Once the centre of the Ottoman Empire, the modern secular republic was established in the 1920s by nationalist leader Kemal Ataturk, straddling the continents of Europe and Asia, Turkey's strategic location has given it major influence in the region - and control over the entrance to the Black Sea.

-Overview of Turkey

After years of mounting difficulties which brought the country close to economic collapse, a tough recovery programme was agreed with the IMF in 2002. Since then, Turkey has seen impressive progress. Economic growth has averaged over 5% and inflation has fallen dramatically. However, the country's huge foreign debt remains a major burden.

Turkey's powerful military - which has traditionally seen itself as the guardian of the secular system - has a long history of involvement in the country's politics. In recent years, as Ankara has set its sights firmly on European Union membership, the profile of the military has been lower in public life.

Turkey must meet strict conditions for EU membership. Turkey became an official EU candidate country in 1999 and, in line with EU requirements, went on to introduce substantial human rights and economic reforms. The death penalty was abolished, tougher measures were brought in against torture and the penal code was overhauled.

There were also significant reforms in the areas of women's rights and Kurdish culture, language education and broadcasting.

After intense bargaining, EU membership talks were formally launched in October 2005. Accession negotiations are expected to take about 10 years.

The breakthrough came just weeks after Turkey agreed to recognise Cyprus as an EU member and despite unfavourable comment over its declaration that this was not tantamout to full diplomatic recognition.

The east and south-east of Turkey saw years of civil war in the 1980s and 1990s between Turkish forces and those of the secessionist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in which over 30,000 people died. The PKK seeks greater political and cultural rights for the Kurdish community.

In summer 2004 Kurdish secessionists called off a five-year cease-fire following what they called annihilation operations against their fighters by the Turkish authorities. There have since been clashes between Kurdish fighters and Turkish forces in the south-east. Dozens have died in the renewed violence.

-Facts about Turkey

Population: 73.3 million (UN, 2005)

Capital: Ankara

Area: 779,452 sq km (300,948 sq miles)

Major language: Turkish

Major religion: Islam

Life expectancy: 68 years (men), 73 years (women) (UN)

Monetary unit: New Turkish lira

Main exports: Fruit and vegetables, textiles and clothing, iron and steel

GNI per capita: US $3,750 (World Bank, 2005)

Internet domain: .tr

International dialling code: +90

-Turkish Leaders

President: Ahmet Necdet Sezer

When Ahmet Necdet Sezer was sworn in in May 2000 he became the first president in modern Turkish history who was neither an active politician nor a military commander.

Mr Sezer, previously the chief justice of the constitutional court, is regarded as a strong supporter of freedom of expression and a staunch secularist.

His term is due to end in 2007 when parliament will choose a successor.

Prime minister: Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Mr Erdogan, leader of the Islamist-based Justice and Development Party (AK), became prime minister several months after his party's landslide election victory in November 2002.

He had been barred from standing in those elections because of a previous criminal conviction for reading an Islamist poem at a political rally, an action deemed to amount to Islamist sedition and for which he served several months in jail.

In Turkey the prime minister must also be a member of parliament. AK deputy leader Abdullah Gul took on the premiership in the months following the elections, but with Mr Erdogan playing a prominent role.

Changes to the constitution paved the way for Mr Erdogan to run for parliament in a by-election and he became an MP in March 2003. Mr Gul stepped down, allowing Mr Erdogan to become prime minister.

From a lowly background, he worked as a street seller to help pay for an education. He attended Koranic school before studying economics at university.

As mayor of Istanbul in the mid 1990s he banned alcohol in official muncipal buildings and won popularity for improving services.

Although his AK party has Islamist roots, Mr Erdogan insists that it is committed to secularism.

He identifies EU entry as a top priority and introduced reforms which paved the way for the opening of membership talks in October 2005.

Foreign minister: Abdullah Gul

Interior minister: Abdulkadir Aksu

Finance minister: Kemal Unakitan

-Media in Turkey

Turkey's airwaves are lively, with some 300 private TV stations and more than 1,000 private radio stations competing with the services of the state broadcaster, TRT.

For Turkish journalists, the subjects of the military, Kurds and political Islam are highly sensitive and can lead to arrest and criminal prosecution. Media watchdogs and rights groups report that journalists have been imprisoned, or attacked by police. It is also common for radio and TV stations to have their broadcasts suspended for airing sensitive material.

Some of the most repressive sanctions against journalists have been lifted as part of reforms intended to meet EU entry requirements. But the Paris-based watchdog Reporters Without Borders noted in 2004 that the gap between declared good intentions and reality remained wide.

Kurdish-language broadcasts, banned for many years, were introduced by the state broadcaster in June 2004 as a part of reforms intended to meet EU criteria on minorities. Some overseas-based Kurdish TV channels broadcast via satellite.

-The press

Hurriyet - mass-circulation daily

Milliyet - mass-circulation daily

Cumhuriyet - left-wing daily

Turkish Daily News - English-language

Zaman - English-language web version of daily

Yeni Asir - daily

Sabah - daily

-Television

Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) - state broadcaster, operates four national networks

Star TV - private, the first station to break state TV's monopoly

Show TV - private, widely-watched network

Kanal D - private, widely-watched network

ATV - private

TGRT - private

NTV - private

CNN Turk - Turkish offshoot of well-known news channel

-Radio

Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) - state broadcaster, services include cultural/educational network TRT 1, popular music network TRT 3 and Turkish folk/classical music station TRT 4

Show Radyo - commercial

Capital Radio - commercial, pop music

Radyo Foreks - news station

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