Country Overview

Area: Approx 780,000 sq km (483,000 sq mi)
Population: 67.8m (according to 1999 census)
Capital city: Ankara
People: Turks (85%), Kurds (12%), other Islamic Peoples, Armenians, Jews
Language: Turkish, Kurdish
Religion: Muslim
Currency: Turkish Lira (TL)
Major political parties: AKP (Justice and Development Party), ANAP (Motherland Party), CHP (Republican People's Party), DSP (Democratic Left Party), DYP (True Path Party), MHP (Nationalist Action Party), SP (Felicity Party), YTP (New Turkey Party)
Government: Parliamentary republic
Head of State: President Ahmet Necdet Sezer
Prime Minister: Recep Tayyip Erdogan (AKP)
Foreign Minister: Abdullah Gül (AKP)

Literacy: total population: 85%; male: 94%; female: 77% (2000)

Suffrage: 18 years; universal