), 170,000 (Afghanistan), 142,000 (Iraq), 39,000 (Iran), 5,700 (Somalia) (2019) IDPs: 1.097 million (displaced from 1984-2005 because of fighting between the Kurdish PKK and Turkish military; most IDPs are Kurds from eastern and southeastern provinces; no information available on persons displaced by development projects) (2018) stateless persons: 117 (2018) |
Illicit drugs: | key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and, to a lesser extent, the US - via air, land, and sea routes; major Turkish and other international trafficking organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base into heroin exist in remote regions of Turkey and near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and over output of poppy straw concentrate; lax enforcement of money-laundering controls |
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Source: CIA - The World Factbook