COUNTRY PROFILE: TURKEY
January 2006
COUNTRY
Formal Name: Republic of Turkey (Turkiye Cumhuriyeti).
Short Form: Turkey.
Term for Citizen(s): Turk(s).
Capital: Ankara.
Other Major Cities: Istanbul, İzmir (Smyrna), Bursa, Adana, Gaziantep, and Konya (in order of size).
Independence: Turkey celebrates October 29, 1923, the date on which the Republic of Turkey was declared after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, as its date of independence.
Public Holidays: New Year’s Day (January 1), Feast of the Sacrifice (January 10, 2006; variable date determined by the Islamic calendar), National Sovereignty and Children’s Day (April 23), Commemoration of Atatürk and Youth and Sports Day (May 19), Victory Day (August 30), Republic Day (October 29), and the End of Ramadan (October 24, 2006; variable date determined by the Islamic calendar).
Flag: The flag has a red background with a white crescent, open to the
right, on the left side and a five-pointed white star in the center.