Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Left Party or DSP [Mehmet Zeki SEZER]; Democratic
People's Party or DEHAP [Tuncer BAKIRHAN]; Justice and Development
Party or AKP [Recep Tayip ERDOGAN]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP
[Emin SIRIN]; Motherland Party or ANAP [leader NA]; Nationalist
Action Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI]; Republican People's Party or
CHP (includes the New Turkey Party) [Deniz BAYKAL]; Felicity Party
(sometimes translated as Contentment Party) or SP [Necmettin
ERBEKAN]; Social Democratic People's Party or SHP [Murat
KARAYALCIN]; True Path Party (sometimes translated as Correct Way
Party) or DYP [Mehmet AGAR]
note: the parties listed above are some of the more significant of
the 49 parties that Turkey had on 1 December 2004
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Sami EVREN];
Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [Suleyman
CELEBI]; Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association
or MUSIAD [Omer BOLAT]; Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Salim
USLU]; Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or
TUSIAD [Omer SABANCI]; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or
TISK [Refik BAYDUR]; Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is
[Salih KILIC]; Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen or
TESK [Dervis GUNDAY]; Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and
Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat HISARCIKLIOGLU]
International organization participation:
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN (observer), EAPC, EBRD,
ECO, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC, OPCW,
OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNRWA,
UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Osman Faruk LOGOGLU chancery: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 FAX: [1] (202) 612-6744 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York telephone: [1] (202) 612-6700
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Eric S. EDELMAN embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823 telephone: [90] (312) 455-5555 FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019 consulate(s) general: Istanbul consulate(s): Adana; note - there is a Consular Agent in Izmir
Flag description:
red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward
the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside
the crescent opening
Economy Turkey
Economy - overview:
Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern industry and
commerce along with a traditional agriculture sector that in 2001
still accounted for 40% of employment. It has a strong and rapidly
growing private sector, yet the state still plays a major role in
basic industry, banking, transport, and communication. The largest
industrial sector is textiles and clothing, which accounts for
one-third of industrial employment; it faces stiff competition in
international markets with the end of the global quota system.
However, other sectors, notably the automotive and electonics
industries, are rising in importance within Turkey's export mix. In
recent years the economic situation has been marked by erratic
economic growth and serious imbalances. Real GNP growth has exceeded
6% in many years, but this strong expansion has been interrupted by
sharp declines in output in 1994, 1999, and 2001. Meanwhile, the
public sector fiscal deficit has regularly exceeded 10% of GDP - due
in large part to the huge burden of interest payments, which
accounted for more than 40% of central government spending in 2003.
Inflation, in recent years in the high double-digit range, fell to
11.3% in 2004. Perhaps because of these problems, foreign direct
investment in Turkey remains low - less than $1 billion annually.
Results in 2002-04 improved, because of strong financial support
from the IMF and tighter fiscal policy. A major political and
economic issue over the next decade is whether or not Turkey will
become a member of the EU.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $458.2 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.8% (2003 est.)