The Republic of Turkey was established on October 29, 1923 from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire and has a land area of 783,562 sq kms.  
Mustafa Kemal Pasha is recognised as being the founder of the modern Turkish Republic and was granted the name Atatürk (meaning father of Turks) by the National Assembly.
Turkey has borders with 8 countries and these are, going clockwise from left, Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Syria.  Turkey has border gates with all 8 countries, bar Armenia and also has 4 seas on its coastline, which are the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, the Aegean and the Marmara.
The population of Turkey is close to 71,000,000 and is a moderate Muslim state, with approximately 98% of the country being Muslim.  The Turkish Government takes the question of religious freedom very seriously and the Turkish Constitution strictly forbids any discrimination on religious grounds.
The capital city is Ankara but Istanbul, the largest city, encompasses nearly a third of Turkey's population and straddles the Bosphorous Straits, with Southeast Europe on one side and Southwest Asia on the other.
Turkey is a full member of NATO and the Turkish Armed forces, with a combined troop strength of 635,500 people, is the second largest standing force in NATO after the United States.
Turkey's people are warm, friendly and incredibly welcoming and tolerant.  Like most people the world over, the Turks have no time for violence, trouble and strife but just want to enjoy life and what nature has bestowed on them in this magnificent country.  Turkey is truly breathtaking, with a diversity that's hard to take in.  All religions and people live in perfect harmony here and nowhere is it more apparent than in Istanbul.  Turkey is becoming very popular with Europeans looking to escape the cesspits being created by the likes of Bliar and Chirac and boasts a large ex-pat population in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean, numbering over 50,000.
One could live here for 100 years and not see all of its treasures.  The Ampitheatres at Aspendos and Side host music and dance festivals every year and we were fortunate enough to see Swan Lake being performed in Side last summer.  We also saw Swan Lake at the superior ampitheatre at Aspendos, compliments of Huseyin and Rukiye and it was breathtaking. Unfortunately, we haven't yet managed to get to see the Aida but hopefully we will in 2009.  We'll keep you posted.
Please be sure to visit  http://www.joli-triste.com   for more info about Turkey and a comprehensive database of reliable tradespeople.