Official Name: Republic of Türkiye
Established: 29 October 1923 (Ottoman Empire 1299)
Population: 85 million (2023 estimate)
Religion: Muslim (99.8%)
Language: Turkish
Capital: Ankara
Order of Visit: 72
Planned First Visit: 30 April 2023
Planned Last Visit: 07 June 2023
Duration: 14 Days
Must Do: To be discovered from 30 April 2023!
Cities to be visited: Istanbul, Gallipoli, Canakkale, Ayvalik, Selcuk, Pamukkale

Türkiye is a transcontinental country located between Europe and Asia. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran to the east; Iraq to the southeast; Syria and the Mediterranean Sea to the south; the Aegean Sea to the west; and Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest.

One of the world’s earliest permanently settled regions, present-day Türkiye was home to important Neolithic sites like Göbekli Tepe, and was inhabited by ancient civilizations including the Hattians, Hittites, Anatolian peoples, Mycenaean Greeks, Persians and others.

The Seljuk Turks began migrating to what is now known as Türkiye (then referred to as Anatolia) in the 11th century. The Seljuk Sultanate of Rum ruled Anatolia until the Mongol invasion in 1243. 

Beginning in the late 13th century, the Ottomans united the principalities and conquered the Balkans, while the Turkification of Anatolia further progressed during the Ottoman period. After Mehmed II conquered Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1453, Ottoman expansion continued under Selim I. During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman Empire became a global power.

From the late 18th century onwards, the empire’s power declined with a gradual loss of territories.  The Young Turk Revolution of 1908 restricted the authority of the Sultan and restored the Ottoman Parliament after a 30-year suspension, ushering the empire into a multi-party period.  

The Ottoman Empire entered World War I as one of the Central Powers in 1914.  After its defeat in the war, the Ottoman Empire was partitioned. The Turkish War of Independence against the occupying Allied Powers resulted in the abolition of the Sultanate on 1 November 1922, the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne (which superseded the Treaty of Sèvres) on 24 July 1923 and the proclamation of the Republic on 29 October 1923.

Türkiye joined NATO in 1952. During the Cold War years, the country endured two military coups in 1960 and 1980, and a period of economic and political turmoil in the 1970s. The economy was liberalized in the 1980s, leading to stronger economic growth and political stability. Since 2002, the country’s political system has been dominated by the AKP and its current leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan first as Prime Minister and later as President after he centralised power into that role.

Türkiye is a charter member of the United Nations, the IMF and the World Bank and joined the EU Customs Union in 1995, and started accession negotiations with the European Union in 2005 but several EU members have concerns about expanding so far and across into Asia. 

Türkiye is divided into seven geographical regions: Marmara, Aegean, Black Sea, Central Anatolia, Eastern Anatolia, South-eastern Anatolia and the Mediterranean. The coastal areas of Turkey bordering the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas have a temperate Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild to cool, wet winters. Far from the coast the climate of Turkey tends to be continental but elsewhere temperate, and has become hotter, and drier in parts. 

Most of the provinces and regions in Türkiye are vulnerable to earthquakes with devastating earthquakes in February 2023.

What has dawn me to explore Türkiye?

Türkiye is a very unique country on the edge of two major areas in Europe and Asia which a fascinating history in particular the Ottoman empire era and what I suspect to be many great historical sites.

This visit is in two parts, the first is a quick 8 day tour titled The Best of Turkey, I’ll then visit Central Asia and return for a 5 day stay in Istanbul to give me a chance to explore the history of this city which for a time was the capital of the Roman Empire (later Eastern Roman Empire aka as Byzantine Empire) with the city then called Constantinople.