TR - Turkey

Turkey (Türkiye) is a Mediterranean nation in the south west of Asia and with a small portion in Europe (Eastern Thrace), beyond the Marmara Sea and the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits.

To know:
Turkey is bordered by the Black Sea to the north, the Aegean Sea to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The European part borders Bulgaria to the north and Greece to the west.

The name of Turkey, “Türkiye” in the Turkish language, can be divided into two components: “Türk”, which is an ethnic noun for “Turkish”, and iye, which is an adjectival suffix meaning “relative to”.

When to go:
The coast of Turkey overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea has a Mediterranean climate, with hot and dry summers and cold and wet winters. The coast of Turkey overlooking the Black Sea has an oceanic climate, with hot and humid summers and cold and humid winters. Inside, the climate is continental and given that the mountain ranges stop the influences of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, it includes hot and dry summers and cold and snowy winters; rainfall is low.

Territories and tourist destinations
Below, the seven tourist regions (and divisions for statistical purposes) of Turkey, among which Anatolia stands out: the vast internal plateau, bordered by mountain ranges at the coast.

      Marmara region (Marmara Bölgesi) – Includes areas bathed by the Marmara Sea including Eastern Thrace, (Trakya in Turkish), a region corresponding to the European part of Turkey. Its biggest attraction is Istanbul.
      Black Sea Region (Karadeniz Bölgesi) – Mountains entirely covered with forests that offer excellent opportunities for outdoor sports such as trekking and rafting.
      Aegean Region (Ege Bölgesi) – Among its major attractions are the archaeological sites of Ephesus, Pergamum and Troy. Izmir (İzmir) is the largest city in the region. Pamukkale is a World Heritage Site for its white waterfalls of limestone thermal waters and an archaeological site with the vast ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis (or Hierapolis or Gerapoli).
      Mediterranean Turkey (Akdeniz Bölgesi) – Mountains covered in pine forests that rise straight along the rugged coast bathed by a crystal clear sea.
Anatolia
      Central Anatolia Region (İç Anadolu Bölgesi) – Central tree-poor steppes which also includes the capital, Hittite and Phrygian ruins, and Cappadocia with a “lunar” appearance.
      Eastern Anatolia Region (Doğu Anadolu Bölgesi) – The eastern part with high mountains covered by severe winters.
      Southeast Anatolia (Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi) – The semi-desert part of the eastern central part of the country.