Factbook dossier
Background
Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire by reformer and national hero Mustafa KEMAL, known as Ataturk or "Father of the Turks." One-party rule ended in 1950, and periods of instability and military coups have since fractured the multiparty democracy, in 1960, 1971, 1980, 1997, and 2016. Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and NATO in 1952. In 1963, Turkey became an associate member of the European Community; it began accession talks with the EU in 2005. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island and has since acted as patron state to the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which only Turkey recognizes. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a US-designated terrorist organization, began a separatist insurgency in Turkey in 1984, and the struggle has long dominated the attention of Turkish security forces. In 2013, the Turkish Government and the PKK conducted negotiations aimed at ending the violence, but intense fighting resumed in 2015. The Turkish Government conducted a referendum in 2017 in which voters approved constitutional amendments changing Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential system.
Location
Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria
Area
total : 783,562 sq km land: 769,632 sq km water: 13,930 sq km
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
Natural hazards
severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van; landslides; flooding volcanism: limited volcanic activity; the three historically active volcanoes (Ararat, Nemrut Dagi, and Tendurek Dagi) have not erupted since the 19th century or earlier
Population
total: 84,625,585 (2025 est.) male: 42,489,277 female: 42,136,308
Ethnic groups
Turkish 70-75%, Kurdish 19%, other minorities 6-11% (2016 est.)
Languages
Turkish (official), Kurdish, other minority languages major-language sample(s): The World Factbook, temel bilgi edinmek i in vazge ilmez bir kaynak. (Turkish) ڕاستییەکانی جیهان، باشترین سەرچاوەیە بۆ زانیارییە بنەڕەتییەکان (Kurdish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
Environmental issues
water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; land degradation; conservation of biodiversity
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
name: Ankara geographic coordinates: 39 56 N, 32 52 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name probably derives from the Indo-European root word ang , meaning "bend" and relating to the settlement's original location in a winding gorge; the city was referred to as Angora by the 13th century; the name was officially modified to Ankara in 1923 when the Republic of Turkey was founded
Executive branch
chief of state: President Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (since 28 August 2014) head of government: President Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (since 9 July 2018) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term) most recent election date: 14 May 2023, with a runoff on 28 May 2023 election results: 2023: Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN reelected president in second round - Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (AKP) 52.2%, Kemal KILICDAROGLU (CHP) 47.8% 2018: Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN reelected president in first round - Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (AKP) 52.6%, Muharrem INCE (CHP) 30.6%, Selahattin DEMIRTAS (HDP) 8.4%, Meral AKSENER (IYI) 7.3%, other 1.1% expected date of next election: 2028
Legislative branch
legislature name: Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi (T.B.M.M)) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 600 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 5/14/2023 parties elected and seats per party: Justice and Development Party (Ak Party) (267); Republican People's Party (CHP) (130); Green and the Left Party of the Future (YSGP) (57); Nationalist Action Party (MHP) (50); Good Party (İyi Party) (44); Other (52) percentage of women in chamber: 19.9% expected date of next election: May 2028
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$3.018 trillion (2024 est.) $2.925 trillion (2023 est.) $2.783 trillion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$35,300 (2024 est.) $34,300 (2023 est.) $32,700 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
58.5% (2024 est.) 53.9% (2023 est.) 72.3% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
Germany 9%, USA 6%, UK 6%, UAE 5%, Iraq 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
China 13%, Russia 9%, Germany 9%, Switzerland 6%, USA 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; T rk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK): Turkish Land Forces (T rk Kara Kuvvetleri), Turkish Naval Forces (T rk Deniz Kuvvetleri; includes naval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air Forces (T rk Hava Kuvvetleri) Ministry of Interior: Gendarmerie General Command (aka Gendarmerie of the Turkish Republic), Turkish Coast Guard Command, General Directorate of Security (National Police) (2025) note: the Gendarmerie (Jandarma) is responsible for the maintenance of the public order in areas that fall outside the jurisdiction of police forces (generally in rural areas); in wartime, the Gendarmerie and Coast Guard would be placed under the operational control of the Land Forces and Naval Forces, respectively
Military expenditures
2.3% of GDP (2025 est.) 2.1% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2021 est.)