Turkey

About Turkey

     Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (help·info)), is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in southwest Asia and the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. Turkey borders eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest, Greece to the west, Georgia to the northeast, Armenia, Azerbaijan (the Nakhichevan exclave), and Iran to the east, Iraq and Syria to the southeast. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean Sea to the west, and the Black Sea to the north. Turkey also contains the Sea of Marmara, which is used by geographers to mark the border between Europe and Asia, thus making Turkey transcontinental.

     Because of its strategic location astride two continents, Turkey's culture has a unique blend of Eastern and Western tradition. A powerful regional presence in the Eurasian landmass with strong cultural and economic influence in the area between the European Union in the west and Central Asia in the east, Russia in the north and the Middle East in the south, Turkey has come to acquire increasing strategic significance.

     Turkey, a developed country, is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic whose political system was established in 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, following the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I. Since then, Turkey has become increasingly integrated with the West while continuing to foster relations with the Eastern world.

About Bartin

     Bartın is the provincial capital of Turkey's Bartın Province.

     Formerly a district of Zonguldak Province, Bartın has been made into a province seat in 1991 with the constitution of Bartın Province composed of 4 districts (the central Bartın district and 3 depending districts). The city is situated 14 kilometers inland on the Bartın River (Bartın Çayı) which is navigable for vessels between the city and the Black Sea coast.

      Bartın is one of the centers in Turkey's Black Sea region that is becoming increasingly attractive for tourists. With its rich architectural heritage, Bartın is a member of the Norwich-based European Association of Historic Towns and Regions (EAHTR).