| Official Name | The Republic of Turkey (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti) |
| Founder | Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK ( 1881-1938 ) |
| Capital | ANKARA |
| Population | 65.3 million (as of 2000) |
| Literacy rate | 1935 % 19.25 , 1990 % 80.46 |
| Language | Turkish (uses Latin Alphabet) |
| Currency | Turkish Lira ( TL ) |
| Flag | Red background with a white crescent and star in the middle.  |
| Location | Eastern Mediterranean. Located on two contitents Europe and Asia.
The European part of Turkey is called Thrace, while the Asian part is called Anatolia or ( Asia Minor ) |
| Area | 814 578 Km2 (314 500 square miles)
% 3 on the European continent,
% 97 on the Asian continent |
| Coastline | 8333 Km. (5000 miles)
Turkey is surrounded by sea on three sides, by the Black Sea in the North, the Mediterranean in the south and the Aegean Sea in
the West. In the north-west there is also an important internal sea, the Sea of Marmara, between the straits of the Dardanelles and
the Bosphorus |
| Major Cities | Istanbul 9.2 million
Ankara 3.7 million
Izmir 3.1 million
Konya 1.9 million
Adana 1.7 million
Bursa 1.2 million |
| Religion | % 99 of the population is Muslim . Turkey is a secular state that quarantees complete freedom of worship to
non-Muslims. |
| National Anthem | Istiklal Marsi ( Independence March )
Lyrics by : Mehmet Akif Ersoy
Adopted as Turkeys National Anthem on March 12,1921 |
| Geographical Regions | Turkey has 81 administrative provinces and seven geographical regions.
The first four of the seven regions are given the names of the seas which are adjacent to them.
- Black Sea Region
- Marmara Region
- Aegean Region
- Mediterranean Region
The other three regions are named in accordance with their location in the whole of Anatolia.
- Central Anatolia Region
- Eastern Anatolia Region
- Southeastern Anatolia Region |
| Some important products | As of 1998, Turkey has the first place in the world in terms of hard-shell nuts, fig and
apricot production, the fourth place in fresh vegetables, grape and tobacco production and the seventh place in wheat and
cotton production. Turkish delight and helva are famous throughout the world.
Turkey is among the leading countries in textiles and ready to wear clothing production.
The exports of this sector constitutes 36 percent of total industrial exports. The leather processing industry is also very developed in
Turkey both in terms of technological level and high production capacity and comes after textiles in terms of export figures. |
| Time | Local time is equal to GMT + 2 hours. Same time zone all over the country |
| Electricity | 220 volts a.c. all over Turkey |
| Weights and Measures | Metric and Kilo system |
| Monetary System | The national monetary unit is the Turkish lira (TL).
The exchange rates for foreign currencies are published daily. Eurochecks can be cashed immediately as can traveller's
checks upon producing identification. The most widely accepted credit cards are American Express, Eurocard, Diner's Club,
Visa and Mastercard. Exchange offices in touristic places are generally open until midnight. |
| Postal System & Phone Calls | Turkish post and telephone offices are easily recognizable by their "PTT" and
"Turk Telekom" signs. Major post offices are open 8:00 - 24:00, Mon.- Sat.; and 9:00-19:00, Sun. Small post offices have the same
hours as government offices (see below).
It is possible to exchange money at some PTT branches at the current international exchange rate. International postal orders
and traveller's checks can also be exchanged. An express postal service (Acele Posta Servisi - APS) operates from Turkey to
72 other countries for letters, documents, and small packages.
Poste restante Poste restante letters should be addressed "postrestant" to the central post office ("Merkez Postanesi") in
the town of your choice. It is only necessary to produce an identification card when collecting your letter.
Phone calls The most economic way to telephone in Turkey is from a PTT telephone booth (found in all towns).
Telephone cards can be purchased from all PTT offices. |
| Working Hours | Government Offices
8:30 - 12:30; 13:30 - 17:30 (closed Sat. and Sun., open daily in tourist areas)
Banks
8:30 - 12:00; 13:30 - 17:00 (closed Sat. and Sun., open daily in tourist areas) |
| Shopping | In Turkey, suede and leather are particularly important, along with all kinds of clothes and other
goods such as handbags, belts, shoes, etc., at prices which surprise and please the visitor. In the large stores in main cities,
dresses, trousers, and coats, made of extremely fine leather and suede, can be found. If you are looking for something a little
more unusual, there is the "nargile" (hubble-bubble pipe); or buy a backgammon set and learn the national Turkish game. Your
only difficulty shopping in Turkey will be deciding what to choose from the many hundreds of tempting bargains.
NOTE: When making purchases keep all receipts. If you believe you have been overcharged or cheated either in terms of items
bought or services rendered please contact the local police (Zabita, tel. 153) and/or fax your complaint to the Consumer
Protection Directorate at the Ministry of Industry and Trade at: T.C. Sanayi ve Ticaret Bakanligi Tuketicinin ve Rekabetin
Korunmasi Gen. Mud. Tandogan, Ankara Fax: (90-312) 287 92 40
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