Population of Turkey
The population of Turkey is currently estimated at around 71.3 million people.
82% of the population are Turks, 10.6% are Kurds, and the rest of the population consists of Arab, Greek (around 100k in Istanbul), Armenian, Jewish, Cherkessk, and other ethnic minorities. In addition to the above, the country is the homeland of 3 million Turks living abroad, mostly in Germany. The major cities are Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Bursa. The average life expectancy (as of 1992): 68 for males, 72 from females. The birth rate is 29/1000 people (as of 1999).
For many centuries Turkey was a region were different ethnic groups made contact and mixed together. The ancient inhabitants of Anatolia were of similar appearance with the Sumerians from Mesopotamia and Caspian Turks from Central Asia. Starting with approximately 2000 BC, when the territory of Anatolia was invaded by the Indo-European tribes to form the Hittite Kingdom, and during the whole period of Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman domination which followed, the native population of Turkey went through a surprisingly small change. The Turkish tribes that settled here later became another ethnical component of the country's population.
The population of Turkey is very courteous and honest. In difficult situations the locals will always help. If you ever talk to a Turkish person you should never hurry. Like all the other eastern peoples, according to the western norms, the Turks are quite laid back and not very punctual. If you are trying to do a business agreement you should agree on price ahead of time.
The population of Turkey pays special attention to etiquette. They are very considerate towards people who respect traditions of Turkey or at least know a few words in Turkish. In the latter case virtually all the doors will be open for you.
No matter how sophisticated the traditions are in a country, the most interesting is always the people. Those of you who have been to Turkey probably noticed that the appearance of Turks is very varied. You could see dark haired brunettes, who look more like Africans, and blue-eyed blondes, as well as red haired Armenians and Europeans. In such a way, the exterior appearance of Turks mirrors all the peculiarities of their ethnical heritage. But the appearance of Turks has one important distinctive feature, with the exception of officers – a mustache, an object of special pride for men.
Family ties, and relatives in general are of great importance for the Turkish people. In Christian, or any other urban family in Turkey, a strong clear hierarchy can be observed: the children and the mother always obey the head of the family – the father, the younger brothers obey the older ones, and the sisters obey the older sister and the mother and all the brothers. The oldest brother, aga bei, or aga, is like a second father for the rest of the brothers. He must protect the honor of his sisters, which oftentimes transforms him into a little tyrant, especially when he makes the life of one of his sisters a living hell. Nonetheless, for any family in Turkey, an elderly mother who gave birth to many children enjoys much respect, especially from the husband, and especially if she gave birth to more than one son.
Bachelor life is an unnatural state of being in a Turkish village. Even a rich single who has a lot of people working for him may feel incomplete. The disappearance of wooden houses in cities and the modern apartment system has introduced a new family structure into the lives of the Turkish people. There is evident atomization in a randomly selected family in Turkey, especially in the cities – they become smaller, more independent and secluded from clans and big family groups. If the newlywed do not live with their parents they still visit each other often. Turkey hardly knows about retirement homes. When even relationships with the neighbors is made warmer by mutual attention, imagine the situation with the moral responsibility of the relatives.
