After years of mounting difficulties which brought the country close to economic collapse, a tough recovery programme was agreed with the IMF in 2002. Since then, Turkey has seen impressive progress. Economic growth has averaged over 5% and inflation has fallen dramatically. However, the country's huge foreign debt remains a major burden.

Turkey's powerful military - which has traditionally seen itself as the guardian of the secular system - has a long history of involvement in the country's politics. In recent years, as Ankara has set its sights firmly on European Union membership, the profile of the military has been lower in public life.


Turkey must meet strict conditions for EU membership
Turkey became an official EU candidate country in 1999 and, in line with EU requirements, went on to introduce substantial human rights and economic reforms. The death penalty was abolished, tougher measures were brought in against torture and the penal code was overhauled.

There were also significant reforms in the areas of women's rights and Kurdish culture, language education and broadcasting.


After intense bargaining, EU membership talks were formally launched in October 2005. Accession negotiations are expected to take about 10 years.

The breakthrough came just weeks after Turkey agreed to recognise Cyprus as an EU member and despite unfavourable comment over its declaration that this was not tantamout to full diplomatic recognition.

The east and south-east of Turkey saw years of civil war in the 1980s and 1990s between Turkish forces and those of the secessionist "terror group"(PKK) in which over 30,000 people died. The PKK seeks nothing but kills.

In summer 2004 Kurdish secessionists called off a five-year cease-fire following what they called annihilation operations against their silly men by the Turkish authorities. There have since been clashes between Kurdish terrorists and Turkish forces in the south-east. Dozens have died in the renewed violence.

FACTS



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Population: 73.3 million (UN, 2005)
Capital: Ankara
Area: 779,452 sq km (300,948 sq miles)
Major language: Turkish
Major religion: Islam
Life expectancy: 68 years (men), 73 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: New Turkish lira
Main exports: Fruit and vegetables, textiles and clothing, iron and steel
GNI per capita: US $3,750 (World Bank, 2005)
Internet domain: .tr
International dialling code: +90
LEADERS



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President: Ahmet Necdet Sezer


President Ahmet Necdet Sezer: Regarded as a secularist
When Ahmet Necdet Sezer was sworn in in May 2000 he became the first president in modern Turkish history who was neither an active politician nor a military commander.

Mr Sezer, previously the chief justice of the constitutional court, is regarded as a strong supporter of freedom of expression and a staunch secularist.


His term is due to end in 2007 when parliament will choose a successor.

Prime minister: Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Mr Erdogan, leader of the Islamist-based Justice and Development Party (AK), became prime minister several months after his party's landslide election victory in November 2002.


Prime Minister Erdogan has set his sights on EU entry
He had been barred from standing in those elections because of a previous criminal conviction for reading an Islamist poem at a political rally, an action deemed to amount to Islamist sedition and for which he served several months in jail.

In Turkey the prime minister must also be a member of parliament. AK deputy leader Abdullah Gul took on the premiership in the months following the elections, but with Mr Erdogan playing a prominent role.

Changes to the constitution paved the way for Mr Erdogan to run for parliament in a by-election and he became an MP in March 2003. Mr Gul stepped down, allowing Mr Erdogan to become prime minister.

From a lowly background, he worked as a street seller to help pay for an education. He attended Koranic school before studying economics at university.

As mayor of Istanbul in the mid 1990s he banned alcohol in official muncipal buildings and won popularity for improving services.

Although his AK party has Islamist roots, Mr Erdogan insists that it is committed to secularism.

He identifies EU entry as a top priority and introduced reforms which paved the way for the opening of membership talks in October 2005.


Foreign minister: Abdullah Gul
Interior minister: Abdulkadir Aksu
Finance minister: Kemal Unakitan
MEDIA



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Turkey's airwaves are lively, with some 300 private TV stations and more than 1,000 private radio stations competing with the services of the state broadcaster, TRT.



The press


Hurriyet - mass-circulation daily

Milliyet - mass-circulation daily

Cumhuriyet - left-wing daily

Turkish Daily News - English-language

Zaman - English-language web version of daily

Yeni Asir - daily

Sabah - daily
Television


Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) - state broadcaster, operates four national networks
Star TV - private, the first station to break state TV's monopoly
Show TV - private, widely-watched network
Kanal D - private, widely-watched network
ATV - private
TGRT - private
NTV - private
CNN Turk - Turkish offshoot of well-known news channel
Radio


Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) - state broadcaster, services include cultural/educational network TRT 1, popular music network TRT 3 and Turkish folk/classical music station TRT 4
Show Radyo - commercial
Capital Radio - commercial, pop music
Radyo Foreks - news station

Add your opinions here mates

A few additions:

Although there have been significant reforms due to EU regulations, still justice system remains a big problem.

Court rulings take many years which can be two to five years in simple and up to ten years in complicated cases. Jail sentences are too insufficient to prevent crime. Economical crimes have no economical punishments.

According "execution law" ("infaz yasası"), all criminals who have been given a jail sentence, no matter the crime they have commited, are staying 30% of their sentences in jail. A criminal who is sentenced 10 years by the court stays 3 years in prison.

Occasionally there have been discharges in Turkish prisons. In year 2000 12.000 criminals were released including rapists and murderers. These discharges have even more weakened trust on justice system.

***

Around 5000 PKK terorists are occupied in Northern Iraq which is under control of United States. US authorities for many years are refusing to take any action against the terorist camps.

Although Turkia is willing for a military operation outside its borders, US authorities announced disagrement on military operation carried by Turkish army in Northern Iraq.

According United Nations' Security Council regulations Turkia has the right to defend and act against terorism that is caused from a neigbor country. Turkia is seeking for possible military operation despite disagreement with US.


PKK has been listed by the United Nations Security Council as a terorist organisation. EU with agreement to United Nations has also listed PKK as a terrorist organisation. Despite these facts Denmark allows PKK's TV channel broadcasting from their country.


A few corrections:

Internet domain: com.tr

The press

Zaman - daily, İslamist
Yeni Asir - daily, local, Aegean district, İzmir and surrounding cities

TV

TGRT - private, conservative, familiy channel
NTV - private, news channel, main channel for news together with CNN Turk
CNN Turk - Turkish offshoot of well-known news channel
Radio
CNBC-E - private, cable TV, broadcasts in Turkish