There isn't one country that is closest to Turkey because it shares its borders with eight others: Bulgaria to the northeast; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northwest; Armenia, Iran and Azerbaijan to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast.
Turkey is officially known as the Republic of Turkey, and 97 per cent of it is situated in Asia, while the remaining three per cent is in Europe. This geographical positioning has always placed it as the crossroads of Asia and Europe and so Turkey has always been strategically important.
For administrative purposes, Turkey is subdivided into 81 provinces, which in turn are organized into seven regions for census purposes, and 923 districts. Although Ankara is the capital city, the largest city is the pre-Republican capital, Istanbul. Provinces usually have the same name as their provincial capitals (with the exception of Hatay: Capital Antakya; Kocaeli: Capital Izmit; and Sakarya: Capital Adapazari), and the province of Istanbul has a population of 13 million.
Istanbul is also the financial, economic and cultural heart of Turkey.
Turkey became a republic in 1923, and has developed a strong tradition of secularism. The country's constitution is behind the government and the legal framework of Turkey, and sets out the principles and establishes Turkey as a unitary state that is centralized.
The President is the head of state, though the role is largely ceremonial, while executive power is held by the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, and legislative power is held by the unicameral parliament, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. The judiciary is independent of both of these, and the Constitutional Court has the responsibility of ruling on the conformity of laws and decrees. As a last resort there is the Council of State for administration and the High Court of Appeals for all other matters.
Turkey is officially known as the Republic of Turkey, and 97 per cent of it is situated in Asia, while the remaining three per cent is in Europe. This geographical positioning has always placed it as the crossroads of Asia and Europe and so Turkey has always been strategically important.
For administrative purposes, Turkey is subdivided into 81 provinces, which in turn are organized into seven regions for census purposes, and 923 districts. Although Ankara is the capital city, the largest city is the pre-Republican capital, Istanbul. Provinces usually have the same name as their provincial capitals (with the exception of Hatay: Capital Antakya; Kocaeli: Capital Izmit; and Sakarya: Capital Adapazari), and the province of Istanbul has a population of 13 million.
Istanbul is also the financial, economic and cultural heart of Turkey.
Turkey became a republic in 1923, and has developed a strong tradition of secularism. The country's constitution is behind the government and the legal framework of Turkey, and sets out the principles and establishes Turkey as a unitary state that is centralized.
The President is the head of state, though the role is largely ceremonial, while executive power is held by the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, and legislative power is held by the unicameral parliament, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. The judiciary is independent of both of these, and the Constitutional Court has the responsibility of ruling on the conformity of laws and decrees. As a last resort there is the Council of State for administration and the High Court of Appeals for all other matters.
