Largest Cities in Turkey

Facts about Turkey

Official languages: Turkish, Kurdish, Azerbaijani, Avar
Capital: Ankara
Area: 780,580 km²
Population: 77.8 million residents
Population density: 99.67 residents per km²
Currency: TRY
Internet TLD: .tr
ISO codes: TR , TUR, 792
The dialing code for Turkey is +90

Flag of Turkey

The Turkish flag consists of a red sheet with a motif of a white crescent and a five-pointed star placed closer to the flagpole. The symbolism of all these elements has its roots in ancient history. The color red was used by the Ottoman Empire, whose origins date back to the 13th century. Both the crescent moon and the star are old symbols of Islam, but they appeared in Turkey earlier, independently of Islam. The crescent moon has been on the flag since the 16th century and is a symbol of the goddess Diana, the guardian of the city of Byzantium. The star, which was originally eight-pointed, has been on the flag since 1793 and is associated with the Virgin Mary, to whom Constantinople (and later Istanbul) was dedicated. These symbols are said to have been chosen for the flag by Sultan Murad II when he saw the moon and star in a pool of blood during the Battle of Kosovo in 1448.

Turkey (officially Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (TC), German Republic of Turkey) is a democratic republic in the Middle East and Southeastern Europe. See Turkey Location on World Map. The unitary state has been laicist and Kemalist since its foundation in 1923; it became the successor state of the Ottoman Empire after the First World War.

Turkey extends geographically over two continents, Europe and Asia. Although it is mainly located in the Middle East, the European East Trakia also belongs to its national territory. This gives them control over the Bosphorus, access to the Black Sea. Thanks to its strategic location, Turkey has great influence in the region and in the Middle East.

Most of the Turks live in the Asian western half of the country. The east and south-east of the Anatolian highlands are Kurdish areas.

The economic situation in Turkey is still very contradictory. There is a very large gap between the industrialized west (especially the large metropolises) on the one hand and the agriculturally structured and less developed east on the other.

Turkey’s accession negotiations with the European Union have been ongoing since October 3, 2005, with interruptions. However, these are currently (2017) on hold due to the current development in Turkey.

Tourism plays an important role for Turkey. In 2014 around 41 million visitors were counted, four million of them from Russia. German tourists led the statistics with around 5 million visitors. In 2016, tourism figures fell by a third due to the political situation.

In general, travelers to Istanbul, Ankara and other major cities in Turkey are advised to exercise increased caution. Political tensions as well as violent clashes and terrorist attacks can be expected across the country. Travel to the border area between Turkey and Syria and Iraq, in particular to the cities of Diyarbakır, Mardin, Cizre, Silopi, Idil, Yüksekova and Nusaybin, as well as to the provinces of Şırnak and Hakkâri in general, is strongly discouraged.

Biggest Cities of Turkey by Population

Turkey is a country located in both Europe and Asia, with over 83 million people and a rapidly developing economy. The largest city in Turkey is Istanbul, with an estimated population of over 14.9 million people. It is the cultural, economic, and financial hub of the country. Located on the Bosphorus Strait, it offers a wide range of attractions for visitors such as markets like Grand Bazaar for experiencing local culture or parks like Gulhane Park for recreation activities such as biking or picnicking.

Ankara is the second-largest city in Turkey with around 5.4 million inhabitants living in its metropolitan area. Located near Turkey’s central Anatolia region, it has become an important political center due to its position as the capital of Turkey as well as home to many government institutions and embassies from other countries. Ankara also offers plenty of attractions for visitors such as Museum of Anatolian Civilizations for experiencing local culture or Mount Erciyes for outdoor activities such as skiing or hiking.

Izmir is the third-largest city in Turkey with around 4 million inhabitants living in its metropolitan area. Located near Aegean Sea’s shoreline, it has become an important economic center with many industries based here such as tourism and manufacturing. It also offers plenty of cultural attractions like Kadifekale Castle or Agora Open Air Museum which offer stunning views of traditional architecture or parks like Gediz Delta National Park for outdoor activities like trekking or wildlife watching.

According to Abbreviation Finder, Ankara is the capital city of Turkey.

Neighboring countries of Turkey

• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Bulgaria
• Georgia
• Greece
• Iraq
• Iran
• Syria