Turkey (For Want of a Telegram)

Ottoman State
Turkish State
*Osmanlı Devleti*
*Türk Devleti*
Ottoman State; Turkish State Osmanlı Devleti; Türk Devleti
	Motto: دولت ابد مدت; Devlet-i Ebed-müddet; "The Eternal State"
	Anthem: "The Imperial Anthem";
	Location of Turkey
Capital; (and largest city)	Constantinople
Official languages	Turkish
Recognised regional languages	Greek; Kurdish; Arabic
Demonym	Turkish; Turk; Ottoman
Government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Legislature	Grand National Assembly
Formation
Population
Currency	Turkish lira (TRY)

Turkey, formally the Ottoman State or the Turkish State, and occasionally informally referred to as the Turkish Empire or the Ottoman Empire, is a transcontinental country in Eurasia, mainly in Anatolia, with a small portion in the Balkan peninsula in southeast Europe. Turkey is a democratic, secular, unitary, parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a diverse cultural heritage. Turkey is bordered by four countries: Greece to the west; Bulgaria to the northwest; Kurdistan to the east; and Syria to the south. The Aegean Sea is to the west, the Black Sea to the north, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles, which together form the Turkish Straits, divide Thrace and Anatolia; they also separate Europe and Asia. Turkey's location has given it geopolitical and strategic importance throughout history.

The area of Turkey has been inhabited since the Paleolithic by various ancient Anatolian civilisations, as well as Assyrians, Greeks, Thracians, Phrygians, Urartians and Armenians. After Alexander the Great's conquest, the area was Hellenised, a process which continued under the Roman Empire and its transition into the Byzantine Empire. The Seljuk Turks began migrating into the area in the 11th century, starting the process of Turkification, which was accelerated by the Seljuk victory over the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071. The Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm ruled Anatolia until the Mongol invasion in 1243, when it disintegrated into small Turkish beyliks.

In the mid-14th century the Ottomans started uniting Anatolia and created an empire encompassing much of Southeast Europe, West Asia and North Africa, becoming a major power in Eurasia and Africa during the early modern period. The empire reached the peak of its power in the 16th century, especially during the reign (1520–1566) of Suleiman the Magnificent. It remained powerful and influential for two more centuries, until important setbacks in the 17th and 18th century forced it to cede strategic territories in Europe, signalling the loss of its former military strength and wealth. After the 1913 coup d'état which effectively put the country under the control of the Three Pashas the Ottoman Empire decided to join the Central Powers during World War I that were ultimately victorious over the Allied Powers. During the war, the Turkish government committed genocides against its Armenian, Assyrian and Pontic Greek citizens.

Although victorious in the war, the conflict had exposed the weaknesses of the Ottoman Empire, and in the decade following the war several nations declared their independence. Kurdistan, Mesopotamia, Syria and Palestine all formed in this period, and Saudi Arabia absorbed former Turkish territory in the Arabian peninsula. In 1935, with support from Germany, Italy and Russia, the fascist National Turkish People's Party seized power, and its leader Nihal Atsız became Prime Minister of Turkey. All government was centralised in Atsız's person, and he became effective dictator of Turkey, sidelining the Emperor Abdulmejid II. In 1942, the Emperor led a coup that ousted the National Turkish People's Party from power. Its leading figures were captured and executed, and a constitutional monarchy was restored that has remained Turkey's mode of government ever since.

Turkey's official language is Turkish, a Turkic language spoken natively by 84.5% of the population. Approximately 70-80% of the country's citizens identify themselves as ethnic Turks. Other ethnic groups include legally recognised (Armenians, Greeks, Jews) and unrecognised (Kurds, Circassians, Arabs, Albanians, Bosniaks, Georgians, etc.) minorities. Kurds are the largest ethnic minority group, making up approximately 20% of the population. The majority of the citizens are Sunni Muslim, while Alevi Muslims are the largest religious minority, followed by small numbers Christians of various denominations and Jews.

Turkey is a charter member of the UN, an early member of NATO, and a founding member of the OECD, OSCE, OIC and G-20. After becoming one of the first members of the Council of Europe in 1949, Turkey became an associate member of the EEC in 1963, joined the EU Customs Union in 1995 and started accession negotiations with the European Union in 2005. Turkey's growing economy and diplomatic initiatives have led to its recognition as a regional power.