Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from September, 2012

Talking Turkey

It is one of the most important countries in the world. Strategically sandwiched between Europe’s Balkan Peninsula, the Black Sea, the Arab Middle East, and the Mediterranean, with an international waterway flowing right through the middle of its former capital, Turkey deserves far more attention that it receives. While its name recognition is high, the knowledge of this key nation is low. Turkey the country is also known as ‘Asia Minor’ and the Anatolian Peninsula. Its central location means it was occupied by various people throughout history, indeed, until the 20th century, it was multi-ethnic. Only after World War I did it become ‘mono-ethnic,’ meaning all Turks and all Muslim (15 million Kurds are also part of this nation of 80 million and their issue is not resolved). The ethnic Turks migrated to Asia Minor from Central Asia a thousand years ago, where at the same time they embraced Islam. Once they arrived, they consolidated into what was known as the Seljuk Empire. Thi