.Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (help·info)), is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe.^ Turkish state to foreign states and to receive the representatives of foreign states appointed to the Republic of Turkey, .

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ To accredit representatives of the Turkish State to foreign states and to receive the representatives of foreign states to the Republic of Turkey, .

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ (After being drafted by the Consultative Assembly, the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey was accepted by 92% of the Turkish public in a referendum on November 7, 1982, and published in Official Gazette no.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

.Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhchivan) and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast.^ HARRAN City on the border between Syria, Turkey, and Iraq, with a long and complex history.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ It straddled the border between modern Turkey and Iran, north of Adiabene and south of Lake Van.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ TRABIZOND A city and coastal region in northeastern Turkey, along the shores of the Black Sea; west-southwest of Georgia.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

.The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north.^ A natolia Anatolia is that region lying to the south of the Black Sea, to the east of the Aegean Sea, north of the eastern Mediterranean Sea and, inland, the Fertile Crescent, and west of the Caucasus-Azerbaijani districts.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ ANTIOCH (Antakya) Located at the northeast corner of the Mediterranean Sea, at the point where the coast abruptly turns south towards Sinai.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ TRABIZOND A city and coastal region in northeastern Turkey, along the shores of the Black Sea; west-southwest of Georgia.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

Separating Anatolia and Thrace are the Sea of Marmara and the Turkish Straits (the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles), which are commonly reckoned to delineate the boundary between Europe and Asia,^[4] thereby making Turkey a country of significant geostrategic importance.^[5][6] Ethnic Turks form the majority of the population, followed by the Kurds. The predominant religion in Turkey is Islam and its official language is Turkish.

.Turkey is the successor state to the Ottoman Empire.^ Capital of the Ottoman Empire.....................1453-1923 To Turkey.........................................1922- Note as well...

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ To the Ottoman Empire.............................1393-1402 To Jandar.........................................1402-1458/62 To Ottoman Turkey thereafter...

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ To the Ottoman Empire.............................1423-1919 Occupied by Italy.................................1919-1921 To Turkey.........................................1921- .

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^[7] .It is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic, with an ancient and historical cultural heritage.^ These restrictions shall not be in conflict with the letter and spirit of the Constitution and the requirements of the democratic order of the society and the secular Republic and the principle of proportionality.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The statutes and programmes of political parties shall not be in conflict with the indivisible integrity of the State with its territory and nation, human rights, national sovereignty, and the principles of the democratic and secular Republic.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The status, the administration, and the functioning of the labour unions and their higher bodies should not be inconsistent with the characteristics of the Republic as defined in the Constitution, or with democratic principles.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

.Its political system was established in 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, following the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I.^ OTTOMAN EMPIRE The ancestors of the Ottomans (Osmanli, Uthmanli) were Oghuz Turks who followed the victorious Seljuqs into Anatolia in the 11th century.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ His naiveté and utopianism in dealing with the aftermath of World War I make Thomas Jefferson's foreign policy look positively Machiavellian.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^ Capital of the Ottoman Empire.....................1453-1923 To Turkey.........................................1922- Note as well...

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

Since then, Turkey has become increasingly integrated with the West through membership in organizations such as the Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, WEOG, OSCE and the G-20 major economies.

.Turkey began full membership negotiations with the European Union in 2005, having been an associate member of the European Economic Community since 1963 and having reached a customs union agreement in 1995. Turkey has also fostered close cultural, political, economic and industrial relations with the Eastern world, particularly with the Middle East and the Turkic states of Central Asia, through membership in organizations such as the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and Economic Cooperation Organization.^ (As amended on October 17, 2001) Employees and employers have the right to form labour unions employers’ associations and higher organizations, without obtaining permission, and they also possess the right to become a member of a union and to freely withdraw from membership, in order to safeguard and develop their economic and social rights and the interests of their members in their labour relations.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ Everyone shall be free to become a member of or withdraw from membership in a union.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ Political parties shall not have political ties and engage in political cooperation with associations, unions, foundations, cooperatives, and public professional organisations and their higher bodies in order to implement and strengthen their party policies, nor shall they receive material assistance from these bodies.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

Turkey is classified as a developed country^[8] by the CIA and as a regional power^[9][10] by political scientists and economists worldwide.

The name of Turkey, Türkiye in the Turkish language, can be divided into two words: Türk, which means "Strong" or "Mighty" in Old Turkic^[11] and usually signifying the inhabitants of Turkey or a member of the Turkish or Turkic peoples,^[11] a later form of "Tu–kin", a name given by the Chinese to the people living south of the Altay Mountains of Central Asia as early as 177 BCE;^[12] and the abstract suffix –iye (derived from the Arabic suffix –iyya, but also associated with the Medieval Latin suffix –ia in Turchia and the Turkic suffix –iye, known as iyelik eki), which means "owner" or "related to".

.The first recorded use of the term "Türk" or "Türük" as an autonym is contained in the Orkhon inscriptions of the Göktürks (Celestial Turks) of Central Asia (c.^ The GREAT SELJUQS The original Seljuqs, who swarmed out of Central Asia in the first half of the 11th century.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

8th century CE). The English word "Turkey" is derived from the Medieval Latin "Turchia" (c. 1369).^[12]

.The Anatolian peninsula, comprising most of modern Turkey, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited regions in the world.^ The RUM SELJUQS A large state taking up most of the interior of modern Turkey.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

The earliest Neolithic settlements such as Çatalhöyük (Pottery Neolithic), Çayönü (Pre-Pottery Neolithic A to Pottery Neolithic), Nevali Cori (Pre-Pottery Neolithic B), Hacilar (Pottery Neolithic), Göbekli Tepe (Pre-Pottery Neolithic A) and Mersin are considered to be among the earliest human settlements in the world.^[13]

The settlement of Troy starts in the Neolithic and continued into the Iron Age. .Through recorded history, Anatolians have spoken Indo-European, Semitic and Kartvelian languages, as well as many languages of uncertain affiliation.^ The populations was Luwian, and spoke an Indo-European language related to Hittite.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

.In fact, given the antiquity of the Indo-European Hittite and Luwian languages, some scholars have proposed Anatolia as the hypothetical center from which the Indo-European languages have radiated.^ The populations was Luwian, and spoke an Indo-European language related to Hittite.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ Kingdom of TABAL Neo-Hittite kingdom in central Anatolia, centered around the city of Kanesh (modern Kul-Tepe, Turkey).

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ Hittite letters refer to a kingdom called Wilusa , which some scholars believe is a Hittite version of Ilos, the legendary ancestor-king of Troy.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^[14]

.The first major empire in the area was that of the Hittites, from the 18th through the 13th century BCE. The Assyrians occupied parts of South East Turkey as far back as 1900 BCE. Subsequently, the Phrygians, an Indo-European people, achieved ascendancy until their kingdom was destroyed by the Cimmerians in the 7th century BCE.^[15] The most powerful of Phrygia's successor states were Lydia, Caria and Lycia.^ Kingdom of MILID - a Hittite successor state Pugnus-mili I ( Son of Kuzi-Teshub of Carchemish )...fl.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ Fragmented into numerous competing Ghazi states during the 13th and 14th centuries.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ The populations was Luwian, and spoke an Indo-European language related to Hittite.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

.The Lydians and Lycians spoke languages that were fundamentally Indo-European, but both languages had acquired non-Indo-European elements prior to the Hittite and Hellenistic periods.^ He read both Latin and Greek, and read Dante in the original Italian, since he spoke several languages.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^ Publication of periodicals or non-periodicals shall not be subject to prior authorisation or the deposit of a financial guarantee.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

Starting around 1200 BC, the coast of Anatolia was settled by Aeolian and Ionian Greeks. The entire area was conquered by the Persian Achaemenid Empire during the 6th and 5th centuries and later fell to Alexander the Great in 334 BCE.^[16] Anatolia was subsequently divided into a number of small Hellenistic kingdoms (including Bithynia, Cappadocia, Pergamum, and Pontus), all of which had succumbed to Rome by the mid-1st century BCE.^[17]

.In 324 CE, the Roman emperor Constantine I chose Byzantium to be the new capital of the Roman Empire, renaming it New Rome (later Constantinople and Istanbul).^ It was certainly associated with the Roman Republic by the Founding Fathers, but it had been used for many centuries for Empires, including the Roman Empire itself, the Holy Roman Empire, Russia, and later the French, Austrian, and German Empires.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

.After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it became the capital of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire).^ This city served as the capital of Byzantine opposition to the Latin Empire established at Constantinople in 1204, and was the springboard from which the Paleologoi recaptured the Imperial City in 1261.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ To the Roman Republic ..............................128-27 To the Roman Empire .............................27 BCE-395 CE To the Byzantine Empire ............................395-c.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ To Vaspurakan......................................904-1021 To the Byzantine Empire...........................1021-1071 To the Seljuqs....................................1071-1207 To Aleppo.........................................1207-1242 To the Mongols....................................1242-1308 To the Ilkhanate Mongols of western Persia........1308-c.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^[18]

The House of Seljuk was a branch of the Kınık Oğuz Turks who in the 10th century resided on the periphery of the Muslim world, north of the Caspian and Aral Seas in the Yabghu Khaganate of the Oğuz confederacy.^[19] In the 11th century, the Seljuks started migrating from their ancestral homelands towards the eastern regions of Anatolia, which eventually became the new homeland of Oğuz Turkic tribes following the Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt) in 1071.

.The victory of the Seljuks gave rise to the Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate; which developed as a separate branch of the larger Seljuk Empire that covered parts of Central Asia, Iran, Anatolia and Southwest Asia.^ HITTITE EMPIRE The Hittites, arising in central Anatolia within what later was known as Cappadocia , were one of the earliest peoples to make extensive use of iron.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^[20]

In 1243, the Seljuk armies were defeated by the Mongols and the power of the empire slowly disintegrated. .In its wake, one of the Turkish principalities governed by Osman I was to evolve over the next 200 years into the Ottoman Empire, expanding throughout Anatolia, the Balkans and the Levant.^ HITTITE EMPIRE The Hittites, arising in central Anatolia within what later was known as Cappadocia , were one of the earliest peoples to make extensive use of iron.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ OTTOMAN EMPIRE The ancestors of the Ottomans (Osmanli, Uthmanli) were Oghuz Turks who followed the victorious Seljuqs into Anatolia in the 11th century.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ To Seleucid Empire.................................301-190 But much of the interior of Anatolia broken up into other states ( Cappadocia , Galatia , Paphlagonia , Pontus , etc.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^[21] .In 1453, the city of Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman armies of Mehmed II, marking the abolition of the Byzantine Empire.^ BYZANTIUM (Byzantion, Nova Roma, Constantinople, Istanbul) It may seem peculiar to provide a separate listing for the capital of both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, but this city - one of the truly great cities of the world - is historically interesting in it's own right.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ This city served as the capital of Byzantine opposition to the Latin Empire established at Constantinople in 1204, and was the springboard from which the Paleologoi recaptured the Imperial City in 1261.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ Capital of the Byzantine Empire....................330-1453 By the 13th century, Muslims were referring to the place by any of several variants on the Arabic "Istinpolin", an Arab attempt at pronouncing the Greek phrase " Eis ten polin " ("in the city").

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

.In the 16th and 17th centuries and particularly during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman Empire was among the world's most powerful political entities, controlling territories on three continents.^ The Ghazi state in ancient Bithynia , the Uthmanli (Ottomans), eventually absorbed all it's neighbours, and was in control of most of Anatolia by the 1420's...

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ On the other hand, the 2004 election did indeed signal a political trend :  The Republicans controlled the House of Representatives since 1995 and the Senate for most of that time.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^ OTTOMAN EMPIRE The ancestors of the Ottomans (Osmanli, Uthmanli) were Oghuz Turks who followed the victorious Seljuqs into Anatolia in the 11th century.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

.It often at odds with the Holy Roman Empire in its steady advance towards Central Europe through the Balkans and the southern part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.^ It was certainly associated with the Roman Republic by the Founding Fathers, but it had been used for many centuries for Empires, including the Roman Empire itself, the Holy Roman Empire, Russia, and later the French, Austrian, and German Empires.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^[6] At sea the empire contended with the combined forces (Holy Leagues) of Habsburg Spain, the Republic of Venice and the Knights of St. John for the control of the Mediterranean basin. In the Indian Ocean it frequently confronted Portuguese fleets defending the empire's monopoly over the ancient maritime trade routes between East Asia and Western Europe, which had become increasingly compromised since the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope in 1488.

.After nearly a century of decline, the Ottoman Empire entered World War I on the side of the Central Powers and was ultimately defeated.^ OTTOMAN EMPIRE The ancestors of the Ottomans (Osmanli, Uthmanli) were Oghuz Turks who followed the victorious Seljuqs into Anatolia in the 11th century.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ At a much later era, Bithynia was the heartland of Byzantine opposition to the Latin Empire in the 13th century (see Nicaea ), and the cradle of Ottoman power, during the 14th century CE. Far western Bithynia the site of ancient Ilium .

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

Following the Armistice of Mudros on October 30, 1918, the victorious Allied Powers sought the dismemberment of the Ottoman state through the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920.^[21]

.The occupation of İstanbul and İzmir by the Allies in the aftermath of World War I prompted the establishment of the Turkish national movement.^ His naiveté and utopianism in dealing with the aftermath of World War I make Thomas Jefferson's foreign policy look positively Machiavellian.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^[6] .Under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pasha, a military commander who had distinguished himself during the Battle of Gallipoli, the Turkish War of Independence was waged with the aim of revoking the terms of the Treaty of Sèvres.^ Relations between military judges and the office of commander under which they serve, regarding the requirements of military service apart from judicial functions, shall also be prescribed by law.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The term of office of members who are not military judges shall not exceed four years.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ Relations between military judges and the office of commander under which they serve, regarding the requirements of military service apart from the judicial functions, shall also be prescribed by law.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^[5]

.By September 18, 1922, the occupying armies were repelled, and the new Turkish state was established.^ The oath he took as Head of State on 18 September 1980 shall remain valid.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The unique radio and television administration established by the state as a public corporate body and the news agencies which receive aid from public corporate bodies shall be autonomous and their broadcasts shall be impartial.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The oath taken as Head of State on 18 September 1980, shall remain valid.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

On November 1, the newly founded parliament formally abolished the Sultanate, thus ending 623 years of Ottoman rule. .The Treaty of Lausanne of July 24, 1923, led to the international recognition of the sovereignty of the newly formed "Republic of Turkey" as the successor state of the Ottoman Empire, and the republic was officially proclaimed on October 29, 1923, in the new capital of Ankara.^ Now that 2005 has come and gone, it is clear that nothing significant, however, has changed in the form of American history in the "New Republic," whose defining characteristic is the New Deal.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^ The ratification of treaties concluded with foreign states and international organisations on behalf of the Republic of Turkey, shall be subject to adoption by the Turkish Grand National Assembly by a law approving the ratification.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The history of the United States may conveniently be divided into three parts, the " Old Republic ," 1789-1861, the " Middle Republic ," 1861-1933, and the " New Republic ," 1933-2005.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^[6]

.Mustafa Kemal became the republic's first President of Turkey and subsequently introduced many radical reforms with the aim of founding a new secular republic from the remnants of its Ottoman past.^ No provision of the Constitution shall be construed or interpreted as rendering unconstitutional the Reform Laws indicated below, which aim to raise Turkish society above the level of contemporary civilisation and to safeguard the secular character of the Republic, and which were in force on the date of the adoption by referendum of the Constitution of Turkey.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ In the event of a decision to hold new elections under Article 116, the Council of Ministers shall resign and the President of the Republic shall appoint a Prime Minister to form a Provisional Council of Ministers.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ It was certainly associated with the Roman Republic by the Founding Fathers, but it had been used for many centuries for Empires, including the Roman Empire itself, the Holy Roman Empire, Russia, and later the French, Austrian, and German Empires.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^[6] According to the Law on Family Names, the Turkish parliament presented Mustafa Kemal with the honorific surname "Atatürk" (Father Turk) in 1934.^[5]

.Turkey remained neutral during most of World War II but entered on the side of the Allies on February 23, 1945, as a ceremonial gesture and in 1945 became a charter member of the United Nations.^ The oath they took on 18 September 1980, as members of the Council of National Security shall remain valid.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The determination to safeguard the everlasting existence, prosperity and material and spiritual well-being of the Republic of Turkey, and to attain the standards of contemporary civilization as an honourable member with equal rights of the family of world nations; .

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The end of World War II brought the final addition to American territories.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^[22] .Difficulties faced by Greece after the war in quelling a communist rebellion, along with demands by the Soviet Union for military bases in the Turkish Straits, prompted the United States to declare the Truman Doctrine in 1947. The doctrine enunciated American intentions to guarantee the security of Turkey and Greece, and resulted in large-scale U.S. military and economic support.^ At the same time Truman had desegregated the United States military.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^ The Mexican War was the first large military campaign outside the territory of the United States.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^ Did the United States have the right to conquer the Southern States just to preserve the Union?

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^[23]

.After participating with the United Nations forces in the Korean conflict, Turkey joined NATO in 1952, becoming a bulwark against Soviet expansion into the Mediterranean.^ On its adoption by referendum and its publication in the Official Gazette, this Constitution shall become the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey and shall come into force in its entirety, subject to the following exceptions and the provisions relating to their entry into force: a.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ On its adoption by referendum and its publication in the Official Gazette, this Constitution shall become the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey and shall come into force in its entirety, subject to the following exceptions and the provisions relating to their entry into force: .

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ However until their entry into force, existing legislation and the decrees and decisions of the Council of National Security shall apply.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

.Following a decade of intercommunal violence on the island of Cyprus and the Greek military coup of July 1974, overthrowing President Makarios and installing Nikos Sampson as dictator, Turkey invaded the Republic of Cyprus in 1974. Nine years later the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was established.^ The President of the Republic shall be elected by a two-thirds majority of the total number of members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and by secret ballot.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The Office of Commander-in-Chief is inseparable from the spiritual existence of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and is represented by the President of the Republic.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ Within a period of six years following the formation of the Bureau of the Turkish Grand National Assembly which is to convene after the first general elections, the President of the Republic may refer to the Turkish Grand National Assembly for further consideration any Constitutional amendments adopted by the Assembly.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

Turkey is the only country to recognise the TRNC ^[24]

.Following the end of the single-party period in 1945, the multi-party period created tensions over the next decades, and the period between the 1960s and the 1980s was particularly marked by periods of political instability that resulted in a number of military coups d'états in 1960, 1971, 1980 and a military memorandum in 1997.^ The Bureau of the Assembly shall be so composed as to ensure proportionate representation to the number of members of each political party group in the Assembly.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The number of members to be taken from political party groups shall be determined by the President of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, and shall be communicated to the Prime Minister.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ If more than one political party is in power, the right of the parties in power to apply for annulment action shall be exercised by the party having the greatest number of members.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^[25] In the 1980s the Kurdistan Workers' Party began an insurgency which has claimed over 40,000 lives. ^[26] .The liberalization of the Turkish economy that started in the 1980s changed the landscape of the country, with successive periods of high growth and crises punctuating the following decades.^ Turkey is an emerging commercial and financial center that has been liberalizing its economy since the late 1980s.

• MERIA RESEARCH GUIDE 20 September 2009 1:27 UTC www.biu.ac.il [Source type: Academic]

^ The economy turned around with the implementation of economic reforms, and 2004 GDP growth reached 9%, followed by roughly 5% annual growth from 2005-07.

• Country Fast Facts: Turkey - CBS News 28 January 2010 1:01 UTC www.cbsnews.com [Source type: News]
• Flag Counter » Turkey 28 January 2010 1:01 UTC flagcounter.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The country has developed a strong, diversified economy, but it has also experienced periods of political and civic turmoil between Islamists and secularists and ongoing ethnic tension with Kurdish separatists.

• Turkey -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia 28 January 2010 1:01 UTC www.britannica.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[27]

Turkey is a parliamentary representative democracy. Since its foundation as a republic in 1923, Turkey has developed a strong tradition of secularism.^[28] Turkey's constitution governs the legal framework of the country. .It sets out the main principles of government and establishes Turkey as a unitary centralized state.^ Due to proximity and Turkic linguistic and ethnic ties, the Turkish Government and businesses continue to develop links with most of the Central Asian and Caucasian states.

• President's Trip to Europe: Background Information: Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC clinton3.nara.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The businessman pointed out that Turkey recently signed an agreement whereby Syrians will no longer need visas to enter Turkey, that the government also signed 40 separate trade agreements with Iraq and that Turkey also signed an agreement to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia.

• Turkey Electricity - Turkey Electric 28 January 2010 1:01 UTC turkey-electricity.com [Source type: News]

^ The principles governing the auditing, by the Turkish Grand National Assembly of the accounts of public establishments and partnerships in which more than half of the capital directly or indirectly belongs to the state, shall be regulated by law.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

.The head of state is the President of the Republic and has a largely ceremonial role.^ June 1981; and as President, Chief Public Prosecutor, deputy presidents and heads of division of the Council of State under Provisional Article 14, paragraph 2 of Act No.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ June 1981; and as president, chief public prosecutor, deputy presidents and heads of division of the Council of State under Provisional Article 14, paragraph 2 of Act No.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The members and the Chairman to be designated from among the member of the State Supervisory Council shall be appointed by the President of the Republic from among those with the qualifications set forth in the law.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

.The president is elected for a five-year term by direct elections.^ The president, chief public prosecutor, deputy president, and heads of division of the Council of State shall be elected by the Plenary Assembly of the Council of State from among its own members for a term of four years by secret ballot and by an absolute majority of the total number of members.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The elections for local administrations shall be held every five years in accordance with the principles set forth in Article 67.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ Elections for the Turkish Grand National Assembly shall be held every five years.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

Abdullah Gül was elected as president on August 28, 2007, by a popular parliament round of votes, succeeding Ahmet Necdet Sezer.^[29]

.Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers which make up the government, while the legislative power is vested in the unicameral parliament, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.^ Turkish Grand National Assembly to be reconsidered, .

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The Council of Ministers shall consist of the Prime Minister and the ministers.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ Turkish Grand National Assembly on the first day of the legislative year, .

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

.The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature, and the Constitutional Court is charged with ruling on the conformity of laws and decrees with the constitution.^ The history of the Court is the history of the destruction of the Constitution and of the failure of the Rule of Law.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^ The Constitutional Court shall examine the constitutionality in respect of both form and substance of laws, decrees having force of law, and the Rules of Procedure of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The right to apply for annulment directly to the Constitutional Court shall lapse sixty days after publication in the Official Gazette of the contested law, the decree having the force of law, or the Rules of Procedure.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

.The Council of State is the tribunal of last resort for administrative cases, and the High Court of Appeals for all others.^ The provisions of Part III relating to the functions and powers of the President of the Republic and to the State Supervisory Council under the heading "President of the Republic"; to regulations, National Defence, procedures governing emergency rule under the heading "Council of Ministers"; to all other provisions under the heading "Administration," except local administration, and except the Ataturk High Institution of Culture, Language, and History; and all the provisions relating to the judiciary power, except the Courts of the Security of the State, shall come into force on the publication in the Official Gazette of the adoption by referendum of the Constitution.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The provisions of Part III relating to the functions and powers of the President of the Republic and to the State Supervisory Council under the heading “President of the Republic”; to regulations, National Defence, procedures governing emergency rule under the heading “Council of Ministers”; to all other provisions under the heading “Administration”, except local administration, and except the Atatürk High Institution of Culture, Language and History; and all the provisions relating to the judiciary, except the Courts of the Security of the State, shall come into force on publication in the Official Gazette of the adoption by referendum of the Constitution.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The High Court of Appeals is the last instance for reviewing decisions and judgements given by courts of justice and which are not referred by law to other judicial authority.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^[30]

.The prime minister is elected by the parliament through a vote of confidence in the government and is most often the head of the party having the most seats in parliament.^ The Prime Minister, as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, shall ensure cooperation among the ministers, and supervise the implementation of the government’s general policy.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ In order to unseat the Council of Ministers or a minister, an absolute majority of the total number of members shall be required in the voting, in which only the votes of no-confidence shall be counted.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ In the course of the debate on the motion of interpellation, a motion of no-confidence with a statement of reasons tabled by deputies or party groups, or the request for a vote of confidence by the Council of Ministers, shall be put to vote only after a full day has elapsed.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

.The current prime minister is the former mayor of İstanbul, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose conservative AKP party won an absolute majority of parliamentary seats in the 2002 general elections, organized in the aftermath of the economic crisis of 2001, with 34% of the suffrage.^ (As amended on October 17, 2001) The Constitutional Court shall convene with its president and ten members, and shall take decisions by absolute majority.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The Prime Minister, as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, shall ensure cooperation among the ministers, and supervise the implementation of the government’s general policy.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The Ministers of Justice, Internal Affairs and Communications shall resign prior to general elections from the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^[31]

In the 2007 general elections, the AKP received 46.6% of the votes and could defend its majority in parliament.^[32] .Neither the prime minister nor the ministers have to be members of the parliament, but in most cases they are (one notable exception was Kemal Derviş, the minister of state in charge of the economy following the financial crisis of 2001;^[33] he is currently the president of the United Nations Development Programme).^ (As amended on October 17, 2001) The Constitutional Court shall convene with its president and ten members, and shall take decisions by absolute majority.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ In this case the resubmission of the Constitutional amendment draft in its unchanged form to the President of the Republic by the Turkish Grand National Assembly, is only possible with a three-fourths majority of the votes of the total number of members.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ In draft amendments entailing an increase in appropriations under the budget for the current fiscal year and, in draft laws and law proposals providing for additional financial commitments in the budgets for the current or following year, the financial resources which would meet the stated expenditure shall be indicated.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^[34]

In 2007, a series of events regarding state secularism and the role of the judiciary in the legislature has occurred. .These included the controversial presidential election of Abdullah Gül, who in the past had been involved with Islamist parties;^[35] and the government's proposal to lift the headscarf ban in universities, which was annulled by the Constitutional Court, leading to a fine and a near ban of the ruling party.^ No appeal to the Constitutional Court shall be made with regard to these agreements, on the grounds that they are unconstitutional.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The organisation and trial procedures of the Constitutional Court shall be determined by law; its method of work and the division of labour among its members shall be regulated by the Rules of Procedure made by the Court.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ No appeal shall be made to any legal authority, including the Constitutional Court, against the decisions and orders signed by the President of the Republic on his or her own initiative.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^[36]

.Universal suffrage for both sexes has been applied throughout Turkey since 1933, and every Turkish citizen who has turned 18 years of age has the right to vote.^ All Turkish citizens over 18 years of age shall have the right to vote in elections and to take part in referenda.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ Primary education is compulsory for all citizens of both sexes and is free of charge in state schools.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The State shall take measures to develop the physical and mental health of Turkish citizens of all ages, and encourage the spread of sports among the masses.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

As of 2004, there were 50 registered political parties in the country.^[37] .The Constitutional Court can strip the public financing of political parties that it deems anti-secular or separatist, or ban their existence altogether.^ The auditing of political parties shall be carried out by the Constitutional Court.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The Constitutional Court shall decide on the matter and make public its judgment within five months of receiving the contention.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The Constitutional Court shall decide on the matter and make public its judgement within five months of receiving the contention.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^[38][39]

.There are 550 members of parliament who are elected for a four-year term by a party-list proportional representation system from 85 electoral districts which represent the 81 administrative provinces of Turkey (İstanbul is divided into three electoral districts, whereas Ankara and İzmir are divided into two each because of their large populations).^ The term of office of members who are not military judges shall not exceed four years.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The term of office of those elected in the first round is two years and the term of office of those elected in the second round is three years.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ In terms of central administrative structure, Turkey is divided into provinces on the basis of geographical situation and economic conditions, and public service requirements; provinces are further divided into lower steps of administrative districts.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

.To avoid a hung parliament and its excessive political fragmentation, only parties winning at least 10% of the votes cast in a national parliamentary election gain the right to representation in the parliament.^ Political party groups in the Assembly shall not hold discussions or take decisions regarding Parliamentary investigations.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ Constituent Assembly until the convening of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and the formation of the Bureau of the Assembly following the first general elections held under the Political Parties Act and the Elections Act prepared in accordance with the Constitution.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The Bureau of the Assembly shall be so composed as to ensure proportionate representation to the number of members of each political party group in the Assembly.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^[37]

As a result of this threshold, in the 2007 elections three parties formally entered the parliament (compared to two in 2002).^[40][41] However, because of a system of alliances and independent candidatures, seven parties are currently represented in the parliament. .Independent candidates may run; to be elected, however, they also must win at least 10% of the vote in their circonscription.^ They may be re-elected at the end of their term of office.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^[37]

.Turkey is a founding member of the United Nations (1945), the OECD (1961), the OIC (1969), the OSCE (1973), the ECO (1985), the BSEC (1992) and the G-20 major economies (1999).^ The President of the Republic shall be elected by a two-thirds majority of the total number of members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and by secret ballot.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The founding members and administrators at every level of a political party which has been permanently dissolved shall not become founding members, administrators, or comptrollers of a new political party; nor shall any new political party be founded, the majority of whose members are former members of a political party previously dissolved.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

.On October 17, 2008, Turkey received the votes of 151 countries and was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, on behalf of the Western European and Others Group, together with Austria which received 132 votes.^ To call the National Security Council to meet, .

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ December 1980 on the Council of National Security; .

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ This CONSTITUTION was prepared by the Consultative Assembly, given final form by the Council of National Security, which are the legitimate representatives of the Turkish Nation, and adopted, approved and directly enacted by the Turkish Nation, .

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^[42] Turkey's membership of the council effectively began on January 1, 2009.^[42] Turkey had previously been a member of the U.N. Security Council in 1951–1952, 1954–1955 and 1961.^[42]

.In line with its traditional Western orientation, relations with Europe have always been a central part of Turkish foreign policy.^ An important aim of Atatrk's economic policies was to prevent foreign interests from exercising undue influence on the Turkish economy.

• Chronology of Turkey: Timeline of Anatolia, Turkey, T�rkiye 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC www.transanatolie.com [Source type: Original source]

^ During the 20th century there was a transition from Islamic artistic traditions under the Ottoman Empire ( see Islamic Art and Architecture) to a more secular, Western orientation.

• TURKEY, 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.history.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In foreign policy, Turkey sought friendly relations with all its neighbors.

• Turkey News - Breaking World Turkey News - The New York Times 28 January 2010 1:01 UTC topics.nytimes.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
• Turkey (Republic) Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Turkey (Republic) 28 January 2010 1:01 UTC www.encyclopedia.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

Turkey became a founding member of the Council of Europe in 1949, applied for associate membership of the EEC (predecessor of the European Union) in 1959 and became an associate member in 1963. After decades of political negotiations, Turkey applied for full membership of the EEC in 1987, became an associate member of the Western European Union in 1992, reached a Customs Union agreement with the EU in 1995 and has officially begun formal accession negotiations with the EU since October 3, 2005.^[43]

It is believed that the accession process will take at least 15 years because of Turkey's size and the depth of disagreements over certain issues.^[44] .These include disputes with EU member Republic of Cyprus over Turkey's 1974 military invasion.^ However, in disputes arising from the obligation to perform military service, there shall be no condition that the person concerned be a member of the military body.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

Since 1974, Turkey does not recognize the essentially Greek Cypriot Republic of Cyprus as the sole authority on the island, but instead supports the Turkish Cypriot community in the form of the de facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus which is recognized only by Turkey.^[45]

.The other defining aspect of Turkey's foreign relations has been its ties with the United States.^ Turkish state to foreign states and to receive the representatives of foreign states appointed to the Republic of Turkey, .

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ To accredit representatives of the Turkish State to foreign states and to receive the representatives of foreign states to the Republic of Turkey, .

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ Other provisions relating to the functioning, the duties and jurisdiction and the trial procedures of the State Security Court shall be prescribed by law.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

Based on the common threat posed by the Soviet Union, Turkey joined NATO in 1952, ensuring close bilateral relations with Washington throughout the Cold War. In the post-Cold War environment, Turkey's geostrategic importance shifted towards its proximity to the Middle East, the Caucasus and the Balkans. .As well as hosting an important NATO air base near Syria and Iraq for U.S. operations in the region, Turkey's status as a secular democracy and its positive relations with Israel made Ankara a crucial ally for Washington.^ HARRAN City on the border between Syria, Turkey, and Iraq, with a long and complex history.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ SAM'AL (Yadiya) An Aramean kingdom in the extreme north of ancient Syria, near the modern town of Zincirli Hüyük, Turkey.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

.In return, Turkey has benefited from the United States' political, economic and diplomatic support, including in key issues such as the country's bid to join the European Union.^ The horrible lie that Soviet Russia was more economically successful than the United States was soon to be decisively exploded.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^ Did the United States have the right to conquer the Southern States just to preserve the Union?

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^ In 1952 Puerto Rico was made a "Commonwealth," the only such designation for any possession of the United States.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

.In the 1980s, Turkey began to increasingly cooperate with the leading economies of East Asia, particularly with Japan and South Korea, on a large number of industrial sectors; ranging from the co-production of automotive and other transportation equipment, such as high-speed train sets, to electronical goods, home appliances, construction materials and military hardware.^ To ensure that everyone lead their lives in conditions of physical and mental health and to secure cooperation in terms of human and material resources through economy and increased productivity, the State shall regulate central planning and functioning of the health services.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ Providing of land to farmers with no or insufficient land shall not lead to a fall in production, or to the depletion of forests and other land and underground resources.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ To ensure that everyone leads their lives in conditions of physical and mental health and to secure cooperation in terms of human and material resources through economy and increased productivity, the state shall regulate central planning and functioning of the health services.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

.The independence of the Turkic states of the Soviet Union in 1991, with whom Turkey shares a common cultural and linguistic heritage, allowed Turkey to extend its economic and political relations deep into Central Asia.^ Kansas was the last chance for the South to get another Slave State into the Union.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^ In terms of central administrative structure, Turkey is divided into provinces on the basis of geographical situation and economic conditions, and public service requirements; provinces are further divided into lower steps of administrative districts.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The financial assistance to be extended to political parties, as well as procedures related to collection of membership dues and donations are regulated by law.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^[46] The most salient of these relations saw the completion of a multi billion dollar oil and natural gas pipeline from Baku in Azerbaijan to the port of Ceyhan in Turkey. .The Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline, as it is called, has formed part of Turkey's foreign policy strategy to become an energy conduit to the West.^ CE), refers to the southeastern flanking chain of the Caucasus Mountains as the "Moschici Mons" and even today, in fact, the mountain chain forming part of the frontier between Georgia and Turkey is called (in Russian) the "Meschetskii Chrebet".

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

.However, Turkey's border with Armenia, a state in the Caucasus, remains closed following its occupation of Azeri territory during the Nagorno-Karabakh War.^ These periods may be extended during a state of emergency, under martial law or in time of war.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ However, no action shall be brought before the Constitutional Court alleging unconstitutionality as to the form or substance of decrees having the force of law issued during a state of emergency, martial law or in time of war.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ That Lincoln responded to this as war and Rebellion set off the secession of four Border States, four years of terrible war, and the deaths of over 600,000 soldiers from combat and disease.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^[47]

.The Turkish Armed Forces consists of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.^ Turkish Armed Forces, .

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ Institutions of Higher Education attached to the Turkish Armed Forces and to the security organisation are subject to the provisions of their respective special laws.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ To represent the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Turkish Armed Forces on behalf of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, .

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

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.^[48]

.The Turkish Armed Forces is the second largest standing armed force in NATO, after the U.S. Armed Forces, with a combined strength of 1,043,550 uniformed personnel serving in its five branches.^ Institutions of Higher Education attached to the Turkish Armed Forces and to security organisations are subject to the provisions of their respective special laws.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The Council of Ministers shall be responsible to the Turkish Grand National Assembly for national security and for the preparation of the Armed Forces for the defence of the country.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ Turkish Armed Forces, .

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^[49] .Every fit male Turkish citizen otherwise not barred is required to serve in the military for a time period ranging from three weeks to fifteen months, dependent on education and job location.^ Relations between military judges and the office of commander under which they serve, regarding the requirements of military service apart from the judicial functions, shall also be prescribed by law.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ No language other than Turkish shall be taught as mother tongue to Turkish citizens at any institutions of training or education.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ Extension of the period of martial law for a maximum of four months each time, shall require a decision of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^[50] Turkey does not recognise conscientious objection and does not offer a civilian alternative to military service.^[51]

.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.^ State Security Courts shall consist of a president, two regular members and one substitute, one chief public prosecutor and a sufficient number of public prosecutors.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The Court of the Security of the State shall consist of a President, two regular and two substitute members, one public prosecutor, and a sufficient number of deputy public prosecutors.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ Constitutional Court, one- fourth of the members of the Council of State, the Chief Public Prosecutor and the Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor of the High Court of Appeals, the members of the Military High Court of Appeals, the members of the Supreme Military Administrative Court and the members of the Supreme Council of Judges and Public Prosecutors.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^[52] .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.^ Laws of empowering and decrees having the force of law which are based on these, shall be discussed in the committees and in the plenary sessions of the Turkish Grand National Assembly with priority and urgency.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^[53]

In 1998, Turkey announced a program of modernization worth US$160 billion over a twenty year period in various projects including tanks, fighter jets, helicopters, submarines, warships and assault rifles.^[54] Turkey is a Level 3 contributor to the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program.^[55]

.Turkey has maintained forces in international missions under the United Nations and NATO since 1950, including peacekeeping missions in Somalia and former Yugoslavia, and support to coalition forces in the First Gulf War.^ The Mexican War was the first large military campaign outside the territory of the United States.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^ National or international arbitration may be suggested to settle the disputes which arise from conditions and contracts under which concessions are granted concerning public services.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The Power to authorise the declaration of a state of war in cases deemed legitimate by international law and except where required by international treaties to which Turkey is a party or by the rules of international courtesy to send Turkish Armed Forces to foreign countries and to allow foreign armed forces to be stationed in Turkey, is vested in the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

.Turkey maintains 36,000 troops in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and has had troops deployed in Afghanistan as part of the U.S. stabilization force and the UN-authorized, NATO-commanded International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) since 2001.^[49][56] In 2006, the Turkish parliament deployed a peacekeeping force of Navy patrol vessels and around 700 ground troops as part of an expanded United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the wake of the Israeli-Lebanon conflict.^ The last paragraph of Article 67 of the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey shall not be implemented in the first by-elections to be held during the 22nd Term of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ Institutions of Higher Education attached to the Turkish Armed Forces and to the security organisation are subject to the provisions of their respective special laws.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The ratification of treaties concluded with foreign states and international organisations on behalf of the Republic of Turkey, shall be subject to adoption by the Turkish Grand National Assembly by a law approving the ratification.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^[57]

.The Chief of the General Staff is appointed by the president and is responsible to the prime minister.^ The Chief of the General Staff shall be responsible to the Prime Minister in the exercise of his duties and powers.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ To appoint the Prime Minister and to accept his resignation, .

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ To appoint and dismiss ministers on the proposal of the Prime Minister, .

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

.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.^ The prime minister and the Council of Ministers are responsible to Parliament.

• President's Trip to Europe: Background Information: Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC clinton3.nara.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Article 118 : National Security Council .

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ National Security Council to meet, .

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

.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.^ Turkey's parliament rejected a proposal to allow American troops to use Turkish bases for the invasion of Iraq , undoing weeks of bargaining with the United States over a multi-billion-dollar fee.

• Turkey (Harper's Magazine) 28 January 2010 1:01 UTC harpers.org [Source type: Academic]

^ The Power to authorise the declaration of a state of war in cases deemed legitimate by international law and except where required by international treaties to which Turkey is a party or by the rules of international courtesy to send Turkish Armed Forces to foreign countries and to allow foreign armed forces to be stationed in Turkey, is vested in the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ Turkish Grand National Assembly and submitted to the President of the Republic concerning: the fundamental rights and freedoms and duties, the principle of secularism, the preservation of the reforms of Atatürk, national security and public order set forth in the Constitution, the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, international treaties, the sending of Armed Forces to foreign countries and the stationing of foreign forces in Turkey, emergency rule, martial law and the state of war, and other laws deemed necessary by the President of the Republic, within the first ten days of the period of fifteen days granted to the President of the Republic for his consideration; .

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^[48] The actual commander of the armed forces is the Chief of the General Staff General İlker Başbuğ since August 30, 2008.^[58]

The capital city of Turkey is Ankara. .The territory of Turkey is subdivided into 81 provinces for administrative purposes.^ Administratively, Turkey is divided into 81 provinces.

• Turkey News - Breaking World Turkey News - The New York Times 28 January 2010 1:01 UTC topics.nytimes.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Turkey is subdivided into 81 provinces (iller in Turkish; singular il).

• Info About Turkey - Information About Turkey - Turkey Info - Turkey. 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC hotels.ellada.net [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Turkey is divided into 73 provinces (ils), administered by governors (valis).

• History of Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC www.turkishnews.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.The provinces are organized into 7 regions for census purposes; however, they do not represent an administrative structure.^ What seemed to be his inexperience, however, led Castro and Khrushchev into thinking that they could get away with placing nuclear missles in Cuba.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^ In terms of central administrative structure, Turkey is divided into provinces on the basis of geographical situation and economic conditions, and public service requirements; provinces are further divided into lower steps of administrative districts.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ When the Galatians settled into their province, they organized themselves into a system of "Tetrarchies", four per tribe.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

.Each province is divided into districts, for a total of 923 districts.^ Turkey is divided into 73 provinces (ils), administered by governors (valis).

• History of Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC www.turkishnews.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Turkey is divided administratively into eighty provinces ( iller ), which are subdivided into subprovinces ( ilçeler ), which in turn are divided into districts ( bucaklar ).

• Culture of Turkey - History and ethnic relations, Food and economy, Social stratification, Political life 20 September 2009 1:22 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Each province is divided into subprovinces (ilçeler; singular ilçe).

• Info About Turkey - Information About Turkey - Turkey Info - Turkey. 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC hotels.ellada.net [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

Provinces usually bear the same name as their provincial capitals, also called the central district; exceptions to this custom are the provinces of Hatay (capital: Antakya), Kocaeli (capital: İzmit) and Sakarya (capital: Adapazarı). Provinces with the largest populations are Istanbul (+12.9 million), Ankara (+4.6 million), İzmir (+3.8 million), Bursa (+2.5 million) and Adana (+2.0 million).

The biggest city and the pre-Republican capital Istanbul is the financial, economic and cultural heart of the country.^[59] An estimated 75.5% of Turkey's population live in urban centers.^[60] .In all, 19 provinces have populations that exceed 1 million inhabitants, and 20 provinces have populations between 1 million and 500,000 inhabitants.^ In cases where the law forbids all meetings or demonstration marches in districts of a province for the same reasons, the postponement may not exceed three months.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

Only two provinces have populations less than 100,000.

Turkey is a transcontinental^[61] Eurasian country. .Asian Turkey (made up largely of Anatolia), which includes 97% of the country, is separated from European Turkey by the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles (which together form a water link between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea).^ A natolia Anatolia is that region lying to the south of the Black Sea, to the east of the Aegean Sea, north of the eastern Mediterranean Sea and, inland, the Fertile Crescent, and west of the Caucasus-Azerbaijani districts.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ (Lake )VAN A large saltwater body of water with no outlet, located in eastern Anatolia.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ The RUM SELJUQS A large state taking up most of the interior of modern Turkey.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

European Turkey (eastern Thrace or Rumelia in the Balkan peninsula) comprises 3% of the country.^[62]

.The territory of Turkey is more than 1,600 kilometres (1,000 mi) long and 800 km (500 mi) wide, with a roughly rectangular shape.^ However, Cambodian neutrality was already no more than a polite fiction when Cambodian territory had become a major invasion route and sanctuary for the Communists.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^ More than once, in fact, in 1919, I heard bold whispers that the Second Coming, after long delays, was at last upon us.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^[59] Turkey's area, including lakes, occupies 783,562^[63] square kilometres (300,948 sq mi), of which 755,688 square kilometres (291,773 sq mi) are in Southwest Asia and 23,764 square kilometres (9,174 sq mi) in Europe.^[59] 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 Sea to the south.^ A natolia Anatolia is that region lying to the south of the Black Sea, to the east of the Aegean Sea, north of the eastern Mediterranean Sea and, inland, the Fertile Crescent, and west of the Caucasus-Azerbaijani districts.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ ANTIOCH (Antakya) Located at the northeast corner of the Mediterranean Sea, at the point where the coast abruptly turns south towards Sinai.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ TRABIZOND A city and coastal region in northeastern Turkey, along the shores of the Black Sea; west-southwest of Georgia.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

Turkey also contains the Sea of Marmara in the northwest.^[64]

The European section of Turkey, Eastern Thrace, forms the borders of Turkey with Greece and Bulgaria. .The Asian part of the country, Anatolia, 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.^ PAMPHYLIA A fertile coastal region in southern Anatolia, nestled between Cilicia in the east and Lycia in the west., with the Taurus Mountains and Pisidia as a backdrop in the north.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ It straddled the border between modern Turkey and Iran, north of Adiabene and south of Lake Van.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ KASTAMONU A town in Paphlagonia, north-central Anatolia, about 40 miles (64 km.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

.Eastern Turkey has a more mountainous landscape and is home to the sources of rivers such as the Euphrates, Tigris and Aras, and contains Lake Van and Mount Ararat, Turkey's highest point at 5,165 metres (16,946 ft).^ Hasankeyf) An ancient settlement in southeastern Turkey, on the Tigris River.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ (Lake )VAN A large saltwater body of water with no outlet, located in eastern Anatolia.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ It straddled the border between modern Turkey and Iran, north of Adiabene and south of Lake Van.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^[64][65]

.Turkey is divided into seven census regions: Marmara, Aegean, Black Sea, Central Anatolia, Eastern Anatolia, Southeastern Anatolia and the Mediterranean.^ A natolia Anatolia is that region lying to the south of the Black Sea, to the east of the Aegean Sea, north of the eastern Mediterranean Sea and, inland, the Fertile Crescent, and west of the Caucasus-Azerbaijani districts.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ Kingdom of TABAL Neo-Hittite kingdom in central Anatolia, centered around the city of Kanesh (modern Kul-Tepe, Turkey).

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ In terms of central administrative structure, Turkey is divided into provinces on the basis of geographical situation and economic conditions, and public service requirements; provinces are further divided into lower steps of administrative districts.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

.The uneven north Anatolian terrain running along the Black Sea resembles a long, narrow belt.^ Directly north is the Black Sea.

• Turkey Press, Media, TV, Radio, Newspapers 20 September 2009 1:22 UTC www.pressreference.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Turkey's landscape is made up of low, rolling hills, the fertile river valleys that open to the Aegean Sea, the warm plains along the Mediterranean Sea, the narrow coastal region along the Black Sea, and the rugged mountain ranges that surround and intersect the high, desert-like Anatolian plateau.

• Food in Turkey 20 September 2009 1:22 UTC www.foodbycountry.com [Source type: General]

^ Asian Turkey is mostly made up of highland and mountains, with some narrow strips of lowland in the west on the coasts of the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara and along the Simav, Gediz, and Menderes rivers; in the north on the Black Sea coast and along the Sakarya and Kizil Irmak rivers; and in the south on the Mediterranean coast and along the Aksu, Gksu, Seyhan, and Ceyhan rivers.

• Turkey News - Breaking World Turkey News - The New York Times 28 January 2010 1:01 UTC topics.nytimes.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.This region comprises approximately one-sixth of Turkey's total land area.^ Steep slopes are common throughout the country, and flat or gently sloping land makes up barely one-sixth of the total area.

• Turkey -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia 28 January 2010 1:01 UTC www.britannica.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Rick Moore A "military brat" used to traveling the world, lands duty in the high eastern plateau area of Turkey: Erzurum!

• Main Page: The American Military in Turkey at MerhabaTurkey.com                             28 January 2010 1:01 UTC www.merhabaturkey.com [Source type: General]

^ Although about one-fourth of Turkey's area is classified as forested, lumbering is relatively unimportant, with no more than one-third of the forests having commercial value.

• TURKEY, 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.history.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.As a general trend, the inland Anatolian plateau becomes increasingly rugged as it progresses eastward.^ Terrain: Narrow coastal plain surrounds Anatolia, an inland plateau becomes increasingly rugged as it progresses eastward.

• President's Trip to Europe: Background Information: Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC clinton3.nara.gov [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The western coastal plains are generally more densely populated and industrial than are the central and eastern regions, except for Ankara on the central Anatolian plateau.

• Culture of Turkey - History and ethnic relations, Food and economy, Social stratification, Political life 20 September 2009 1:22 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[64]

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 Bosporus and the Dardanelles owe their existence to the fault lines running through Turkey that led to the creation of the Black Sea. There is an earthquake fault line across the north of the country from west to east, which caused a major earthquake in 1999.^[66]

The coastal areas of Turkey bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea have a temperate Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild to cool, wet winters. The coastal areas of Turkey 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.^ To accredit representatives of the Turkish State to foreign states and to receive the representatives of foreign states to the Republic of Turkey, .

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ Turkish state to foreign states and to receive the representatives of foreign states appointed to the Republic of Turkey, .

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

The eastern part of that coast averages 2,500 millimeters annually which is the highest precipitation in the country.

.The coastal areas of Turkey bordering the Sea of Marmara including Istanbul, 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.^ HARRAN City on the border between Syria, Turkey, and Iraq, with a long and complex history.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ A natolia Anatolia is that region lying to the south of the Black Sea, to the east of the Aegean Sea, north of the eastern Mediterranean Sea and, inland, the Fertile Crescent, and west of the Caucasus-Azerbaijani districts.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

^ It straddled the border between modern Turkey and Iran, north of Adiabene and south of Lake Van.

• Anatolia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC web.raex.com [Source type: Reference]

.Snow does occur on the coastal areas of the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea almost every winter, but it usually lies no more than a few days.^ Applications for annulment on the grounds of defect in form shall not be made more than ten days after the date on which the law was promulgated; nor shall objection be raised.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

Snow on the other hand is rare in the coastal areas of the Aegean Sea and very rare in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea.

Conditions can be much harsher in the more arid interior. 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 plateau are especially severe. Temperatures of −30 °C to −40 °C (−22 °F to −40 °F) can occur in eastern Anatolia, and snow may lie on the ground at least 120 days of the year. .In the west, winter temperatures average below 1 °C (34 °F).^ Its winters are cool, but temperatures almost never fall below freezing; summers are very hot, averaging 38 C (100 F) for most of July and August.

• Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.daftar.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ These areas are subject to severe winters, with average daily temperatures below freezing, and warm summers, averaging 25 C (77 F) in the northwest and 33 C (91 F) in the central and southern Zagros.

• Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.daftar.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Winter temperatures rarely fall below freezing, and maximum summer temperatures rarely exceed 29 C (85 F).

• Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.daftar.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.Summers are hot and dry, with temperatures generally above 30 °C (86 °F) in the day.^ Its winters are cool, but temperatures almost never fall below freezing; summers are very hot, averaging 38 C (100 F) for most of July and August.

• Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.daftar.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ It has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, humid winters.

• Culture of Turkey - History and ethnic relations, Food and economy, Social stratification, Political life 20 September 2009 1:22 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In summer, because of the evaporation the lake dries out and a 30 cm / 12 in layer of salt forms.

• Turkish Odyssey/Central Anatolia/Cappadocia 10 February 2010 11:18 UTC www.turkishodyssey.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

Annual precipitation averages about 400 millimetres (15 in), with actual amounts determined by elevation. The driest regions are the Konya plain and the Malatya plain, where annual rainfall frequently is less than 300 millimetres (12 in). May is generally the wettest month, whereas July and August are the driest.^[67]

Turkey has the world's 15th largest GDP-PPP^[68] and 17th largest Nominal GDP.^[69] .The country is a founding member of the OECD and the G-20 major economies.^ The founding members and administrators at every level of a political party which has been permanently dissolved shall not become founding members, administrators, or comptrollers of a new political party; nor shall any new political party be founded, the majority of whose members are former members of a political party previously dissolved.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

.During the first six decades of the republic, between 1923 and 1983, Turkey has mostly adhered to a quasi-statist approach with strict government planning of the budget and government-imposed limitations over private sector participation, foreign trade, flow of foreign currency, and foreign direct investment.^ The last paragraph of Article 67 of the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey shall not be implemented in the first by-elections to be held during the 22nd Term of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ Turkish state to foreign states and to receive the representatives of foreign states appointed to the Republic of Turkey, .

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ To accredit representatives of the Turkish State to foreign states and to receive the representatives of foreign states to the Republic of Turkey, .

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

However, starting from 1983, Turkey began a series of reforms that were initiated by Prime Minister Turgut Özal and designed to shift the economy from a statist, insulated system to a more private-sector, market-based model.^[27]

.The reforms spurred rapid growth, but this growth was punctuated by sharp recessions and financial crises in 1994, 1999 (following the earthquake of that year),^[70] and 2001,^[71] resulting in an average of 4% GDP growth per annum between 1981 and 2003.^[72] Lack of additional fiscal reforms, combined with large and growing public sector deficits and widespread corruption, resulted in high inflation, a weak banking sector and increased macroeconomic volatility.^ In draft amendments entailing an increase in appropriations under the budget for the current fiscal year and, in draft laws and law proposals providing for additional financial commitments in the budgets for the current or following year, the financial resources which would meet the stated expenditure shall be indicated.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^[73]

.Since the economic crisis of 2001 and the reforms initiated by the finance minister of the time, Kemal Derviş, inflation has fallen to single-digit numbers, investor confidence and foreign investment have soared, and unemployment has fallen.^ In order to unseat the Council of Ministers or a minister, an absolute majority of the total number of members shall be required in the voting, in which only the votes of no-confidence shall be counted.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

.The IMF forecasts a 6% inflation rate for Turkey in 2008.^[74] Turkey has gradually opened up its markets through economic reforms by reducing government controls on foreign trade and investment and the privatisation of publicly owned industries, and the liberalisation of many sectors to private and foreign participation has continued amid political debate.^ Principles and rules concerning the privatisation of enterprises and assets owned by the State, State Economic Enterprises and other public corporate bodies shall be prescribed by law.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ Those investments and services carried out by the State, State Economic Enterprises and other public corporate bodies which could be performed by or delegated to real or corporate bodies through private law contracts shall be determined by law.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ II. Supervision of Markets and Regulation of Foreign Trade .

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^[75]

.The GDP growth rate from 2002 to 2007 averaged 7.4%,^[76] which made Turkey one of the fastest growing economies in the world during that period.^ No allegation of unconstitutionality shall be made in respect of decisions or measures taken under laws or decrees having force of law enacted during this period or under Act No.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

.However, GDP growth slowed down to 4.5% in 2008,^[77] and in early 2009 the Turkish economy was affected by the global financial crisis, with the IMF forecasting an overall recession of 5.1% for the year, compared to the Turkish government estimate of 3.6%.^ Meanwhile, McCain as well as Obama want to turn control of the entire economy over to the government in order to fight Global Warming .

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^ P.J. O'Rourke Thus the allegedly "far right" current Bush administration has merely slowed the growth of government rather than reversed it.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^[78]

.Turkey's economy is becoming more dependent on industry in major cities, mostly concentrated in the western provinces of the country, and less on agriculture, however traditional agriculture is still a major pillar to the Turkish economy.^ However, Cambodian neutrality was already no more than a polite fiction when Cambodian territory had become a major invasion route and sanctuary for the Communists.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

In 2007, the agricultural sector accounted for 8.9% of the GDP, while the industrial sector accounted for 30.8% and the services sector accounted for 59.3%.^[77] However agriculture still accounted for 27.3% of employment ^[79]

According to Eurostat data, Turkish PPS GDP per capita stood at 45 per cent of the EU average in 2008.^[80]

.The tourism sector has experienced rapid growth in the last twenty years, and constitutes an important part of the economy.^ The tourism sector has experienced rapid growth in the last twenty years, and constitutes an important part of the economy.

• Low Cost Travel Cheap Airfare Tickets on Flights to Turkey, Ankara 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.travelpapa.com [Source type: General]

^ Northern bluefin tuna have long been an important part of the Mediterranean economy and way of life.

• The suicidal tendencies of the Turkish tuna fishery | Greenpeace International 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.greenpeace.org [Source type: News]

^ With respect to the organic agricultural sector, it therefore can be said that although still a small percentage (0.5%) of the total agricultural producers over the last ten years, the share of the organic agriculture has increased considerably.

• Turkey 28 January 2010 1:01 UTC www.organic-europe.net [Source type: Academic]

In 2008, there were 30,929,192 visitors to the country, who contributed $21.9 billion to Turkey's revenues.^[81]

Other key sectors of the Turkish economy are banking, construction, home appliances, electronics, textiles, oil refining, petrochemical products, food, mining, iron and steel, machine industry and automotive. Turkey has a large and growing automotive industry, which produced 1,147,110 motor vehicles in 2008, ranking as the 6th largest producer in Europe (behind the United Kingdom and above Italy) and the 15th largest producer in the world.^[82][83] .Turkey is also one of the leading shipbuilding nations; in 2007 the country ranked 4th in the world (behind China, South Korea and Japan) in terms of the number of ordered ships, and also 4th in the world (behind Italy, USA and Canada) in terms of the number of ordered mega yachts.^ The constitutional amendment shall be proposed in writing by at lest one-third of the total number of members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ Two elections to the Bureau of the Turkish Grand National Assembly shall be held in the course of one legislative term.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^[84]

.In recent years, the chronically high inflation has been brought under control and this has led to the launch of a new currency, the Turkish new lira, on January 1, 2005, to cement the acquisition of the economic reforms and erase the vestiges of an unstable economy.^ Training and education shall be conducted along the lines of the principles and reforms of Atatürk, on the basis of contemporary science and educational methods, under the supervision and control of the state.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ If the holding of new elections is found impossible because of war, the Turkish Grand National Assembly may decide to defer elections for a year.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^[85] On January 1, 2009, the New Turkish Lira was renamed once again as the Turkish Lira, with the introduction of new banknotes and coins. .As a result of continuing economic reforms, inflation has dropped to 8.2% in 2005, and the unemployment rate to 10.3%.^ LATVIA - Latvia is currently a terrific opportunity for a real estate investment as property inflation continues to rise at over 10% as a result of recent EU membership, its strategic location and thriving economy.

• Property in Europe, Africa, Asia & Americas for Sale. Buying Overseas. Bulgaria,Croatia,Czech Republic,Cyprus,Estonia,France,Greece,Italy,Latvia,Malta,Montenegro,Portugal,Romania,Spain,Turkey,South Africa,Cape Verde,Belize,Nicaragua,Morocco,Thailand,Barbados,UAE,Goa,Egypt,Brazil. 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.sunshineestates.net [Source type: News]
• Property in Europe, Africa, Asia & Americas for Sale. Buying Overseas. Bulgaria,Croatia,Czech Republic,Cyprus,Estonia,France,Greece,Italy,Latvia,Malta,Montenegro,Portugal,Romania,Spain,Turkey,South Africa,Cape Verde,Belize,Nicaragua,Morocco,Thailand,Barbados,UAE,Goa,Egypt,Brazil. 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.sunshineestates.net [Source type: News]

^ Low inflation, low unemployment, balanced budgets , steady economic growth, and a falling poverty rate were all indicators of prosperty such as would not be combined in the same way for the rest of the century.

• The Great Republic: Presidents and States of the United States 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.friesian.com [Source type: Original source]

^ A high birth rate eventually resulted in both urban and rural unemployment, due to the limited availability of land and to highly restrictive economic policies enforced by the urban guilds.

• TURKEY, 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.history.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^[86] In 2004, it was estimated that 46.2% of total disposable income was received by the top 20% income earners, while the lowest 20% received 6%.^[87]

.Turkey has taken advantage of a customs union with the European Union, signed in 1995, to increase its industrial production destined for exports, while at the same time benefiting from EU-origin foreign investment into the country.^ Measures to increase national efficiency and production, to ensure stability in prices and balance in foreign trade transactions, to promote investment and employment, shall be included in the plan; investments, public benefit and requirements shall be taken into account; the efficient use of resources shall be aimed at.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ In order to regulate foreign trade for the benefit of the economy of the country, the Council of Ministers may be empowered by law to introduce or lift additional financial impositions on imports, exports and other foreign transactions in addition to tax and similar impositions.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ Membership in more than one labour union cannot be obtained at the same time and in the same work branch.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^[88] In 2007 the exports reached $115.3 billion^[77] (main export partners: Germany 11.2%, UK 8%, Italy 6.95%, France 5.6%, Spain 4.3%, USA 3.88%; total EU exports 56.5%.) However, larger imports which amounted to $162.1 billion in 2007^[77] threatened the balance of trade (main import partners: Russia 13.8%, Germany 10.3%, China 7.8%, Italy 6%, USA 4.8%, France 4.6%, Iran 3.9%, UK 3.2%; total EU imports 40.4%; total Asia imports 27%).^[89][90] Turkey's exports amounted to $141.8 billion in 2008, while imports amounted to $204.8 billion.^[77]

After years of low levels of foreign direct investment (FDI), Turkey succeeded in attracting $21.9 billion in FDI in 2007 and is expected to attract a higher figure in following years.^[91] A series of large privatizations, the stability fostered by the start of Turkey's EU accession negotiations, strong and stable growth, and structural changes in the banking, retail, and telecommunications sectors have all contributed to a rise in foreign investment.^[75]

The population of Turkey stood at 72.5 million with a growth rate of 1.45% per annum, based on the 2009 census. It has an average population density of 92 persons per km². The proportion of the population residing in urban areas is 75.5%. .People within the 15–64 age group constitute 67% of the total population, the 0–14 age group corresponds 26% of the population, while 65 years and higher of age correspond to 7% of the total population.^ The elections for local administrative bodies shall be held every five years in accordance with the principles set forth in Article 67 of the Constitution.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The Constitutional Court shall elect a President and Deputy President from among its regular members for a term of four years by secret ballot and by an absolute majority of the total number of members.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^[92]

Life expectancy stands at 71.1 years for men and 75.3 years for women, with an overall average of 73.2 years for the populace as a whole.^[93] .Education is compulsory and free from ages 6 to 15. The literacy rate is 96% for men and 80.4% for women, with an overall average of 88.1%.^ Primary education is compulsory for all citizens of both sexes and is free of charge in state schools.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^[94] The low figures for women are mainly due to the traditional customs of the Arabs and Kurds who live in the southeastern provinces of the country.^[95]

.Article 66 of the Turkish Constitution defines a "Turk" as "anyone who is bound to the Turkish state through the bond of citizenship"; therefore, the legal use of the term "Turkish" as a citizen of Turkey is different from the ethnic definition.^ (As amended on October 17, 2001) Everyone bound to the Turkish state through the bond of citizenship is a Turk.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ Everyone bound to the Turkish State through the bond of citizenship is a Turk.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ Article 66 : Turkish Citizenship .

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

However, the majority of the Turkish population are of Turkish ethnicity.

Other major ethnic groups (large portions of whom have been extensively Turkicized since the Seljuk and Ottoman periods) include the Abkhazians, Adjarians, Albanians, Arabs, Assyrians, Bosniaks, Circassians, Hamshenis, Kurds, Laz, Pomaks, Roma, Zazas and the three officially recognized minorities (per the Treaty of Lausanne), i.e. the Armenians, Greeks and Jews. Signed on January 30, 1923, a bilateral accord of population exchange between Greece and Turkey took effect in the 1920s, with close to 1.5 million Greeks moving from Turkey and some 500,000 Turks coming from Greece.^[96]

Minorities of West European origin include the Levantines (or Levanter, mostly of French, Genoese and Venetian descent) who have been present in the country (particularly in Istanbul^[97] and İzmir^[98]) since the medieval period.

The Kurds, a distinct ethnic group concentrated mainly in the southeastern provinces of the country, are the largest non-Turkic ethnicity, estimated at about 18% of the population according to the CIA.^[8] Minorities other than the three officially recognized ones do not have any special group privileges, while the term "minority" itself remains a sensitive issue in Turkey. Reliable data on the exact ethnic repartition of the population is not available since the Turkish census figures do not include statistics on ethnicity.^[99]

.Turkish is the sole official language throughout Turkey.^ (After being drafted by the Consultative Assembly, the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey was accepted by 92% of the Turkish public in a referendum on November 7, 1982, and published in Official Gazette no.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

Reliable figures for the linguistic repartition of the populace are not available for reasons similar to those cited above.^[99] Nevertheless, the public broadcaster TRT broadcasts programmes in local languages and dialects of Arabic, Bosnian, Circassian and Kurdish a few hours a week.^[100] A fully fledged Kurdish language television channel, TRT 6, was opened in early 2009.^[101]

.Turkey is a secular state with no official state religion; the Turkish Constitution provides for freedom of religion and conscience.^ No provision of the Constitution shall be construed or interpreted as rendering unconstitutional the Reform Laws indicated below, which aim to raise Turkish society above the level of contemporary civilisation and to safeguard the secular character of the Republic, and which were in force on the date of the adoption by referendum of the Constitution of Turkey.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ In the event of a declaration of a state of emergency under the provisions of Articles 119 and 120 of the Constitution this decision shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall be submitted immediately to the Turkish Grand National Assembly for approval.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ To accredit representatives of the Turkish State to foreign states and to receive the representatives of foreign states to the Republic of Turkey, .

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^[102][103] According to 2009 data on the world's Muslim populations, 71.1 million people in Turkey are Muslims or 98% of the total population.^[104] The majority of the Muslims are Sunni (85–90%) and a large minority are Alevi (10–15%), a community within Twelver Shi'a Islam, numbering from 7–11 million.^[104] .The highest Islamic religious authority is the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Turkish: Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı), it interprets the Hanafi school of law, and is responsible for regulating the operation of the country's 75,000 registered mosques and employing local and provincial imams.^ The organisation, functions, authority, responsibility and operating principles of the Council shall be regulated by law.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The organisation, functions, authority, responsibilities and operating principles of the Council shall be regulated by law.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The principles governing the functioning of private primary and secondary schools shall be regulated by law in keeping with the standards set for state schools.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]
• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^[105] .Based on a nationwide survey in 2007 however, it showed 96.8% of Turkish citizens have a religion, while 3.2% are irreligious and atheists.^ However, the conditions under which the Turkish citizens who are abroad shall be able to exercise their right to vote, are regulated by law.

• Constitution of the Republic of Turkey - Wikisource 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC en.wikisource.org [Source type: Original source]

^[106]

There are less than 100,000 minorities which follow other religions,^[107] mainly Christians, mostly Armenian Apostolic, Assyrian Church of the East and Greek Orthodox (64,000 people) and Jews, mainly Sephardi (26,000 people).^[108][109] According to a Pew Research Center report in 2002, 65% of the people believe religion is very important,^[110] while according to a Eurobarometer poll in 2005, 95% of citizens responded that they believe there is a God.^[111]

The Eastern Orthodox Church, led by Patriarch Bartholomew I has been headquartered in Istanbul since the fourth century AD. However, the Turkish government does not recognize the Patriarch as the leader of Orthodox Christianity, and forces the Church to operate under significant restrictions. Most of the Church's properties and schools have been expropriated, while Christians remain widely persecuted in Turkey.^[112]

Turkey has a very diverse culture that is a blend of various elements of the Oğuz Turkic, Anatolian, Ottoman (which was itself a continuation of both Greco-Roman and Islamic cultures) and Western culture and traditions, which started with the Westernization of the Ottoman Empire and still continues today. This mix originally began as a result of the encounter of Turks and their culture with those of the peoples who were in their path during their migration from Central Asia to the West.^[113][114]

.As Turkey successfully transformed from the religion-based former Ottoman Empire into a modern nation-state with a very strong separation of state and religion, an increase in the methods of artistic expression followed.^ History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey , 1976.

• Culture of Turkey - History and ethnic relations, Food and economy, Social stratification, Political life 20 September 2009 1:22 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Turkish States before Ottoman State/Empire .

• History of Turks and Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC religioustoursturkey.com [Source type: Original source]

^ Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was later honored with the title Ataturk, or "Father of the Turks."

• CIA - The World Factbook -- Turkey 28 January 2010 1:01 UTC www.umsl.edu [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

During the first years of the republic, the government invested a large amount of resources into fine arts; such as museums, theatres, opera houses and architecture. Diverse historical factors play important roles in defining the modern Turkish identity. Turkish culture is a product of efforts to be a "modern" Western state, while maintaining traditional religious and historical values.^[113]

Turkish music and literature form great examples of such a mix of cultural influences, which were a result of the interaction between the Ottoman Empire and the Islamic world along with Europe, thus contributing to a blend of Turkic, Islamic and European traditions in modern-day Turkish music and literary arts.^[115] Turkish literature was heavily influenced by Persian and Arabic literature during most of the Ottoman era, though towards the end of the Ottoman Empire, particularly after the Tanzimat period, the effect of both Turkish folk and European literary traditions became increasingly felt. The mix of cultural influences is dramatized, for example, in the form of the "new symbols [of] the clash and interlacing of cultures" enacted in the works of Orhan Pamuk, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature.^[116]

.Architectural elements found in Turkey are also testaments to the unique mix of traditions that have influenced the region over the centuries.^ Architecture and the use of space have been influenced by economic factors, political ideology, environment, tradition, and foreign ideas.

• Culture of Turkey - History and ethnic relations, Food and economy, Social stratification, Political life 20 September 2009 1:22 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ During the 20th century there was a transition from Islamic artistic traditions under the Ottoman Empire ( see Islamic Art and Architecture) to a more secular, Western orientation.

• TURKEY, 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.history.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ On Christmas Eve, nearly the entire country eats the traditional breaded and fried carp, and on Christmas Day, roast turkey is found on many tables.

• Culture of Czech Republic - traditional, history, people, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, dress, marriage, men, life, immigrants, population, rituals, History and ethnic relations 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.everyculture.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

In addition to the traditional Byzantine elements present in numerous parts of Turkey, many artifacts of the later Ottoman architecture, with its exquisite blend of local and Islamic traditions, are to be found throughout the country, as well as in many former territories of the Ottoman Empire. Mimar Sinan is widely regarded as the greatest architect of the classical period in Ottoman architecture. Since the 18th century, Turkish architecture has been increasingly influenced by Western styles, and this can be particularly seen in Istanbul where buildings like Dolmabahçe and Çırağan Palaces are juxtaposed next to numerous modern skyscrapers, all of them representing different traditions.^[117]

The most popular sport in Turkey is football.^[118] Turkey's top teams include Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş. In 2000, Galatasaray cemented its role as a major European club by winning the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup. .Two years later the Turkish national team finished third in the 2002 World Cup Finals in Japan and South Korea, while in 2008 the national team reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Euro 2008 competition.^ This CONSTITUTION was prepared by the Consultative Assembly, given final form by the Council of National Security, which are the legitimate representatives of the Turkish Nation, and adopted, approved and directly enacted by the Turkish Nation, .

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The Turkish Grand National Assembly shall convene of its own accord on the first day of September each year.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ Local elections shall be held within a year of the first session of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

The Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul hosted the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final, while the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul hosted the 2009 UEFA Cup Final.

Other mainstream sports such as basketball and volleyball are also popular. Turkey hosted the finals of EuroBasket 2001 and will also host the finals of the 2010 FIBA World Championship. .The men's national basketball team finished second in EuroBasket 2001 and reached the quarter-finals of the 2006 FIBA World Championship; while Efes Pilsen S.K. won the Korac Cup in 1996, finished second in the Saporta Cup of 1993, and made it to the Final Four of Euroleague and Suproleague in 2000 and 2001.^[119] Turkish basketball players such as Mehmet Okur and Hidayet Türkoğlu have also been successful in the NBA.^ However, in such situations the competent authority shall notify the Turkish Grand National Assembly immediately and directly.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ The Turkish Grand National Assembly may hold closed sessions in accordance with the provisions of its Rules of Procedure; the publication of debates of such sessions shall be subject to the decision of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

^ In such cases, these agreements must be brought to the knowledge of the Turkish Grand National Assembly within two months of their promulgation.

• The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey 2 February 2010 16:58 UTC www.cecl.gr [Source type: Original source]

Women's volleyball teams, namely Eczacıbaşı and Vakıfbank Güneş Sigorta, have won numerous European championship titles and medals.

The traditional Turkish national sport has been the yağlı güreş (oiled wrestling) since Ottoman times.^[120] Edirne hosts the annual Kırkpınar oiled wrestling tournament since 1361.^[121] International wrestling styles governed by FILA such as Freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling are also popular, with many European, World and Olympic championship titles won by Turkish wrestlers both individually and as a national team.^[122]

Weightlifting has been a successful Turkish sport. Turkish weightlifters, both male and female, have broken numerous world records and won several European,^[123] World and Olympic^[124] championship titles. Naim Süleymanoğlu and Halil Mutlu have achieved legendary status as one of the few weightlifters to have won three gold medals in three Olympics.

Motorsports have become popular recently, especially following the inclusion of the Rally of Turkey to the FIA World Rally Championship calendar in 2003,^[125] and the inclusion of the Turkish Grand Prix to the Formula One racing calendar in 2005.^[126] Other important annual motorsports events which are held at the Istanbul Park racing circuit include the MotoGP Grand Prix of Turkey, the FIA World Touring Car Championship, the GP2 Series and the Le Mans Series. From time to time Istanbul and Antalya also host the Turkish leg of the F1 Powerboat Racing championship; while the Turkish leg of the Red Bull Air Race World Series, an air racing competition, takes place above the Golden Horn in Istanbul. Surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding, paragliding and other extreme sports are becoming more popular every year.