1. The Republic of Turkey By: Thomas Kosakowski November 9, 2011 Period B

2. Government Turkey is a democracy The highest position in Turkey is occupied by the Prime Minister Turkey’s Prime Minister is named Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

3. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Born on February 26, 1954 He has been Prime Minister since 2003 He was a professional footballer (soccer player) He is the first Prime Minister to ever be called by his first name

4. The Flag Established in 1936 Its design is a red background along with a white crescent moon slightly to the right of center and a five-pointed star slightly left of the moon

5. Symbolizing The star and the moon are two symbols of the Tengrist beliefs towards sky-worshiping In Turkic Mythology four colors are associated with the four directions "gok-blue" (east) "aq-white" (west) "al-red" (south) "qara-black" (north) These colors signify the direction towards the zenith where the Tengri is dwelling in the sky

6. Symbolizing The red and white colors on the flag of Turkey represent the south-western branch of Turks called Oghuzes They are included in being named the founders of Turkey along with Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Gagauzia

7. The History of Turkey Turkey first became occupied towards the sixth century In the tenth and eleventh centuries, the first dynasty came about in Turkey This dynasty was known as the Seljuk Dynasty

8. The Mongol Empire On June 23, 1243, the Seljuk armies were defeated by that of the Mongols The Mongols would rule until about 1453, when they were replaced by the Ottoman Dynasty

9. The Creation of Turkey The end of World War I brought an end to the Ottoman Dynasty Under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Allies established the Republic of Turkey on October 29, 1923

10. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk He was a great military commander during the World War I era and the first President of Turkey He is named "Atatürk" by the Turkish people in 1934, which means Father of the Turks

11. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

12. World War II Turkey was neutral during most of World War II, but on February 23, 1945, it joined the side of the Allies Later that year in 1945, it became a charter member of the United Nations

13. Other Facts Turkey joined NATO in 1952 It is currently not part of the European Union The main religion found here is Islam The main language spoken here is Turkish

14. Interesting Facts The only city in the world located on two continents is Istanbul, which has been the capital of three great empires, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman for more than 2000 years. The oldest known human settlement is in Catalhoyuk, Turkey (7500 BC).

15. Interesting Facts Temple of Artemis and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the two of the seven wonders of the ancient world, are in Turkey. Turks introduced coffee to Europe. Turks gave the Dutch their famous tulips.

16. Interesting Facts Anatolia is the origin of the names of Paris, Philadelphia and Europe. Anatolia is the location of the first known beauty contest, judged by Paris, with Aphrodite, Hera and Athena as leading participants.

17. Interesting Facts The last home of Virgin Mary is in Selcuk near ephesus(efes) The Famous Trojan Wars took place in western Turkey, around the site where a wooden statue of the Trojan Horse rests today. According to legend, Noah's Ark landed on Agri Dagi (Mount Ararat) in Eastern Turkey.

18. The End!