EAP 1620 Turkey's Final Blog

Turkey

   Turkey, officially known as the Republic of Turkey is a Eurasian country located at the northeast end of the Mediterranean Sea in southeast Europe and southwest Asia. Capital Ankara, cities Istanbul, Izmir, Bursa, Adana, Gaziantep. Its neighbors are Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. Its terrain is narrow coastal plain surrounds Anatolia; an inland plateau becomes increasingly rugged as it progresses eastward. Turkey includes one of the more earthquake-prone areas of the world; its clime is temperate, hot, with dry summers with mild wet winters. The population is about 79.7 million and the country’s official language is Turkish.

Government:

Turkey is a parliamentary representative democracy. Since its foundation as a republic in 1923, Turkey has developed a strong tradition of secularism. Turkey's constitution governs the legal framework of the country. The Judicial system is highly structured. Turkish courts have no jury system; judges render decisions after establishing the facts in each case based on evidence presented by lawyers and prosecutors.

Economy:

   The currency of Turkey is known as Turkish lira. Turkey is a large, middle-income country with relatively few natural resources. Turkey, largely free-market economy, is one of the world’s leading producers of agricultural products; textiles; motor vehicles, ships and other transportation equipment; construction materials; consumer electronics and home appliances. In recent years, Turkey had a rapidly growing private sector, yet the state still plays a major role in industry, banking, transport, and communications. The economy of Turkey is defined as an emerging market economy by the IMF and is largely developed, making Turkey one of the world's newly industrialized countries.

Culture

Turkish Culture is unique in the world in that it has influenced and has been influenced in return by cultures and civilizations from China to Vienna and from Russian steps to North Africa for over millennia. Turkish culture reflects cultural  diversity, and remains mostly shaped by its deep roots in Middle East, Anatolia and Balkans, the cradle of many civilizations for at least twelve thousand years. Each region in Turkey has its own special folk dances and costumes.
    

Religion:

MUSIC:  

     The music of Turkey includes elements of Central Asian folk music, Arabic, Persian classical music, ancient Greco-Roman music and modern European and American popular music. Turkey, rich in musical heritage, has developed this art in two areas, Turkish classical music (similar to Greco- Roman) and Turkish folk music (Similar to Central Asian).

                      

                                       

CUISINE:

      Turkish cuisine inherited its Ottoman heritage which could be described as a fusion and refinement of Turkic, Arabic, Greek, Armenian and Persian cuisines. Turkish cuisine also influenced these cuisines and other neighboring cuisines, as well as western European cuisines. Turkey has a rich variety of cuisine that makes it worthwhile just to take a culinary tour of the country. It is said that travelers in Turkey, "come for the history but stay for the food".

Recipes

Turkish style Scrambled Eggs with Veggies (Menemen):

Ingredients:                    

6eggs,

1/2 green bell pepper,
3 small or medium tomatoes,
Salt and black pepper,
2 tbsp. butter

Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the seeded and cut bell pepper rings and cook them a few minutes. Then add the skinned and chopped tomatoes and cook until the juice is reduced to half. Mix in the lightly beaten eggs and salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook the eggs stirring constantly.

Serves 4. Approximately 1.5 eggs and 1/2 tbsp. butter per portion.

   Turkey's location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia makes it a country of significant geostrategic importance. Given its strategic location, a large economy, a cultural strength, and an open government. Turkey is a major regional power.

Work Cited Page:

Superintendent of, Documents. "Turkey." Background Notes On Countries Of The World: Republic Of Turkey (2011): 1. History Reference Center. Web. 03 July 2012.

"Turkey And Economic Development." Ataturk University Journal
Of Economics & Administrative Sciences 24.4 (2010): 23-46. Academic
Search Complete. Web. 3 July 2012.

"Culture In Turkey As Seen By Western Europeans." Journal Of Academic
Studies 12.47/48 (2010): 177-202. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 July
2012.

"Knowledge, Practice, And Political Community: The
Making Of The "Custom" In Turkey." Differences: A Journal Of Feminist
Cultural Studies 22.1 (2011): 172-228. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3
July 2012.

 Pictures: From Google.com

Video: From Youtube.com

Thanks

The End.

                                                                                                                                                                        

 

 

Stuffed Grape Leaves                                 

(Etli Yaprak Dolmasi):

Ingredients:

A jar of Grape Leaves,
1 cup long grain rice,
liberal pinch of salt,
1-2 large onions, finely chopped,
2 cloves of garlic, crushed,
2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley,
pinch of ground allspice,
pinch of ground black pepper,
3 Tbsp. of olive oil,
1 pound of ground meat (turkey, beef or lamb),
juice of 1 to 2 lemons,
2 cups chicken stock or water,

 butter.


    Cut the stems of the grape leaves. Place them in a large bowl, cover with boiling water and soak for 10-15 minutes and rinse with cold water. Soak the rice in salted hot water for 25 minutes. Meanwhile sauté the chopped onions, garlic, herbs and seasoning in the oil. Remove from heat; add the drained rice and the meat, mixing everything together very well.

   

Place a grape leave on a work surface, shiny side down, put about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture near the stem end, then fold in the end and sides and roll up neatly. Repeat this process until all the leaves are stuffed. Line the bottom of a large, heavy based pot with several grape leaves, and then arrange the filled rolls in stacks with lemon slices between.

Pour in the stock or the water; add dabs of butter on the top. Place a heat proof dish on the top to keep the rolls pressed down. Cover with a lid and simmer slowly for 1 to 2 hours, or until the leaves are tender. Serve the "dolma" lukewarm, sprinkled with lemon juice.

Alternatively, you may prefer to serve with a garlic, olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Garnish with halved lemon slices. The same stuff is also used for pepper.

                                                                                                   

                                                                    

  The religion of 99% of the population of Turkey is Islam; however Turkey is a secular state without any official religion. There are small minorities that follow the Muslim Religion. Members of other religions in Turkey only make up 1% of the population and most of these belong to the Christian religion and Jewish religion.