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Republic of Türkiye · Western Asia

Turkey
Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Quick answerTurkey is a country in Western Asia, with a population of 86,092,168 (2025). Its capital is Ankara, its official language is Turkish, and its currency is the Turkish lira (TRY). It covers 783,562 square kilometres (302,535 square miles), and its time zone is Europe/Istanbul.

Turkey is a transcontinental country where Europe meets Asia, home to about 86 million people. Its capital is Ankara, its largest city is Istanbul, its official language is Turkish, and its currency is the lira.

Key facts

CapitalAnkara
Population86,092,168 (2025) · 86.1 million
Population density111.9 people per km² (land area)
Area783,562 km² (302,535 sq mi) total · 769,632 km² (297,156 sq mi) land
Official languageTurkish (official)
CurrencyTurkish lira (TRY, ₺)
Time zoneEurope/Istanbul
GovernmentUnitary presidential republic
Coastline7,200 km
Highest pointMount Ararat, 5,137 m
Life expectancy77.4 years (2024)
Calling code+90
Driving sideRight
Internet domain.tr

Overview

Turkey is a transcontinental country, with most of its land in Anatolia in Western Asia and a smaller part, East Thrace, in South-Eastern Europe. Anatolia covers 755,688 square kilometres, about 97 per cent of the country, while East Thrace covers 23,764 square kilometres, about 3 per cent. The two parts are separated by the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles. Turkey borders eight countries — Greece and Bulgaria to the west, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran to the east, and Iraq and Syria to the south — and faces the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean. Mount Ararat, at 5,137 metres, is its highest point.

About 86.1 million people lived in Turkey in 2025, and about 89 per cent of them live in towns and cities. Ankara, the capital since 1923, has about 5.9 million people, while Istanbul, the largest city, has about 15.8 million and straddles the Bosphorus between Europe and Asia. Other major cities include Izmir, Bursa and Antalya. The country sits on active fault lines and is prone to earthquakes, a fact that shapes its building codes and its cities. Turkish is the official language, and Kurdish is the most widely spoken minority language. Life expectancy at birth was 77.4 years in 2024.

Turkey is a unitary presidential republic. Its lands were home to the Hittites, Greeks, Romans and Byzantines before the Seljuk and Ottoman Turks, whose empire ruled from Constantinople — now Istanbul — for centuries after 1453. The Republic was proclaimed in 1923 under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The economy, worth about $1.8 trillion in 2026 by IMF estimate, is the world's sixteenth largest in nominal terms, built on manufacturing, agriculture, construction and tourism. Turkey has 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Göbekli Tepe, a temple complex close to 12,000 years old, and is famous for its cuisine, bazaars and Mediterranean and Aegean coasts.

Notable facts

How Turkey compares

Comparison table — Turkey next to 3 similar countries (neighbours first, then the same subregion).

CountryPopulationAreaDensityCapital
Turkey ★ 86,092,168 (2025) 783,562 km² 111.9 people per km² Ankara
Australia 27,801,023 (2025) 7,692,024 km² 3.6 people per km² Canberra
Brazil 213,421,037 (2025) 8,515,767 km² 25.2 people per km² Brasília
Canada 41,798,407 (2026) 9,984,670 km² 4.6 people per km² Ottawa

Cities in Turkey

See all 4 cities in Turkey →

Frequently asked questions

What is the capital of Turkey?

The capital of Turkey is Ankara. It has been the capital since 1923, when the Republic was proclaimed, and it has about 5.9 million people (2025). Ankara sits on the Central Anatolian plateau and is home to Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.

What is the population of Turkey?

Turkey had an estimated population of 86,092,168 in December 2025, according to TurkStat. That makes it the 18th most populous country in the world. About 89 per cent of Turks live in towns and cities, above all in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.

What language is spoken in Turkey?

Turkish is the official language of Turkey and is spoken by almost everyone in the country. It is the language of government, schools and the media. Kurdish is the most widely spoken minority language, and other languages include Arabic, Zaza, Circassian and Laz.

What currency is used in Turkey?

Turkey uses the Turkish lira (TRY, symbol ₺). The lira is divided into 100 kuruş. Cash and cards are both widely used, and prices in tourist areas are sometimes also shown in euros or US dollars. Cards are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops in the big cities.

Where is Turkey?

Turkey is mainly in Anatolia in Western Asia, with a smaller part, East Thrace, in South-Eastern Europe. It borders Greece and Bulgaria to the west, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran to the east, and Iraq and Syria to the south, with seas on three sides.

What time zone is Turkey in?

Turkey uses Turkey Time (TRT, UTC+3) all year round and does not observe daylight saving time. The IANA time zone name is Europe/Istanbul. Turkish time is three hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time, so noon in London in winter is 3 p.m. in Istanbul.

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1. What is the capital of Turkey?

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3. What currency is used in Turkey?

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Sources & last updated

Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.