TURKEY
INTRODUCTION ECONOMY
Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Economic Overview
remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire by upper middle-income, diversified Middle Eastern economy;
national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was later heightened inflation and currency depreciation triggered by
honored with the title Ataturk or "Father of the expansionary monetary and fiscal policy ahead of 2023 elections,
Turks." Under his leadership, the country now being reversed; industrializing economy that maintains large
adopted radical social, legal, and political agricultural base
reforms. Turkey joined the UN in 1945, and in GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) $2.817 trillion (2022 est.)
1952 it became a member of NATO. It began GDP per capita (Purchasing Power Parity) $33,100 (2022 est.)
accession talks with the EU in 2005. Industries - textiles, food processing, automobiles, electronics,
GOVERNMENT mining, steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper
Chief of State Agricultural products - eggs, milk, wheat, sugar beets, tomatoes,
President Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN barley, maize, potatoes, apples, grapes
Head of Government Exports $343.7 billion (2022 est.)
President Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN refined petroleum, cars, jewelry, motor vehicle parts/accessories,
Government Type delivery trucks (2022)
presidential republic partners: Germany 8%, US 7%, UK 5%, Iraq 5%, Italy 5% (2022)
Capital Imports $383.5 billion (2022 est.)
Ankara gold, refined petroleum, scrap iron, cars, natural gas (2022)
Legislature partners: China 13%, Germany 9%, Russia 8%, US 5%, Italy 5%
unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey (2022)
or Turkey Buyuk Millet Meclisi (600 seats)
Ambassador to US PEOPLE & SOCIETY
Chargé d'Affaires Halime Digdem BUNER Population
US Ambassador 83.6 million (2023 est.)
Ambassador Jeffrey L. FLAKE Population Growth
0.64% (2023 est.)
GEOGRAPHY Ethnicity
Area Turkish 70-75%, Kurdish 19%, other minorities 7-12% (2016 est.)
Total: 783,562 sq km Language
Land: 769,632 sq km Turkish (official), Kurdish, other minority languages
Water: 13,930 sq km Religion
Climate Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet Jews)
winters; harsher in interior Urbanization
Natural Resources urban population: 77.5% of total population (2023)
coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, rate of urbanization: 1.11% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
mercury, gold, barite, borate, celestite Literacy
(strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone, 96.7% (2019)
magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites
(sulfur), clay, arable land, hydropower as of March 2024
