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Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture-products) [time series]

tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulses, citrus; livestock

Budget [time series]

revenues: $38.5 billion expenditures: $52.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $4.2 billion (1997)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Turkish lira (TL)

Debt - external (Debt-external) [time series]

$84.5 billion (September 1997)

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $195 million (1993)

Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]

Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern industry and commerce along with traditional village agriculture and crafts. It has a strong and rapidly growing private sector, yet the state still plays a major role in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication. Its most important industry-and the largest source of exports-is textiles and clothing, which is almost entirely in private hands. The current economic situation is marked by strong growth coupled with serious imbalances. Real GDP expanded by about 7% in 1997 but inflation rose to 99% at yearend, and the public sector fiscal deficit probably remained near 10% of GDP. To some extent, Ankara is caught in a vicious fiscal circle because about half of all central government revenue is going to pay interest on the national debt. The government that took office in July 1997-headed by Prime Minister YILMAZ's Motherland Party-enacted a 1998 budget that includes substantial tax increases and cuts in non-interest spending but these gains will be offset by a jump in interest payments. The government also is planning to overhaul the social welfare and tax systems and to speed up privatization, although these reforms will face tough political opposition. Ankara is trying to increase trade with other countries in the region but most of Turkey's trade is still with OECD countries. Despite the implementation in January 1996 of customs union with the EU, foreign direct investment in the country remains low-about $0.5 billion annually-perhaps because potential investors are concerned about high inflation and the unsettled political situation. Economic growth will slow in 1998 to perhaps 4%, and inflation should decline, although the government's 50% target appears overoptimistic. The current account deficit probably will remain small-1% to 1.5% of GDP - when Turkey's unrecorded "suitcase" exports are included.

Electricity - capacity (Electricity-capacity) [time series]

21.83 million kW (1997)

Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]

1,636 kWh (1997)

Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]

103 billion kWh (1997)

Exchange rates [time series]

Turkish liras (TL) per US$1-212,500 (January 1998), 151,600 (1997), 81,405 (1996), 45,845.1 (1995), 29,608.7 (1994), 10,984.6 (1993)

Exports [time series]

total value: $26 billion (f.o.b., 1997); note-substantial unrecorded exports estimated at $5.8 billion commodities: textiles and apparel 37%, iron and steel products 10%, foodstuffs 17% (1997) partners: Germany 20%, US 8%, Russia 8%, UK 6%, Italy 5% (1997)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year Communications

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity-$388.3 billion (1997 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP-composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 15% industry: 28.4% services: 56.6% (1996)

Real GDP per capita (GDP-per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity-$6,100 (1997 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP-real growth rate) [time series]

7.2% (1997)

Imports [time series]

total value: $46.7 billion (f.o.b., 1997) commodities: machinery 26%, fuels 13%, raw materials 10%, foodstuffs 4% (1997) partners: Germany 16%, Italy 9%, US 9%, France 6%, UK 6% (1997)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

10.8% (1997 est.)

Industries [time series]

textiles, food processing, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper

Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate-consumer price index) [time series]

99% (1997)

Labor force [time series]

total: 21.6 million by occupation: agriculture 43.1%, services 30.1%, industry 14.4%, construction 6.0% (1996) note: about 1.5 million Turks work abroad (1994)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

national broadcast stations 36, regional broadcast stations 108, local broadcast stations 1,058 (1996)

Radios [time series]

9.4 million (1992 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

fair domestic and international systems domestic: trunk microwave radio relay network; limited open-wire network international: 12 satellite earth stations-Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), Eutelsat, and Inmarsat (Indian and Atlantic Ocean regions); 3 submarine fiberoptic cables (1996)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

14.3 million (1995 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

15 national, 15 regional, 229 local

Televisions [time series]

10.53 million (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

5.9% another 5.1% officially considered underemployed (April 1997)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 780,580 sq km land: 770,760 sq km water: 9,820 sq km

Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]

slightly larger than Texas

Climate [time series]

temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior

Coastline [time series]

7,200 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m

Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]

water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic

International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]

party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Environmental Modification

Geographic coordinates [time series]

39 00 N, 35 00 E

Geography - note (Geography-note) [time series]

strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas

Irrigated land [time series]

36,740 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 2,627 km border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 331 km, Syria 822 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 32% permanent crops: 4% permanent pastures: 16% forests and woodland: 26% other: 22% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

southwestern Asia (that part west of the Bosporus is sometimes included with Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria

Map references [time series]

Middle East

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only-to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former USSR territorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea,; 12 nm in the Black Sea and in the Mediterranean Sea

Natural hazards [time series]

very severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van

Natural resources [time series]

antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulfur, iron ore

Terrain [time series]

mostly mountains; narrow coastal plain; high central plateau (Anatolia)

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

80 provinces (iller, singular-il); Adana, Adiyaman, Afyon, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gazi Antep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Icel, Igdir, Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir, Kahraman Maras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanli Urfa, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak note: Karabuk, Kilis, Osmaniye and Yalova are the four newest provinces; the US Board on Geographic Names is awaiting an official Turkish administrative map for verification of the boundaries

Constitution [time series]

7 November 1982

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Turkey conventional short form: Turkey local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti local short form: Turkiye

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Mark PARRIS embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Ankara mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823 telephone: [90] (312) 468-6110

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Baki ILKIN chancery: 1714 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 659-8200 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Suleyman DEMIREL (since 16 May 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Mesut YILMAZ (since 12 July 1997) and Deputy Prime Ministers Bulent ECEVIT (since 12 July 1997) and Ismet SEZGIN (since 12 July 1997) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister note: there is also a National Security Council that serves as an advisory body to the president and the cabinet elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a seven-year term; election last held 16 May 1993 (next scheduled to be held NA 2000); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president election results: Suleyman DEMIREL elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 54%

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[90] (312) 467-0019 consulate(s) general: Istanbul consulate(s): Adana

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening

Government type [time series]

republican parliamentary democracy

Independence [time series]

29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)

International organization participation [time series]

AsDB, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CERN (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NATO, NEA, OECD, OIC, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNRWA, UPU, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch [time series]

Constitutional Court, judges appointed by the president; Court of Appeals, judges are elected by the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors

Legal system [time series]

derived from various European continental legal systems; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 24 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000) election results: percent of vote by party-RP 21.38%, DYP 19.18%, ANAP 19.65%, DSP 14.64%, CHP 10.71%, independent 0.48%; seats by party-RP 158, DYP 135, ANAP 133, DSP 75, CHP 49; note-seats held by various parties are subject to change due to defections, creation of new parties, and ouster or death of sitting deputies; seating by party as of 4 May 1998: FP 142, ANAP 139, DYP 92, DSP 62, CHP 56, DTP 22, BBP 8, MHP 2, DP 1, DEPAR 1, independents 16, vacant 9

Capital (National capital) [time series]

Ankara

National holiday [time series]

Anniversary of the Declaration of the Republic, 29 October (1923)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Motherland Party or ANAP [Mesut YILMAZ]; Democratic Left Party or DSP [Bulent ECEVIT]; True Path Party or DYP [Tansu CILLER]; Welfare Party or RP [Necmettin ERBAKAN] (officially outlawed on 22 February 1998); Nationalist Action Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI]; Republican People's Party or CHP [Deniz BAYKAL]; Workers' Party or IP [Dogu PERINCEK]; Nation Party or MP [Aykut EDIBALI]; Democratic Party or DP [Korkut OZAL]; Grand Unity Party or BBP [Muhsin YAZICIOGLU]; Rebirth Party or YDP [Hasan Celal GUZEL]; People's Democracy Party or HADEP [Murat BOZLAK]; Main Path Party or ANAYOL [Gurcan BASER]; Democratic Target Party or DHP [Abdulkadir Yasar TURK]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Besim TIBUK]; New Democracy Movement or YDH [Huseyin ERGUN]; Labor Party or EP [Ihsan CARALAN]; Democracy and Peace Party or DBP [Refik KARAKOC]; Freedom and Solidarity Party or ODP [Ufuk URAS]; Peace Party or BP [Mehmet ETI]; Democratic Mass Party or DKP [Serafettin ELCI]; Democratic Turkey Party or DTP [Husamettin CINDORUK]; Virtue Party or FP [Ismail ALPTEKIN]; Changing Turkey Party or DEPAR [Gokhan CAPOGLU]

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is [Bayram MERAL]; Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [Ridvan BUDAK]; Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Salim USLU]; Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or TUSIAD [Muharrem KAYHAN]; Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [Fuat MIRAS]; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or TISK [Refik BAYDUR]; Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association or MUSIAD [Erol YARAR]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Land Forces, Navy (includes Naval Air and Naval Infantry), Air Force, Coast Guard, Gendarmerie

Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures-dollar figure) [time series]

$4.3 billion (1996); note-figures do not include about $7 billion for the government's counterinsurgency effort

Military expenditures (Military expenditures-percent of GDP) [time series]

3.5% (1996)

Military manpower - availability (Military manpower-availability) [time series]

males age 15-49: 17,761,347 (1998 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service (Military manpower-fit for military service) [time series]

males: 10,789,134 (1998 est.)

Military manpower - military age (Military manpower-military age) [time series]

20 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually (Military manpower-reaching military age annually) [time series]

males: 658,946 (1998 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 31% (male 10,165,804; female 9,802,232) 15-64 years: 63% (male 20,790,422; female 20,106,320) 65 years and over: 6% (male 1,706,939; female 1,994,794) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

21.38 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.35 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

38.27 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages [time series]

Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 72.82 years male: 70.38 years female: 75.39 years (1998 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 82.3% male: 91.7% female: 72.4% (1995 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Turk(s) adjective: Turkish

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population [time series]

64,566,511 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.6% (1998 est.)

Religions [time series]

Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (Christian and Jews)

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.47 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]

complex maritime, air and territorial disputes with Greece in Aegean Sea; Cyprus question with Greece; Hatay question with Syria; dispute with downstream riparian states (Syria and Iraq) over water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; traditional demands on former Armenian lands in Turkey have subsided

Illicit drugs [time series]

major transit route for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish to Western Europe and the US via air, land, and sea routes; major Turkish, Iranian, and other international trafficking organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base into heroin are in remote regions of Turkey as well as near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate TURKMENISTAN

Transportation

Airports [time series]

114 (1997 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports-with paved runways) [time series]

total: 80 over 3,047 m: 17 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 5 (1997 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports-with unpaved runways) [time series]

total: 34 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 25 (1997 est.)

Heliports [time series]

2 (1997 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 381,631 km paved: 95,408 km (including 1,405 km of expressways) unpaved: 286,223 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 528 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,205,399 GRT/10,400,716 DWT ships by type: bulk 169, cargo 232, chemical tanker 26, combination bulk 5, combination ore/oil 10, container 5, liquefied gas tanker 5, oil tanker 40, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 3, roll-on/roll-off cargo 21, short-sea passenger 9, specialized tanker 2 note: Turkey owns an additional 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 313,523 DWT operating under the registries of The Bahamas, Malta, and Panama (1997 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 1,738 km; petroleum products 2,321 km; natural gas 708 km

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Gemlik, Hopa, Iskenderun, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Icel (Mersin), Samsun, Trabzon

Railways [time series]

total: 10,386 km standard gauge: 10,386 km 1.435-m gauge (1,093 km electrified)

Waterways [time series]

about 1,200 km