FACTS & FIGURES

Turkey has a very diverse culture that is a blend of various elements of the Oguz Turkic

• Anatolian Ottoman (which was itself a continuation of both Greco-Roman and Islamic cultures) Western culture and traditions During the first years of the republic, the government invested a large amount of resources into fine arts, such as museums, theatres, and architecture.

Due to various historical factors playing an important role in defining the modern Turkish identity, Turkish culture is a product of being "modern" combined with the traditional religious and historical values.

Population: 71,158,647 (July 2007 est.)

• Population growth rate: 1.04% (2007 est.)
• Language: Turkish is the native language of 90 percent of the population. Some 70 other languages and dialects are also spoken, including various dialects of Caucasian and Persian as well as Arabic, Greek, Latin and Armenian.
• Literacy: 87.4%
• 141 universities and institutions of higher education
• Notes: M.Kemal Atatürk is the only political leader of the world who earned the title "first teacher".
• The literacy rate is increased from 12% in 1923 up to almost 90% in 2003 in just 80 years.
• Turkish has a similar structure like Japanese and Basque and has about 5500 words common with Hindi.
• Family Values: Traditional family values prevail both in rural areas and in the modern life.
• The father is the undisputed leader of the family. Members of large Turkish families are loyal to the family unit. It is rare for a person to live alone or to leave home before marriage.
• Elder members of the family live with their children after retirement and raise grandchildren
• In rural areas, arranged marriages are common, but in urban areas the choice is generally that of the couple.
• Traditional wedding celebration is the most important ceramony for the marrying couple in their lifetime.
• The majority of the Turkish population is Muslim, belonging to the Sunni branch of Islam.
• The remainder of the population belongs to other beliefs, particularly Christian denominations and Judaism.
• There is a strong tradition of secularism in Turkey since 1937. The state has no official religion nor promotes any.
• The constitution recognises freedom of spiritual choices and practice of rituals of any religion.

Traditional arts such as:

• Carpet weaving 3 Calligraphy
• Paper Marbling
• Stone Carving
• Ceramics
• Tile Making
• Wood Carving
• Jewellery
• Embroidery are still flourishing today.