1. TURKEY IN BRIEF
        The Turkish Republic was founded in 1923 by her first leader-Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Since the foundation of the Republic, the Turkish people have concentrated their efforts on the transformation of their country into a pluralistic and secular democracy. Turkey is a Parliamentary Democracy with a single chamber, the Grand National Assembly of 550 members directly elected for up to five-years terms. The President of the Republic is elected as head of state by members of the Grand National Assembly for a seven-years term. Legislative power is vested in the Grand National Assembly which performs this function on behalf of the Turkish Nation. Turkey covers an area of 775.000 square kilometres. It is larger than most European countries and exhibits an extremely diversified landscape which is characterised by seven distinct regions. There are 80 administrative provinces governed by local governors appointed by the central government. The capital city is Ankara which is-located in the centeral part of the country.
        Turkey is located at the south of the medium climate zone when the geographical location is taken into consideration and is under the effect of "Mediterranean Climate", which is a type of subtropical climate in which the summer season usually passes dry.
        The major urban centers and the greatest economic development are found in the Marmara, Aegean and Central Anatolian regions, which extend across central and north-western Turkey. The presence of the major cities like Istanbul, Izmir, Bursa and Ankara within these regions have enabled them to emerge as the predominant manufacturing and industrial districts. Besides, there is a further fast developing region in the south around Adana. The Black Sea region is heavily forested and the landscape provides ideal conditions for the cultivation of tea, nuts, tobacco and the processing of timber. In addition, several large ports create a vital link for transit trade to Iran, the Russian Federation and the Caucasian Republics.
        High mountains and plateaux scatter Turkey's eastern and southeastern landscape. Agriculture is the dominant means of livelihood, but small industries especially in the textile sector are arising in the region. With the development of GAP (Southeastern Anatolian Project), southeastern region is expected to become a predominant textile center in the world.