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Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly in Anatolia in West Asia, with a smaller 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 (and Cyprus) 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 its economic and financial center, as well as the largest city in Europe. Other major cities include İzmir, Bursa and Antalya.

Human habitation began in the Late Paleolithic. Home to important Neolithic sites like Göbekli Tepe and some of the earliest farming areas, present-day Turkey was inhabited by various ancient peoples. Hattians were assimilated by the Anatolian peoples. Classical Anatolia transitioned into cultural Hellenization following the conquests of Alexander the Great; Hellenization continued 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 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 transformation, reforms, and centralization 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. 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. Coups in 1960 and 1980 interrupted the transition to a multi-party system.

Turkey is an upper-middle-income and emerging country; its economy is the world's 18th-largest by nominal and 11th-largest by PPP-adjusted GDP. 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 regional power and an early member of NATO. An EU-candidate, Turkey is part of the EU Customs Union, CoE, OIC, and TURKSOY.

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 universal healthcare, growing access to education, and increasing innovativeness. It is a leading TV content exporter. With 21 UNESCO World Heritage sites, 30 UNESCO intangible cultural heritage inscriptions, and a rich and diverse cuisine, Turkey is the fourth most visited country in the world. (Full article...)

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Louis Franchet d'Espèrey marching in Beyoğlu, 8 February 1919

The occupation of Istanbul (Turkish: İstanbul'un işgali) or occupation of Constantinople (12 November 1918 – 4 October 1923), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, by British, French, Italian, and Greek forces, took place in accordance with the Armistice of Mudros, which ended Ottoman participation in the First World War. The first French troops entered the city on 12 November 1918, followed by British troops the next day. The Italian troops landed in Galata on 7 February 1919.

Allied troops occupied zones based on the existing divisions of Istanbul and set up an Allied military administration early in December 1918. The occupation had two stages: the initial phase in accordance with the Armistice gave way in 1920 to a more formal arrangement under the Treaty of Sèvres. Ultimately, the Treaty of Lausanne, signed on 24 July 1923, led to the end of the occupation. The last troops of the Allies departed from the city on 4 October 1923, and the first troops of the Ankara government, commanded by Şükrü Naili Pasha (3rd Corps), entered the city with a ceremony on 6 October 1923, which has been marked as the Liberation Day of Istanbul (Turkish: İstanbul'un Kurtuluşu, Ottoman Turkish: استانبولڭ قورتولوشی) and is commemorated every year on its anniversary. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Orhan Pamuk, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 2View of Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 3Adnan Menderes, İsmet İnönü, and the other members of the Parliament wearing a white tie and top hat. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 4Orhan Veli Kanık was the founder of the Garip Movement in Turkish poetry. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 5Ankara (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 6Beaches and marina of Kemer near Antalya on the Turkish Riviera (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 7Turkish delight (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 8Anıtkabir designed by Emin Halid Onat and Ahmet Orhan Arda (1944–53) (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 9Interior of the Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 10Istanbul University Faculty of Science and Faculty of Literature Buildings (1944–52) designed by Sedad Hakkı Eldem and Emin Onat (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 11Recaizade Mahmud Ekrem (1847–1914) was another prominent Turkish poet of the late Ottoman era. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 12The 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 13The Ottoman Empire in 1683, at the start of the Great Turkish War (1683–1699) (from History of Turkey)
Image 14Map showing the Anatolian Plate, the North Anatolian Fault and East Anatolian Fault in Turkey. (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 15Butterfly Valley on the Turkish Riviera. (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 16Map of the Hittite Empire at its greatest extent, with Hittite rule c. 1350–1300 BC represented by the green line (from History of Turkey)
Image 17Thrace and the Thracian Odrysian kingdom in its maximum extent under Sitalces (431-424 BC) (from History of Turkey)
Image 18Mehmed II enters Constantinople by Fausto Zonaro (from History of Turkey)
Image 19Karagöz and Hacivat are the lead characters of the traditional Turkish shadow play, popularized during the Ottoman period. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 20Designed by Şekip Akalın, Ankara Central Station (1937) is a notable art deco design of its era. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 21Ankara Opera House, designed by Şevki Balmumcu (1933–34) and renovation by Paul Bonatz (1946–47). (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 22View of Beydağları Coastal National Park (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 23Topkapı Palace, Istanbul. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 24Istanbul (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 25Kaçkar Mountains (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 26Mount Nemrut, Adıyaman (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 27A view from the interior of a traditional Turkish house, by John Frederick Lewis (1805–1875) (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 28The Nation's Library of the Presidency, Ankara (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 29Fazıl 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 30Istanbul Sapphire (2006–11) is the tallest building in Turkey and 4th in Europe. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 31A view of Levent from Kanlıca across the Bosporus (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 32Namık Kemal was a prominent Turkish poet, novelist, playwright and journalist of the late-19th-century Ottoman Empire. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 33Originally 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 34An Oil wrestling tournament in Istanbul. This has been the national sport of Turkey since Ottoman times. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 35The Fountain of Ahmed III is an iconic example of Tulip period architecture (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 36Turkish coffee (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 37Map showing events of the first phases of the Greco-Persian Wars (from History of Turkey)
Image 38Sami Frashëri (1850–1904) and his wife Emine, May 1884. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 39First 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 40Lake Van (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 41The sultan of the golden age, Suleiman the Magnificent. (from History of Turkey)
Image 42Map of the Lydian Kingdom in its final period of sovereignty under Croesus, c. 547 BC. (from History of Turkey)
Image 43Köppen climate types of Turkey (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 44Tevfik Fikret (1867–1915) was a prominent Turkish poet of the late Ottoman era. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 45Antalya (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 46Turkish national basketball team won the silver medal in the 2010 FIBA World Championship. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 47Night view of the Taksim Mosque (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 48Map of earthquakes in Turkey 1900–2023 (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 49The Ishak Pasha Palace, Eastern Turkey. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 50Roosevelt, İnönü and Churchill at the Second Cairo Conference which was held between 4–6 December 1943. (from History of Turkey)
Image 51View from Levent district in Istanbul. Istanbul's skyline has changed especially since the early 2000s. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 52Mount Erciyes near Kayseri (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 53One of the main entrance gates of the Dolmabahçe Palace. (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 54The Bath-Gymnasium complex at Sardis in Turkey. (from History of Turkey)
Image 55Atatürk on the cover of the Time magazine, Vol. I No. 4, March 24, 1923. Title: "Mustapha Kemal Pasha" (from History of Turkey)
Image 56Ortaköy Mosque in the first quarter of the 20th century (from Culture of Turkey)
Image 57Mount Ararat (from Geography of Turkey)
Image 58Yalikavak Palmarina in Bodrum (2014) designed by Emre Arolat (from Culture of Turkey)

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... that Istanbul University Professor Semavi Eyice is regarded as the pioneer of Byzantine studies in Turkey? (April 27, 2012)
... that the Manastır Mosque
(pictured) in Istanbul is one of the few surviving Byzantine religious buildings of Constantinople whose dedication remains uncertain? (November 9, 2010)
... that Bulgarian Dobri Zhelyazkov founded the first textile factory in the Ottoman Empire? (February 2, 2007) Wikipedia:Recent additions 118
... that the Tigris River's tributary, the Botan in southeastern Turkey, looks during times of peak discharge much bigger than the Tigris? (December 26, 2008) Wikipedia:Recent additions 237
... that in 1876, British barrister, publicist, and historian Edwin Pears, as correspondent of The Daily News, sent letters home describing Ottoman atrocities in Bulgaria during the April Uprising which aroused popular demonstrations in England led by William Gladstone? (May 18, 2008) Wikipedia:Recent additions 219
... that Turkish record label Kalan Müzik was suspended for a song with the word "Kurdistan" in it? (September 1, 2007) Wikipedia:Recent additions 166
... that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
(pictured), founder of the Republic of Turkey, established the first commercial Turkish winery in 1925? (December 20, 2007) Wikipedia:Recent additions 193

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Image 1Cappadocia
Image 2Rize
Image 318th-century Ottoman barber's apron
Image 4A Kocek
Image 5Kemer
Image 6Flag of Turkey, from flowers
Image 7A tram in Istanbul
Image 8the Bosphorus Bridge
Image 9Antalya
Image 10The Temple of Athena at Priene, an ancient site near Turunçlar in Aydın province.
Image 11Ölüdeniz
Image 12Mount Nemrut
Image 13The ancient Lake Abant Nature Park in Bolu
Image 14Iznik, 16th-century vase
Image 15The tughra of Mahmud II. "Mahmud Han bin Abdulhamid muzaffer daima" ("Mahmud Khan son of Abdulhamid is forever victorious").
Image 16Atatürk praying
Image 171. picture on portal: The prominent towers of Dayro d-Mor Gabriel; 15th December 2005
Image 18Aydilge Sarp; Turkish singer, songwriter and novelist
Image 19A faculty of Sakarya University
Image 20Safranbolu
Image 21Lahmacun
Image 22the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne
Image 23Tarkan with Hungarian fans
Image 24Lake Akdoğan in Muş
Image 25Tünel, Istanbul
Image 26The sun setting over the Golden Horn in the city of Istanbul.
Image 27An airplane with a nazar boncuğu symbol that is said to offer protection from the "evil eye".

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Sezer in 2004

Ahmet Necdet Sezer (Turkish pronunciation: [ah'med nedʒ'det se'zæɾ]; born 13 September 1942) is a Turkish statesman and judge who served as the tenth president of Turkey from 2000 to 2007. Previously, he was president of the Constitutional Court of Turkey from January 1998 to May 2000. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey elected Sezer as president in 2000 after Süleyman Demirel's seven-year term expired. He was succeeded by Abdullah Gül in 2007.

Following his legal career, Sezer became a candidate for the presidency with the joint support of many political parties in Parliament. Following the 2000 presidential election, he took an ardent secularist approach on issues such as the headscarf, holding the view that secularism in Turkey was under threat. A quarrel between Sezer and Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit in 2001 led to a financial meltdown, attributed to the weakness of the coalition government as well as to the large debt owed to the International Monetary Fund. (Full article...)

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Burak Yılmaz Piri Reis Mustafa Kemal Atatürk 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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Paragliding in Ölüdeniz area, Muğla

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Videos from Turkey on Wikimedia Commons

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“

A satiated man doesn't know what's hunger, a healthy man doesn't know what's disease.

”

Turkish proverb

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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