Turkey is a country which is located on two continents;Asia and Europe.

Turkey, known officially as the Republic of Turkey, is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia (mostly in the Anatolian peninsula) and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe.

Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea is to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. The Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles (which together form the Turkish Straits) demarcate the boundary between East Thrace and Anatolia; they also separate Europe and Asia.

TURKISH FLAG

COUNTRY PROFILE & FACTSOfficial NameRepublic of Turkey Date of Foundation29 October 1923Capital Ankara Largest Cities Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Antalya Population73 millionLanguage The official language is Turkish. English is widely spoken in major cities. Currency TL (Turkish Lira) 1 Euro approximately equals to 2,30 Turkish Liras. Time ZoneGMT+2; CET +1; and EST (US -East) +7Business Hours The workweek in Turkey runs from Monday to Friday. Banks, government offices and majority of corporate offices open at 9 AM and close at 5 PM.Electricity220V. European standard round two-pin sockets. Health ServicesCities and major touristic towns have a selection of private inter national and public hospitals with good standards.FoodAs with many Mediterranean nations Turkish food is very healthy, fresh and enjoyable.WaterTap water is chlorinated and, therefore, safe to drink. However, it is recommended that you consume bottled water, which is readily and cheaply available.CommunicationsTurkey has three GSM operators, all of them offering 3G services and almost 95% coverage over the country. Internet service is available all around the country. International Dial Code+90

Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK, was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is

credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey.

PRESIDENT,

ABDULLAH GÜL

PRIME MINISTER, RECEP TAYYİP ERDOĞAN

THE PARLIAMENT HOUSE• Government: Turkey is a democratic, secular and social

state, governed by the rule of law; committed to the nationalism of

Atatürk and based on the principle of the separation of powers

• Legislative Power: The Turkish Grand National Assembly Executive

• Power: President and the Council of Ministers.

• Judicial Power: Independent courts and supreme judiciary organs.

HISTORY

Göbekli Tepe, the first evidence of man presence in the world.

Portion of the legendary walls Troy (VII), identified as the site of the Trojan War

Antiquity The Anatolian peninsula (also called Minor Asia), comprising most of modern Turkey, is one of the oldest continually inhabited regions in the world due to its location at the intersection of Asia and Europe.

The temple of artemis is one of the seven wonders of the world.

The town of Selcuk in Izmir.

RELIGION

Turkey is officially a secular Republic. The Turkish Constitution provides the freedom of religion and conscience, but does not represent or promote a religion. The population of Turkey is predominantly Muslim (99%).The remainder of the population are mainly Christians and Jews.

Blue Mosque

Money

• Lira

• Kuruş

• Turkey, with a subtropical climate zones belt is located between the temperate zone. As a result of Turkey's geographical location and shapes of the earth's climate, led to the emergence of different types of climate characteristics. The effect is more temperate climate of coastal regions of the seas. The effects of the location of the mountains inland from entering the sea. For this reason, the inner parts of the continental climate is seen.

continental climate

Mediterranean climate

continental climate

continental climate

black sea climate

Mediterranean climate

mix climate

Turkish Culture is unique in the world in that it has influenced and has been influenced in return by cultures and civilizations from China to Vienna and from Russian steps to North Africa for over a millennia.

Turkish coffe from 14. century until now…

Turkey has a very diverse culture that is a blend of various elements of the Oğuz

Turkic, Anatolian, Ottoman and Western culture and traditions.

Ottomans… Turkey has a wide variety of regional costumes…

Body Language and Gesticulating

• Handshakes and a kiss on each cheek between men and women are common forms of meeting and greeting

• ‘Yes’ is that it is just a small nod of the head downwards

• ‘No’ is indicated by a nod of the head upwards, often with raised eyebrows

• Hand-kissing is a common way to greet elder people of both genders

Gift Giving Etiquette

The only time you would need to give any great

thought to gifts would be if you were invited to a Turk's home for dinner. The most

usual gifts to take are pastries, (especially 'baklava') and decorative items for the home such as ornaments or

vases.

Turkish hand-woven carpets are exporting all over the world.

TURKISH FOOD, DESSERTS AND

DRINKS

Döner Kebab is a Turkish dish made of lamb meat. It is

cooked on a vertical spit and sliced off to order and served wrapped in bread with salad.

Şiş kebabAdana kebab

Mantı dumplings consist of a spiced meat mixture, usually lamb or ground beef, in a dough wrapper, either boiled or steamed.

Mantı are typically served topped with yogurt and garlic and spiced with red pepper powder and melted butter, and topped with ground

sumac and dried mint.

Simit is a circular bread with sesame seeds

Dolma is a family of stuffed vegetable dishes in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire.Perhaps the best-known is the grape-leaf dolma.

Common vegetables to stuff include eggplant, tomato and pepper.The stuffing may or may not include meat.

Meat dolma are generally served warm, often with sauce;meatless ones are generally served cold with yogurt.

Tarhana soup is a dried-yogurt based soup.

TURKISH DELIGHT

Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey.

Ayran is a yogurt-based beverage. It is a mixture of yogurt, cold water, and sometimes salt. Ayran is usually served chilled, and is a common accompaniment to döner, kebab, etc.

Turkish tea is a type of tea that is popular mainly in the Turkish-speaking countries.

Within Turkey, the tea is usually known as Rize tea.

Virtually all of the tea is produced in the Rize

province, a Turkish province on the Black Sea coast.

SOME POPULAR

DESTINATIONS IN TURKEY

Cappadocia: The famous fairy chimneys

Ölüdeniz (Deadsea)

Mardin Houses / Mardin

Ancient Ruins in İzmirAncient Ruins in İzmir

Nemrut Mount

PAMUKKALE

Sümela Monastery

Trojan Horse

İstiklal Avenue: The Most Famous Avenue in İstanbul

Topkapı Palace

Mor Hananyo Monastery in Mersin

For more information:http://www.kultur.gov.tr/?_dil=2