Situated on the border between Europe and Asia, Turkey is a bridge between the Orient and the Occident. Ever since the early days of the Turkish nation the country has been a melting pot for different peoples and cultures. Hittites, Phrygians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Seljuks, Ottomans - to name only a few - settled in the area of modern-day Turkey. Archeological monuments and sites such as Istanbul, Ephesos, Troy, Milet, Hattusas, Nemrut and Pergamon bear witness to those different cultures.

The Turkish people conquered the region in the 11th century from the East and left their marks. During this period the transition from Christian Byzantium to the Ottoman Empire took place. After its decline during World War I, the modern Turkish Republic was founded in 1923. Its founder, Kemal Atatürk (1881 - 1938), was the big reformer of Turkey. Under his leadership the industrialisation of the country, the separation of Islam from the state affairs, equal status for women and a European orientation began. Due to its increasing strategic importance at the heart of Eurasia and being the 17th largest and 4th fastest growing  economy of the world, Turkey has obtained candidacy status to the European Union.

Although 99 percent of the population are Muslims, the Islamic religion is not the official state religion. Originally an agricultural country, Turkey has become a "threshold country" in the last decades, undergoing a rapid process of modernisation. The process leads to a massive migration from the rural areas to the prosperous coastal towns.

Many people also look for work abroad. More than two million Turkish people live in Germany alone. They are an important economic asset. Through their contacts with their home country and their economic relations they have become an irreplaceable link between Western Europe and Turkey.

Turkey is a country where matchless historical and cultural riches and natural beauty exist side by side. Therefore, Turkey with her high tourism potentials is a popular destination and is spending efforts to attain its deserved place among the leading countries in world tourism.