Türkiye (used to be known as Turkey) is a country located in Southeast Europe and Western Asia called Anatolia which is a peninsula. This country is filled with astonishing landmarks. Türkiye is an important country with its busy bazaars and its astonishing history as well as what the country is doing right now.

What is Türkiye?

Türkiye’s main religion is Islam and the official language is Turkish. Its land mass is 302’535 sq miles. Its population is about 84 million. The capital is Ankara which is located at the heart of the country. The main currency is Turkish Lira which is 0.035 US dollars as on November 27, 2023. The Geography of Türkiye has mountain springs and coastal lowland and a mostly dry terrain. There are forests in the north and the south is filled with short trees, bushes and rocks. The country has mountains too. The country borders Greece, Bulgaria, Syria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Iraq.

Why is it called Türkiye?

The name comes from old Latin, Turchia or old French, Turquie which means land of the Turks. On October 29, 1923 after World War I Turkey became the Republic of Turkey, due to the fall of the Ottoman empire. Its first president was Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who led the army after the World war also known as the Turkish war of Independence between 1919-1922. He fought against invading foreign powers, turning the Ottoman empire into Turkey. In 2021 Turkey changed its name to Türkiye so it can be less likely to be confused with a bird.

What was it like in Türkiye back then?

The land of Türkiye belonged to the Ottoman empire about 700 years ago which was founded in 1299 by a clan leader known as Osman. The Ottoman empire conquered the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Europe where they made two attempts to take Vienna from the Habsburg empire. In 1453 the Ottoman empire took over the Byzantine city of Constantinople which was later in 1930 renamed Istanbul which comes from the Greek phrase stim poli (in the city). But unfortunately the Ottoman empire tried to get too many territories, which led to some European uprisings that couldn’t be handled because of some inadequate leaders. During World War I the Ottoman empire fought with the Central powers who ended up losing. After World War I, rivaling countries tried to carve up the Ottoman empire, but Mustafa Kemal Ataturk stopped this and transformed the Ottoman empire into Turkey.

Painting of siege of Vienna from the National Catholic Register

What I think about Türkiye

I think Türkiye is a country rich in history and natural beauty. I have lived for years in Türkiye and return every year. Compared to other countries I have visited, the people are kind, however too many of the people smoke cigarettes. Another reason why I like Türkiye is that the food is delicious. The Ottoman empire brought food culture from so many parts of the world. Overall, Türkiye is a great country that has many reasons that it is a perfect spot for vacations and even to live.

After reading this article, would you like to visit Türkiye?

Citations:

Britanica.com

Dictionary.com

Webtechno.com

Tc-america.org

Euronews.com