Turkey

Turkey is a country in the south-east of Europe and in the west of Asia. The largest part is in Asia, and it used to be called Asia Minor. The country has just under as many inhabitants as Germany. However, it is more than twice as large. The capital Ankara is in the middle of the country, but the largest city is Istanbul.

Turkey lies between two seas: The Mediterranean Sea lies to the west and south, and the Black Sea to the north. The landscape is mostly mountainous. The highest mountain, the Great Ararat, is over 5000 metres high. There are important nature reserves and places that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Turkey has existed since 1923 and its full name is the Republic of Turkey. Since 2018, the country has had a presidential system, giving President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan even more power. For many years, Turkey has wanted to join the European Union and has been negotiating with Europe. So far, however, accession has not happened. Many European countries think that Turkey is not democratic enough and does not respect human rights enough.

Services are growing. There are many jobs in banking, insurance, leisure, food, transport and so on. Industry is also growing. It is becoming more modern and more important, especially in the big cities. Agriculture is becoming less important. Many people earn more money than before.

Not only Turks live in Turkey, but also many Kurds and other minorities. Since about 1970, many Turks have moved to European countries to work, including Germany.