Everything You Need to know about Turkey
Summary
TLDRThis video offers a comprehensive overview of Turkey, a country rich in history and diversity. It explores Turkey's unique geopolitical position between Europe and Asia, its complex borders with eight neighbors, and ongoing disputes over territories like Cyprus and the Aegean Sea. The video delves into Turkey's history, from ancient civilizations to the Ottoman Empire, and its modern status as a secular, multicultural nation with a strong economy and a goal to be in the top 10 global economies by 2020. It highlights Turkey's vibrant tourism sector, cultural heritage, and rich cuisine, showcasing the country's natural beauty and strategic importance.
Takeaways
- 🌍 Turkey is a unique and diverse country located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.
- 🏙 Istanbul is Turkey's largest city economically, socially, and culturally, while Ankara is the capital.
- 🔍 Turkey has well-defined natural borders with eight neighbors and is surrounded by water on three sides.
- 🏖 The situation in Cyprus is complex, with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus recognized only by Turkey.
- 🛣️ Turkey has ongoing oil and gas exploration campaigns in the Eastern Mediterranean and a large gas field in the Black Sea.
- 🚫 Turkey's border with Armenia is closed due to strained relations between the two states.
- 🤝 Turkey has a complex geopolitical landscape with alliances and conflicts affecting its relationships with various countries.
- 🇹🇷 Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952 and has been seeking EU membership since 1987.
- 👥 The population of Turkey is predominantly ethnically Turkish, with significant Kurdish and Arab minorities.
- 💡 Turkey is officially a secular country, and Turkish is the predominant language spoken by everyone.
- 🍽️ Turkish cuisine is rich and diverse, influenced by the country's history and fertile lands with different climates.
Q & A
What is the significance of Turkey's geographical location?
-Turkey's unique geographical location places it between Europe and Asia, making it a bridge between the two continents. This strategic position has historically made Turkey a crossroads of the world, influencing its cultural, economic, and political interactions.
What are the two main parts that make up Turkey?
-Turkey is made up of two main parts: Anatolia, historically referred to as Asia Minor, and the region known as East Thrace, with its capital city being Ankara since 1923.
Why is the situation in Cyprus complex?
-The situation in Cyprus is complex due to historical events and ethnic tensions. Initially inhabited by Greeks, it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1570. After gaining independence from Britain in 1960, ethnic disputes led to Turkey's intervention in 1974, resulting in the establishment of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey.
Which natural gas field discovery did Turkey make in the Black Sea?
-In 2020, Turkey discovered a large natural gas field in the Black Sea, estimated to have 405 billion cubic meters of natural gas, which is expected to be utilized by 2023.
What is the historical background of the Turkish people?
-Historically, the Turkish people originated from a region extending from Central Asia to Siberia, established after the 6th century BCE. They had numerous empires, with the Gokturks being one of the first, and later the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over vast territories for six centuries.
What is the current political status of Turkey's relationship with the European Union?
-Turkey has been a member of the Council of Europe since 1949 and has been negotiating its succession to the European Union as a member state since its application in 1987. However, it is not yet an EU member, and Turkish citizens still require a visa to enter the Schengen area.
What is the ethnic composition of the population in Turkey?
-Approximately 70% of Turkey's 83 million inhabitants identify as ethnically Turkish, 15% to 20% identify as Kurdish, and about 3% identify as Arabs, with the rest being made up of Zaza, Sarakacians, Persians, Roma, Albanians, Armenians, Greeks, and others.
What are some of the major economic sectors in Turkey?
-Turkey's economy is diverse, with significant contributions from textiles, motor vehicles, transportation equipment, construction materials, consumer electronics, home appliances, and tourism, which accounts for approximately 11% to 12% of the GDP.
How does Turkey's climate contribute to its rich cuisine?
-Turkey's diverse climate, with different regions experiencing Mediterranean, oceanic, and transitional/continental climates, contributes to the variety of ingredients available, which in turn enriches the country's cuisine.
What is the origin of the name 'Turkey' for both the country and the bird?
-The country's name 'Turkey' means the land of Turks. The bird 'Turkey' is a misidentification by European settlers who thought the bird they found in America, which resembled the guinea fowl referred to as 'turkey' by Turks (meaning 'from India'), was the same bird.
What are some of the unique tourist attractions in Turkey?
-Turkey offers a wide range of unique tourist attractions, including historical sites like Istanbul, which was the capital of three empires, natural wonders like the Blue Lagoon and Mount Ararat, cultural sites like Cappadocia, and therapeutic hot springs in Pamukkale.
Outlines
🌏 Geopolitical Overview of Turkey
This paragraph provides an introduction to Turkey's unique and diverse geopolitical landscape. It is a transcontinental country situated between Europe and Asia, with Ankara as its capital since 1923, and Istanbul as its largest city. Turkey shares well-defined borders with eight neighbors and is surrounded by water on three sides. The video discusses Turkey's complex relationships with its neighbors, including disputes over Cyprus, the Aegean Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean. It also highlights Turkey's recent discovery of a large natural gas field in the Black Sea and its ongoing military operations against the PKK in Syria and Iraq. The paragraph concludes with an overview of Turkey's alliances and regional influence, including its membership in NATO and ongoing negotiations for EU membership.
🛂 Turkey's Passport Strength and Regional Relations
The second paragraph delves into the status of Turkey's passport and its implications for visa requirements within the Schengen area. Despite not being an EU member, Turkey's passport is relatively strong within the region, with the green passport issued to civil servants allowing visa-free access to the Schengen area. The video also touches on Turkey's historical and cultural connections with Turkic-speaking countries in Central Asia and its influence in regions like Tatarstan and East Turkestan. The paragraph explores the origins of the Turkic people, their migrations, and the empires they established, leading up to the formation of the modern Turkish Republic after World War I.
🏛 Anatolia: The Cradle of Civilizations
This paragraph focuses on the rich history of Anatolia, the Asian part of Turkey, which is considered the cradle of civilizations. It discusses significant archaeological sites like Göbekli Tepe and provides a timeline of historical events and empires that shaped the region, from the Neolithic age to the Ottoman Empire. The video mentions key historical figures and events, such as the Trojan Wars, the rise of the Lydian and Persian cultures, the conquests of Alexander the Great, and the establishment of the Roman province of Asia. It also covers the spread of Christianity and the transformation of Byzantium into Constantinople, culminating in the formation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923.
📈 Turkey's Emerging Market Economy and Tourism
The fourth paragraph outlines Turkey's economy, which is classified as an emerging market by the IMF and is among the world's newly industrialized economies. With the 13th largest GDP by PPP, Turkey has a diverse economy with significant contributions from textiles, motor vehicles, construction materials, and tourism. The video highlights Turkey's ambitious goal to be within the top 10 economies by 2020 and its investments in infrastructure, including mega projects and international finance centers. Tourism is emphasized as a key sector, with Turkey ranking sixth in the world for international tourist arrivals and boasting a variety of attractions, from historical sites to natural wonders.
🍽️ Turkish Cuisine and Cultural Riches
The final paragraph celebrates the richness of Turkish cuisine, which is influenced by the country's history and the diverse ingredients grown in its fertile lands. The video mentions popular Turkish dishes like kebabs, baklava, pide, and Turkish delight, and explains the etymology of the word 'turkey' in relation to both the country and the bird. It clarifies the confusion surrounding the bird's name, which is native to the Americas and was mistakenly identified by European settlers as being similar to the guinea fowl known as 'turkey' by Turks. The paragraph concludes with a nod to Turkey's diverse climate and the appeal of its natural and cultural attractions.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Turkey
💡Anatolia
💡Istanbul
💡Ottoman Empire
💡NATO
💡European Union (EU)
💡Council of Europe
💡Secular
💡Turkish Lira
💡Tourism
💡Cuisine
Highlights
Turkey is a unique and diverse country located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.
Anatolia and the race make up Turkey's two parts, with Ankara as the capital and Istanbul as the largest city.
Turkey shares borders with eight countries and is surrounded by water on three sides.
The Cyprus situation is complex, with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus only recognized by Turkey.
Greece and Turkey have disputes over the Aegean Sea, including territorial waters and airspace.
Turkey has ongoing oil and gas exploration campaigns in the eastern Mediterranean.
In the Black Sea, Turkey has well-defined borders and no conflicts, discovering a large gas field in 2020.
Turkey's border with Armenia is closed due to historical tensions between the two states.
Turkey has a significant influence in the region, with military operations in Syria and Iraq targeting the PKK.
Turkey's relationship with Russia is complex, with a history of wars and alliances.
Istanbul is the world's only transcontinental city, symbolizing Turkey's position between Europe and Asia.
Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952 and is in negotiations to join the European Union.
Turkey's passport allows visa-free travel to 110 countries, with additional access for civil servants.
The Turkish lira is the national currency, and Turkey has a strong economy with investments in infrastructure.
Tourism contributes 11-12% to Turkey's GDP, with 51.2 million foreign tourists visiting annually.
Turkey's cuisine is rich and diverse, influenced by its history and fertile lands with four seasons.
The name 'Turkey' comes from the land of Turks, while the turkey bird is a separate entity native to America.
Transcripts
hey guys welcome back to another video
in this one i'll attempt to cover
turkey in a nutshell let's see how
that's gonna play out
[Music]
turkey is a very unique and a diverse
country located literally in the middle
of the world well that depends where you
consider the center of the world is but
for us if there is such a thing
that should be turkey
and that being said let's start with the
geopolitics turkey is located between
europe and asia it's made up of two
parts
anatolia historically referred as the
asia minor
and the race its capital city is ankara
since 1923 but the country's
economically socially and culturally
biggest city is
istanbul turkey has well-defined natural
borders with its eight neighbors and
surrounded by waters on three sides to
the south it's bordered by
syria and iraq to the east iran armenia
azerbaijan
and georgia by the black sea turkey's
neighbors with russia
ukraine romania and to the west bulgaria
and greece and then there is cyprus
it's a little complicated situation but
long story short it was mainly inhabited
by
greeks in 1570 when the ottoman empire
conquered the island and turks have
started settling there
came under the british rule in 1878 and
in 1960 cyprus gained independence from
britain following a decade of ethnic
tensions and coulda tossed
in 1974 turkey launched an offensive to
capture the northern part of the island
the uan got involved and brokered a
peace deal the turkish republic of
northern cyprus was established and to
this day
it is only recognized by turkey and the
island remains divided
however republic of northern cyprus is
not a part of turkey
and then there's this situation in the
west with greece most of the islands in
the aegean sea belong to greece i mean
even
samos island which is stone throws away
from the mainland turkey in miles and
miles away from mainland greece this
entire situation generally causes
disputes between the two countries as to
who owns how much of the aegean sea this
problem further expands into the eastern
mediterranean where turkey has ongoing
oil and gas exploration campaigns
speaking of oil and gas exploration
campaigns the region where no issues
have been encountered with regards to
this
is the black sea here the borders have
been well defined
so there are no conflicts arising
between turkey and its neighboring
countries
in the region and as a result of
uninterrupted search campaigns in 2020
turkey has finally struck
a large gas field in the black sea this
natural gas field
is said to have 405 billion cubic meters
of natural gas
which the country is expected to make
use of by 2023. let's take a look at our
neighbors to the east
georgia and iran have no border issues
with turkey and the borders are always
open
however turkey's border with armenia is
close
why well the two states don't get along
very well and
i mean this topic requires a whole
another episode on its own so we're just
going to pass
and then there is this little guy called
nakjiwan autonomous republic
it's a part of turkey's little brother
azerbaijan
but has no direct connection with the
main land it's only bordered with turkey
armenia and iran
the geopolitics of turkey is not easy to
understand the south turkey is bordered
by
syria and iraq turkey has cross-border
military operations in these countries
but not against those countries but
rather against the organization called
the pkk
which is designated as a terrorist
organization by turkey the united states
the eu japan australia and
other countries turkey has a large
influence in the region however
turkey and qatar are on good terms saudi
arabia uae
and egypt have a love and hate
relationship with turkey
bosnia albania and kosovo can be added
to the list of friendly countries except
for serbia russia and turkey have a deep
history of wars and alliances and today
these two countries are fine with each
other
although from time to time they find
themselves on the opposite side of the
table
when talking about regional conflicts
well that really summarizes turkey
and russia's relationship these are two
countries
with generally conflicting interests but
somehow they come together to find a
mutual ground
well there are always two sides to a
story much like istanbul
it's a city that has two sides and
that's what i call a transition
in fact istanbul is the only
transcontinental city in the world
that in my opinion accurately represents
turkey's position turkey has always
been the crossroads of the world on one
side you have europe
and the eu on the other side you have
the middle east and asia
although the country tries to have a
balanced relationship with both sides
sometimes
it can find itself in the middle of
conflicts but this didn't stop turkey
from
allying its neighboring powers turkey
has been a member country of nato since
1952 and the country is negotiating its
succession to the european union as a
member state
following its application to exceed the
european economic community the
predecessor of the eu
in 1987. after 10 founding members
turkey was
one of the first countries to become a
member of the council of europe in 1949
however turkey is still not a member of
the eu and the turkish citizens
are asked to obtain a visa to enter the
schengen area
that kind of puts the turkish passport
in a weaker position compared to
european countries but it's still a
strong passport within the region
with the green one that is issued to
civil servants you can access
the schengen area visa free well i mean
the ordinary turkish passport allows
with a free travel to 110 countries
which is not bad some of those visa-free
countries
are located in the central asia they are
members of the alliance of
turkic-speaking countries
these are generally known as istan
countries such as kazakhstan kyrgyzstan
uzbekistan and turkmenistan in addition
to them azerbaijan is a sovereign state
turkey
also has an influence and a good
relationship with the turkic speaking
republics and territories in russia and
china
most notably with tatarstan bash
kurdistan altai republic yakutsk in
russia
and east turkestan in china where uyghur
people live okay you seem a little
confused about how
a middle eastern european country has a
lot in common with people over there in
siberia in china
and to understand that we have to take
you back in time way
back in time historians generally agree
that the first turkic people lived in a
region extending from the central asia
to siberia historically they were
established after the 6th century bce
the hon hordes of attila who invaded and
conquered much of europe in the 5th
century it's argued by some scholars
that they were one of the earlier turkic
tribes while others argue
that they were mongolic origin well
turks and mongolians have a lot in
common anyway
they looked alike they talked to like
and they fought alike
so much so that at one point a great
portion of genghis khan's army was made
up of turkic warriors but
that was in 12th century or 11th
a.d uh prior to that turkic people had
numerous empires in the sixth century
the guktuks ruled the region from 552 to
745
gucterk leadership united the nomadic
turkic tribes into the
empire the empire retained elements of
its original shamanistic religion
tankerism although it received
missionaries of buddhist monks and
practiced
a syncretic religion the guktuks were
the first turkic people to write
old turkic in a runic script the orkhon
script
the carnate was also the first state
known as turk towards the end of the
century the gucter's candidate
was split into two eastern turkey
candidate and western turkey candidate
after the collapse of the counties
turkic people and related groups
migrated west from turkestan and what is
now mongolia towards eastern europe
iranian plateau and anatolia and
modern-day turkey in many ways one of
the most notable empires
turks established was the celtic empires
the borders of which
stretched from the modern day tajikistan
to turkey it's noteworthy leader
alpastan's victory over the byzantines
at the battle of manzakurt
in 1071 ushered in the turkmen
settlement of anatolia after the
collapse of the celtic empire
many smaller states in the name of
baliks appeared in anatolia one of them
evolved into the great ottoman empire
which ruled most of balkans anatolia
arabia caucasus and north africa for six
centuries following the world war one
the empire collapsed and the modern
turkish republic was established due to
this diverse ethnological composition
turks are distinct from the people
living in the neighboring countries and
since we're talking about the people
let's take a look at the modern turks
out of 83 million inhabitants of the
country
about 70 of the population identify as
ethnically turkish
between 15 to 20 percent identify as
kurdish and about 3 percent
identify as arabs the rest is made up of
zaza sarcasians
persians romani albanians armenians
greeks and others
although the people of turkey are
predominantly muslim turkey is
officially a secular country with no
official religion
as far as the language is concerned
turkish is the only language and
pretty much is spoken by everyone other
spoken languages
are kurdish arabic persian
aramaic zazaki las armenian
and greek and more our currency is
turkish lira
our dialing code is plus 90 and we drive
on the right side of the road this
sounded a little like
geography now and that's where the idea
came from i mean thank you guys i
learned much from you and since you guys
were not you know able to come
until the turkey episode so i basically
decided why don't i do something before
they get there i hope i didn't ruin your
schedule if i did
i'm sorry but i'm just gonna link your
channel down there so
people can go there and see where this
video is really originated and when
you're doing your turkey episode just
please
give me a call all right anyway this was
the history of the turkish people but
there is also
the history of the land anatolia is the
cradle of civilizations it truly is i
mean near shangri-fa there's a neolithic
archaeological site called gobeklite i
mean this is this is crazy
the site believes to have been a
sanctuary of ritual significance
is marked by layers of carved megaliths
and is estimated to date to
9 to 10 millennium bce
i have no idea what religious beliefs
they had but based on the pillars and
the depictions on them
it looks like a pagan-ish religion i
mean
it's a very interesting subject and
there's an insightful documentary about
it
by bbc if you're interested i'll leave
the link somewhere around here
you can click on it and you can actually
watch it it's actually
very good one of my favorite
documentaries of all time but let's take
a look at the timeline
6 500 bc a neolithical city is
established at chatelhook in central
asia the world's first known settlement
5000 bc stone and copper age people have
already been living in anatolia for 20
000 years now 1900 bc to 1300 bc
the high tide empire flourishes battles
egypt patriarch abraham who has been
dwelling in haran near chandler
1300 to 1260 bc the trojan wars
described by homer
in the iliad 900 bc to 353 bc
rise of the friggin lydian and korean
culture
and the persians invaded the land in 334
alexander the great of macedon sweeps
across asia minor
in 129 bc anatolia becomes the roman
province of
asia with its capital at ephesus
5680 saint paul stays in the city of
ephesus and writes his famous
epistle which are the 21 of 27 books of
the new testament
3 30 80 roman emperor constantine
chooses the minor town of byzantium as
the capital of the roman empire
rebuilding it in the image of rome and
renaming it constantinople
537 a.d inauguration of highest sophia
church in istanbul by the emperor
justinian
until the arrival of turks and the
byzantines empire ruled the land
between 1037-1109 the land was invaded
by the turkish empire of the great
celtics
between 1071-1243 celtic sultanate of
rome an offshoot of the great celtic
empire established in anatolia with its
capital in konia stig poet in flasa for
gelalet and rumi called mevlana takes up
residence in konia 1299 the ottoman
state is formed by osman bay from whom
it takes its turkish name osman
1453 sultan mehmet ii conquered istanbul
bringing the byzantine age to an end
1520 to 1566
reign of solomon the magnificent the
great age of the ottoman empire the
sultan ruled most of north africa most
of eastern europe and
all of the middle east 1914 ottoman
empire enters the first
world war on the side of the germans
1923 mustafa kemal ataturk establishes
the republic of turkey
and that's the current state of the land
we live in today there's no doubt
that it's an abundant land in terms of
natural resources
fertile lands a young population and a
manufacturing economy and that's
what we're going to talk about next
the economy of turkey is an emerging
market economy as defined by the
international
monetary fund the imf turkey is among
the worst developed countries according
to the cia world factbook the country is
also defined by economists and political
scientists as one of the world's newly
industrialized economies
turkey has the world's 13th largest gdp
by ppp
that is 2.3 trillion dollars with a per
capita income of 28
000 and by 2020 turkey wants to be
within the top 10 economies in the world
now to make that happen
turkey has been investing into its
infrastructure for
years these are mega projects such as
new major highway systems
cross-continental tunnels
massive suspension bridges international
hub airports
large-scale hydroelectric dam projects
nuclear power plants and istanbul
international finance center the country
is among the world's leading producers
of textiles motor vehicles
transportation equipment construction
materials
consumer electronics and home appliances
industrial activities account for a
significant portion of the country's
economy yet the juiciest part still
though comes from tourism
which is approximately between 11
to 12 of the gdp turkey ranks six in the
world in terms of the number of
international tourists arrival with 51.2
million
foreign tourists visiting the country
every year tourism is one of the most
dynamic
and fastest growing sectors in turkey
according to travel agencies
11 out of 100 best hotels in the world
are located in turkey over the years
turkey has emerged as a popular tourist
destination for
many europeans competing with greece
italy and spain i mean how could it not
be
right i mean just look at istanbul the
capital of three empires the footprint
of all
still remains blue lagoon will strike
you as
maldives mount ararat the highest point
of turkey
and as described in bible is the resting
place of noah's ark cappadocia with its
unique geological
historical and cultural futures and also
the balloons martin is famous for its
arctic
architecture of its old city black sea
region which is prettier than
switzerland i mean
well maybe that's a little too much but
i mean in my opinion it's as pretty as
switzerland right and pavocale is where
the world's most famous minerals and hot
springs are located i mean
tourists from all over the world flock
annually for a spa-like experience
seeking therapeutic and medicinal
benefits
and some good old-fashioned relaxation i
mean folks you name it we have it
the tourism in turkey is so unique and
so diverse that in antalya
in the same day you can ski on the snowy
mountains and swim
at conialto beach which is known as the
miami beach of turkey
on the same day now tell me if this is
not unique in fact
everything about turkey is unique as its
name
well i mean it's it's it's a little
funny but
when i first started learning english i
always ask myself
why my country's name meant a bird that
we eat
i mean that didn't make a lot of sense
to me until i learned the
story behind its name it's a little
complicated story
but bear with me the word turkey
means the land of turks which makes all
the sense right
the bird turkey story however is rather
misunderstood and here is why
first of all let's refer to this turkey
bird with its scientific name
malayas kalapawa the bird is endemic to
the american continent
it has literally nothing to do with
turkey at all all right
we got that that's good we called
malayagra scala pavo
hindi in turkish and that means india
now
we turks call the bird turkey india
because the bird came to turkey well
back then the ottoman empire
from india but the bird that came from
india was not malayagra scala power it
was a guinea fol
another type of bird which looks like
malayas galapagos
it came to india though from africa
confused yet well there's more to the
story
the guinea fold that went to india from
there came to turkey went to europe and
europeans called it turkey
or the turkey bird while we called it
hindi
or the hindi part now here is where it
gets
interesting when europeans discovered
america
they have misidentified malayas
galapagos turkey because simply it
looked
like guineafol that they used to call
turkey so the turkey bird
we eat today has nothing to do with the
country
turkey its scientific name is malayas
galapagos and it is endemic to the
american continent
which was misidentified by european
settlers thinking that
it was a guinea fold which turks
referred to as hindi
which meant india so guys it's a messed
up story i understand but we
love eating turkey i mean in turkey we
basically eat
you know eating anyway we have a huge
appetite and that's the reason why we
have one of the richest
cuisines in the world all right let's
start with the usual suspects right
kebabs baklava pide known as the turkish
pizza we have our own coffee simmet the
national bagel
covered in sesame seeds and turkish
delight i mean
do we have a national food no because
all of them taste amazing i mean just to
have a knockoff turkish food experience
drop by your local turkish restaurant
which is pretty much in every country
right now the reason why the turkish
cuisine
is so rich has a lot to do with our
history yeah
but also because of the ingredients that
are grown in this fertile lands that are
experiencing
four seasons i mean there is no denying
that the weather
here is fantastic we basically have
three different climates in the western
and southern coast of the country
possesses the mediterranean climate with
hot and dry summers and moderately warm
and rainy winters
where summers lasts nine months in the
northern coast you have the oceanic
climate
which has high and evenly distributed
rainfall year round
and the rest of the country has a
transitional and continental climate
in which the winters are harsh and
summers are hot and dry
[Music]
alright guys thank you very much for
watching the video i have tried to
squeeze this wikipedia information
into one short video i don't know how
short the video is by the way
hope you guys enjoyed don't forget to
subscribe to the channel and see you
in the next video
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