The Human Truth Foundation

Turkey (Republic of Turkey)

http://www.humantruth.info/turkey.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

#cyprus #EU #europe #turkey

Turkey
Republic of Turkey
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index61st best
CapitalAnkara
Land Area 769 630km21
LocationAsia, Europe, The Mediterranean, The Middle East
Population82.3m2
Life Expectancy76.03yrs (2017)3
GNI$31 033 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 CodesTR, TUR, 7925
Internet Domain.tr6
CurrencyLira (TRY)7
Telephone+908

1. Overview

#cyprus #iraq

Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was later honored with the title Ataturk or "Father of the Turks." Under his authoritarian leadership, the country adopted wide-ranging social, legal, and political reforms. After a period of one-party rule, an experiment with multi-party politics led to the 1950 election victory of the opposition Democratic Party and the peaceful transfer of power. Since then, Turkish political parties have multiplied, but democracy has been fractured by periods of instability and intermittent military coups (1960, 1971, 1980), which in each case eventually resulted in a return of political power to civilians. In 1997, the military again helped engineer the ouster - popularly dubbed a "post-modern coup" - of the then Islamic-oriented government. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island and has since acted as patron state to the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which only Turkey recognizes. A separatist insurgency begun in 1984 by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - now known as the Kurdistan People's Congress or Kongra-Gel (KGK) - has dominated the Turkish military's attention and claimed more than 30,000 lives. After the capture of the group's leader in 1999, the insurgents largely withdrew from Turkey mainly to northern Iraq. In 2004, KGK announced an end to its ceasefire and attacks attributed to the KGK increased. Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. In 1964, Turkey became an associate member of the European Community. Over the past decade, it has undertaken many reforms to strengthen its democracy and economy.

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)9

Book CoverTurkey boasts a rich history, some of the best cuisine you will ever taste, one of the world´s greatest cities, and scenery from white-sand beaches to soaring mountains. ... Turkey packs in as many towering minarets and spice-trading bazaars as its Middle Eastern neighbours. This bridge between continents has absorbed the best of Europe and Asia. Travellers can enjoy historical hot spots, mountain outposts, expansive steppes and caravanserai-loads of the exotic, without forgoing comfy beds and buses.

Despite its reputation as a continental meeting point, Turkey can´t be pigeonholed. Cappadocia, a dreamscape dotted with rock formations, is unlike anywhere else on the planet. Likewise, spots like Mt Nemrut, littered with giant stone heads, and Olympos, where Lycian ruins peek from the undergrowth, are quintessentially Turkish mixtures of natural splendour and ancient remains.

The beaches and mountains offer enough activities to impress the fussiest Ottoman sultan. Worldly pleasures include the many historic hotels, the meze to savour on panoramic terraces and, of course, Turkey´s famous kebaps.

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)10

An April 2017 referendum, which voters approved by a slim margin, introduced constitutional amendments switching Turkey to a presidential system of governance. [...] The referendum took place under a state of emergency imposed after the July 15, 2016 attempted military coup, and in an environment of heavy media censorship, with many journalists and parliamentarians from the pro-Kurdish opposition in jail.

The new presidential system, which consolidates the incumbent´s hold on power, is a setback for human rights and the rule of law. It lacks sufficient checks and balances against abuse of executive power, greatly diminishing the powers of parliament, and consolidating presidential control over most judicial appointments. [...]

Hundreds of media outlets, associations, foundations, private hospitals, and educational establishments that the government shut down by decree remained closed in 2017, their assets confiscated without compensation.

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)11

2. Turkey National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)12
Pos.Higher is better
Value12
1Switzerland0.962
2Norway0.961
3Iceland0.959
...
45Slovakia0.848
46Hungary0.846
47Argentina0.842
48Turkey0.838
49Montenegro0.832
50Kuwait0.831
51Brunei0.829
52Russia0.822
Asia Avg0.75
World Avg0.72
q=191.
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)12
Pos.Higher is better
PPP $12
1Liechtenstein$146 830
2Singapore$90 919
3Qatar$87 134
...
42Poland$33 034
43Latvia$32 803
44Hungary$32 789
45Turkey$31 033
46Slovakia$30 690
47Bahamas$30 486
48Croatia$30 132
49Romania$30 027
Asia Avg$22 215
World Avg$20 136
q=193.
Social & Moral
Development Index
13
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank13
1Norway28.6
2Denmark30.0
3Sweden30.7
...
58Sri Lanka75.2
59UAE75.5
60Thailand75.7
61Turkey76.7
62Bosnia & Herzegovina76.7
63Qatar77.5
64Trinidad & Tobago77.9
65Cuba78.3
Asia Avg87.7
World Avg86.8
q=195.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Turkey's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population

Population:

Turkey's population is predicted to rise to 86.67 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 2.04. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Population2
Pos.2018
Population2
1China1.4b
2India1.4b
3USA327.1m
...
15Vietnam95.5m
16Congo, DR84.1m
17Germany83.1m
18Turkey82.3m
19Iran81.8m
20Thailand69.4m
21UK67.1m
22France65.0m
World Avg39.0m
q=195.
Life Expectancy
Higher is better
12
Pos.2021
Years12
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
53Algeria76.4
54Montenegro76.3
55Panama76.2
56Turkey76.0
57Uruguay75.4
58Argentina75.4
59Bosnia & Herzegovina75.3
60Lebanon75.0
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
14
Pos.201314
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
4France1.99
5Turkey2.04
6Australia1.96
7Uruguay2.05
8Norway1.95
9Myanmar (Burma)1.95
10Indonesia2.07
11Sweden1.93
12Tunisia1.93
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Old-Age Dependency Ratio
Lower is better
15
Pos.2016
Per 10015
1Uganda04.3
2Mali04.5
3=Chad04.7
...
108El Salvador17.3
109Panama17.7
110N. Korea17.8
111Turkey18.0
112Vietnam18.3
113Tunisia18.6
114Azerbaijan18.7
115Colombia18.8
World Avg18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.2017
%16
1UAE88.4%
2Kuwait75.5%
3Qatar65.2%
...
77Macedonia6.3%
78Finland6.2%
79Marshall Islands6.2%
80Turkey6.0%
81Syria5.5%
82Thailand5.2%
83Hungary5.2%
84Palestine5.2%
World Avg9.4%
q=195.
Emigrants17
Pos.2010
%17
1Dominica104.8%
2Palestine68.4%
3Samoa67.3%
...
99Italy5.8%
100Benin5.8%
101Laos5.7%
102Turkey5.6%
103Comoros5.6%
104Congo, (Brazzaville)5.6%
105Togo5.4%
106Ivory Coast5.4%
World Avg11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance #turkey #women

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)18
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank18
1Sweden9.0
2Norway14.5
3Denmark14.5
...
79Trinidad & Tobago81.4
80Macedonia82.0
81Mali82.2
82Turkey82.4
83Russia83.0
84Dominican Rep.83.1
Asia Avg99.9
World Avg87.9
q=199.
Turkey is generally poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world. Turkey does better than average when it comes to the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)19, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports20, LGBT equality21, opposing gender inequality22, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms23, its nominal commitment to Human Rights24 and in speed of uptake of HR treaties25. But, things could still be better. Turkey does worse than average in freethought26 (still good for Asia) and in supporting press freedom27. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice28. But progress is always going to be difficult in a country where the richest 1% hold 23% of the country's entire income29, and the wealthy dominate the poor. A new era of censorship has begun, with websites, media outlets and journalists being blocked and persecuted; Human Rights Watch states that "Turkey is the world leader in jailing journalists and media workers as they face criminal investigations and trials"11. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan espouses misogynistic and backwards opinions on women, actively holding back any chance of progress on women's rights and retarding family life and family planning services30. Turkey has also gone backwards on its stance against torture, with a raft of reports from 2017 emanating from those in police custody describing torture and ill-treatment11.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

5. Turkey's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #Turkey #vaccines

Compared to Asia (2020)31
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank31
1Hong Kong18.3
2Maldives41.0
3Singapore42.6
...
27=Israel82.1
28Turkmenistan83.1
29=Tajikistan83.1
30Turkey84.5
31Jordan84.8
32Vietnam85.4
33Pakistan88.5
34=Mongolia90.6
35Kyrgyzstan91.0
Asia Avg80.1
q=50.
Health (2020)31
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank31
1Monaco13.0
2Hong Kong18.3
3Maldives41.0
...
64France83.8
65=Bosnia & Herzegovina84.0
65=Albania84.0
67Turkey84.5
68Australia84.6
69Jordan84.8
70Barbados85.1
71Estonia85.3
World Avg93.5
q=196.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Hong Kong and The Maldives32. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, S. Sudan and Palau32.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean32, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa32.

For more, see:

Health:

Turkey does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Turkey comes in the best 20 for its fertility rate14 (amongst the lowest in Asia). It does better than average for its alcohol consumption rate33, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance34, its average life expectancy12, its immunizations take-up35 and in its adolescent birth rate22. But, things could still be better. Turkey does worse than average when it comes to its smoking rate36. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Turkey improved by +10.1yrs in the 30 years from 1990, better than the global average of +7.9yrs.

Life Expectancy
Higher is better
12
Pos.2021
Years12
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
53Algeria76.4
54Montenegro76.3
55Panama76.2
56Turkey76.0
57Uruguay75.4
58Argentina75.4
59Bosnia & Herzegovina75.3
60Lebanon75.0
Asia Avg73.48
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Alcohol Consumption
Lower is better
33
Pos.2016
Per Capita33
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
...
42=Qatar2.0
42=Nepal2.0
42=Singapore2.0
42=Turkey2.0
46Timor-Leste (E. Timor)2.1
47Mozambique2.4
48=Samoa2.5
48=Micronesia2.5
Asia Avg3.9
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
14
Pos.201314
1N. Korea2.00
2Brunei1.99
3St Vincent & Grenadines2.01
4France1.99
5Turkey2.04
6Australia1.96
7Uruguay2.05
8Norway1.95
9Myanmar (Burma)1.95
10Indonesia2.07
11Sweden1.93
12Tunisia1.93
Asia Avg2.46
World Avg2.81
q=180.
Smoking Rates
Lower is better
36
Pos.201436
1Guinea 15
2Solomon Islands 26
3Kiribati 28
...
151Bulgaria1 505
152Kuwait1 517
153Armenia1 545
154Turkey1 581
155Slovakia1 618
156Romania1 620
157Tunisia1 628
158Switzerland1 634
Asia Avg1 035
World Avg 819
q=182.
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance
Lower is better
34
Pos.2017
Rank34
1Sweden1
2Ireland2
3Denmark3
...
41Iceland41
42El Salvador42
43Russia43
44Turkey44
45Mexico45
46Malaysia46
47Czechia47
48China48
Asia Avg64.4
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Overweight Adults
Lower is better37
Pos.2016
%37
1Vietnam18.3
2India19.7
3Bangladesh20.0
...
170New Zealand65.6
171Bahrain65.8
172Malta66.4
173=Turkey66.8
173=Libya66.8
175UAE67.8
176=Lebanon67.9
176=USA67.9
Asia Avg44.3
World Avg49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate
Lower is better
22
Pos.2015
Per 100022
1N. Korea0.5
2S. Korea1.6
3Switzerland2.9
...
75Samoa25.0
76Rwanda26.3
77Iran26.7
78Turkey27.6
79Kazakhstan27.9
80Burundi28.3
81Mauritius28.5
82Bahamas29.6
Asia Avg29.9
World Avg47.9
q=185.
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015
Higher is better
35
Pos.2015
Avg %35
1=Hungary99.0
1=China99.0
3Uzbekistan98.9
...
57=Armenia95.6
58Uruguay95.6
59Bhutan95.6
60Turkey95.5
61Malta95.5
62Botswana95.4
63Gambia95.4
64Cyprus95.3
Asia Avg90.5
World Avg88.3
q=194.

6. Turkey's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #food #meat #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Asia (2023)38
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank38
1Japan33.2
2Philippines45.0
3Sri Lanka49.0
...
26Thailand90.4
27Syria91.0
28Israel92.0
29Turkey92.2
30Pakistan92.4
31Bhutan92.7
32Myanmar (Burma)93.3
33Kazakhstan95.4
34Azerbaijan99.3
Asia Avg88.8
q=51.
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2023)38
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank38
1Japan33.2
2Philippines45.0
3Uruguay48.0
...
115Syria91.0
116Dominica91.7
117Israel92.0
118Turkey92.2
119Cape Verde92.3
120Pakistan92.4
121Bhutan92.7
122Bahamas93.0
World Avg85.7
q=188.
Turkey is positioned 118th in the world with regard to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is derived from 7 data sets. Turkey does better than average in its forested percent change 1990-201539, energy to GDP efficiency40, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population41 and in annual meat consumption per person42. Turkey doesn't do so well in other areas. Turkey does worse than average in its environmental performance43 and in how quickly it ratified the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its score on the Green Future Index44.

Forest Area Change 1990-2015
Higher is better
39
Pos.2015
%39
1Iceland+205.6
2Bahrain+144.4
3Uruguay+131.3
...
25Philippines+22.7
26Lesotho+22.5
27Italy+22.5
28Turkey+21.8
29Iran+17.8
30France+17.7
31Algeria+17.3
32Bulgaria+17.1
Asia Avg+07.0
World Avg+02.8
q=184.
Environmental Performance
Higher is better
43
Pos.201843
1Switzerland87.4
2France84.0
3Denmark81.6
...
105Paraguay53.9
106El Salvador53.9
107Fiji53.1
108Turkey53.0
109Ukraine52.9
110Guatemala52.3
111Maldives52.1
112Moldova52.0
Asia Avg54.5
World Avg56.4
q=180.
Energy to GDP Efficiency
Higher is better40
Pos.201440
1Hong Kong26.32
2Sri Lanka20.00
3Panama17.86
...
35=Tunisia11.24
36Indonesia11.11
37=Israel11.11
37=Turkey11.11
39Azerbaijan10.87
40Netherlands10.75
41Mexico10.64
42Paraguay10.53
Asia Avg09.14
World Avg09.29
q=119.
Convention on Biological Diversity
Earlier is better
Pos.0
Signed
1=China1993 Dec 29
1=Guinea1993 Dec 29
1=Cook Islands1993 Dec 29
...
164Croatia1997 Jan 05
165Belgium1997 Feb 20
166Dominican Rep.1997 Feb 23
167Turkey1997 May 15
168Gabon1997 Jun 12
169Burundi1997 Jul 14
170Tajikistan1998 Jan 27
171Liechtenstein1998 Feb 17
Asia Avg1899 Dec 30
World Avg1899 Dec 30
q=197.
Rational Beliefs on the Environment
Higher is better41
Pos.2011
%41
1Argentina78.3%
2Greece77.6%
3Brazil77.1%
...
43Vietnam49.1%
44Honduras48.1%
45Iran47.9%
46Turkey47.4%
47Sudan46.9%
48Malaysia46.6%
49Mozambique46.5%
50Laos45.3%
Asia Avg37.9%
World Avg39.9%
q=145.
Meat Consumption
Lower is better
42
Pos.2021
kg42
1Congo, DR03.0
2Burundi03.5
3Bangladesh04.3
...
76Macedonia41.0
77Guatemala42.1
78Uzbekistan42.3
79Turkey43.0
80Vanuatu43.4
81El Salvador43.9
82Fiji44.4
83Congo, (Brazzaville)46.0
Asia Avg46.7
World Avg52.5
q=185.
Green Future Index
Higher is better44
Pos.2023
Score44
1Iceland6.7
2Finland6.7
3Norway6.4
...
60Egypt4.0
61Dominican Rep.4.0
62Peru4.0
63Turkey3.8
64Cameroon3.8
65Ghana3.8
66Uganda3.7
67Pakistan3.7
Asia Avg4.3
World Avg4.8
q=76.

Turkey has done very little recently to reduce its carbon emissions and it scored 4th-worst on the 2023 edition of the Green Futures Index.45

7. Turkey's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #it_security #maths #modernity #politics #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2020)46
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank46
1Taiwan10.0
2Japan21.9
3=S. Korea24.0
4Singapore27.9
5Israel32.2
6Hong Kong32.6
7Russia40.6
8Turkey50.1
9Malaysia50.2
10Macau50.8
11Cyprus54.0
12UAE56.0
13Saudi Arabia60.4
Asia Avg79.0
q=51.
Modernity & Learning (2020)46
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank46
1Finland8.4
2Taiwan10.0
3Switzerland15.1
...
42Bulgaria47.3
43Liechtenstein47.7
44Romania49.1
45Turkey50.1
46Malaysia50.2
47Macau50.8
48Chile51.6
49Malta51.6
World Avg83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

In the 2010s, Turkey increased its expected duration of education by almost 4.5 years, more than any other country in that decade. 47

Research & Development
Higher is better
Pos.2016
% RDP PPP
1S. Korea4.2948
2Israel4.1148
3Japan3.5848
...
31New Zealand1.1749
32Brazil1.1550
33Malaysia1.1350
34Turkey1.0148
35Lithuania0.9551
36Poland0.9448
37=Slovakia0.8948
37=Malta0.8951
Asia Avg0.75
World Avg0.84
q=126.
Secondary Education
Higher is better
52
Pos.201852
1=Luxembourg100.0%
1=Estonia100.0%
1=Austria100.0%
...
101Uruguay56.0%
102Lebanon54.9%
103Portugal54.2%
104Turkey53.1%
105Costa Rica52.9%
106Colombia52.0%
107Ecuador51.9%
108Tunisia51.8%
Asia Avg66.0%
World Avg63.0%
q=169.
Length of Schooling
Higher is better
53
Pos.2021
Years53
1Australia21.1
2New Zealand20.3
3Greece20.0
...
9Denmark18.7
10Netherlands18.7
11Grenada18.7
12Turkey18.3
13Norway18.2
14Spain17.9
15Argentina17.9
16Slovenia17.7
Asia Avg13.5
World Avg13.5
q=193.
Intellectual Endeavours
Lower is better
34
Pos.2017
Rank34
1Ukraine1
2Czechia2
3Hungary3
...
52Malaysia52
53Russia53
54St Lucia54
55Turkey55
56Armenia56
57Guinea-Bissau57
58Central African Rep.58
59Kenya59
Asia Avg97.1
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Maths, Science & Reading
Higher is better
54
Pos.2015
Score54
1Singapore1655
2Hong Kong1598
3Japan1586
...
47=Cyprus1313
48UAE1298
49Uruguay1290
50Turkey1273
51Trinidad & Tobago1269
52Moldova1264
53Montenegro1256
54=Costa Rica1247
Asia Avg1398
World Avg1389
q=70.
Religiosity
Lower is better
55
Pos.2018
%55
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
55Lebanon57
56Panama61
57Venezuela67
58Turkey68
59=Bolivia71
59=Botswana71
61Brazil72
62=Egypt72
Asia Avg55.8
World Avg54.3
q=106.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users
Higher is better
56
Pos.201656
1Iceland100%
2Faroe Islands99%
3Norway98%
...
79St Vincent & Grenadines60%
80St Lucia59%
81Bulgaria59%
82=Turkey58%
82=Romania58%
84Venezuela58%
85=Seychelles58%
86Morocco58%
Asia Avg48.7%
World Avg48.1%
q=201.
Freedom On The Internet
Lower is better
57
Pos.201257
1Estonia10
2USA12
3Germany15
...
22=Libya43
22=Malaysia43
24Jordan45
25=Turkey46
25=Tunisia46
27Venezuela48
28Azerbaijan50
29Rwanda51
Asia Avg56.6
World Avg46.7
q=47.
IT Security
Lower is better
58
Pos.201358
1=Ireland0.11
1=Luxembourg0.11
1=Belize0.11
...
17Taiwan0.44
18Sweden0.44
19Romania0.52
20Turkey0.52
21Poland0.55
22Switzerland0.55
23S. Korea0.56
24Australia0.63
Asia Avg1.08
World Avg0.98
IPv6 Uptake
Higher is better
59
Pos.2017
Ratio59
1Belgium55.4
2Germany41.8
3Switzerland35.1
...
58Bhutan0.4
59China0.3
60Iceland0.3
61Turkey0.3
62=Uruguay0.3
62=Moldova0.3
64UAE0.3
65Seychelles0.2
Asia Avg2.11
World Avg3.82
q=176.

8. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

World Giving Index
Higher is better
60
Pos.2022
%60
1Indonesia68.0
2Kenya61.0
3USA59.0
...
61=Senegal40.0
61=Estonia40.0
61=Uruguay40.0
61=Turkey40.0
61=Hungary40.0
61=India40.0
61=Cyprus40.0
68Malawi39.0
Asia Avg37.9
World Avg39.6
q=125.
Corruption
Higher is better
61
Pos.2022
Points61
1Denmark90.0
2=Finland87.0
2=New Zealand87.0
...
100Lesotho37.0
101Serbia36.0
102=Peru36.0
102=Turkey36.0
102=Sri Lanka36.0
102=Panama36.0
102=Albania36.0
102=Ecuador36.0
Asia Avg39.98
World Avg42.98
q=180.

Throughout the 2010s, Turkey's score on the Corruption Perception Index declined drastically; it was amongst the 10 countries with the worse rise in perceived corruption that decade. Turkey periodically falls into periods of high corruption; in 1853 the New York Times said that the most beneficial thing Turkey could do was to deter office holders from "busy[ing] themselves [with] devising means to increase their own income"62.

Happiness
Higher is better
63
Pos.2018
Score63
1Finland7.6
2Norway7.6
3Denmark7.6
...
70Libya5.6
71Philippines5.5
72Honduras5.5
73=Turkey5.5
73=Belarus5.5
75Pakistan5.5
76Hong Kong5.4
77Portugal5.4
Asia Avg5.29
World Avg5.38
q=156.
Creativity & Culture
Lower is better
34
Pos.2017
Rank34
1Belgium1
2Netherlands2
3Estonia3
...
72Botswana72
73Dominica73
74Antigua & Barbuda74
75Turkey75
76Kyrgyzstan76
77Togo77
78Albania78
79Brunei79
Asia Avg99.0
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Open Trading, Aid & Development
Lower is better
34
Pos.2017
Rank34
1Ireland1
2Denmark2
3Sweden3
...
37Estonia37
38Cyprus38
39Bulgaria39
40Turkey40
41Marshall Islands41
42Malta42
43Morocco43
44Fiji44
Asia Avg86.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.

9. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index
Lower is better
64
Pos.2023
Score64
1Iceland1.12
2Denmark1.31
3Ireland1.31
...
145Myanmar (Burma)2.74
146Pakistan2.75
147=Iran2.80
147=Turkey2.80
149N. Korea2.85
150Burkina Faso2.87
151Ethiopia2.87
152Central African Rep.2.93
Asia Avg2.17
World Avg2.07
q=163.
Peacekeeping & Security
Lower is better
34
Pos.2017
Rank34
1Samoa1
2S. Africa2
3Tunisia3
...
75Guyana75
76Fiji76
77Iceland77
78Turkey78
79Georgia79
80Albania80
81Gabon81
82Russia82
Asia Avg76.0
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Refugees & UN Treaties
Lower is better
34
Pos.2017
Rank34
1Austria1
2Germany2
3Netherlands3
...
36Romania36
37Uruguay37
38Liberia38
39Turkey39
40Malaysia40
41Montenegro41
42Iceland42
43Hungary43
Asia Avg92.2
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Impact of Terrorism
Lower is better
65
Pos.2019
Score65
1Togo0.00
2Mongolia0.00
3Swaziland0.00
...
132Colombia5.91
133Thailand6.03
134S. Sudan6.32
135Turkey6.53
136Cameroon6.62
137Central African Rep.6.62
138Mali6.65
139Libya6.77
Asia Avg3.60
World Avg2.78
q=150.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy
Lower is better66
Pos.201966
1Iceland2.40
2=Singapore2.50
2=Hong Kong2.50
...
70Barbados8.70
71=Armenia8.70
72Tunisia9.00
73=Turkey9.00
74Libya9.10
75Iran9.20
76Mauritius9.40
77=Seychelles9.60
Asia Avg11.80
World Avg14.59
q=184.
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient)
Lower is better67
Pos.2017
%67
1Ukraine25.0
2=Belarus25.4
2=Slovenia25.4
...
107Ivory Coast41.5
108Djibouti41.6
109=Papua New Guinea41.9
109=Turkey41.9
111Congo, DR42.1
112Madagascar42.6
113Angola42.7
114Uganda42.8
Asia Avg35.2
World Avg38.1
q=152.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#afterlife #buddhism #christianity #heaven #hell #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation #turkey

Religiosity (2018)55
Pos.Lower is better
%55
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
55Lebanon57
56Panama61
57Venezuela67
58Turkey68
59=Bolivia71
59=Botswana71
61Brazil72
62=Egypt72
63Algeria73
64=Peru73
65S. Africa75
66=Ecuador76
66=Costa Rica76
68Puerto Rico77
69=Malaysia77
69=Colombia77
World Avg54.3
q=106.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below68:

Christian0.4%
Muslim98%
Hindu0.1%
Buddhist0.1%
Folk Religion0.1%
Jewish0.1%
Unaffiliated1.2%

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 98.8% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 68% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)69.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on Turkey70. Despite the large numbers of Muslims, not many have traditional beliefs in the afterlife - just 52%. Some people don't know what to believe (14%). Some believe that upon death, you simply cease to exist (5%). 2% believe in reincarnation.

Freedom of Religion and Belief:

Links:

12. Accession to the European Union71

#france #germany #islam #turkey #UK

Turkey began the formal process for joining the European Union (EU) in 1987, when it was still called the European Economic Community. Most political commentators think that the required Turkish reform have made so little progress that there is little willpower to embrace democratic free-market capitalism. The Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already been mentioned on this page for resisting human rights, and in 2016 May he said to the EU "We´ll go our way, you go yours"72 and "it is clear, then, that Ankara is marching rapidly away from the EU"72. Despite this, the UK Conservative government under Prime Minister David Cameron has consistently argued in favour of Turkey joining the EU, and Turkey was one of the first countries to join the Council of Europe, founded by the UK in 1949 to bring Europe together after WW2. But under the sway of political Islam, Turkey has strayed from the international fold.

A country has to adopt and enforce all the current EU rules before it can be admitted to the bloc. EU rules are divided into 35 policy areas and in 10 years Turkey only managed to adopt the rules on one: science and research. In most other areas it has not even made a start. [...]

A 2015 Commission report on Turkey highlighted many areas of difficulty. These include concerns about Turkey's human rights record, new limits to freedom of expression and its state of public administration.

Perhaps most importantly, the Commission said there had been "no progress on normalising bilateral relations with the Republic of Cyprus". Turkey is the only country that recognises the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The EU and the United Nations only recognise the Greek Cypriot government as the legitimate government of the whole island. [...]

The UK government's formal position is to support Turkey joining the EU and over the years it has sounded enthusiastic. In July 2010, on a visit to Turkey, David Cameron warned France and Germany not to shut Turkey "out of the club

BBC News (2016)73

There are some arguments for keeping Turkey hopeful. After all, Recep Tayyip Erdogan cannot remain in power forever. The lure of the EU used to pull Turkey towards the embrace of democracy and human rights, but the statements against Turkey by European leaders "play directly into the hands of hardliners"72. Although there are politicians in Turkey who still want their country to embrace the modern world, they are often isolated by the actions of other Westerners.

When Ms Merkel allows German comedians to be sued for insulting the Turkish president, she is sending the message that Turkey's democrats are all alone. [...] Pushing Turkey away from Europe is easy - it is already happening. But all this will do is strengthen the anti-democratic forces there.

Turkish novelist Elif Shafak72