http://www.turkeycentral.com/page/index.html/_/turkey-articles/turkey/ Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:32:05 +0000 43200 Articles about the country of Turkey itself, its history, geography, and people. http://www.turkeycentral.com/page/index.html/_/turkey-articles/turkey/turkish-government-r56 Question: How is the Turkish Government organized? How often are elections held in Turkey? What is the political structure of Turkey?

Answer: The Turkish government system resembles England’s system, and the Turkish Constitution clearly marks the separation of the three powers of legislative, executive, and judiciary branches of government.

Legislative Power

Legislative power is exercised by the Turkish Grand National Assembly, generally referred to as parliament. It has 550 deputies representing the 81 provinces of Turkey. Deputies are elected through direct elections for a five-year term. The number of deputies for each province is determined by the population of the province. For example, Adana has 14 deputies while Istanbul has more than 50 deputies in parliament.

The National Assembly enacts, amends, and abrogates, or annuls laws; monitors the actions of the Council of Ministers (cabinet) and ministers, delegates to the Council of Ministers authority to issue “Decrees in Power of Law” for specific subjects, debates and passes the budget and bills for final accounts, and ratifies the printing of currency, makes the declaration of war and international agreements.

The speaker of the national assembly also assumes presidential duties in the absence of the president on account of illness, foreign travel, or death.

Executive Power

Executive power is exercised by the president and Council of Ministers. The president is elected for a single term of seven years from among members of the national assembly or among Turkish citizens 40 years or older who are eligible to be elected to parliament. The current president, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, was elected May 16th, 2000.

The president summons the national assembly to session, publishes law, returns laws to parliament for reconsideration, decides upon renewal of parliamentary elections, appoints or accepts the resignation of the prime minister and presides over the Council of Ministers.

The president can't have political ties with any single political party. As the head of the state, he or she represents the Republic of Turkey and the integrity of the Turkish nation. The president appoints the Turkish representatives abroad.

Traditionally, the majority party leader is appointed as the prime minister. The prime minister appoints the ministers the prime minister and the Council of Ministers are considered the actual rulers of the country. In addition to the elected mayors, every province has a governor, and every town has a sub-governor appointed by the government as the highest authority of the province or the town. Governors and sub-governors are appointed for an indefinite term.

Judiciary Power

Judiciary power is exercised by the independent courts on behalf of the Turkish nation.]]> Fri, 17 Jun 2011 04:25:22 +0000 1c9ac0159c94d8d0cbedc973445af2da http://www.turkeycentral.com/page/index.html/_/turkey-articles/turkey/turkish-carpet-care-r55 Question: When I was in Adana last month, I saw Turkish carpets hanging over apartment building balconies. A Turkish friend of mine told me those carpets were being washed. How can we wash Turkish carpets and kilims?

Answer: In some parts of Turkey, late spring is the season to remove carpets from floors and store them away until winter. In hot weather, wool carpets add more heat to the house if left on the floors. Before moving carpets and storing them all summer, they are cleaned.

Washing carpets is not a common practice unless a carpet is very dirty. Normally, Turkish women vacuum carpets first, and then wipe them with a rag soaked in soap foam. Then they wipe them again with another rag soaked in clean fresh water. Naturally, the carpet gets a little wet. In order to dry, carpets are hung over balconies.

Before rolling up and putting them away for several months, moth powder is spread between the rolls. Turks often own several carpets. Turkish carpets are products of months of labor and, in some cases, and investment for the buyer that will retain its value as years pass. Carpets are woven on looms by knotting wool or silk on cotton or wool threads. As well as the design and quality of the material used, the value of a carpet depends on the number of knots it has in once square centimeter. Kilims are flat woven carpets with very interesting designs as well. Those valuable carpets and kilims need special care. The wool pile attracts dust and dirt, and regular cleaning is required to keep them bright and attractive.

The colors of machine-made carpets are more stable than handmade carpets and kilims. Most of the dark colors, particularly red, blue, and green, have a tendency to run when the carpet is washed. Here are some tips to keep in mind while washing a Turkish carpet or kilim:

• Don't wash carpets or kilims in washing machines of any kind
  
• Vacuum the carpet well before cleaning. Holding it upside down and shaking it serves the same purpose. Hanging and beating the carpet is not good. Some people turn the carpets upside down and use it that way for a while causing dust and dirt in the wool pile to fall onto the floor.
  
• Spread the carpet out on a wooden rack. A flat, clean concrete surface serves the same purpose.
  
• Use cold water only to wet it.
  
• Rub the carpet with a soft brush soaked in carpet shampoo or soap specially designed for wool. Cold water soap could be used for machine made carpets.
  
• Rinse the carpet well with lots of cold water.
  
• Leave it in the sun to dry.
  
• Never hang the carpet to dry, spread it out
  

Another useful thing to keep in mind is that if something spills on the carpet, make sure to clean and dry it immediately. Dry the surface and the bottom side. A hair dryer may be used to dry damp carpets. I recommend you roll carpets rather than fold them when you want to store then for a while. Kilims, though, can be folded. Carpets should be rolled with moth balls, wrapped in a piece of cloth and stored in a dry place. Moth balls should be used with Kilims as well. Following these few simple rules can keep your carpets clean and looking good for years to come.]]> Fri, 17 Jun 2011 04:09:26 +0000 2a79ea27c279e471f4d180b08d62b00a http://www.turkeycentral.com/page/index.html/_/turkey-articles/turkey/turkish-marble-r54
Mining marble has been done for thousands of years in Turkey. The type, color, and quality of the marble depend on the area and depth at which it is mined. Turkish marbles come in black, white, grey, brown, pink, and even green. Of course it is not a solid color but a variation of those colors. The base is mainly white and other colors mixed with white. The most precious marble is the pure white.

Due to its abundance, marble is cheaper than wood in Turkey. Marble is one of the leading export items in Turkey. Naturally, marble craftsmanship is also very high in Turkey. You will see master craftsmanship in mosques throughout the country. Every single mosque in Turkey has beautiful marble work. It took two full years for the master marble craftsman to just choose the best marble to be used in the Sabanci Mosque in Adana. He visited all of the marble mines in Turkey for that purpose.

Osmaniye, 50 miles east of Adana, is another marble mining center. The green solid marble block that weighs 38 tons on Ataturk’s tomb at the Ataturk mausoleum in Ankara was mined in Osmaniye.]]> Fri, 17 Jun 2011 03:58:11 +0000 1d7f7abc18fcb43975065399b0d1e48e http://www.turkeycentral.com/page/index.html/_/turkey-articles/turkey/turkish-national-police-traffic-police-and-ja-r53 Question: What's the difference between the traffic police, the Turkish National Police, and the Jandarma?

Answer: All three organizations are in place to enforce the law. The traffic police control traffic in cities or on highways. They’re also in charge of keeping records of vehicles in Turkey. Traffic police officers also register and de-register vehicles.

The Turkish National Police are in charge of security and law enforcement in cities. They have various departments, such as narcotics and homicide. As a matter of fact, the traffic police fall under the Turkish National Police.

The Jandarma is one of the four branches of the Turkish Armed Forces. The others are the Army, Air Force, and the Navy. The Jandarma provides security and law enforcement services in rural areas, as well as protecting borders and preventing smuggling.]]> Fri, 17 Jun 2011 03:51:22 +0000 b3e3e393c77e35a4a3f3cbd1e429b5dc http://www.turkeycentral.com/page/index.html/_/turkey-articles/turkey/childrens-day-in-turkey-r52
We celebrate the holiday every year on April 23rd, and it is officially known as National Sovereignty and Children's day. There is a lot of history behind this day. When the Ottoman Empire was defeated in World War I, England, France, Italy, Greece, and Russia's winning forces occupied Turkey. The country's ruling sultan was only a figurehead because the occupying forces, mainly England, dictated orders to him in Istanbul, the capital of the empire. The occupying British forces closed the Ottoman Parliament. Some parliament members fled, some were exiled, and others were put in prison.

Mustafa Kemal, later named Ataturk, didn't stand still. Knowing and believing in his nation, he left Istanbul and ignited the War of Independence in Anatolia. He set up resistance forces and organized congresses at different locations. In order to succeed, he knew the nation had to be united, so he sent messages throughout the country asking for support.

Representatives traveled to Ankara to help make decisions on the nation's future, Ankara was in a central region of Anatolia and was not occupied by foreign forces. Ankara was proclaimed as the capital of the country later on. The first Grand National Assembly opened April 23rd, 1920, under Ataturk's chairmanship.

The vital decisions of the Grand National Assembly saved the country and led to the founding of the Republic of Turkey. During the War of Independence, many children were left as homeless orphans. Ataturk's concern for these children led to the foundation of the Institute for the Salvation of Children. Then, because children were the future of Turkey, Ataturk dedicated the day, the young republic's most important day, to the children of the nation in celebration of the opening of the Grand National Assembly.

Every April 23rd marks the anniversary of that happy and important event. It is a national holiday. Major ceremonies and celebrations take place in Ankara and Istanbul. Throughout the country, elementary schools are decorated and children wear special uniforms to commemorate the day. One special activity is to have a child, symbolically, in charge of every administrative position from president to mayor. Children usually give orders like opening new playgrounds or schools.

In 1979, the United Nation's Year of the Child, the Turkish government proposed that April 23rd be declared a holiday for the children of the world. That same year, Turkey started inviting children from every country to come and participate in its Children's Day festivities. TRT (the state run Turkish Radio and Television) sponsors an annual international Children's Day festival. Hundreds of children from different countries march in the streets of major cites in their national traditional dress, performing native dances. Every year children from more than 40 countries come together and celebrate a happy event and plant the seeds of peace and brotherhood between nations.]]> Fri, 17 Jun 2011 03:48:53 +0000 37a749d808e46495a8da1e5352d03cae http://www.turkeycentral.com/page/index.html/_/turkey-articles/turkey/the-turkish-healthcare-system-r51 Question: A Turkish friend of mine asked me for money because his baby was born in the hospital, and he didn't have any money. I thought Turkey had a national healthcare system. Could you explain the Turkish healthcare system?

Answer: The healthcare system goes along with the retirement system in Turkey. There are three healthcare-retirement systems in Turkey. All three systems are similar in that they are a part of the Social Insurance Institution (SSK), and each group pays a percentage of their monthly income, usually matched by their employers to the system in return for free doctor visits and low-cost medicine.

The three divisions are for workers hired by the state, companies and factories; workers hired by the government; and people who are self-employed like businessmen, shop-owners, farmers, and others.

People who do not fall into any of these three categories above, like a gardener or maid, could go to the state-run hospitals for treatment, but they pay for some of the additional expenses at the hospital.

Although there are three systems, there are not enough doctors and beds in the insurance and state hospitals. There are always long lines to see a doctor or get medicine from the hospital pharmacy. In order to receive better medical treatment, nearly everyone prefers to go to private doctors and private hospitals, which cost more.

Regardless of those three categories and who the patient is, some diseases like tuberculosis, AIDS, malaria and other contagious diseases are subject to be reported and treated free of charge by the state hospitals.]]> Fri, 17 Jun 2011 03:45:04 +0000 a8f15eda80c50adb0e71943adc8015cf http://www.turkeycentral.com/page/index.html/_/turkey-articles/turkey/santa-claus-in-turkey-r50
Santa Claus, or Saint Nicholas, is called "Noel Baba" in Turkey. While the popular myth is that he lives at the North Pole, he actually lived and died in Turkey during the fourth century. He was the Bishop of Myra, now called Demre, near Antalya. A Byzantine basilica in Demre honors his memory, and the tale of his generosity is not forgotten in Turkey. The story is of a bishop tip-toeing through the streets of old Myra to toss bags of gold through open windows or down chimneys. He is said to have been the sole heir of a wealthy family and shared his money secretly with the less fortunate. Among many others, one story told how he gave a nobleman three sacks of gold for his daughter's dowries because the nobleman was too poor to pay the dowries himself. The first two bags, he tossed through an open window. But when he found the window tightly shut on his third visit, he went down the chimney instead, dropping the sack in a red sock that was drying on the mantlepiece.

Since then, it has become a tradition to put oranges in Christmas stockings to symbolize the sacks of gold. Also, the three golden balls that pawn shops use as their symbol originated from this story. After Saint Nicholas died in 323 A.D., his priests buried him in an elaborate marble sarcophagus they periodically filled with fragrant oil. The oil dripped through cavities in the sarcophagus, and the priests did a lucrative business selling vials of it to pilgrims who believed the oil had miraculous powers. The Saint Nicholas church was built in his memory after his death. The church is one of the oldest in Turkey, dating from the fifth century. Tales of Saint Nicholas spread westward and in April 1087 merchants from Bari, Italy, opened the Saint's sarcophagus and took his bones to Italy believing they would bring them wealth. Other stories have it that Saint Nicholas was moved so he would be buried in a Christian land. Based on that event, the cities of Bari and Antalya were declared sister cities several years ago. A few pieces from Saint Nicholas' sarcophagus are on display in the Antalya museum.

In 1886, a Russian prince had the church restored by an architect. Instead of the cupola, a crosswise arch unrelated to Byzantine architecture was placed there and a belfry was added. The sarcophagus found inside the western apse is believed to be Saint Nicholas'. Every year on December 6th, the day Saint Nicholas died, there is a service in Saint Nicholas' Church in Demre. This is also the first day of a week-long festival held in Demre, sponsored by the Santa Claus Foundation. There is a bronze statue of Saint Nicholas in Demre, erected in 1981, which looks very much like the typical Santa Clause with a long beard, a sack over his shoulder, and a group of small children gathered around him.

So yes, Virginia, there was a Santa Claus. And he was buried in Turkey.]]> Fri, 17 Jun 2011 03:38:36 +0000 7ef605fc8dba5425d6965fbd4c8fbe1f http://www.turkeycentral.com/page/index.html/_/turkey-articles/turkey/turkish-bananas-r49 Question: I noticed that some of the bananas we get here are smaller than the ones we're used to. Are they grown in Turkey or are they imported?

Answer: Bananas are both grown in Turkey and imported. The ones grown in Turkey are smaller than the imported ones. The center of banana growing in Turkey is Anamur, a town on the Mediterranean shore between Adana and Antalya.The bananas grown in Turkey are named after the town they come from. Even though they are smaller than the imported ones, many believe they have a better smell and taste. Anamur bananas were the only type in Turkey until the mid 1980's. After imported bananas were introduced, local bananas had difficulty competing with the imported ones. Imported bananas cost less and are available throughout the year. Many farmers in Anamur stopped growing bananas because of this. In recent years, Anamur bananas started to show up in the market again. Right now, Anamur bananas cost about ten percent less than imported bananas.

Turkey has various types of weather, from very cold to very mild, in various regions. For that reason, Turkey grows almost all kinds of vegetables and fruit. For instance, although it is known as a tropical fruit, farmers started growing kiwi in Turkey recently. farmers on the Black Sea coast, the Rize and Trabzon areas, provide kiwi to Turkish markets.

Turkey is quite rich with various types of agricultural products. The Aegean region mainly grows figs and seedless grapes, the Black Sea region mainly grows hazel nuts (Turkey is the main producer of hazel nuts in the World), and the southeastern region mainly grows pistachios.]]> Fri, 17 Jun 2011 03:27:02 +0000 f2217062e9a397a1dca429e7d70bc6ca http://www.turkeycentral.com/page/index.html/_/turkey-articles/turkey/turkish-bananas-r12 Question: I noticed that some of the bananas we get here are smaller than the ones we're used to. Are they grown in Turkey or are they imported?

Answer: Bananas are both grown in Turkey and imported. The ones grown in Turkey are smaller than the imported ones. The center of banana growing in Turkey is Anamur, a town on the Mediterranean shore between Adana and Antalya.The bananas grown in Turkey are named after the town they come from. Even though they are smaller than the imported ones, many believe they have a better smell and taste. Anamur bananas were the only type in Turkey until the mid 1980's. After imported bananas were introduced, local bananas had difficulty competing with the imported ones. Imported bananas cost less and are available throughout the year. Many farmers in Anamur stopped growing bananas because of this. In recent years, Anamur bananas started to show up in the market again. Right now, Anamur bananas cost about ten percent less than imported bananas.

Turkey has various types of weather, from very cold to very mild, in various regions. For that reason, Turkey grows almost all kinds of vegetables and fruit. For instance, although it is known as a tropical fruit, farmers started growing kiwi in Turkey recently. farmers on the Black Sea coast, the Rize and Trabzon areas, provide kiwi to Turkish markets.

Turkey is quite rich with various types of agricultural products. The Aegean region mainly grows figs and seedless grapes, the Black Sea region mainly grows hazel nuts (Turkey is the main producer of hazel nuts in the World), and the southeastern region mainly grows pistachios.]]> Sat, 11 Jun 2011 22:09:48 +0000 7f6ffaa6bb0b408017b62254211691b5