Türkiye forms the interface between Europe and Asia, not only geologically but also in terms of history, culture, economics and
politics. Only a small portion, called
East Thrace, sits on the European continent but it includes
Istanbul,
Türkiye's powerhouse
and Europe's largest city. The Anatolian Peninsula, also called
Asia Minor, is part of Asia and includes
Türkiye's capital
Ankara.
Most
citizens are
Turks, but a minority is
Kurd and the groups share a long history of mistrust and violence.
Anatolia has
been on the crossroads of human history ever since first members of the genus Homo left Africa.
Stone tools from the
Gediz River are
1.2 million years old. Hunter-gatherers built the impressive
Gobekli Tepe complex around 10.000 BC. Starting 5000 BC, Anatolian
farmers migrated into Europe all the way to Ireland.
Today Türkiye is an industrialized
country and regional powerhouse, meddling more and more in the troubles and violence of the volatile Middle East.