The Republic of Turkey
By: Thomas Kosakowski
November 9, 2011
Period B
Government
• Turkey is a democracy
• The highest position in
the Turkish government
is the Prime Minister
• Turkey’s Prime Minister is
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
• Born on February 26, 1954
• He has been Prime Minister
since 2003
• He was a professional footballer
(soccer player)
• He is the first Prime Minister to
ever be called by his first name
The Flag
• Established in
1936
• Its design is a
red background
along with a
white crescent
moon slightly to
the left of
center and a
five-pointed star
slightly right of
the moon
Symbolizing
• The star and the moon are two
symbols of the Tengrist beliefs
towards sky-worshiping
• In Turkic Mythology four colors are
associated with the four directions
• "gok-blue" (east)
• "aq-white" (west)
• "al-red" (south)
• "qara-black" (north)
• These colors signify the direction
towards the zenith where the Tengri
is dwelling in the sky
Symbolizing
• The red and white colors on
the flag of Turkey represent
the south-western branch of
Turks called Oghuzes
• They are included in being
named the founders of Turkey
along with Azerbaijan,
Turkmenistan and Gagauzia
The History of Turkey
• Turkey first became occupied
during the sixth century
• In the tenth and eleventh
centuries, the first dynasty
came about in Turkey
• This dynasty was known as the
Seljuk Dynasty
The Mongol Empire
• On June 23, 1243, the Seljuk
armies were defeated by the
Mongols
• The Mongols would rule until
about 1453, when they were
replaced by the Ottoman
Dynasty
The Creation of Turkey
• The end of World War I
brought an end to the
Ottoman Dynasty
• Under the leadership of
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the
Allies established the
Republic of Turkey on
October 29, 1923
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
• He was a great military
commander during the World
War I era and the first
President of Turkey
• He is named "Atatürk" by
the Turkish people in 1934,
which means Father of the
Turks
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
World War II
• Turkey was neutral during most
of World War II, but on February
23, 1945, it joined the side of
the Allies
• Later that year in 1945, it
became a charter member of
the United Nations
Other Facts
• Turkey joined NATO in 1952
• It is currently not part of the
European Union
• The main religion found here is
Islam
• The main language spoken here
is Turkish
Interesting Facts
• The only city in the world
located on two continents is
Istanbul, which has been the
capital of three great empires,
Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman
for more than 2000 years.
• The oldest known human
settlement is in Catalhoyuk,
Turkey (7500 BC).
Interesting Facts
• Temple of Artemis and the
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus,
two of the seven wonders of the
ancient world, are in Turkey.
• Turks introduced coffee to
Europe.
• Turks gave the Dutch their
famous tulips.
Interesting Facts
• Anatolia is the origin of the
names of Paris, Philadelphia
and Europe.
• Anatolia is the location of the
first known beauty contest,
judged by Paris, with Aphrodite,
Hera and Athena as leading
participants.
Interesting Facts
• The last home of Virgin Mary is in
Selcuk near ephesus(efes)
• The Famous Trojan Wars took place
in western Turkey, around the site
where a wooden statue of the Trojan
Horse rests today.
• According to legend, Noah's Ark
landed on Agri Dagi (Mount Ararat) in
Eastern Turkey.
The End!