Overview

The Republic of Turkey as we know it today came into existence in 1923 and it is located to the south-east of Europe and the north-west of the Middle East. The country is bordered by Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Iraq and Syria to the east: the Western borders are with Greece and Bulgaria. Along the Western coastline a number of Greek Islands are within sight of the Turkish mainland; an example being the main town on the Greek Island of Kos is around 13 miles from the Turkish town of Bodrum. For many years Turkey has been considered the place where east meets west, especially in the city of Istanbul. The metropolitan area of the city encompasses both shores of the Bosphorus; to the west is the region of Thrace, which is in Europe, and to the east Anatolia, which is Asia.

The history of Turkey can be traced back to Neolithic times; however the Ottoman Empire, which existed between 1299 and 1923, is probably the best-known period to those outside of the country. During the reign of the Empire, its borders were as far south as the Arabian Sea through Yemen, to the west almost to Morocco along North Africa. The Eastern borders reached as far as the Caspian Sea and to Hungary and Transylvania in the north. The country currently has a population of roughly 70 million.

Economy

While the majority of Turkey`s land mass is part of the Middle East, its economy leans more closely towards Europe and the West. Turkey is a member of a number of Western organisations, such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the Council of Europe.

Turkey`s economy is rapidly changing but is one of very few developing nations where agriculture still plays a key role, with around 35% of the workforce employed in the sector. The industrial sector pertaining to clothing and textiles makes up for a third of employment within Turkish industry. The private sector is swiftly emerging as an economic force within the Republic and becoming more robust through the course of time and the banking, transport, and communications sectors are coming to the fore.

Economic reforms in Turkey since the 1980s have seen many highs and lows, but since 2005 the country has seen a boom in Foreign Direct Investment: according to the CIA World fact book �further economic and judicial reforms and prospective EU membership are expected to boost FDI`. Previous to 2005 $1 billion was the annual average, after 2005 it neared $9.6 billion.

According to the Transformation Index published by Bertelsmann Stiftung in 2006, Turkey is placed 20th for democratic and economic development out of 119 national economies. The index consists of countries undergoing transformation to market based economies. The placing of Turkey in the index is higher than almost all of the surrounding countries, the Middle East and North Africa. However, the perception of corruption within the country is highlighted by the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2005, published by Transparency International. Turkey is in joint 65th position out of 158 surveyed countries, with a score of 3.5, the scores range between 10, which is highly clean and 1, which is highly corrupt. Only 40 of the 158 countries score better than 5.

Infrastructure

Although Turkey has a number of cities with populations exceeding 1 million, the two best known abroad are the capital, Ankara, and Istanbul, which is seen as the economic centre. For many who visit Turkey on business for the first time, Istanbul is often the initial port of call. The city itself is a mixture of ancient and modern from the world famous Topkapi Palace, built around the mid 1400`s to the Bankasi Tower 1, which was completed in 2000 and at 181 metres tall, is the highest office building in Turkey.

The Turkish railway network, which is run by the Turkish State Railways (TCDD), provides cheap travel around the country, albeit without air conditioning. There are two main stations in Istanbul, Sirkeci Station located on the European side of the city and Haydarpasa Station on the Asian side. Istanbul has a comprehensive metro system that was first started in 1875, with the original section still in use today. Since 1989 the system has grown into a modern mass transit system, connecting much of the city and incorporating a direct link to Ataturk International Airport. Ankara has a metro system, but currently much of it is still in the construction phase.

Standard of Living

With the likelihood of Turkey joining the European Union becoming greater, the quality of life in the country is steadily rising towards Western levels. For the tourist, the country has much to offer, with centuries of history and culture to be explored. Away from the cities, Turkey has 7,200 kilometres of coastline and some of the most outstanding scenery in the region. For a long time Istanbul has been a popular destination for tourists and was the eastern most stop of the famous Orient Express, from 1889 to 1977, although during those year the routes altered and also suspended during wars. For those who wish to indulge in shopping, ancient and modern again combine in the Grand Bazaar, parts of which date back to 1464, is one of the world's largest covered markets. Also around Istanbul there are numerous large modern shopping malls, with many internationally known stores such as Tiffany and Marks and Spencer. By comparison to other European countries Turkish hotels are reasonably priced when like for like is taken into consideration.

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