TURKEY
OVERVIEW
Turkey, also called Türkiye, country that occupies a unique geographic position, lying partly in Asia and partly in Europe. Throughout its history it has acted as both a barrier and a bridge between the two continents.
Turkey
Turkey is situated at the crossroads of the Balkans, Caucasus, Middle East, and eastern Mediterranean. It is among the larger countries of the region in terms of territory and population, and its land area is greater than that of any European state. Nearly all of the country is in Asia, comprising the oblong peninsula of Asia Minor—also known as Anatolia (Anadolu)—and, in the east, part of a mountainous region sometimes known as the Armenian Highland. The remainder—Turkish Thrace (Trakya)—lies in the extreme southeastern part of Europe, a tiny remnant of an empire that once extended over much of the Balkans.
The country has a north-south extent that ranges from about 300 to 400 miles (480 to 640 km), and it stretches about 1,000 miles from west to east. Turkey is bounded on the north by the Black Sea, on the northeast by Georgia and Armenia, on the east by Azerbaijan and Iran, on the southeast by Iraq and Syria, on the southwest and west by the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea, and on the northwest by Greece and Bulgaria. The capital is Ankara, and its largest city and seaport is Istanbul.
Of a total boundary length of some 4,000 miles (6,440 km), about three-fourths is maritime, including coastlines along the Black Sea, the Aegean, and the Mediterranean, as well as the narrows that link the Black and Aegean seas. These narrows—which include the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles—are known collectively as the Turkish straits; Turkey’s control of the straits, the only outlet from the Black Sea, has been a major factor in its relations with other states. Most of the islands along the Aegean coast are Greek; only the islands of Gökçeada and Bozcaada remain in Turkish hands. The maritime boundary with Greece has been a source of dispute between the two countries on numerous occasions since World War II.
TRADE / ECONOMY
The economy of Turkey (or Türkiye) is an emerging market economy, as defined by the International Monetary Fund. Turkey is a founding member of the OECD (1961) and the G-20 major economies (1999). Since 1995, Turkey is a party to the European Union–Turkey Customs Union. Turkey is often classified as a newly industrialized country by economists and political scientists; while Merrill Lynch, the World Bank, and The Economist describe Turkey as an emerging market economy. The World Bank classifies Turkey as an upper-middle income country in terms of the country’s per capita GDP. The CIA World Factbook adds Turkey to its list of developed countries (DCs) due to the country’s status as a founding member of the OECD. With a population of 84.6 million as of 2021, Turkey is among the world’s leading producers of agricultural products, textiles, motor vehicles, transportation equipment, construction materials, consumer electronics and home appliances.
Turkey’s nominal GDP peaked at $957.5 billion in 2013, ranking 16th in the world in that year, while its nominal GDP per capita peaked at $12,489 in 2013, ranking 64th. The declining value of the Turkish lira, especially during the 2018–2022 Turkish currency and debt crisis, had a significant impact on the recent decrease in the country’s USD-based nominal GDP figures. High inflation continues to be a problem in the early 2020s. According to the IMF’s estimates, published in the IMF WEO Database of April 2022, Turkey is forecasted to have the world’s 23rd-largest nominal GDP and 11th-largest GDP by PPP by the end of 2022.
Over the past 20 years, there have been major developments in the financial and social aspects of Turkey’s economy, such as increases in employment and average income since 2000. Turkey has recently slowed down in its economic progress, due to considerable changes in external and internal factors, as well as a reduction in the government’s economic reforms. Environmentalists have argued that the economy is excessively dependent on the construction and contracting sector. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s unorthodox monetary policy increased inflation and devalued the currency in recent years.
TOURISM
Tourism in Turkey is focused largely on a variety of historical sites, and on seaside resorts along its Aegean and Mediterranean Sea coasts. Turkey has also become a popular destination for culture, spa, and health care.[citation needed]
At its height in 2019, Turkey attracted around 51 million foreign tourists, ranking as the sixth-most-popular tourist destination in the world. The total number fluctuated between around 41 million in 2015, and around 30 million in 2016. However, recovery began in 2017, with the number of foreign visitors increasing to 37.9 million, and in 2018 to 46.1 million visitors
Foreign tourist arrivals increased substantially in Turkey between 2000 and 2005, from 8 million to 25 million, which made Turkey a top-10 destination in the world for foreign visitors. 2005 revenues were US$20.3 billion which also made Turkey one of the top-10 biggest revenue owners in the world. In 2011, Turkey ranked as the 6th most popular tourist destination in the world and 4th in Europe, according to UNWTO World Tourism barometer. See World Tourism rankings. At its height in 2014, Turkey attracted around 42 million foreign tourists, still ranking as the 6th most popular tourist destination in the world. From 2015, tourism to Turkey entered a steep decline. In 2016, only around 30 million people visited Turkey. 2016 is described as the second year of huge losses on both visitor numbers and income, a “year of devastating losses”, with Turkish tourism businesses stating that they “cannot remember a worse time in the sector”. The number of foreign visitors started recovering in 2017 with 37.9 million visitors being recorded. The recovery was partly due to intense security campaigns and advertising. The number of Russian tourists increased by 444% after the recovery of bilateral relations, resulting in Russia becoming the top tourism market for Turkey once again. Increases were also recorded in the British, Dutch and Belgian markets.
In early 2017, the Turkish government urged Turkish citizens living abroad to take their vacations in Turkey, attempting to revive the struggling tourism sector of an economy that went into contraction from late 2016. After the April 2017 constitutional referendum, another sharp drop in tourist bookings from Germany was recorded. In 2018, however, the German Tourism Industry Association recorded a growth in German tourist bookings for Turkey, with a 70% increase being recorded by the TUI Group alone.
EDUCATION
Education in Turkey is governed by a national system which was established in accordance with the Atatürk’s Reforms. It is a state-supervised system designed to produce a skillful professional class for the social and economic institutes of the nation.
Compulsory education lasts 12 years. Primary and secondary education is financed by the state and free of charge in public schools, between the ages of 6 and 19. Secondary or high school education is not mandatory but required in order to then progress to universities. Turkey has over 200 universities as of 2022. ÖSYS, after which high school graduates are assigned to university according to their performance.
Turkey has 97% of primary school enrollment among all eligible children as of 2019. This number has significantly dropped with the Syrian refugee crisis. Many Syrian children left school during the crisis.
In 2002, the total expenditure on education in Turkey amounted to $13.4 billion, including the state budget allocated through the National Ministry of Education and private and international funds The share of national wealth invested in educational institutions is higher in Turkey than average among OECD countries. Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey is the main national body of R&D in Turkey.
VISA REQUIREMENTS
Business Visa Application Requirements for a Turkey Visa
Turkey E-Visa Application
The Turkish Government has introduced a web-based visa issuance system. The eVisa is an electronic authorisation from the Government to enter Turkey. It is the equivalent to a visa, but no stamp or label is placed in the passport.
To be eligible the traveller must:- Hold a passport valid at least six months on entry with one blank visa page
- Hold proof of sufficient funds
- Hold proof of onward/return flights
- Hold proof of hotel reservation
- Hold all documents required for the next destination
- Comply with all requirements stated on the E-Visa Order Form
Apply now and complete our order form providing basic travel and personal details. We’ll take care of the rest keeping you apprised of your order’s progress over email.
Tourist Application Requirements for a Turkey Visa
Turkey E-Visa Application
The Turkish Government has introduced a web-based visa issuance system. The eVisa is an electronic authorisation from the Government to enter Turkey. It is the equivalent to a visa, but no stamp or label is placed in the passport.
To be eligible the traveller must:- Hold a passport valid at least six months on entry with one blank visa page
- Hold proof of sufficient funds
- Hold proof of onward/return flights
- Hold proof of hotel reservation
- Hold all documents required for the next destination
- Comply with all requirements stated on the E-Visa Order Form
Apply now and complete our order form providing basic travel and personal details. We’ll take care of the rest keeping you apprised of your order’s progress over email.Cruise Ship Passengers
Applicants travelling to Turkey on a cruise ship are visa exempt for 72 hours provided they remain in the port of embarkation and nearby provinces, the visit must be touristic purposes only. Cruise passengers travelling to Turkey by air to join a cruise must obtain an eVisa prior to travel.
IMPORTANT LINKS
U.S. Department of Commerce Export Portal
www.trade.gov/export-solutions
U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)
www.ustda.gov
U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
https://www.dfc.gov/
Export-Import Bank of the United States
www.exim.gov
U.S. Embassy Ankara
https://tr.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/ankara/
U.S. Consulate Istanbul
https://tr.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/istanbul/
U.S. Department of Agriculture
www.usda.gov
U.S. Department of State – Travel
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html
U.S. Census (Statistical Information)
www.census.gov
U.S. Trademark and Patent Office
https://www.uspto.gov/
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
https://www.cbp.gov/
Chambers of Commerce
Ankara Chamber of Industry
www.aso.org.tr
Ankara Chamber of Commerce
www.atonet.org.tr
Istanbul Chamber of Industry
www.iso.org.tr
Istanbul Chamber of Commerce
www.ito.org.tr
Aegean Region of Chamber of Industry
www.ebso.org.tr
Izmir Chamber of Commerce
www.izto.org.tr
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
https://www.uschamber.com/
Business Associations
American Business Forum in Turkey (ABFT)
http://www.amchamturkey.com/
Turkish-U.S. Business Council (DEIK)
www.deik.org.tr