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Turkey is a huge, geographically and culturally diverse country, sharing borders with Greeks, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Nakhitchevan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. It has almost 8400 km of coastline and several mountain ranges, the highest peak being 5165m (Mount Ararat). Due to its size Turkey enjoys a variety of climates, changing from the temperate climate of the Black Sea Region, to the continental climate of the interior, to the Mediterranean climate of the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal regions.
With its large range of mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, flora, and fauna, Turkey is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise. The opportunities for activities such as cycling, trekking, horse-riding, skiing and white water rafting are endless in this uncrowded country covering 774.815 square kilometers, and between the lush greenery of the Black Sea Coast and the hot, dry Mediterranean coast, there are a multitude of landscapes to choose from. With more than 10 000 years of history, Turkey is also rich in culture and ancient sites, which together with its natural beauty make this country a fascinating place to explore.
A country as old as history, a paradise of sun, sea, mountains and lakes. Turkey has a magnificent past, and is a land full of historic treasures.
Turkey's land mass is 814.578 sq. km. The European and Asian sides are divided by the Istanbul Bogazi (Bosphorus) and the Canakkale Bogazi (Dardanelles).
Anatolia is a high plateau region rising progressively towards the east, broken by the valleys of about 15 rivers, including the Dicle (Tigris) and the Firat (Euphrates). There are numerous lakes and some, such as Lake Van, are as large as inland seas. In the North, the Eastern Black Sea Mountain chain runs parallel to the Black Sea; in the South, the Taurus Mountains sweep down almost to the narrow, fertile coastal plain along the Turkish Riviera, following the ancient Lycian and Pamphylian coasts.
Anatolia has been called ‘the cradle of civilization’ and by travelling through this historic land, one would discover what exactly is meant by this phrase. The world's first town, a Neolithic city at Catalhoyuk dates back to 6500 B.C. From the Neolithic days up to the present, Turkey boats a rich culture that has made an everlasting impression on modern civilization through the centuries. The heir to many centuries of cultures makes Turkey a paradise of information and cultural wealth. Hattis, Hitites, Phrygians, Urartians, Lycians, Lydians, Ionians, Greeks, Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantinians, Selchuks, and Ottomans have all made important contributions to Anatolian and Turkish histories, and ancient sites and ruins scattered throughout the country give proof of each civilization's unique distinction.
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Upon the decline of the Ottoman empire, Mustafa Kemal took the defeat of W.W.I and turned it into a victory by liberating Turkey of all foreign invaders. Mustafa Kemal ATATURK founded the Republic of Turkey on October 29th, 1923.
Founder of Turkish
Republic - Mustafa Kemal ATATURK
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk,
the founder of the Turkish Republic and its first
President, stands as a towering figure of the 20th
Century. Among the great leaders of history, few have
achieved so much in so short period, transformed the
life of a nation as decisively, and given such profound
inspiration to the world at large.
Emerging as a military hero at the Dardanelles in 1915,
he became the charismatic leader of the Turkish national
liberation struggle in 1919. He blazed across the world
scene in the early 1920s as a triumphant commander who
crushed the invaders of his country. Following a series
of impressive victories against all odds, he led his
nation to full independence. He put an end to the
antiquated Ottoman dynasty whose tale had lasted more
than six centuries - and created the Republic of Turkey
in 1923, establishing a new government truly
representative of the nation's will.
As President for 15 years, until his death in 1938,
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk introduced a broad range of swift
and sweeping reforms - in the political, social, legal,
economic, and cultural spheres - virtually unparalleled
in any other country.
His achievements in Turkey are an enduring monument to
Atatürk. Emerging nations admire him as a pioneer of
national liberation. The world honors his memory
primarily as a peacemaker who upheld the principles of
humanism and the vision of a united humanity. Tributes
have been offered to him through the decades by such
world statesmen as Lloyd George, Churchill, Roosevelt,
Nehru, de Gaulle, Adenauer, Bourguiba, Nasser, Kennedy,
and countless others. A White House statement, issued on
the occasion of "The Atatürk Centennial" in 1981, pays
homage to him as "a great leader in times of war and
peace". It is fitting that there should be high praise
for Atatürk, an extraordinary leader of modern times,
who said in 1933: "I look to the world with an open
heart full of pure feelings and friendship". |
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