"ONLY IN TURKEY"

ONLY IN TURKEY

* In terms of population, Turkey is the second largest country in Europe (after Germany), with 70 million people. In 2020, it is projected to be the most populous European country, with a population of 83 million.

* Four million Turks live abroad. Of that number, almost 2.5 million live in Germany.

* Geographically, Turkey straddles two continents, Europe in the west and Asia in the east.

* The two continents are divided by the Istanbul and Dardanelles straits, which are located in Turkey.

* Turkey is unique in being on the one hand Balkan and European, and on the other, Middle Eastern, Caucasian and Asian. It is also as much a Black Sea country as it is an Aegean and Mediterranean one.

* Another unique aspect of Turkey is the fact that it is the only democratic, secular country among the Muslim nations of the Middle East.

* In addition to being a pioneering country in the Islamic world, Turkey has also become fully integrated into Europe since 1923, when the Republic was established. She is a member of almost all European/European-related institutions, such as the Council of Europe, OSCE, NATO, OECD. Turkey has been an associate member of the European Union since 1963 and a candidate for full membership in the Union since 1999.

* Turkey has the second biggest Army in NATO after the United States.

* Turkey also entertains relations of strategic cooperation with the United States.

* Turkey lies in close proximity to 70 percent of the world's proven energy resources and is a prospective regional centre for storage and distribution of oil and natural gas.

* Turkey is among the world's 20 largest economies and she is a member of the Group of 20 countries.

* The Turkish economy has been identified as being one of the 10 significant emerging markets by U.S. sources.

* Turkey is a prominent producer and exporter of many commodities. Here are some examples:

* Turkey is the leading cement producer in Europe and the seventh-ranked producer in the world.

* Turkey is the second-ranked producer of glass-made items in Europe and fourth-ranked producer in the world.

* Turkey has 40% of the world marble reserves.

* Turkey is the second-ranked exporter of jewelry in the world.

* Turkey is the world's leading supplier of processed leather.

* Turkey is the second-ranked supplier of textiles and garments to the EU.

* Turkey is the fifth-ranked carpet exporter in Europe.

* Turkey is the sixth-ranked cotton producer in the world.

* Turkey is the world's principal supplier of hazelnuts, chickpeas, fresh and dried figs, and apricots.

* Turkey is the second-ranked supplier of cherry and watermelon in the world.

* Turkey is the second-ranked producer of pine tree honey in the world.

* Turkey is the second-ranked supplier of red lentils in the world.

* Turkey is the third-ranked producer of tomatoes and second-ranked producer of tomato paste in the world.

* Turkey is the third-ranked producer of olives and fourth-ranked producer and exporter of olive oil in the world

THE BEST OF 2004 IN TURKEY:

The Bus: VARAN

The Airline: FLY AIR

The Resort: CLUB CAPA

The Beach: OLUDENIZ

The City: ANTALYA

The Hotel: Four Seasons Istanbul

ANTALYA**: THE CITY OF 2005

The city of Antalya stretches along the bay bearing its name, and is built at 39 meters altitude on a rocky coastline. One is immediately struck by the Taurus mountains rising to 3086 meters above this coastline, intersperesed withvalleys of varying sizes. Land and sea everywhere meet the beaches stretching for miles or the steep cliffs. The Taurus mountains against the blue backdrop of the sky, the precipices and especially the caves close to the sea add another dimension to the beauty of the region.

Small and large streams emerging from the west side of the Taurus water the plains on their journey to the Mediterranean. This translucent running water, cascading into the sea at points along the coast, is another attractive sight.

The plant life of Antalya is extremely varied. Every kind of tropical plant can be found along the coast. Visitors to Antalya are struck by the size attained by the different species of cactus. When you reach the foothills of the Taurus, you will see they are covered in the typical Mediterranean maquis, while the forests are full of thriving oaks and pine trees. The coton and sesame plantations and citrus and banana groves of the plains have a beauty of their own.

In Antalya the four seasons only appear on the calendar, as there is no real winter here, so much so that when in 1985 for the first time in 60 years snow fell, it was front page news.

The summers are hot and rainless while the other months are warm and often rainy, with a mean annual temperature of 18.7 C. On average there is no rain for 309.5 days a year. It is very rare for the temperature to drop below zero. During the last 40 years the highest recorded temperature was 44.6 C. In Antalya the average humidty rate is 64%, whereas the seat temperatures are 17.6 C in January, 18.0 C in April, 27.7 C in August and 24.5 C in September.

*News Only In Turkey

GO TO ANTALYA!

TO THE BEACH OF 2003
OLUDENIZ BEACH