Turkey

Republic of Turkey is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in western Asia and in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. The Turkish Straits, Bosporus and the Dardanelles, are commonly considered to delineate the boundary between Asia and Europe, thereby making Turkey transcontinental.

Turkey is a democratic, constitutional republic whose political system was established in 1923. Since then, Turkey has become increasingly integrated with the West through membership in organizations such as the Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE, and the G-20 major economies. The GDP growth rate averages 7.4‰, which makes Turkey one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

Turkey's landscape is speckled with battlegrounds, ruins, castles and the palaces of great empires. But for those who simply want to unwind, spend the afternoon being pampered, or let the warm waters of the Mediterranean coast lap at your toes. Bargain shoppers need look no further than Istanbul, where the markets, stylish and atmospheric are among the best in the world.