ceres country profile - turkey

7/28/2019 CERES Country Profile - Turkey

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Country in a Box:

Republic of TurkeyTrkiye Cumhuriyeti

A view of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey

A Teachers GuideCompiled by the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European StudiesEdmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown Universityhttp://ceres.georgetown.edu
http://www.ceres.georgetown.edu/http://www.ceres.georgetown.edu/http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Hagia_Sophia_exterior_2007_002.jpg


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Turkey in a Box: Table of Contents

Turkey: Facts at a Glance 3-6

Turkish Political History 7-10

Timeline of Major Events in Modern Turkish History 11

Turkish Culture 12-14

Childrens Folklore: The Wizard and his Pupil 13-16

Additional Resources on Turkey 16

Spices at the Historic Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey


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Turkey: Facts at a Glance_______Text taken directly from Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook: Turkey. Availableat: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu.html

Country Name: Republic ofTurkey

Capital: Ankara

Background: Modern Turkeywas founded in 1923 from theAnatolian remnants of thedefeated Ottoman Empire bynational hero Mustafa Kemal,who was later honored with the

title Ataturk or "Father of theTurks." Under his authoritarianleadership, the country adopted wide-ranging social, legal, and political reforms. After a periodof one-party rule, an experiment with multi-party politics led to the 1950 election victory of theopposition Democratic Party and the peaceful transfer of power. Since then, Turkish politicalparties have multiplied, but democracy has been fractured by periods of instability andintermittent military coups (1960, 1971, 1980), which in each case eventually resulted in a returnof political power to civilians. In 1997, the military again helped engineer the ouster - popularlydubbed a "post-modern coup" - of the then Islamic-oriented government. Turkey intervenedmilitarily on Cyprus in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island and has since acted aspatron state to the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which only Turkey recognizes. A

separatist insurgency begun in 1984 by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - now known as thePeople's Congress of Kurdistan or Kongra-Gel (KGK) - has dominated the Turkish military'sattention and claimed more than 30,000 lives. After the capture of the group's leader in 1999, theinsurgents largely withdrew from Turkey mainly to northern Iraq. In 2004, KGK announced anend to its ceasefire and attacks attributed to the KGK increased. Turkey joined the UN in 1945and in 1952 it became a member of NATO; it holds a non-permanent seat on the UN SecurityCouncil from 2009-2010. In 1964, Turkey became an associate member of the EuropeanCommunity. Over the past decade, it has undertaken many reforms to strengthen its democracyand economy; it began accession membership talks with the European Union in 2005.

Location: Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia

Area: Total: 780,580 sq km; country comparison to the world: 37Land: 770,760 sq kmWater: 9,820 sq km

Area - comparative: Slightly larger than Texas

Terrain: high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several mountain ranges.


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Red has been prominent inTurkish flags for 700 years. Thestar and crescent are Muslim

symbols, but also have a long pre-Islamic past in Asia Minor. Thebasic form of the national flagwas apparently established in1793 under Sultan Selim III,when the green flags used by thenavy were changed to red and awhite crescent and multipointedstar were added. [Text takendirectly from Flags of the

World. Available at:

http://flagspot.net/flags/tr.html]

Elevation Extremes: Lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 mHighest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m

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.

Environmental Issues: water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution,particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus shiptraffic.

Population: 81,619,392 (July 2014 est.)

Urban population: 71.5% of total population (2011)

Life Expectancy at Birth: Total population: 72.5 yearsCountry comparison to the world: 126Male: 70.61 yearsFemale: 74.49 years

Ethnic Groups: Turkish 70-75%, Kurdish 18%, other minorities 7-12% (2008 est.)

Religions: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

Education Expenditure: 2.9% of GDP (2006); Country comparison to the world: 137

Government Type: republican parliamentary democracy

Executive Branch: President: Recep Tayyip Erdogan; PrimeMinister: Ahmet Davutoglu

Legislative Branch: unicameral Grand National Assembly ofTurkey or Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members areelected by popular vote to serve five-year terms).

Judicial Branch: Constitutional Court; High Court of Appeals(Yargitay); Council of State (Danistay); Court of Accounts(Sayistay); Military High Court of Appeals; Military HighAdministrative Court.

Political Parties and Leaders: Justice and Development Party orAKP (Ruling party led by Recep Tayyip Erdogan); RepublicanPeople's Party or CHP (Kemal Kilicdaroglu); and NationalistMovement Party or MHP (Devlet Bahcelli)


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The Lira:is the currency of Turkey. OnJanuary 1, 2005, the government removed sixzeros from the currency, and introduced thenew Turkish lira. New currency

denominations resemble those of the U.S. dollar.Taken directly fromhttp://www.tcmb.gov.tr/yeni/eng/

National anthem:Name: "Istiklal Marsi" (Independence March)Lyrics/music: Mehmet Akif Ersoy/Zeki UngorNote: lyrics adopted 1921, music adopted 1932; the anthem's original music was adopted in1924; a new composition was agreed upon in 1932

Economy Overview: Turkey's largely free-marketeconomy is increasingly driven by its industry andservice sectors, although its traditional agriculturesector still accounts for about 25% of employment. Anaggressive privatization program has reduced stateinvolvement in basic industry, banking, transport, andcommunication, and an emerging cadre of middle-class entrepreneurs is adding dynamism to theeconomy and expanding production beyond thetraditional textiles and clothing sectors. The

automotive, construction, and electronics industriesare rising in importance and have surpassed textileswithin Turkey's export mix. Oil began to flow throughthe Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline in May 2006,marking a major milestone that will bring up to 1million barrels per day from the Caspian to market. Several gas pipelines projects also aremoving forward to help transport Central Asian gas to Europe through Turkey, which over thelong term will help address Turkey's dependence on imported oil and gas to meet 97% of itsenergy needs. After Turkey experienced a severe financial crisis in 2001, Ankara adoptedfinancial and fiscal reforms as part of an IMF program. The reforms strengthened the country'seconomic fundamentals and ushered in an era of strong growth averaging more than 6% annuallyuntil 2008. 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 theglobal financial crisis and GDP rebounded strongly to around 9% in 2010-11, as exports returnedto normal levels following the recession. Growth dropped to roughly 3-4% in 2012-13. Turkey'spublic sector debt to GDP ratio has fallen below 40%, and two rating agencies upgradedTurkey's debt to investment grade in 2012 and 2013. Turkey remains dependent on oftenvolatile, short-term investment to finance its large current account deficit. The stock value of FDIreached nearly $195 billion at year-end 2013, reflecting Turkey's robust growth even in the faceof economic turmoil in Europe, the source of much of Turkey's FDI. Turkey's relatively highcurrent account deficit, domestic political uncertainty, and turmoil within Turkey's neighborhoodleave the economy vulnerable to destabilizing shifts in investor confidence.

GDP(purchasing power parity): $1.167 trillion (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world:17

GDP - real growth rate: 3.8% (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 85

GDP - per capita (PPP): $15,300 (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 90


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GDP (composition by sector): Agriculture: 8.9%Industry: 27.3%Services: 63.8% (2013 est.)

Labor Force (by occupation): Agriculture: 25.5%

Industry: 26.2%Services: 48.4% (2010)

Industries: textiles, food processing, autos, electronics, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron),steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper.

Current account balance: -$58.35 billion (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 187

Exports(commodities): apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment.

Exports(partners): Germany 8.6%, Iraq 7.1%, Iran 6.5%, UK 5.7%, UAE 5.4%, Russia 4.4%,

Italy 4.2%, France 4.1% (2012)Imports(partners): Russia 11.3%, Germany 9%, China 9%, US 6%, Italy 5.6%, Iran 5.1%(2012)

Debt(external): $359.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Turkish liras (TRY) per US dollar: 1.899 (2013 est.)

Military service age and obligation: 21-41 years of age for male compulsory military service;18 years of age for voluntary service; 15 months conscript obligation for non-universitygraduates, 6-12 months for university graduates; conscripts are called to register at age 20, forservice at 21; women serve in the Turkish Armed Forces only as officers; reserve obligation toage 41; under a law passed in November 2011, men aged 30 and older, or who have worked 3years in foreign countries, may pay $16,200 in lieu of mandatory military service (2013)

Military expenditures: 2.31% of GDP (2012); Country comparison to the world: 35


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History of Turkey_______

Text taken directly from Library of Congress Website:http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/trtoc.html

Turkish Origins: The first historical references to theTurks appear in Chinese records dating around 200 B.C.These records refer to tribes called the Hsiung-nu (anearly form of the Western term Hun ), who lived in anarea bounded by the Altai Mountains, Lake Baykal, andthe northern edge of the Gobi Desert. The earliest knownexample of writing in a Turkic language was found in thatarea and has been dated around A.D. 730. Turkishnomads from the Altai region founded the GrtrkEmpire who were enlisted by a Byzantine emperor in the

seventh century as allies against the Sassanians.The Turkish migrations after the sixth century

were part of a general movement of peoples out of centralAsia during the first millennium A.D. Among those whomigrated were the Oguz Turks, who had embraced Islamin the tenth century under their khan Seljuk. Split bydissension among the tribes, one branch of the Oguz, ledby descendants of Seljuk, moved west and entered servicewith the Abbasid caliphs of Baghdad. In 1055, TugrulBey and his Turkish horsemen, known as gazis, forcedthe caliph (the spiritual leader of Islam) to recognize him

as sultan, or temporal leader, in Persia and Mesopotamia.In 1071 Alp Arslan routed the Byzantine army at

Manzikert near Lake Van, opening all of Anatolia toconquest by the Turks. The success of the Seljuk Turksstimulated a response from Latin Europe in the form ofthe First Crusade.

Although successful in the west, the Seljuksultanate in Baghdad reeled under attacks from theMongols in the east. The gaziscarved out a number ofstates that were continually reinforced by further Turkishimmigration. The Seljuk sultanate of Rum became

dominant over the other Turkish states. Seljuk Rumsurvived in the late thirteenth century as a vassal state ofthe Mongols, who had already subjugated the GreatSeljuk sultanate at Baghdad, but Mongol influence in theregion had disappeared by the 1330s. From the chaoticconditions that prevailed throughout the Middle East,however, a new power emerged in Anatolia--the OttomanTurks.

Turkey Before the Turks:There is abundant archaeological evidenceof a thriving neolithic culture in Anatolia(Turkey) at least as early as the seventh

millennium B.C. What may have been theworld's first urban settlement (dated ca.6500 B.C.) has been uncovered atatalhyk. Indo-European speakinginvaders established the Hittite Empire,which achieved the zenith of its political

power and cultural accomplishment in thefourteenth and thirteenth centuries B.C., butthe state collapsed after 1200 B.C.

Alexander the Great crossed the Hellespont,defeated the Persians at the Granicus River(Biga ayi), incorporating them into an

empire that at his death in 323 B.C.stretched from the Nile to the Indus. AfterAlexander died, one of his generals,Seleucus Nicator and the Seleucid Dynasty,which survived until 64 B.C., ruledAnatolia.However, Pergamum becameindependent in 262 B.C., during and wonfame as the paragon of Hellenistic states.The last of the Attalid kings bequeathedPergamum to his Roman allies upon hisdeath in 138 B.C.

Rome organized this extensive territoryunder a proconsul as the province of Asia.In 330 AD Constantine, established hiscapital at the Greek city of Byzantium, a"New Rome" strategically situated on theEuropean side of the Bosporus at itsentrance to the Sea of Marmara. For nearlytwelve centuries the city, embellished andrenamed Constantinople, remained thecapital of the Roman Empire --better knownin its continuous development in the East asthe Byzantine Empire.


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The Ottoman Empire:According to semilegendary accounts, Ertugrul khan,took service with the sultan of Rum at the head of a gaziforce numbering "400 tents." He was granted territory--if

he could seize from the Byzantines in Bithynia.Ertugrul's son, Osman I (r. ca. 1284-1324), founded theOsmanli Dynasty--better known in the West as theOttomans. This dynasty endured for six centuries throughthe reigns of thirty-six sultans.

Orhan (r. 1324-60), crossed the Dardanelles in force andestablished a permanent European base at Gallipoli in1354 began a period of expansion that annexed most ofThrace, the Serbs, Bulgaria and what remained of theByzantine Empire, Constantinople. On May 29, 1453 the

Ottoman Dynasty captured the imperial capital. MehmetII regarded himself as the direct successor to theByzantine emperors. He made Constantinople theimperial capital, as it had been under the Byzantineemperors, and set about rebuilding the city, which nowreplaced Baghdad as the center of Sunni Islam.

The Ottoman Empire had Turkish origins and Islamicfoundations, but from the start it was a heterogeneousmixture of ethnic groups and religious creeds. Ethnicitywas determined solely by religious affiliation. Non-Muslim peoples, including Greeks, Armenians, and Jews,were recognized as millets) and were granted communalautonomy. Such groups were allowed to operate schools,religious establishments, and courts based on their owncustomary law.

Ottoman sovereignty extended southward in the 1600s,conquering Syria, Palestine, Egypt and North Africa upto the Moroccan frontier. In 1534 Kurdistan andMesopotamia were taken from Persia. The Ottomanswere slow to recognize the shift in the military balance toEurope and the reasons for it. The unsuccessful siege ofVienna in 1683 was the high-water mark of Ottomanexpansion in Europe and in 1699 the Treaty of Karlowitzwas the first in which the Ottomans acknowledgeddefeat.

During the eighteenth century, the Ottoman Empire wasalmost continuously at war with one or more of its

Mehmet II (1432-1481)Mehmed II, byname Mehmed Fatih(Turkish: Mehmed the Conqueror).Mehmed may be considered the most

broadminded and freethinking of theOttoman sultans. A great military leader,he captured Constantinople andconquered the territories in Anatolia andthe Balkans that comprised the OttomanEmpires heartland for the next four

centuries.

One of the tasks on which MehmedII sethis heart was the restoration ofConstantinople. To encourage the returnof the Greeks, he returned their housesand provided them with guarantees ofsafety. He restored theGreek OrthodoxPatriarchate and established a Jewishgrand rabbi and an Armenian patriarch inthe city. Fifty years later, Constantinoplehad become the largest city in Europe.

The conqueror reorganized the Ottomangovernment and, for the first time,

codified the criminal law and the lawsrelating to his subjects in one code,whereas the constitution was elaboratedin another, the two codes forming thenucleus of all subsequent legislation.From:http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/to

pic/373174/Mehmed-II
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/177174/Eastern-Orthodoxyhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/177174/Eastern-Orthodoxy


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enemies--Persia, Poland, Austria, and Russia. The implications of the decline of Ottoman power,the vulnerability and attractiveness of the empire's vast holdings, the stirrings of nationalismamong its subject peoples, and the periodic crises resulting from these and other factors becamecollectively known to European diplomats in the nineteenth century as "the Eastern Question." In1853 Tsar Nicholas I of Russia described the Ottoman

Empire as "the sick man of Europe."

The 1860s and early 1870s saw the emergence of theYoung Ottoman movement among Western-orientedintellectuals who wanted to see the empire accepted asan equal by the European powers. They sought to adoptWestern political institutions, including an efficientcentralized government, an elected parliament, and awritten constitution. The "Ottomanism" they advocatedalso called for an integrated dynastic state that wouldsubordinate Islam to secular interests and allow non-

Muslim subjects to participate in representativeparliamentary institutions.

On August 2, 1914, the Ottomans concluded a secrettreaty of alliance with Germany. Within eight months,the Ottoman army of about 800,000 men was engaged ina four-front war that became part of the greater conflictof World War I. The Ottoman government signed anarmistice at Mudros on October 30, 1918 and on April1920ththe Treaty of Svres, which partitioned theEmpire amongst the Allies.

Atatrk returned to Istanbul at the end of the war, hismilitary reputation untarnished by the defeat of theempire that he had served. Revered by his troops as wellas the Turkish masses, Atatrk soon emerged as thestandard-bearer of the Turkish nationalist movementthat resisted the dismemberment of Turkish-speakingareas by the Allies. After several years of fighting, inJuly 1923 the Treaty of Lausanne recognized thepresent-day territory of Turkey.

Modern Turkey:

On assuming office, Atatrk initiated a series of radicalreforms of the country's political, social, and economiclife that were aimed at rapidly transforming Turkey intoa modern state. A secular legal code, modeled alongEuropean lines, was introduced that completely alteredlaws affecting women, marriage, and family relations.

Mustafa Kemal AtatrkHe modernized the countrys legal and

educational systems and encouraged theadoption of a European way of life, withTurkish written in the Latin alphabetand with citizens adopting European-style names.One of the great figures of the 20th

century, Atatrk rescued the survivingTurkish remnant of the defeatedOttoman Empire at the end of WorldWar I. He galvanized his people againstinvading Greek forces who sought toimpose the Allied will upon the war-weary Turks and repulsed aggression byBritish, French, and Italian troops.Through these struggles, he founded themodernRepublic of Turkey,for whichhe is still revered by the Turks. Hesucceeded in restoring to his people

pride in their Turkishness, coupled with

a new sense of accomplishment as theirbackward nation was brought into themodern world. Over the next twodecades, Atatrk created a modern statethat would grow under his successorsinto a viable democracy. From:http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/40411/Kemal-Ataturk
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/179573/educational-systemhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/434996/Ottoman-Empirehttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/609790/Turkeyhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/609790/Turkeyhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/434996/Ottoman-Empirehttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/179573/educational-system


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The ideological foundation of Atatrk's reform programbecame known as Kemalism. Its main points wereenumerated in the "Six Arrows" of Kemalism:republicanism, nationalism, populism, reformism, etatism(statism), and secularism.

During WWII, despite German pressure, Turkey remainedneutral and at no time permitted the passage of Axistroops, ships, or aircraft through or over Turkey and itswaters. Turkey experienced a series of democratic crises in1960, 1972, and 1980 when the military initiated coupsagainst governments they perceived to be abrogating theconstitution. During this time, Turkey was involved in theCypriot crisis in the 1970s. In response a Greek sponsoredcoup that pursued dreams of unification with Cyprus, andin defense of the Turkish speaking minority, Turkey

landed over 30,000 troops and pushed back Greek-Cypriotforces. In February 1975, the Turkish Federated State ofCyprus was established in the northern region.

The economic stabilization program, begun before thecoup, now proceeded unhindered by political resistance.The program aimed to improve Turkey's balance ofpayments, bring inflation under control, and create anexport-oriented free-market economy. In 1993 civilian rulewas reaffirmed, and proof that Atatrk's legacy wasingrained in the Turkish body politic, the election ofTurkeys first female Prime Minister, Tansu iller.

In 2002 the Justice and Development Party (AKP), a partywith Islamist roots, swept the parliamentary elections. Themilitary, which had maneuvered Turkish politicalproceedings in the past, issued a memorandum on theInternet criticizing the rising role of Islamists in thegovernment and indicating military readiness to act if anunapproved candidate, such as Gl, won the presidency;this approach was dubbed an e-coup by pundits.Nonetheless, Recep Tayyip Erdoan worked to resolve thestandoff by calling for early parliamentary elections, inwhich the AKP secured a decisive victory. Turkeysconstitution was amended in September 2010, and waslargely designed to bring the country in line with EUstandards on democracy and to support the countrys bidfor membership.

Recep Tayyip ErdoganIn high school Erdoan became known as a

fiery orator in the cause of political Islam. In1994 Erdoan was elected mayor of Istanbul,the first-ever Islamist to the mayoralty shookthe secularist establishment, but Erdoan

proved to be a competent and cannymanager.

In 1998 he was controversially convictedfor inciting religious hatred after reciting a

poem that compared mosques to barracks,minarets to bayonets, and the faithful to anarmy. Sentenced to 10 months in prison,Erdoan resigned as mayor.

His party won the parliamentary electionsin 2002, but Erdoan was legally barred fromserving in parliament because of his 1998conviction. A constitutional amendment inDecember 2002, however, effectivelyremoved Erdoans disqualification.

As prime minister, Erdoan toured theUnited States and Europe in order to dispelany fears that he held anti-Western biases andto advance Turkeys bid to join the European

Union.In 2008, the constitutional court voted to

hear a case that called for the dismantling ofthe AKP and banning Erdoan and dozens of

other party members from political life forfive years.In June 2011 Erdoan secured athird term as prime minister when the AKPwon by a wide margin in parliamentaryelections.(http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/913988/Recep-Tayyip-Erdogan)


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Timeline of Major Event in TurkeysHistory_______(following text from: http://www.anatoliatravels.com/Turkey-History.htm)

7000 BC Catalhoyuk in central Turkey is considered the worlds first urban center.

1250 BC The Trojan War fought between the armies of Troy and Achaea.

323 BC Temple of Artemis, considered one of the 7 architectural wonders of the ancient world.

537 AD Hagia Sofia, the largest church in the world, was built by Emperor Justinian.

11th

-14th

AD Turkish Seljuk Empire conquers and rules Anatolia

1299ADBeginning of the Ottoman Empire.

1453 AD Constantinople (now Istanbul) fell to Sultan Mehmet II.

1534 AD Ottoman Empire extended from Hungary to Baghdad.

1718 AD Beginning of the Tulip Era (Arts, Culture, Architecture flourish)

1914-23During WWI Ottoman Empire collapses

(Following Text taken directly from BBC News. Timeline: Turkey. Available at:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/1023189.stm)

1923Assembly declares Turkey a republic and Kemal Ataturk as president.

1950Republic's first open elections, won by opposition Democratic Party.

1952Turkey abandons Ataturk's neutralist policy and joins NATO.

1960 Army coup against ruling Democratic Party.

1974Turkish troops invade northern Cyprus.

1980Military coup follows political deadlock and civil unrest. Imposition of martial law.

1982New constitution creates seven-year presidency, and reduces parliament to single house.

1984Turkey recognizes "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus."

2002 Parliament approves reforms aimed at securing EU membership.

2006 Kurdish separatist group, the PKK, declares a unilateral ceasefire in operations against themilitary.


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Turkish Culture_______Text taken directly from the World InfoZone. Turkey Information. Available at:http://www.worldinfozone.com/country.php?country=Turkey

Food

Turkish cuisine is a combination of Middle Eastern food(kebabs, pitta bread and houmous) and Mediterraneanfood, (tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and grilled meat). Hotpeppers, mint, parsley, dill, cumin, and yoghurt areimportant ingredients in Turkish cuisine. Bread is part ofthe daily diet.A meze consisting of a number of small dishes may beserved before the main course of a meal. These includeslices of melon, feta cheese, pickles, nuts and small

portions of fish, salads and vegetables.

Soups, rice and wheat dishes, meats and seafood areprepared with vegetables such as aubergines, artichokes,

beans, beetroot, chard, chick peas, cucumbers, mushrooms, onions, peppers and spinach. Stuffedvegetables, meatballs and egg dishes are popular. The kebab, marinated lamb roasted on a spit, isa Turkish favourite.

Milk puddings flavoured with orange, lemon orrose water are popular desserts. Other sweetcourses include fresh and stewed fruit: apples,

apricots, cherries, figs, melons, peaches, quinceand tangerines.

Raki, an anise flavoured spirit, is the nationaldrink. Boza, another traditional alcoholic drink ismade from fermented wheat berries. Beer, winesand fruit juices are produced. Turkish coffee isthick and black and tea is prepared over boilingwater and served in small glasses.

Arts

Turkey's history has left a rich legacy in the arts. Its earliest art dates back to prehistory. Largewall paintings from Neolithic times have been found at the site of Catalhoyuk, 45 km south ofKonya.

A Turkish meze.

Turkish coffee is thicker than its Westerncounterpart.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Turkishcoffee.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Turkish_Meze_Plate.jpg


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A Baglama

Byzantine frescoes and mosaics can be seen in churches converted by the Ottoman Turks intomosques. One of the best examples of rediscovered Byzantine art is that found at the KariyeMosque, formerly the Church of St Saviour in Khora.

Poetry and music are an integral part of Turkish culture. The

oral tradition of poetry goes back to the early Turkish clans.Various forms of poetry covered subjects such as nature,love, courage, war and death. Music, classical, religious andfolk, has always been important to the Turkish way of life.Turkish musical instruments include the baglama (a longnecked lute), cymbal, flute, zither and drums.

The creation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923 gave impetus to Turkish culture. The founder ofTurkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, encouraged the Turkish people to recognise their own culture.Painting, sculpture and architecture flourished, with developments in the world of music, theatreand film.

Sports

Turkish basketball and football are popular team games.

Turkey reached their first European Football Championship in 1996 and in 2000 played in thequarter final of the UEFA Championship. The striker Hakan Sukur is said to be one of the bestTurkish football players of the twentieth century.

Other popular sports are athletics, weightlifting and wrestling. Gold medals have been awardedat the Olympics for Greco-Roman wrestling, judo and weightlifting.

Turkey's long coastline and good weather are ideal for water sports such as diving andwindsurfing.

Holidays

Religious holy days include the Feast of Ramadan and the Feast of the Sacrifice.

Other holidays are New Year's Day (1 January), National Sovereignty & Children's Day (23April), Ataturk's Commemoration & Youth and Sports Day (19 May), Victory Day (30 August)and Republic Day (29 October 1923).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Baglama_turc_manche_long.jpg


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Childrens Folklore: The Wizard and his Pupil

_______Text taken directly from Kunos, Ignacz, Forty-Four Turkish Fairy Tales. Available at:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/asia/ftft/ftft31.htm

There was once a woman who had a son. To whatever school she sent him, he always ranaway. Perplexed, the mother asked the boy "Where shall I send you?" To which he answered:"Do not send me, but go with me; if I like the place I will not run away." So she took him withher to market, and there they watched a number of men working at various handicrafts, andamong them was a wizard.

The boy was very much attracted by this last, and requested his mother to apprentice himto the wizard. She went to the man and told him her son's desire. The matter was soon arrangedto their mutual satisfaction, and the boy was left with his master, as the wizard was henceforth to

be.In the course of time the youth had learnt all that the wizard was able to teach him, and

one day his master said: "I will transform myself into a ram; take me to market and sell me, butbe sure to keep the rope." The youth agreed, and the wizard accordingly changed himself into aram. The youth took the animal to the auctioneer, who sold it in the marketplace. It was boughtby a man for five hundred piastres, but the youth kept the rope as he was instructed. In theevening the master, having resumed his human form, escaped from the buyer of the ram andcame home.

Next day the wizard said to his pupil: "I am now going to transform myself into a horse;take me and sell me, but guard the rope." "I understand," answered the youth, and led the horseto market, where it was sold by auction for a thousand piastres. The pupil kept the rope,

however, and came home. An idea struck him: "Now let me see," said he to himself, "whether Icannot help myself," and he went to his mother. "Mother," said he when they met, "I have learntall that was to be learnt. Many thanks for apprenticing me to that wizard; I shall now be able tomake a great deal of money." The poor woman did not understand what he meant, and said: "Myson, what will you do? I hope you are not going to run away again and give me further trouble.""No," he answered. "Tomorrow I shall change myself into a bathing establishment, which youwill sell; but take care not to sell the key of the door with it, or I am lost."

While the youth was thus discoursing with his mother, the wizard escaped from the manwho had bought him as a horse, and came home. Finding his apprentice not there, he becameangry. "You good-for-nothing; you have sold me completely this time, it seems; but wait untilyou fall into my hands again!" That night he remained at home, and next morning went out in

search of his truant pupil.The youth transformed himself into a beautiful bathing establishment, which his motherput up for sale by auction. All the people of the town were astonished at its magnificence, andmultitudes collected round the auctioneer. The wizard was among the crowd, and guessed atonce that this stately building was in reality his rascally pupil. He said nothing of that, however,but when all the pashas, beys, and other people had bid their highest he bid higher still, and thebuilding was knocked down to him. The woman was called, and when the wizard was about tohand her the money she explained that she could not give up the key. Then the wizard said he


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would not pay unless he received it. He showed her that he hadplenty of money, and observed to the woman that that particularkey was of no importance to her; she could easily buy another ifshe must have one. Many of the bystanders expressed theiragreement with the purchaser, and as the woman knew not the

true significance of keeping the key, she parted with it to thewizard in return for the price of the bathing establishment. Whenshe gave up the key the youth felt that his time had come, so hechanged himself into a bird and flew away. His master, however,changed himself into a falcon and pursued him. They both flew along distance until they reached another town, where thePadishah was entertaining himself with his court in the palacegarden.

As a last resource, the youth now changed himself into abeautiful rose and fell at the feet of the Padishah. The Kingexpressed his surprise at seeing the rose, as that flower was not

then in season. " It is a gift from Allah," he concluded. "It smellsso sweetly that not even in the rose-flowering season could its equal be found."The wizard now resumed his human form and entered the garden, lute in hand, as a

minnesinger. As he was striking his instrument he was observed by the Padishah, who, callinghim, ordered him to play and sing his songs. In one of his impromptu ballads the singerrequested the Padishah to give him the rose. Hearing this the King was angry, and said: "Whatsay you, fellow? This rose was given me by Allah! How dare you, a mere wanderer, demand it?""O Shah," answered the singer, " my occupation is obvious; I have fallen in love with the roseyou possess. I have been seeking it for many years, but till now have I been unable to find it. Ifyou give it not to me I shall kill myself. Would not that be a pity? I have followed it over hill andfell, to find it now in the hands of the mild and gracious Padishah. Have you no pity for a poorman like me, who has lost love and light and happiness? Is it seemly to afflict me thus? I will notmove from this spot until you give me the rose."

The Padishah was moved, and said to himself: "After all, of what consequence is the roseto me? Let the unfortunate man attain his object." Saying these words he stepped forward andhanded the flower to the singer. But before the latter could grasp it, it fell to the ground and waschanged into millet pulp. Quickly the wizard transformed himself into a rooster and ate it up.One grain, however, fell under the Padishah's foot and so escaped the roosters attention. Thisgrain suddenly changed into the youth, who picked up the rooster and wrung its neck--in otherwords, he disposed of his master.

The Padishah was astonished at these strange proceedings, and commanded the youngman to explain the riddle. He told the King everything from beginning to end, and the monarchwas so delighted with his skill in magic that he appointed him Grand Vezir and gave him hisdaughter in marriage. The young man was now able to provide for his mother, and thuseverybody lived happily ever after.


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Select Bibliography of Sources on Turkey

Arat, Zehra F.K. Human Rights in Turkey (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press,2007).

Caaptay, Soner. Islam, Secularism, and Nationalism in Modern Turkey: Who is a Turk? NewYork: Routledge, 2006).

Carkoglu, Ali and Rubin, Barry (eds). Religion and Politics in Turkey (London: Routledge,2006).

nar, Alev. Modernity, Islam and Secularism in Turkey (Minneapolis: University of MinnesotaPress, PublicWorlds, 2005).

Findley, Carter Vaughn. The Turks in World History (New York: Oxford University Press,2005).

Gordon, Philip H. Winning Turkey: How America, Europe and Turkey can Revive a FadingPartnership (Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2008).

Kaya, Ibrahim. Social Theory and Later Modernities: The Turkish Experience (Liverpool:Liverpool University Press, 2004).

Kazancigil, Ali and zbudun Ergin (eds). Atatrk, Founder of a Modern State (Hamden, Conn.:Archon Books, 1981).

Kedourie, Sylvia (ed.). Turkey: Identity, Democracy, Politics (London: Frank Cass, 1996).

Kramer, Heinz. A Changing Turkey: The Challenges to Europe and the United States(Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2000).

Mango, Andrew. The Turks Today (Woodstock, NY: Overlook Press, 2004).

nder, Sylvia Wing. We Have No Microbes Here: Healing Practices in a Turkish Black SeaVillage (Durham, N.C.: Carolina Academic Press, 2005).

Rubin, Barry and Heper, Metin (eds). Political Parties in Turkey (London: Frank Cass, 2002).

Yavuz, M. Hakan. Islamic Political Identity in Turkey (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003).

White, Jenny B. Islamist Mobilization in Turkey: A Study in Vernacular Politics (Seattle:University of Washington Press, 2002).

Zrcher, Erik Jan. Turkey: A Modern History (London: I.B. Tarius, 2004).

ceres country profile - turkey

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