Portal:Turkey

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Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran to the east; Iraq, Syria, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south; and the Aegean Sea, Greece, and Bulgaria to the west. Turkey is home to over 85 million people; most are ethnic Turks, while ethnic Kurds are the largest ethnic minority. Officially a secular state, Turkey has a Muslim-majority population. Ankara is Turkey's capital and second-largest city. Istanbul is its largest city and economic center. Other major cities include İzmir, Bursa, and Antalya.

First inhabited by modern humans during the Late Paleolithic, present-day Turkey was home to various ancient peoples. The Hattians were assimilated by the Hittites and other Anatolian peoples. Classical Anatolia transitioned into cultural Hellenization after Alexander the Great's conquests, and later Romanization during the Roman and Byzantine eras. The Seljuk Turks began migrating into Anatolia in the 11th century, starting the Turkification process. The Seljuk Sultanate of Rum ruled Anatolia until the Mongol invasion in 1243, when it disintegrated into Turkish principalities. Beginning in 1299, the Ottomans united the principalities and expanded. Mehmed II conquered Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) in 1453. During the reigns of Selim I and Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman Empire became a global power. From 1789 onwards, the empire saw major changes, reforms, centralization, and rising nationalism while its territory declined.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, persecution of Muslims during the Ottoman contraction and in the Russian Empire resulted in large-scale loss of life and mass migration into modern-day Turkey from the Balkans, Caucasus, and Crimea. Under the control of the Three Pashas, the Ottoman Empire entered World War I in 1914, during which the Ottoman government committed genocides against its Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian subjects. Following Ottoman defeat, the Turkish War of Independence resulted in the abolition of the sultanate and the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne. Turkey emerged as a more homogenous nation state. The Republic was proclaimed on 29 October 1923, modelled on the reforms initiated by the country's first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Turkey remained neutral during most of World War II, but was involved in the Korean War. Several military interventions interfered with the transition to a multi-party system.

Turkey is an upper-middle-income and emerging country; its economy is the world's 16th-largest by nominal and 12th-largest by PPP-adjusted GDP. As the 15th-largest electricity producer in the world, Turkey aims to become a hub for regional energy transportation. It is a unitary presidential republic. Turkey is a founding member of the OECD, G20, and Organization of Turkic States. With a geopolitically significant location, Turkey is a NATO member and has its second-largest military force. It may be recognized as an emerging, a middle, and a regional power. As an EU candidate, Turkey is part of the EU Customs Union.

Turkey has coastal plains, a high central plateau, and various mountain ranges; its climate is temperate with harsher conditions in the interior. Home to three biodiversity hotspots, Turkey is prone to frequent earthquakes and is highly vulnerable to climate change. Turkey has a universal healthcare system, growing access to education, and increasing levels of innovativeness. It is a leading TV content exporter. With numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites and intangible cultural heritage inscriptions, and a rich and diverse cuisine, Turkey is the fifth most visited country in the world. (Full article...)

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Döner kebab

Doner kebab or döner kebab is a dish of Turkish origin made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Seasoned meat stacked in the shape of an inverted cone is turned slowly on the rotisserie, next to a vertical cooking element. The operator uses a knife to slice thin shavings from the outer layer of the meat as it cooks. The vertical rotisserie was invented in the 19th-century Ottoman Empire, and dishes such as the Arab shawarma, Greek gyros, Canadian donair, and Mexican al pastor are derived from this.

The modern sandwich variant of doner kebab originated and was popularized in 1970s West Berlin by Turkish immigrants. This was recognized by the Berlin-based Association of Turkish Döner Manufacturers in Europe in 2011. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various Turkey-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Anıtkabir designed by Emin Halid Onat and Ahmet Orhan Arda (1944–53) (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 2Map of Istanbul by the miniature artist Matrakçı Nasuh (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 3Mount Erciyes near Kayseri (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 4Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca was one of the most prolific Turkish poets of the Turkish Republic with more than 60 collections of his poems published, laureate of the Struga Poetry Evenings Golden Wreath Award. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 5Roosevelt, İnönü and Churchill at the Second Cairo Conference which was held between 4–6 December 1943. (from History of Turkey)
Image 6Ankara Opera House, designed by Şevki Balmumcu (1933–34) and renovation by Paul Bonatz (1946–47). (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 7The Bath-Gymnasium complex at Sardis in Turkey. (from History of Turkey)
Image 8Ankara (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 9Köppen climate types of Turkey (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 10Thrace and the Thracian Odrysian kingdom in its maximum extent under Sitalces (431-424 BC) (from History of Turkey)
Image 11The sultan of the golden age, Suleiman the Magnificent. (from History of Turkey)
Image 12Orhan Pamuk, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 13Mehmed II enters Constantinople by Fausto Zonaro (from History of Turkey)
Image 14View of Beydağları Coastal National Park (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 15The Nation's Library of the Presidency, Ankara (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 16Mount Nemrut, Adıyaman (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 17Atatürk on the cover of the Time magazine, Vol. I No. 4, March 24, 1923. Title: "Mustapha Kemal Pasha" (from History of Turkey)
Image 18Turkish national basketball team won the silver medal in the 2010 FIBA World Championship. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 19Sami Frashëri (1850–1904) and his wife Emine, May 1884. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 20Orhan Veli Kanık was the founder of the Garip Movement in Turkish poetry. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 21Butterfly Valley on the Turkish Riviera. (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 22Mount Ararat (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 23View of Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 24A view of Levent from Kanlıca across the Bosporus. (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 25Recaizade Mahmud Ekrem (1847–1914) was another prominent Turkish poet of the late Ottoman era. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 26The empire in 555 under Justinian the Great, at its greatest extent since the fall of the Western Roman Empire (its vassals in pink) (from History of Turkey)
Image 27Map showing events of the first phases of the Greco-Persian Wars (from History of Turkey)
Image 28Entrance portal of the Karatay Madrasa in Konya (c. 1251) (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 29Map showing the Anatolian Plate, the North Anatolian Fault and East Anatolian Fault in Turkey. (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 30Turkish coffee (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 31Istanbul Sapphire (2006–11) is the tallest building in Turkey and 4th in Europe. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 32Originally a church, later a mosque, and now a Grand mosque, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was built by the Byzantines in the 6th century. (from History of Turkey)
Image 33Beaches and marina of Kemer near Antalya on the Turkish Riviera. (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 34Istanbul (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 35Namık Kemal was a prominent Turkish poet, novelist, playwright and journalist of the late-19th-century Ottoman Empire. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 36Yalikavak Palmarina in Bodrum (2014) designed by Emre Arolat (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 37Antalya (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 38Kaçkar Mountains. (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 39Karagöz and Hacivat are the lead characters of Turkish shadow play, popularized during the Ottoman period. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 40Selimiye Mosque in Edirne (1568–1574) (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 41Map of the Lydian Kingdom in its final period of sovereignty under Croesus, c. 547 BC. (from History of Turkey)
Image 42An oil wrestling tournament in Istanbul. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 43Designed by Şekip Akalın, Ankara Central Station (1937) is a notable art deco design of its era. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 44Map of earthquakes in Turkey 1900–2023 (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 45First Ziraat Bank Headquarters (1925–29) in Ankara designed by Giulio Mongeri is an important symbol of the First National Architectural Movement. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 46Night view of the Taksim Mosque (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 47Turkish delight (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 48View from Levent district in Istanbul. Istanbul's skyline has changed especially since the early 2000s. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 49Tevfik Fikret (1867–1915) was a prominent Turkish poet of the late Ottoman era. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 50Lake Van (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 51Istanbul University Faculty of Science and Faculty of Literature Buildings (1944–52) designed by Sedad Hakkı Eldem and Emin Onat (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 52The Ottoman Empire in 1683, at the start of the Great Turkish War (1683–1699) (from History of Turkey)

Did you know - show different entries

... that human rights activist Ayse Nur Zarakolu, an Amnesty International "prisoner of conscience", was arrested 30 times and jailed four for violating censorship laws in Turkey? (March 13, 2009) Wikipedia:Recent additions 242
... that Turkey was so dissatisfied with its first set of stamps that it had France make the second set
20 para
Duloz issue 1865
(example pictured) ? (May 4, 2008) Wikipedia:Recent additions 215
... that it was discovered that about 10,000 Muslim graves in Cebeci Asri Cemetery, Ankara, Turkey were not oriented in the direction required by Islam? (March 29, 2007) Wikipedia:Recent additions 130
... that one of the accused assassins of Turkish former government minister Gün Sazak later hijacked an airplane to Bulgaria with accomplices? (February 21, 2014)
... that the Church of St. George of Samatya in Istanbul may have been given to the Armenian community because of the intercession of a favorite of Sultan Ibrahim? (October 22, 2011)
... that Yavuz Yapıcıoğlu, nicknamed the "Screwdriver Killer", is the serial killer with the highest known victim count in Turkey? (March 22, 2014)
... that Leyla Güngör scored a goal against Spain in her first game as a member of the Turkey women's national football team? (December 23, 2013)

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Image 1The tughra of Mahmud II. "Mahmud Han bin Abdulhamid muzaffer daima" ("Mahmud Khan son of Abdulhamid is forever victorious").
Image 2Antalya
Image 3Lake Akdoğan in Muş
Image 4the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne
Image 5Lahmacun
Image 618th-century Ottoman barber's apron
Image 7Tünel, Istanbul
Image 8Iznik, 16th-century vase
Image 9Safranbolu
Image 10A faculty of Sakarya University
Image 11the Bosphorus Bridge
Image 121. picture on portal: The prominent towers of Dayro d-Mor Gabriel; 15th December 2005
Image 13A Kocek
Image 14Rize
Image 15The ancient Lake Abant Nature Park in Bolu
Image 16Flag of Turkey, from flowers
Image 17Mount Nemrut
Image 18The Temple of Athena at Priene, an ancient site near Turunçlar in Aydın province.
Image 19Cappadocia
Image 20Tarkan with Hungarian fans
Image 21A tram in Istanbul
Image 22Ölüdeniz
Image 23The sun setting over the Golden Horn in the city of Istanbul.
Image 24Kemer
Image 25An airplane with a nazar boncuğu symbol that is said to offer protection from the "evil eye".
Image 26Atatürk praying
Image 27Aydilge Sarp; Turkish singer, songwriter and novelist

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Statue of Piri Reis in Karaman, Turkey

Muhiddin Piri (c. 1470 – 1553), better known as Piri Reis (Turkish: Pîrî Reis), was an Ottoman cartographer, admiral, navigator, corsair, and geographer. He is primarily known today for his cartographic works, including his 1513 world map and the Kitab-ı Bahriye (Book of the Sea), a book with detailed information on early navigational techniques as well as relatively accurate charts for their time, describing the ports and cities of the Mediterranean Sea.

He was likely born around 1470 in Gelibolu—a major Ottoman naval base—and sailed from an early age with his uncle, Kemal Reis. They fought as corsairs in the Western Mediterranean until they were brought into the Ottoman Navy. Piri Reis fought alongside Kemal Reis in the Ottoman–Venetian wars. After his uncle died, Piri Reis returned to Gelibolu in 1511 to begin his cartographic works. He created the 1513 world map during this period and likely began drafting the charts and notes that would form the basis of the Kitab-ı Bahriye. By 1516, he returned to the navy and took part in the Ottoman conquest of Egypt. After their victory, he presented the 1513 world map to Sultan Selim I. When Suleiman the Magnificent became sultan, Piri Reis completed the first version of the Kitab-ı Bahriye, which he dedicated and gifted to the sultan by 1521. Several years later, he created a more elaborate version at the urging of Grand Vizier Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha. His final surviving work is a 1528 world map, of which only the northwest corner remains (showing Greenland, Labrador, Newfoundland, Florida, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Central America). (Full article...)

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Burak Yılmaz Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Ahmet Necdet Sezer Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Alp Arslan Nureddin Pasha Tuncay Şanlı İsmet İnönü Sıla (singer) Orhan Pamuk Erol Gelenbe Kemal Derviş Hande Yener Sertab Erener Said Altınordu Tarkan (singer) Junayd of Aydın Daron Acemoglu

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Video shot in Goreme in Cappadocia showing the terrain

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Videos from Turkey on Wikimedia Commons

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“

Heroes who shed their blood and lost their lives! You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours. You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.

”

1934 ~ Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

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Turkish proverbs in Wikiquote

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Recognized content

	Alanya, Byzantine Empire, SMS Goeben, The Turk, List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul, Italian War of 1521–1526, Italian War of 1542–1546, List of battleships of the Ottoman Empire, Rhodes blood libel
	2004 Istanbul summit, 2008 Turkish Grand Prix, Battle of Manzikert, Battle of Marash, Battle of Vaslui, Church of St. Polyeuctus, First Crusade, Great Zab, Hood event, Limyra Bridge, Siege of Szigetvár, Night Attack at Târgoviște, Third Perso-Turkic War, Walls of Constantinople, Gallipoli Campaign, Battle of Lone Pine