Turkey is a melting pot where East literally meets West in every sense of the word. While geographically most of the country is situated in Asian, many Turks have a sense of European identity. Turkey offers a wealth of destination varieties to travellers: from dome-and-minaret filled skyline of Istanbul to Roman ruins along the western and southern coasts. From the gorgeous beaches of the south, to the amazing landscapes of Cappadocia, from the crazy "foam parties" of Bodrum, to the cold and snowy mountains of the East. there is something for everyone's taste.

The Turkish Republic was founded in 1923 from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire. Soon thereafter the country instituted secular laws to replace traditional religious fiats, and instigated many other radical reforms to rapidly modernise the state. Changing from Arabic script to the 29-letter Turkish alphabet, based on the Roman alphabet, was one of many personal initiatives of the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Atatürk continues to be revered, and you can see his face gazing down on you or up into the distance in a fatherly, visionary or determined manner in many, many places around Turkey. Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and became a member of NATO in 1952.

- Wikivoyage