Turkey's President Abdullah Gul arrives during a ceremony at the Constitutional Court in Ankara April 22, 2010.UMIT BEKTAS
Kesterton's Turkey
- Turkey's population is an estimated 71 million, the third largest in Europe, after Russia and Germany. Over 99 per cent of the population is at least nominally Muslim. More than 70 per cent of Turkey's population lives in urban areas that juxtapose Western lifestyles with more traditional ways of life. The average age of a Turk is 27 years.
- The country's economy grew an average of 6.0 per cent per year from 2002 to 2007 - one of the highest sustained rates of growth in the world.
- Turkey has one of the largest underground economies in the world, worth somewhere between one-third and two-thirds of the country's GDP. Every economic sector is largely off the record.
- The country has a high rate of domestic violence, despite legal reforms to strengthen the rights of women. According to a recent study, four out of 10 women in Turkey become the victims of physical violence by their husbands, partners or family members at least once in their lives. In 2001, the minimum age of marriage, which was 17 for men and 15 for women, was raised to 18 for men and women.
- Turkey is a major transit route for goods between the European Union and Iran. The country is also a key transit route for smuggling drugs from Asia and the Middle East to markets in Western Europe.
Culture
Top cultural exports: Turkish bath (hamam), Sufi music and poetry, carpets, Turkish soap operas
Food: Yoghurt, kebab, baklava, Lokum (Turkish delight), Turkish coffee
Notable Canadian relation: Hedo Türkoğlu (basketball)
Speed Limit: 120 kilometres an hour
National pastime: Soccer
Politics
President: Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister: Recep Tayyip Erddogan
- Party: Justice and Development Party (AKP)
- Elected: July 22, 2007
- Legislature: Unicameral, elected Grand National Assembly
- Political System: Parliamentary
Background: Erddogan became prime minister of Turkey on March 14, 2003. Prior to his election, he was the mayor of Istanbul. He has an academic background based in economics and administrative sciences.
Economy
Gross Domestic Product: 794-billion
Jobless rate: 14.4%
Gross government debt (as a percentage of GDP)
- 2000: 51.3
- 2009: 39.5
- 2015 (projected): 43.5
Sources: Bloomberg, IMF
NATION PROFILES
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