About Turkey
The current population of Turkey is 85,231,269 as of Sunday, June 27, 2021, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data.
Turkey population is equivalent to 1.08% of the total world population.
Turkey ranks number 17 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
The population density in Turkey is 110 per Km2 (284 people per mi2).
The total land area is 769,630 Km2 (297,156 sq. miles).
7 % of the population is urban (63,803,445 people in 2020)
The median age in Turkey is 31.5 years.
Turkey is situated at the crossroads of the Balkans, Caucasus, Middle East, and eastern Mediterranean. It is among the larger countries of the region in terms of territory and population, and its land area is greater than that of any European state. Nearly all of the country is in Asia, comprising the oblong peninsula of Asia Minor—also known as Anatolia (Anadolu)—and, in the east, part of a mountainous region sometimes known as the Armenian Highland. The remainder—Turkish Thrace (Trakya)—lies in the extreme southeastern part of Europe, a tiny remnant of an empire that once extended over much of the Balkans.
According to the Turkish constitution, the word “Turk,” as a political term, includes all citizens of the Republic of Turkey, without distinction of or reference to race or religion; ethnic minorities have no official status
With its unique geographical location combined with a rich and diverse history, right in the cradle of many different civilisations, Turkey is a privileged place to live for expatriates and their families.
The transportation system in Turkey makes good use of the country’s highly developed infrastructure. With 56 airports across the country, one can fly from one city to another in Turkey in less than an hour in most instances. An extensive network of highways makes it very easy to drive from your home to any major city in Turkey. The high-speed train network, meanwhile, has been improving rapidly in the last decade; the 14 largest cities of Turkey are expected to be interconnected with high-speed train lines by 2023, the centennial of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey.
The education system of Turkey underwent serious reforms in the last decade. Most apparent are the now compulsory twelve-year education and the dramatic increase in the number of schools and other educational institutions. Moreover, international schools, where only pupils holding a foreign passport can attend, are present throughout the country. While schools providing education in European languages such as English, German, French, and Italian are available, there are other institutions where languages such as Russian, Japanese, and Chinese are taught as well.
The healthcare system in Turkey mainly operates with three different types of hospitals: public, university, and private. While social and health securities are governed in essence by the state, it is also possible to have private health insurance. The majority of hospitals in Turkey, both public and private, are either meeting or surpassing international standards in equipment quality and expertise.
The cultural activities in which one can engage in Turkey are only limited by individual interests and capabilities. Be it arts, hobbies, entertainment, or other leisure activities, the possibilities are endless. In all major cities one can find movies, plays, concerts, ballets, operas, and other varieties of cultural activities awaiting either participants or spectators. Local festivals and more traditional forms of leisure activities are also rising in popularity.
Turkey’s rich geography and suitable terrain make the country an ideal place for alternative sports such as mountaineering, golf, scuba diving, rafting, skiing, and yachting. Naturally, well-established and popular sports like football, basketball, and volleyball have a considerable number of players and supporters all over the country.
Located in the Eastern Mediterranean region and surrounded on three sides by temperate seas, Turkey has a climate allowing for extreme variations in weather, often in the same region or province. As such, it is possible to go skiing in a mountain resort after sunbathing on a sandy beach, both in the same day.
Many of Turkey’s new residents hail from several countries in Europe, the US and the Gulf. Thanks to the amendments in Turkey’s property law that lifted the reciprocity principle, foreign home buyers and investors are now free to purchase nearly any property in Turkey. Moreover, foreigners who have acquired an immovable property worth a certain value with a title deed restricting sale for at least three years are eligible to acquire Turkish citizenship.
Foreigners wishing to work or reside in Turkey are obliged to file an application to the relevant Turkish authorities with required documents in order to obtain a work or residence permit. The methods and principles concerning work permits to be issued to foreigners that will be employed in Turkey vary by the relevant sector, such as education, housekeeping services, health services, tourism, aviation, entertainment, and others, as well as with respect to foreign direct investments, special foreign direct investments, professional services, and liaison offices. Meanwhile, along with ownership status of real estate, residence permits and Turkish citizenship are issued to foreigners mainly based on making a minimum fixed capital investment, creating jobs, depositing a certain amount of money in banks operating in Turkey, buying government bonds, or on the intention to run a business or establish commercial connections in Turkey.
