III.

Population

The territory of Turkey has been home to ethnically and culturally distinct groups from the ancient Hittites, Phrygians, and Assyrians to Greeks, Persians, Romans, and Arabs (see Asia Minor). The nomadic forebears of the modern Turks came out of Central Asia in the 11th century ad, conquered Arab and Byzantine empires, and set themselves up as rulers. Their arrival placed the distinctive stamp of Turkish language and culture on the population they found there, and it was the instrument by which Islam replaced Christianity in this territory. More than 10 per cent of the population in the late 1980s, however, belonged to various ethnic groups that continue to maintain their individual identity, particularly the Greeks, Kurds, Arabs, Armenians, and Jews.

A.

Population Characteristics

Turkey’s population is 71,892,807 (2008 estimate), giving a population density of 93 people per sq km (242 people per sq mi). Some 67 per cent of the people lived in urban areas in 2005, compared with 25 per cent in 1945. The highest population concentrations are in İstanbul and in the coastal regions.

B.

Principal Cities

The population of İstanbul is 11,174,257 (2007 estimate); of Ankara, the capital, 3,428,000 (2003 estimate). İzmir has 2,409,000 people (2000); Adana, 395,388 (2007 estimate); and Bursa, 459,877 (2007 estimate).

C.

Religion

Islam ceased to be the official state religion of Turkey in 1928, when the country became a secular state. Nevertheless, 99 per cent of the population is Muslim—primarily Sunni, although large numbers of Shiites are found in the south-east. Christians account for less than 0.1 per cent of the population. The Jewish community is estimated to number around 25,000.

D.

Language

The official language of Turkey is Turkish, an Altaic language spoken by the majority of the population as a first or second language. However, around 33 other languages are spoken in Turkey. In the European part of the country Balkan Gagauz Turkish is the most widely spoken language, followed by Bulgarian, which is spoken by Muslim Pomaks. Armenian, Balkan Romani (an Indo-Iranian language), Serbian, Domari (spoken by Roma [Gypsies] in Turkey), and Tosk Albanian are among some of the languages indigenous to European Turkey.

In the Asian part of Turkey, aside from Turkish the most widespread language is Kurmanji, an Indo-Iranian language also referred to as “North Kurdish”. South Azerbaijani, an Altaic language, is a mother tongue for some, as are North Mesopotamian Spoken Arabic, Kabardian, (a North Caucasian language), Kirmanjki (Indo-Iranian), and Georgian (South Caucasian), among others.

E.

Education

At the birth of the republic more than 90 per cent of the people were illiterate. Atatürk’s major reforms included a far-reaching educational programme, and the first constitution stated that “primary education is obligatory for all Turks and shall be gratuitous in government schools”. By 2005 87.6 per cent of the adult population could read and write. Primary education through the first five grades is compulsory. In 2000 some 8.01 million pupils attended primary schools, 3.5 million students attended general secondary schools, and 1.3 million students attended technical and vocational schools. In 2002–2003, 3.6 per cent of gross national product (GNP) was allocated to education. Around 1.16 million students attended higher education institutions. Entrance to Turkey’s 70 or so universities is extremely competitive. Major institutions are the University of İstanbul (1453); Aegean University (1955), at İzmir; and the University of Ankara (1946) and Middle East Technical University (1956), at Ankara.

F.

Culture

A transition from Islamic artistic traditions under the Ottoman Empire (see Islamic Art and Architecture) to a more secular, Western orientation has gradually taken place in Turkey. Some Turkish painters strive to find their own art forms free from Western influence. Sculpture is less well developed, and public monuments are usually heroic representations of Atatürk and events from the war of independence. Folk music is a source of inspiration for longer symphonic works (see Islamic Music).

The earliest Turkish poetry survives in the epic poetry of the Kirghiz; their epic, the Manas, has been passed down by word of mouth through the ages. Early mystical poetry written by Yunus Emre and others in the 14th century gave way at court to learned poetry, called Divan poetry. More popular poetry was sung by minstrels, a tradition that continues to the present day. Many critics regard Kemal Tahir as the greatest modern Turkish novelist. Among authors translated into English is Yaşar Kemal, author of Memed, My Hawk (1955; translated 1961), a prizewinning novel of a modern Robin Hood, which won the author his international reputation; Anatolian Tales (1968); and Seagull (1981), a story that blends myth with realistic depiction of provincial life in modern Turkey. Another Turkish poet with an international reputation is Nazim Hikmet, a Marxist, who wrote his poems in forceful, colloquial Turkish, introducing free verse. Orhan Pamuk is Turkey’s most highly regarded current novelist; he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2006.

Turkey maintains state operas in İstanbul and Ankara, the Academy of Fine Arts in İstanbul, three music conservatories, a national folk dance troupe, and other cultural institutions. Christian churches converted to mosques, and mosques built by the famous Turkish architect Sinan, are in İstanbul, Edirne, Bursa, and other cities. The Sultan’s Palace (Topkapi Sarayi) is now a museum housing the imperial treasures and relics of the Prophet Muhammad. Ankara’s Museum of Anatolian Civilizations has outstanding Hittite, Phrygian, and other exhibits. Among the largest of Turkey’s many libraries are the National Library, in Ankara, and the Beyazit State Library, in İstanbul.