Republic of Turkey

Turkey is a transcontinental country in Eurasia, mainly in Anatolia in Western Asia, with a smaller portion on the Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe.[6] Turkey is a democratic, secular, unitary, parliamentary republic with a diverse cultural heritage

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Geopolitical profile

Geopolitical position:

Position on the geopolitical map:

Turkey belong to the Rimland area. That fact is fully accountable for its historic double identity

Geopolitical balance:

Turkish politics traditionally oscillates between Sea Power and Land Power

Main geopolitical allies:

No permamanent allies.

Opponents:

Opponents tradiaiotnally are in the West (Sea Power countries -- WEsterb Europe, Great Britain, France) and un the East (Russia, Iran).

Neutrality:

Turkey rarely chooses to be neutral preferring to play active role in the regional conflicts.

Sphere of national interest.:

Realistically main sphere (today) is to preserve integrity of modern Republic of Turkey endangered seriously by growing kurdish separatism.

International disputes:

Republic of Turkey claims some terrotiries of Greece - East-North territoeies of Greece and many Islands in Egean Sea.

Armenians pretend that Turkey occupies many traditionally armenian lands including the zone around Mount Ararat that is sacred for armenians.

Historically Russia has taken many turkish terrotiries around Black Sea that was once inner lake for Turkish Empire.

Georgians sometimes claim some lands on the Southern part of Black Sea peopled by Lazes (people of georgian origin).

Ethnosociology:

Ethnical structure:

all layers of ethnosociology are present in the structure of society

Religious structure:

96.4 % muslim

The majority follows hanafi school of sunni islam.

Alevi-Bektaşi sect of batiniya sufi-shia type represent about 20 000 000/25 000 000 of followers. Alevism is common by zaza-kurds.

Twelwer shiites are about 3 000 000.

The sufism is very common and represents one of the main feature of Turkish religious identity.

Main tarikats are:

Nakshbandiya

the branch Halidiya with its subbranches SÜLEYMANCILAR, ERENKËY, ISHIKCHILAR, İSKENDERPAŞA,

the greatest group is İSMAİLAĞA CEMAATİ, the leader is Mahmud Ustaosmanuglu (Efendi-hozrat);

also important is İSKENDERPAŞA CEMAATI sect, whose member was the predecessor of Erdogan, Erbakan. Leaser of group is Mehmet Zaid Kotku

other tendency is tarikat HAZNEVİLER, whose leader Shayky Muhamad Muta Haznevi resides in Syria

another branch - NAKŞİBENDİ YAHYALI CEMAAT (founder YahalI Hadji Hasan Efendi) populat in Keyseri district. Leader Ramazan Dinch

other very popular tarikat is MAVLEVI, founded by great sufi poet Rumi actually leader is Faruk Hemdem Çelebi. It is very known for its dervish dances, but formally is still prohibited in Turkey following Kemal Ataturk ban on all tarikats.

other big traditional tarikat is KADİRİ . subbranches of KADİRİ are

tarikat KADİRİ MUHAMMEDİYE. Leader Muhammad Ustaoglu (Shaykh Seyyid).

tarikat GALİBİ TARİKATI - tendency of mahadiya, based on the confluence between KADİRİ and RIFAI. leader Galib Hasan Kushchuoglu. Close to shiism.

tarikat TİLLOCULAR - group popular among Kurds and Arabs. Mixes as well KADİRİ and RIFAI tendencies

tarikat IJMALJILER

tariqa Rifa'i founded by Ahmed ar-Rifa'i (XV century) and integrated later in KADİRİ order

tarikat HALVET'ÎYYE has subbranches

ŞABÂN'ÎYYE HALVET'ÎYYE (founder Shaykh Abdullah Lahidji)

UŞŞAKİLER (İpek Yolu). Founded by Ibrahim İpek. Leader Fatih Nurullah

RAMAZAMIYA and its special supgroup -- CERRAHİLER (founder Djarrahi).

the АDIYAMAN MENZIL CEMAATI, founded by Muhammad Rashit Erol (1930-1993) and presided now by Abdulbaki Erol

tarikat IŞIKÇILAR CEMAATİ representing the branch of Kaşgarî Dergâhı, leader is Husain Halmi IŞik

tarikat ERENKÖY CEMAATİ from tekke Kelâmî Dergâhı. Founder Mahmut Ramazanoglu. Leader - Osman Nuri Topbash.

tarikat ACZMENDILER founded in 1985 by Elazığ Akşam Sanat Okulu.

pseudo-sufi group GÜLEN CEMAATİ, using some sufi methodes or terms. Based on the sufi tarikat NURSI

There a minority of armenian Gregorian Christians and of greek Orthodox Christians.

Languages:

Turkish

Ethnical identity:

there is majority turkish ethnic identity as a form of interpretation of nationalism in ethnic way. Such attitude is proper to far right politicsl Prties - for example for Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi, MHP and Gray Wolves movement

the main etnic minority with full devellopped national consiousness and political separatists projects are Kurds.Kurds represent 18–25 percent of the population. Most radical branch is represeneted by prohibited Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan - PKK, identified as terrorist organization

there are as well Armenians, Assyriens, Abkhazes, Georgiens (Lazis), Tartars, Adygs, Cherkeses and other Caucasian ethnic groups. Part of them have migrated to Turkey from Russian Caucase as mukhadjeers.

Other minorities beside Kurds represent 7–12 percent of the population

Nationlal_identity:

very strong and rests predomimant. That is the consequence of the kemalist principles of modern Turkey.

Nationalism is the deep rooted and strongest level of Turkish identity

Individual (Civil Society):

dominant identity in Westernized population of big cities and among Turkish youth. The Westernization being part of kemalist politics along with nationalism it has produced the growth of secular mentality and individualist identity. Politically this trend is represented by liberal and socialist parties and movements that stress the secular nature of Turkish State.

Ethnic map:

Political Ideology:

Political schema :

Turkish Deep State is based on purely kemalist ideology -- nationalist and secular. Befor Erdogan it was represented by Turkish army.

But with Erdogan this situation has changed and islamist ideology in its salafite and Gulenist versions have succeded to install the control over Deep State. Gulenists have created Parallel State that was used against Erdogan himself during the coup d'etat in July 2016.

The Erdogan's party Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi - AKP) represents center right party with moderated islamism. Pres. Binali Yıldırım

liberal Westernized kemalism is platform of Republican People's Party. Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi - CHP. Pres. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu

far right nationslism is base for Nationalist Movement Party. Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi - MHP. Pres. Devlet Bahçeli

Kurds are represented by Peoples' Democratic Party Halkların Demokratik Partisi - HDP. Pres. Selahattin Demirtaş, Figen Yüksekdağ

Ideologically important is Patriotic Party. Vatan Partisi Vatan Partisi . Pres. Doğu Perinçek based on kennalism, national-bolshevism and eurasianism

Geoeconomy:

Economical descriprtion:

industry

tourism

agrarian sector

construction

Geostrategy:

Geostrategy description:

lack of energy defines the need of participation in energetic projects - gas- and oil-pipelines

Values structure:

Marginal notes:

nationalism prevails

islamism in different version - zahirit (salafite) and batinite (sufi) is groving

secularism is very deep rooted as well

kurdish separatism is strong

liberalism and globalism is expanded among youth and urban population

post-modern pattern is underdevellopped

Transnational organizations:

Transnational description:

ONU

NATO

National profile

Geography:

Climate:

The coastal areas of Turkey bordering the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas have a temperate Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild to cool, wet winters. The coastal areas bordering the Black Sea have a temperate oceanic climate with warm, wet summers and cool to cold, wet winters. The Turkish Black Sea coast receives the greatest amount of precipitation and is the only region of Turkey that receives high precipitation throughout the year. The eastern part of that coast averages 2,200 millimetres (87 in) annually which is the highest precipitation in the country.

The coastal areas bordering the Sea of Marmara, which connects the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea, have a transitional climate between a temperate Mediterranean climate and a temperate oceanic climate with warm to hot, moderately dry summers and cool to cold, wet winters. Snow falls on the coastal areas of the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea almost every winter, but usually melts in no more than a few days. However snow is rare in the coastal areas of the Aegean Sea and very rare in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea.

Mountains close to the coast prevent Mediterranean influences from extending inland, giving the central Anatolian plateau of the interior of Turkey a continental climate with sharply contrasting seasons.

Winters on the eastern part of the plateau are especially severe. Temperatures of −30 to −40 °C (−22 to −40 °F) can occur in eastern Anatolia. Snow may remain at least 120 days of the year. In the west, winter temperatures average below 1 °C (34 °F). Summers are hot and dry, with temperatures often above 30 °C (86 °F) in the day. Annual precipitation averages about 400 millimetres (16 inches), with actual amounts determined by elevation. The driest regions are the Konya plain and the Malatya plain, where annual rainfall is often less than 300 millimetres (12 inches). May is generally the wettest month, whereas July and August are the driest.[

Terrain::

Turkey is a transcontinental Eurasian country. Asian Turkey, which includes 97 percent of the country, is separated from European Turkey by the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles. European Turkey comprises 3 percent of the country. The territory of Turkey is more than 1,600 kilometres (990 miles) long and 800 kilometres (500 miles) wide, with a roughly rectangular shape. It lies between latitudes 35° and 43° N, and longitudes 25° and 45° E. Turkey's land area, including lakes, occupies 783,562 square kilometres (302,535 square miles), of which 755,688 square kilometres (291,773 square miles) are in Southwest Asia and 23,764 square kilometres (9,175 square miles) in Europe. Turkey is the world's 37th-largest country in terms of area. The country is encircled by seas on three sides: the Aegean Sea to the west, the Black Sea to the north and the Mediterranean to the south. Turkey also contains the Sea of Marmara in the northwest.

A photograph of Lake Van and the Armenian Church of Akhtamar. Van is the largest lake in the country and is located in eastern Anatolia.
The European section of Turkey, East Thrace (the easternmost region of the Balkan peninsula), forms the borders of Turkey with Greece and Bulgaria. The Asian part of the country is comprised mostly by the peninsula of Anatolia, which consists of a high central plateau with narrow coastal plains, between the Köroğlu and Pontic mountain ranges to the north and the Taurus Mountains to the south. Eastern Turkey, located within the western plateau of the Armenian Highlands, has a more mountainous landscape and is home to the sources of rivers such as the Euphrates, Tigris and Aras, and contains Mount Ararat, Turkey's highest point at 5,137 metres (16,854 feet), and Lake Van, the largest lake in the country. Southeastern Turkey is located within the northern plains of Upper Mesopotamia.

Turkey is divided into seven geographical regions: Marmara, Aegean, Black Sea, Central Anatolia, Eastern Anatolia, Southeastern Anatolia and the Mediterranean. The uneven north Anatolian terrain running along the Black Sea resembles a long, narrow belt. This region comprises approximately one-sixth of Turkey's total land area. As a general trend, the inland Anatolian plateau becomes increasingly rugged as it progresses eastward.

Turkey's varied landscapes are the product of complex earth movements that have shaped the region over thousands of years and still manifest themselves in fairly frequent earthquakes and occasional volcanic eruptions. The Bosphorus and the Dardanelles owe their existence to the fault lines running through Turkey that led to the creation of the Black Sea. The North Anatolian Fault Line runs across the north of the country from west to east, along which major earthquakes took place in history. The latest of those big earthquakes was the 1999 İzmit earthquake.

Maritime claims:

zone of Aegean Sea where all islands now belong to Greece

Natural resources and ecology:

Environment - current issues::

Water supply and sanitation in Turkey is characterised by achievements and challenges. Over the past decades access to drinking water has become almost universal and access to adequate sanitation has also increased substantially. Autonomous utilities have been created in the 16 metropolitan cities of Turkey and cost recovery has been increased, thus providing the basis for the sustainability of service provision. Intermittent supply, which was common in many cities, has become less frequent. In 2004, 61% of the wastewater collected through sewers was being treated. Remaining challenges include the need to further increase wastewater treatment, to reduce the high level of non-revenue water hovering around 50% and to expand access to adequate sanitation in rural areas. The investment required to comply with EU standards in the sector, especially in wastewater treatment, is estimated to be in the order of €2 billion per year, more than double the current level of investment

People:

Total population::

79814871

Age structure::

0–14 age group corresponds to 25.3 percent

15–64 age group constitute 67.4 percent of the total population

senior citizens aged 65 years or older make up 7.3 percent

Population growth rate::

1.35 percent each year

Economy:

GDP:

$2.082 trillion[

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$11,014

Distribution of family income - Gini index::

40.0

medium · 56th

Politics:

Head of state (PM for parliamentary republics)::

Tayyip Erdoğan

Government type::

Turkey is a parliamentary representative democracy. Since its foundation as a republic in 1923, Turkey has developed a strong tradition of secularism.

The constitutional referendum was held in April 2017 to change the parliamentary system to a presidential system

Administrative divisions::

Communication:

Internet users::

42300000

Broadcast media::

Hundreds of television channels, thousands of local and national radio stations, several dozen newspapers, a productive and profitable national cinema and a rapid growth of broadband Internet use all make up a very vibrant media industry in Turkey. In 2003 a total of 257 television stations and 1,100 radio stations were licensed to operate, and others operated without licenses. Of those licensed, 16 television and 36 radio stations reached national audiences.The majority of the audiences are shared among public broadcaster TRT and the network-style channels such as Kanal D, Show TV, ATV and Star TV. The broadcast media have a very high penetration as satellite dishes and cable systems are widely available.The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) is the government body overseeing the broadcast media. By circulation, the most popular newspapers are Posta, Hürriyet, Sözcü, Sabah and Habertürk.

Transport:

Main gas and oil pipelines::

7,555 kilometres (4,694 mi) of natural gas pipelines and 3,636 kilometres (2,259 mi) of petroleum pipelines spanned the country's territory.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, the second longest oil pipeline in the world, was inaugurated on 10 May 2005. The Blue Stream, a major trans-Black Sea gas pipeline, delivers natural gas from Russia to Turkey. A planned undersea pipeline, Turkish Stream, with an annual capacity around 63 billion cubic metres (2,200 billion cubic feet), will allow Turkey to resell Russian gas to Europe while planned Nabucco pipeline will reduce European dependence on Russian energy.

Major railways and roadways:

As of 2014, the country has a roadway network of 65,623 kilometres (40,776 miles). The total length of the rail network was 10,991 kilometres (6,829 miles) in 2008, including 2,133 kilometres (1,325 miles) of electrified and 457 kilometres (284 miles) of high-speed track.

Military and special services:

Total personnel::

495 000

Military service age and obligation::

The Turkish Armed Forces consists of the Land Forces, the Naval Forces and the Air Force. The Gendarmerie and the Coast Guard operate as parts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in peacetime, although they are subordinated to the Army and Navy Commands respectively in wartime, during which they have both internal law enforcement and military functions. The Chief of the General Staff is appointed by the President and is responsible to the Prime Minister. The Council of Ministers is responsible to the Parliament for matters of national security and the adequate preparation of the armed forces to defend the country. However, the authority to declare war and to deploy the Turkish Armed Forces to foreign countries or to allow foreign armed forces to be stationed in Turkey rests solely with the Parliament.

The MILGEM project aims to design and build locally a fleet of hi-tech stealth multipurpose corvettes and frigates. TCG Heybeliada is one of the warships built under the scope of this project.
Every fit male Turkish citizen otherwise not barred is required to serve in the military for a period ranging from three weeks to a year, dependent on education and job location. Turkey does not recognise conscientious objection and does not offer a civilian alternative to military service.

Turkey has the second largest standing military force in NATO, after the US Armed Forces, with an estimated strength of 495,000 deployable forces, according to a 2011 NATO estimate. Turkey is one of five NATO member states which are part of the nuclear sharing policy of the alliance, together with Belgium, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. A total of 90 B61 nuclear bombs are hosted at the Incirlik Air Base, 40 of which are allocated for use by the Turkish Air Force in case of a nuclear conflict, but their use requires the approval of NATO

Main bases abroad::

TAF has overseas military bases in Iraq, Qatar and in Somalia.

Turkey has maintained forces in international missions under the United Nations and NATO since the Korean War, including peacekeeping missions in Somalia, Yugoslavia, Horn of Africa and supported the coalition forces in the First Gulf War. Turkey maintains a controversial 36,000 troop-strong force in Northern Cyprus, contributes military personnel to the International Security Assistance Force, Kosovo Force, Eurocorps and takes part in the EU Battlegroups while assisting Iraqi Kurdistan and Somalia with security.

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Republic of Turkey

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