TRY to JPY Live Rate

Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria

Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula

39 00 N, 35 00 E

36 00 N, 138 00 E

Middle East

Asia

total: 783,562 sq km

land: 769,632 sq km

water: 13,930 sq km

country comparison to the world: 38

total: 377,915 sq km

land: 364,485 sq km

water: 13,430 sq km

note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)

country comparison to the world: 63

total: 2,816 km

border countries (8): Armenia 311 km, Azerbaijan 17 km, Bulgaria 223 km, Georgia 273 km, Greece 192 km, Iran 534 km, Iraq 367 km, Syria 899 km

0 km

7,200 km

29,751 km

territorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea; 12 nm in Black Sea and in Mediterranean Sea

exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only: to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former USSR

territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior

varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several mountain ranges

mostly rugged and mountainous

mean elevation: 1,132 m

elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m

highest point: Mount Ararat 5,137 m

mean elevation: 438 m

elevation extremes: lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m

highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m

coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite, borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone, magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable land, hydropower

negligible mineral resources, fish

note: with virtually no natural energy resources, Japan is the world's largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas, as well as the second largest importer of oil

agricultural land: 49.7%

arable land 26.7%; permanent crops 4%; permanent pasture 19%

forest: 14.9%

other: 35.4% (2011 est.)

agricultural land: 12.5%

arable land 11.7%; permanent crops 0.8%; permanent pasture 0%

forest: 68.5%

other: 19% (2011 est.)

52,150 sq km (2012)

24,690 sq km (2012)

the most densely populated area is found around the Bosporus in the northwest where 20% of the population lives in Istanbul; with the exception of Ankara, urban centers remain small and scattered throughout the interior of Anatolia; an overall pattern of peripheral development exists, particularly along the Aegean Sea coast in the west, and the Tigris and Euphrates River systems in the southeast

all primary and secondary regions of high population density lie on the coast; one-third of the population resides in and around Tokyo on the central plain (Kanto Plain)

severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van; landslides; flooding

volcanism: limited volcanic activity; its three historically active volcanoes; Ararat, Nemrut Dagi, and Tendurek Dagi have not erupted since the 19th century or earlier

many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors but occasional severe earthquakes) every year; tsunamis; typhoons

volcanism: both Unzen (1,500 m) and Sakura-jima (1,117 m), which lies near the densely populated city of Kagoshima, have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Asama, Honshu Island's most active volcano, Aso, Bandai, Fuji, Iwo-Jima, Kikai, Kirishima, Komaga-take, Oshima, Suwanosejima, Tokachi, Yake-dake, and Usu

water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic

0air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere; following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan originally planned to phase out nuclear power, but it has now implemented a new policy of seeking to restart nuclear power plants that meet strict new safety standards; waste management is an ongoing isue; Japanese municipal facilities used to burn high volumes of trash, but air pollution issues forced the government to adopt an aggressive recycling policy

party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link the Black and Aegean Seas; the 3% of Turkish territory north of the Straits lies in Europe and goes by the names of European Turkey, Eastern Thrace, or Turkish Thrace; the 97% of the country in Asia is referred to as Anatolia; Mount Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's ark, is in the far eastern portion of the country

strategic location in northeast Asia; composed of four main islands - from north: Hokkaido, Honshu (the largest and most populous), Shikoku, and Kyushu (the "Home Islands") - and 6,848 smaller islands and islets

80,845,215 (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 18

126,451,398 (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 10

noun: Turk(s)

adjective: Turkish

noun: Japanese (singular and plural)

adjective: Japanese

Turkish 70-75%, Kurdish 19%, other minorities 7-12% (2016 est.)

Japanese 98.5%, Korean 0.5%, Chinese 0.4%, other 0.6%

note: up to 230,000 Brazilians of Japanese origin migrated to Japan in the 1990s to work in industries; some have returned to Brazil (2004 est.)

Turkish (official), Kurdish, other minority languages

Japanese

Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

Shintoism 79.2%, Buddhism 66.8%, Christianity 1.5%, other 7.1%

note: total adherents exceeds 100% because many people practice both Shintoism and Buddhism (2012 est.)

total dependency ratio: 50.1

youth dependency ratio: 38.4

elderly dependency ratio: 11.7

potential support ratio: 8.5 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio: 64

youth dependency ratio: 21.3

elderly dependency ratio: 42.7

potential support ratio: 2.3 (2015 est.)

total: 30.9 years

male: 30.5 years

female: 31.4 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 110

total: 47.3 years

male: 46 years

female: 48.7 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

0.52% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 153

-0.21% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 211

15.7 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 119

7.7 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 223

6 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 165

9.8 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 45

-4.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 185

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 86

the most densely populated area is found around the Bosporus in the northwest where 20% of the population lives in Istanbul; with the exception of Ankara, urban centers remain small and scattered throughout the interior of Anatolia; an overall pattern of peripheral development exists, particularly along the Aegean Sea coast in the west, and the Tigris and Euphrates River systems in the southeast

all primary and secondary regions of high population density lie on the coast; one-third of the population resides in and around Tokyo on the central plain (Kanto Plain)

urban population: 74.4% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 1.54% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population: 94.3% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 0.15% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Istanbul 14.164 million; ANKARA (capital) 4.75 million; Izmir 3.04 million; Bursa 1.923 million; Adana 1.83 million; Gaziantep 1.528 million (2015)

TOKYO (capital) 38.001 million; Osaka-Kobe 20.238 million; Nagoya 9.406 million; Kitakyushu-Fukuoka 5.51 million; Shizuoka-Hamamatsu 3.369 million; Sapporo 2.571 million (2015)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female

total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.11 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female

total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

22.3 years (2010 est.)

30.7 years (2015 est.)

16 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 134

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 171

total: 17.6 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 18.8 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 16.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 91

total: 2 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 2.2 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 1.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 224

total population: 75 years

male: 72.7 years

female: 77.5 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 113

total population: 85.3 years

male: 81.9 years

female: 88.8 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

2.01 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 118

1.41 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 209

73.5% (2013)

40.4%

note: percent of women aged 20-49 (2015)

5.4% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 131

10.2% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 23

1.75 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

2.37 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

2.7 beds/1,000 population (2013)

13.4 beds/1,000 population (2012)

improved:

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 98.3% of population

rural: 85.5% of population

total: 94.9% of population

unimproved:

urban: 1.7% of population

rural: 14.5% of population

total: 5.1% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

32.1% (2016)

country comparison to the world: 17

4.3% (2016)

country comparison to the world: 186

1.9% (2013)

country comparison to the world: 123

3.4% (2010)

4.4% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 142

3.6% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 115

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 95.6%

male: 98.6%

female: 92.6% (2015 est.)

total: 16 years

male: 17 years

female: 16 years (2013)

total: 15 years

male: 15 years

female: 15 years (2014)

total: 18.5%

male: 16.5%

female: 22.2% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 72

total: 5.1%

male: 5.7%

female: 4.5% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 148

conventional long form: Republic of Turkey

conventional short form: Turkey

local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti

local short form: Turkiye

etymology: the name means "Land of the Turks"

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Japan

local long form: Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku

local short form: Nihon/Nippon

etymology: the English word for Japan comes via the Chinese name for the country "Cipangu"; both Nihon and Nippon mean "where the sun originates" and are frequently translated as "Land of the Rising Sun"

parliamentary republic

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

name: Ankara

geographic coordinates: 39 56 N, 32 52 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

name: Tokyo

geographic coordinates: 35 41 N, 139 45 E

time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

81 provinces (iller, singular - ili); Adana, Adiyaman, Afyonkarahisar, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Duzce, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Igdir, Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir (Smyrna), Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon (Trebizond), Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak

47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi

29 October 1923 (republic proclaimed succeeding the Ottoman Empire)

3 May 1947 (current constitution adopted as amendment to Meiji Constitution); notable earlier dates: 660 B.C. (traditional date of the founding of the nation by Emperor JIMMU); 29 November 1890 (Meiji Constitution provides for constitutional monarchy)

Republic Day, 29 October (1923)

Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933); note - celebrates the birthday of the current emperor

history: several previous; latest ratified 9 November 1982

amendments: proposed by written consent of at least one-third of Grand National Assembly (GNA) members; adoption of draft amendments requires two debates in plenary GNA session and three-fifths majority vote of all GNA members; the president of the republic can request GNA reconsideration of the amendment and, if readopted by two-thirds majority GNA vote, the president may submit the amendment to a referendum; passage by referendum requires absolute majority vote; amended several times, last in 2017 (2018)

history: previous 1890; latest approved 6 October 1946, adopted 3 November 1946, effective 3 May 1947

amendments: proposed by the Diet; passage requires approval by at least two-thirds majority of both houses of the Diet and approval by majority in a referendum; note - the constitution has not been amended since its enactment in 1947 (2017)

civil law system based on various European legal systems, notably the Swiss civil code

civil law system based on German model; system also reflects Anglo-American influence and Japanese traditions; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Turkey

dual citizenship recognized: yes, but requires prior permission from the government

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Japan

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

18 years of age; universal

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: President Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (since 10 August 2014)

head of government: Prime Minister Binali YILDIRIM (since 22 May 2016); Deputy Prime Ministers Recep AKDAG (since 20 July 2017), Bekir BOZDAG (since 20 July 2017), Hakan CAVUSOGLU (since 20 July 2017), Fikri ISIK (since 20 July 2017), Mehmet SIMSEK (since 24 November 2015)

cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president (until the next parliamentary or presidential election following the April 2017 referendum)

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president from among members of parliament; note - a 2007 constitutional amendment changed the presidential electoral process to direct popular vote; prime minister appointed by the president from among members of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey; election last held on 10 August 2014 (next to be held on 24 June 2018)

election results: Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN elected president; Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (AKP) 51.8%, Ekmeleddin IHSANOGLU (independent) 38.4%, Selahattin DEMIRTAS (HDP) 9.8%

chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989); note - The Imperial Council ruled on 2 December 2017 that the Emperor will be allowed to abdicate in April 2019

head of government: Prime Minister Shinzo ABE (since 26 December 2012); Deputy Prime Minister Taro ASO (since 26 December 2012)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister

description: unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi (550 seats - will increase to 600 at November 2018 election); members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms - term increased to 5 years beginning with November 2018 election)

elections: last held on 1 November 2015 (next to be held on 24 June 2018)

election results: percent of vote by party - AKP 49.5%, CHP 25.3%, MHP 11.9%, HDP 10.8%, other 2.5%; seats by party - AKP 317, CHP 134, HDP 59, MHP 40, ; note - only parties surpassing the 10% threshold can win parliamentary seats

description: bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or Sangi-in (242 seats; 146 members directly elected in multi-seat districts by simple majority vote and 96 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms with half the membership renewed every 3 years) and the House of Representatives or Shugi-in (475 seats; 295 members directly elected in single-seat districts by simple majority vote and 180 directly elected in multi-seat districts by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); note - Japan's amended electoral law, changed in May 2017, reduced the total number of House seats to 465 - the number of House of Representatives seats in single-seat districts is reduced to 289 and the number of House of Representatives seats in multi-seat districts reduced to 176; the change is effective for the December 2018 House of Representatives election

note: the Diet in June 2017 redrew Japan's electoral district boundaries and reduced the current 275 seats in the House of Representatives to 265; the law, which cuts 6 seats in single-seat districts and 4 in multi-seat districts, was reportedly intended to reduce voting disparities between densely and sparsely populated voting districts

elections: House of Councillors - last held on 10 July 2016 (next to be held in July 2019); House of Representatives - last held on 22 October 2017 (next to be held by 21 October 2021)

election results: House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LDP 55, DP 32, Komeito 14, JCP 6, Osaka Ishin no Kai (Initiatives from Osaka) 7, PLPTYF 1, SDP 1, independent 5

House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LDP 284, CDP 55, Party of Hope 50, Komeito 29, JCP 12, JIP 11, SDP 2, independent 22

highest court: Constitutional Court or Anayasa Mahkemesi (consists of 17 members - a constitutional referendum held in 2017 approved an amendment to reduce to 15 from 17 the number of Constitutional Court judges); Court of Cassation (consists of about 390 judges and is organized into civil and penal chambers); Council of State (organized into 15 divisions - 14 judicial and 1 consultative - each with a division head and at least 5 members)

judge selection and term of office: Constitutional Court members - 3 appointed by the Grand National Assembly and 12 by the president of the republic; court president and 2 deputy presidents appointed from among its members for 4-year terms; judges appointed for 12-year, nonrenewable terms with mandatory retirement at age 65; Court of Cassation judges appointed by the Board of Judges and Prosecutors, a 13-member body of judicial officials; Court of Cassation judges appointed until retirement at age 65; Council of State members appointed by the Board and by the president of the republic; members appointed for renewable, 4-year terms

subordinate courts: regional appeals courts; basic (first instance) courts, peace courts; military courts; state security courts; specialized courts, including administrative and audit; note - a constitutional amendment in 2017 abolished military courts unless established to investigate military personnel actions during war conditions

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Saiko saibansho (consists of the chief justice and 14 associate justices); note - the Supreme Court has jurisdiction in constitutional issues

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice designated by the Cabinet and appointed by the monarch; associate justices appointed by the Cabinet and confirmed by the monarch; all justices are reviewed in a popular referendum at the first general election of the House of Representatives following each judge's appointment and every 10 years afterward

subordinate courts: 8 High Courts (Koto-saiban-sho), each with a Family Court (Katei-saiban-sho); 50 District Courts (Chiho saibansho), with 203 additional branches; 438 Summary Courts (Kani saibansho)

Democrat Party or DP [Gultekin UYSAL]

Democratic Left Party or DSP [Onder AKSAKAL]

Felicity Party or SP [Temel KARAMOLLAOGLU]

Good Party or IYI [Meral AKSENER]

Grand Unity Party or BBP [Mustafa DESTICI]

Justice and Development Party or AKP [Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN]

Nationalist Movement Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI]

Patriotic Party or VP [Dogu PERINCEK]

People's Democratic Party or HDP [Selahattin DEMIRTAS and Serpil KEMALBAY]; note - DEMIRTAS was detained by Turkish authorities in November 2016 over his alleged links to the PKK

Republican People's Party or CHP [Kemal KILICDAROGLU]

True Path Party or DYP [Cetin OZACIRGOZ]

Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan or CDP [Yukio EDANO]

Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Kohei OTSUKA]

Group of Reformists [Sakihito OZAWA]

Japan Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII]

Japan Innovation Party or JIP [Ichiro MATSUI]

Party of Hope or Kibo no To [Yuichiro TAMAKI]

Komeito [Natsuo YAMAGUCHI]

Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Shinzo ABE]

Liberal Party [Ichiro OZAWA] (formerly People's Life Party & Taro Yamamoto and Friends or PLPTYF)

New Renaissance Party [Hiroyuki ARAI]

Party for Japanese Kokoro or PJK [Masashi NAKANO]

Social Democratic Party or SDP [Tadatomo YOSHIDA]

The Assembly to Energize Japan and the Independents [Kota MATSUDA]

Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Mehmet BOZGEYIK, Aysun GEZEN, cochairs]

Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [Kani BEKO]

Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or MUSIAD [Abfuttahman KAAN]

Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Mahmut ARSLAN]

Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations or TISK [Kudret ONEN]

Turkish Confederation of Labor Unions or Turk-Is [Ergun ATALAY]

Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen or TESK [Bendevi PALANDOKEN]

Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or TUSIAD [Erol BILECIK]

Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat HISARCIKLIOGLU]

other: business groups; trade unions

ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CERN (observer), CICA, CPLP (associate observer), D-8, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EU (candidate country), FAO, FATF, G-20, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, PIF (partner), SCO (dialogue member), SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP, CPLP (associate), EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

chief of mission: Ambassador Serdar KILIC (since 21 May 2014)

chancery: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 612-6700

FAX: [1] (202) 612-6744

consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York

chief of mission: Ambassador Shinsuke SUGIYAMA (since 28 March 2018)

chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 238-6700

FAX: [1] (202) 328-2187

consulate(s) general: Anchorage (AK), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver (CO), Detroit (MI), Honolulu (HI), Houston, Las Vegas (NV), Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville (TN), New Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City (OK), Orlando (FL), Philadelphia (PA), Phoenix (AZ), Portland (OR), San Francisco, Seattle, Saipan (Puerto Rico), Tamuning (Guam)

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affairs Philip KOSNETT (since 16 October 2017)

embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara

mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823

telephone: [90] (312) 455-5555

FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019

consulate(s) general: Istanbul

consulate(s): Adana

chief of mission: Ambassador William F. "Bill" HAGERTY, IV (since 31 August 2017)

embassy: 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420

mailing address: Unit 9800, Box 300, APO AP 96303-0300

telephone: [81] (03) 3224-5000

FAX: [81] (03) 3505-1862

consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo

consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya

red with a vertical white crescent moon (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening; the flag colors and designs closely resemble those on the banner of the Ottoman Empire, which preceded modern-day Turkey; the crescent moon and star serve as insignia for Turkic peoples; according to one interpretation, the flag represents the reflection of the moon and a star in a pool of blood of Turkish warriors

white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center

star and crescent; national colors: red, white

red sun disc, chrysanthemum; national colors: red, white

name: "Istiklal Marsi" (Independence March)

lyrics/music: Mehmet Akif ERSOY/Zeki UNGOR

note: lyrics adopted 1921, music adopted 1932; the anthem's original music was adopted in 1924; a new composition was agreed upon in 1932

name: "Kimigayo" (The Emperor"s Reign)

lyrics/music: unknown/Hiromori HAYASHI

note: adopted 1999; unofficial national anthem since 1883; oldest anthem lyrics in the world, dating to the 10th century or earlier; there is some opposition to the anthem because of its association with militarism and worship of the emperor

Turkey's largely free-market economy is driven by its industry and, increasingly, service sectors, although its traditional agriculture sector still accounts for about 25% of employment. The automotive, petrochemical, and electronics industries have risen in importance and surpassed the traditional textiles and clothing sectors within Turkey's export mix. However, the recent period of political stability and economic dynamism has given way to domestic uncertainty and security concerns, which are generating financial market volatility and weighing on Turkey’s economic outlook.

Current government policies emphasize populist spending measures and credit breaks, while implementation of structural economic reforms has slowed. The government is playing a more active role in some strategic sectors and has used economic institutions and regulators to target political opponents, undermining private sector confidence in the judicial system. Between July 2016 and March 2017, three credit ratings agencies downgraded Turkey’s sovereign credit ratings, citing concerns about the rule of law and the pace of economic reforms.

Turkey remains highly dependent on imported oil and gas but is pursuing energy relationships with a broader set of international partners and taking steps to increase use of domestic energy sources including renewables, nuclear, and coal. The joint Turkish-Azerbaijani Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline is moving forward to increase transport of Caspian gas to Turkey and Europe, and when completed will help diversify Turkey's sources of imported gas.

After Turkey experienced a severe financial crisis in 2001, Ankara adopted financial and fiscal reforms as part of an IMF program. The reforms strengthened the country's economic fundamentals and ushered in an era of strong growth averaging more than 6% annually until 2008. An aggressive privatization program also reduced state involvement in basic industry, banking, transport, power generation, and communication. Global economic conditions and tighter fiscal policy caused GDP to contract in 2009, but Turkey's well-regulated financial markets and banking system helped the country weather the global financial crisis, and GDP growth rebounded to around 9% in 2010 and 2011, as exports and investment recovered following the crisis.

The growth of Turkish GDP since 2016 has revealed the persistent underlying imbalances in the Turkish economy. In particular, Turkey’s large current account deficit means it must rely on external investment inflows to finance growth, leaving the economy vulnerable to destabilizing shifts in investor confidence. Other troublesome trends include rising unemployment and inflation, which increased in 2017, given the Turkish lira’s continuing depreciation against the dollar. Although government debt remains low at about 30% of GDP, bank and corporate borrowing has almost tripled as a percent of GDP during the past decade, outpacing its emerging-market peers and prompting investor concerns about its long-term sustainability.

Over the past 70 years, government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (slightly less than 1% of GDP) have helped Japan develop an advanced economy. Two notable characteristics of the post-World War II economy were the close interlocking structures of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors, known as keiretsu, and the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force. Both features have significantly eroded under the dual pressures of global competition and domestic demographic change.

Measured on a purchasing power parity basis that adjusts for price differences, Japan in 2017 stood as the fourth-largest economy in the world after first-place China, which surpassed Japan in 2001, and third-place India, which edged out Japan in 2012. For three postwar decades, overall real economic growth was impressive - averaging 10% in the 1960s, 5% in the 1970s, and 4% in the 1980s. Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%, largely because of the aftereffects of inefficient investment and the collapse of an asset price bubble in the late 1980s, which resulted in several years of economic stagnation as firms sought to reduce excess debt, capital, and labor. Modest economic growth continued after 2000, but the economy has fallen into recession four times since 2008.

Japan enjoyed an uptick in growth since 2013, supported by Prime Minister Shinzo ABE’s “Three Arrows” economic revitalization agenda - dubbed “Abenomics” - of monetary easing, “flexible” fiscal policy, and structural reform. Led by the Bank of Japan’s aggressive monetary easing, Japan is making modest progress in ending deflation, but demographic decline – a low birthrate and an aging, shrinking population – poses a major long-term challenge for the economy. The government currently faces the quandary of balancing its efforts to stimulate growth and institute economic reforms with the need to address its sizable public debt, which stands at 235% of GDP. To help raise government revenue, Japan adopted legislation in 2012 to gradually raise the consumption tax rate. However, the first such increase, in April 2014, led to a sharp contraction, so Prime Minister ABE has twice postponed the next increase, which is now scheduled for October 2019. Structural reforms to unlock productivity are seen as central to strengthening the economy in the long-run.

Scarce in critical natural resources, Japan has long been dependent on imported energy and raw materials. After the complete shutdown of Japan’s nuclear reactors following the earthquake and tsunami disaster in 2011, Japan's industrial sector has become even more dependent than before on imported fossil fuels. However, ABE’s government is seeking to restart nuclear power plants that meet strict new safety standards and is emphasizing nuclear energy’s importance as a base-load electricity source. In August 2015, Japan successfully restarted one nuclear reactor at the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima prefecture, and several other reactors around the country have since resumed operations; however, opposition from local governments has delayed several more restarts that remain pending. Reforms of the electricity and gas sectors, including full liberalization of Japan’s energy market in April 2016 and gas market in April 2017, constitute an important part of Prime Minister Abe’s economic program.

Under the Abe Administration, Japan’s government sought to open the country’s economy to greater foreign competition and create new export opportunities for Japanese businesses, including by joining 11 trading partners in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Japan became the first country to ratify the TPP in December 2016, but the United States signaled its withdrawal from the agreement in January 2017. In November 2017 the remaining 11 countries agreed on the core elements of a modified agreement, which they renamed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Japan also reached agreement with the European Union on an Economic Partnership Agreement in July 2017, and is likely seek to ratify both agreements in the Diet this year.

$2.133 trillion (2017 est.)

$2.029 trillion (2016 est.)

$1.966 trillion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 14

$5.405 trillion (2017 est.)

$5.325 trillion (2016 est.)

$5.27 trillion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 5

$841.2 billion (2017 est.)

$4.884 trillion (2017 est.)

5.1% (2017 est.)

3.2% (2016 est.)

6.1% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 38

1.5% (2017 est.)

1% (2016 est.)

1.1% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 174

$26,500 (2017 est.)

$25,400 (2016 est.)

$25,000 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 75

$42,700 (2017 est.)

$41,900 (2016 est.)

$41,500 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 41

25.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

24.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

24.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 49

27% of GDP (2017 est.)

27.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

27% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 41

household consumption: 59.8%

government consumption: 15.3%

investment in fixed capital: 28.6%

investment in inventories: -0.9%

exports of goods and services: 24%

imports of goods and services: -26.8% (2017 est.)

household consumption: 55.9%

government consumption: 19.5%

investment in fixed capital: 23.5%

investment in inventories: 0.2%

exports of goods and services: 17.8%

imports of goods and services: -16.8% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 6.7%

industry: 31.8%

services: 61.4% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 1%

industry: 29.7%

services: 69.3% (2017 est.)

tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, hazelnuts, pulses, citrus; livestock

vegetables, rice, fish, poultry, fruit, dairy products, pork, beef, flowers, potatoes/taros/yams, sugarcane, tea, legumes, wheat and barley

textiles, food processing, automobiles, electronics, mining (coal, chromate, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper

among world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods

3% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 100

1.4% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 155

31.3 million

note: this number is for the domestic labor force only; number does not include about 1.2 million Turks working abroad, nor refugees (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 20

67.77 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

agriculture: 18.4%

industry: 26.6%

services: 54.9% (2016 est.)

agriculture: 2.9%

industry: 26.2%

services: 70.9% (February 2015 est)

11.2% (2017 est.)

10.9% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 147

2.9% (2017 est.)

3.1% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 33

21.9% (2015 est.)

16.1% (2013 est.)

lowest 10%: 2.1%

highest 10%: 30.3% (2008 est.)

lowest 10%: 2.7%

highest 10%: 24.8% (2008 est.)

40.2 (2010 est.)

43.6 (2003 est.)

country comparison to the world: 65

37.9 (2011 est.)

24.9 (1993 est.)

country comparison to the world: 79

revenues: $173.9 billion

expenditures: $190.4 billion (2017 est.)

revenues: $1.678 trillion

expenditures: $1.902 trillion (2017 est.)

20.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 147

34.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 58

-2% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 86

-4.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 152

29.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

29.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 165

223.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

222.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 1

calendar year

1 April - 31 March

10.9% (2017 est.)

7.8% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 205

0.4% (2017 est.)

-0.1% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

5.25% (31 December 2011 est.)

15% (22 December 2009 est.)

country comparison to the world: 79

0.3% (31 December 2015 est.)

0.3% (31 December 2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 135

15.2% (31 December 2017 est.)

14.74% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 42

1.5% (31 December 2017 est.)

1.48% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 185

$122 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$108.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 33

$6.426 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$5.651 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 3

$445 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$399.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

$8.917 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$8.023 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

$612.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$549.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

$13.63 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$12.11 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

$188.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$219.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$195.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 36

$4.895 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)

$4.378 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$4.543 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

$-38.95 billion (2017 est.)

$-32.61 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 198

$175 billion (2017 est.)

$188.1 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 3

$157.3 billion (2017 est.)

$150.2 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 34

$683.3 billion (2017 est.)

$634.9 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment

motor vehicles 14.9%; iron and steel products 5.4%; semiconductors 5%; auto parts 4.8%; power generating machinery 3.5%; plastic materials 3.3% (2014 est.)

Germany 9.8%, UK 8.2%, Iraq 5.4%, Italy 5.3%, US 4.7%, France 4.2% (2016)

US 20.2%, China 17.7%, South Korea 7.2%, Hong Kong 5.2%, Thailand 4.3% (2016)

$196.8 billion (2017 est.)

$191 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

$625.7 billion (2017 est.)

$583.5 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport equipment

petroleum 16.1%; liquid natural gas 9.1%; clothing 3.8%; semiconductors 3.3%; coal 2.4%; audio and visual apparatus 1.4% (2014 est.)

China 12.8%, Germany 10.8%, Russia 7.6%, US 5.5%, Italy 5.2% (2016)

China 25.8%, US 11.4%, Australia 5%, South Korea 4.1% (2016)

$107.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$106.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

$1.217 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

$1.233 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

$429.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$404.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 30

$3.24 trillion (31 March 2016 est.)

$2.83 trillion (31 March 2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

$143.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$133.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 39

$268.4 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$238.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

$41.81 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$38.31 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 46

$1.548 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.363 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

Turkish liras (TRY) per US dollar -

3.63 (2017 est.)

3.02 (2016 est.)

3.02 (2015 est.)

2.72 (2014 est.)

2.19 (2013 est.)

yen (JPY) per US dollar -

111.1 (2017 est.)

108.76 (2016 est.)

108.76 (2015 est.)

121.02 (2014 est.)

97.44 (2013 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

245.8 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

976.3 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

213.2 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 20

933.6 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

1.442 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 49

0 kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 152

6.4 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 33

0 kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 163

73.15 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 15

322.2 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

56.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 138

59.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 130

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 195

12.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 14

35.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 59

7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 126

11.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 66

15% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 48

49,500 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 55

3,918 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 84

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 200

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 142

506,300 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 18

3.181 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

388.5 million bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 54

44.12 million bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 80

618,300 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 29

3.536 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

943,700 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

4.026 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

134,900 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 39

381,100 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

527,700 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 16

1.141 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

381 million cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 73

4.453 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 53

81.35 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 15

123.6 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 10

624 million cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 41

0 cu m (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 125

48.43 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 7

114.7 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

18.49 billion cu m (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 77

20.9 billion cu m (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 76

319 million Mt (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 20

1.257 billion Mt (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

total subscriptions: 11,077,559

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 18

total subscriptions: 64,099,179

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 51 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

total: 75,061,699

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 93 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

total: 166,852,753

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 132 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

general assessment: comprehensive telecommunications network undergoing rapid modernization and expansion, especially in mobile-cellular services

domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay, is facilitating communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a domestic satellite system; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 105 telephones per 100 persons

international: country code - 90; international service is provided by the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable and by submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas that link Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia; satellite earth stations - 12 Intelsat; mobile satellite terminals - 328 in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2016)

general assessment: excellent domestic and international service

domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of every kind

international: country code - 81; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 7 Intelsat (Pacific and Indian Oceans), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), 2 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions), and 8 SkyPerfect JSAT (2012)

Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) operates multiple TV and radio networks and stations; multiple privately owned national television stations and up to 300 private regional and local television stations; multi-channel cable TV subscriptions available; more than 1,000 private radio broadcast stations (2009)

a mixture of public and commercial broadcast TV and radio stations; 6 national terrestrial TV networks including 1 public broadcaster; the large number of radio and TV stations available provide a wide range of choices; satellite and cable services provide access to international channels (2012)

.tr

.jp

total: 46,838,412

percent of population: 58.3% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 16

total: 116,565,962

percent of population: 92.0% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

number of registered air carriers: 15

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 531

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 96,604,665

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 2,882.162 million mt-km (2015)

number of registered air carriers: 23

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 627

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 113.762 million

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 8,868.745 million mt-km (2015)

TC (2016)

JA (2016)

98 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 58

175 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 33

total: 91

over 3,047 m: 16

2,438 to 3,047 m: 38

1,524 to 2,437 m: 17

914 to 1,523 m: 16

under 914 m: 4 (2013)

total: 142

over 3,047 m: 6

2,438 to 3,047 m: 45

1,524 to 2,437 m: 38

914 to 1,523 m: 28

under 914 m: 25 (2017)

total: 7

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 4

under 914 m: 2 (2013)

total: 33

914 to 1,523 m: 5

under 914 m: 28 (2013)

20 (2013)

16 (2013)

gas 12,603 km; oil 3,038 km (2016)

gas 4,456 km; oil 174 km; oil/gas/water 104 km (2013)

total: 12,008 km

standard gauge: 12,008 km 1.435-m gauge (3,216 km electrified) (2014)

country comparison to the world: 21

total: 27,311 km

standard gauge: 4,800 km 1.435-m gauge (4,800 km electrified)

dual gauge: 132 km 1.435-1.067-m gauge (132 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 124 km 1.372-m gauge (124 km electrified); 22,207 km 1.067-m gauge (15,430 km electrified); 48 km 0.762-m gauge (48 km electrified) (2015)

country comparison to the world: 11

total: 385,754 km

paved: 352,268 km (includes 2,127 km of expressways)

unpaved: 33,486 km (2012)

country comparison to the world: 19

total: 1,218,772 km

paved: 992,835 km (includes 8,428 km of expressways)

unpaved: 225,937 km (2015)

country comparison to the world: 6

1,200 km (2010)

country comparison to the world: 59

1,770 km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2010)

country comparison to the world: 44

total: 1,285

by type: bulk carrier 78, container ship 50, general cargo 432, oil tanker 121, other 604 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 22

total: 5,289

by type: bulk carrier 150, container ship 20, general cargo 1,963, oil tanker 714, other 2,442 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 3

major seaport(s): Aliaga, Ambarli, Diliskelesi, Eregli, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Mersin (Icel), Limani, Yarimca

container port(s) (TEUs): Ambarli (3,062,000), Mersin (Icel) (1,428,000) (2015)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Izmir Aliaga, Marmara Ereglisi

major seaport(s): Chiba, Kawasaki, Kobe, Mizushima, Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Tomakomai, Yokohama

container port(s) (TEUs): Kobe (2,707,000), Nagoya (2,631,000), Osaka (1,970,000), Tokyo (4,150,000), Yokohama (2,787,000) (2015)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Chita, Fukwoke, Futtsu, Hachinone, Hakodate, Hatsukaichi, Higashi Ohgishima, Higashi Niigata, Himeiji, Joetsu, Kagoshima, Kawagoe, Kita Kyushu, Mizushima, Nagasaki, Naoetsu, Negishi, Ohgishima, Oita, Sakai, Sakaide, Senboku, Shimizu, Shin Minato, Sodegaura, Tobata, Yanai, Yokkaichi; Okinawa - Nakagusuku

1.73% of GDP (2016)

1.85% of GDP (2015)

1.9% of GDP (2014)

1.96% of GDP (2013)

2.05% of GDP (2012)

country comparison to the world: 61

0.93% of GDP (2016)

0.94% of GDP (2015)

0.96% of GDP (2014)

0.95% of GDP (2013)

0.97% of GDP (2012)

country comparison to the world: 119

Turkish Armed Forces (TSK): Turkish Land Forces (Turk Kara Kuvvetleri), Turkish Naval Forces (Turk Deniz Kuvvetleri; includes naval air and naval infantry), Turkish Air Forces (Turk Hava Kuvvetleri) (2013)

Japanese Ministry of Defense (MOD): Ground Self-Defense Force (Rikujou Jieitai, GSDF), Maritime Self-Defense Force (Kaijou Jieitai, MSDF), Air Self-Defense Force (Koukuu Jieitai, ASDF) (2011)

21-41 years of age for male compulsory military service (in case of mobilization, up to 65 years of age); 18 years of age for voluntary service; 12-month conscript obligation for non-university graduates, 6-12 months for university graduates (graduates of higher education may perform 6 months of military service as short-term privates, or 12 months as reserve officers); conscripts are called to register at age 20, for service at 21; women serve in the Turkish Armed Forces only as officers; reserve obligation to age 41; Turkish citizens with a residence or work permit who have worked abroad for at least 3 years (1095 days) can be exempt from military service in exchange for 6,000 EUR or its equivalent in foreign currencies; a law passed in December 2014 introduced a one-time payment scheme which exempted Turkish citizens 27 and older from conscription in exchange for a payment of $8,150 (2013)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; mandatory retirement at age 53 for senior enlisted personnel and at 62 years for senior service officers (2012)

the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has actively pursued the goal of asserting civilian control over the military since first taking power in 2002; the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) role in internal security has been significantly reduced; the TSK leadership continues to be an influential institution within Turkey, but plays a much smaller role in politics; the Turkish military remains focused on the threats emanating from the Syrian civil war, Russia's actions in Ukraine, and the PKK insurgency; primary domestic threats are listed as fundamentalism (with the definition in some dispute with the civilian government), separatism (Kurdish discontent), and the extreme left wing; Ankara strongly opposed establishment of an autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq; an overhaul of the Turkish Land Forces Command (TLFC) taking place under the "Force 2014" program is to produce 20-30% smaller, more highly trained forces characterized by greater mobility and firepower and capable of joint and combined operations; the TLFC has taken on increasing international peacekeeping responsibilities including in Afghanistan; the Turkish Navy is a regional naval power that wants to develop the capability to project power beyond Turkey's coastal waters; the Navy is heavily involved in NATO, multinational, and UN operations; its roles include control of territorial waters and security for sea lines of communications; the Turkish Air Force adopted an "Aerospace and Missile Defense Concept" in 2002 and has initiated project work on an integrated missile defense system; Air Force priorities include attaining a modern deployable, survivable, and sustainable force structure, and establishing a sustainable command and control system; Turkey is a NATO ally and hosts NATO's Land Forces Command in Izmir, as well as the AN/TPY-2 radar as part of NATO Missile Defense (2014)

complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the Aegean Sea; status of north Cyprus question remains; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq; in 2009, Swiss mediators facilitated an accord reestablishing diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey, but neither side has ratified the agreement and the rapprochement effort has faltered; Turkish authorities have complained that blasting from quarries in Armenia might be damaging the medieval ruins of Ani, on the other side of the Arpacay valley

the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kuril Islands," occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities; Japan and South Korea claim Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do) occupied by South Korea since 1954; the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands are also claimed by China and Taiwan

refugees (country of origin): 157,000 (Afghanistan); 152,000 (Iraq); 33,000 (Iran) (2017); 3,589,384 (Syria) (2018)

IDPs: 1.113 million (displaced from 1984-2005 because of fighting between the Kurdish PKK and Turkish military; most IDPs are Kurds from eastern and southeastern provinces; no information available on persons displaced by development projects) (2017)

stateless persons: 780 (2016)

stateless persons: 626 (2016)

key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and, to a lesser extent, the US - via air, land, and sea routes; major Turkish and other international trafficking organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base into heroin exist in remote regions of Turkey and near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and over output of poppy straw concentrate; lax enforcement of money-laundering controls