Surrounded by 3 seas ; Black Sea,Aegean Sea and Mediterrainan Sea.

Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea is to the south; the Aegean Sea to the west; and the Black Sea to the north.

The Bosphorus Strait and Canakkale Strait separate Europe and Asia continents.

Turkey's location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia makes it a country of significant geostrategic importance.

Capital City:Ankara Largest City:İstanbul Language:Turkish Population:73 million Government:Parliamentary Republic Founder:Mustafa Kemal Atatürk President:Abdullah Gül Prime Minister:Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Religion:98% Muslim 2% Others Currency:Turkish Lira

Prime Minister: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan President: Abdullah Gül Parliament building in Ankara

Although Anatolia (the western portion of Asian Turkey) is one of the oldest inhabited regions of the world, the history of Turkey as a national state began only with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1918. Turkey is a new country in an old land. The modern Turkish state beginning with the creation of the Republic of Turkey in the years immediately after World War I .

The Turkish Republic established in 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal (1881-1938), called Atatürk the "Father Turk."

He is the founder of our country, the Republic of Turkey established in October 23rd 1923. Atatürk's goal was to build on the ruins of Ottoman Turkey a new country and society patterned directly on Western Europe. He equated Westernization with the introduction of technology, the modernization of administration, and the evolution of democratic institutions.

1)In traditional or religious celebrations, young members of family kiss hand and touch on his or her forehead of older members of the family.Accordingly elderly people like grandfather, grandmother, uncl etc. give him or her money and candy.

2)If a person goes a long way his or her relatives pour water after him or her.It means that he or she will come back soon like water.

İskender Served with meat,yogurt, green pepper and a special sauce.

Yaprak Sarma We put rice and some spices into the vine leaf and roll it and serve it.

Mantı We put minced meat into the dough and boil it then serve it.

Irmik Halva It is a dessert made of semolina.

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey with a population of 20 million. Istanbul is also a megacity, as well as the cultural, economic, and financial centre of Turkey.

Welcome = Hoşgeldiniz Hello = Merhaba How are you? = Nasılsın?

Thank you = Teşekkür ederim What’s your name? = Adınız nedir?

My name is ... = Benim adım ...

Please = Lütfen

2010 İstanbul European Capital of Culture 2010 FIBA TURKEY WORLD CUP

Sertab Erener (singer) Eurovision Song Contest 2003 Winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan (film director) 2010 Cannes Best Director Award Orhan Pamuk (writer) 2006 Nobel Prize In Literature

Semih Erden Now plays in Boston Celtics.

Mehmet Okur Now plays in Utah Jazz.

Ömer Aşık Now plays in Chicago Bulls.

Hidayet Türkoğlu Now plays in Orlando Magic.