I would like to welcome you all, to my TURKIYE: The Cradle of Civilizations page. Let me be your host, in your little trip to this fascinating country. In this page you will find valuble information about Turkiye, Turkish people, culture, food, natural and historical resources.
Please take your time to visit all the links that are provided in this page. Every link will bring you closer and closer to this land of natural and historical wonders, and of course, the land of hospitality. You will be surprised how little that you know or how you have been misinformed about Turkiye.
There are couple reasons why not too many people, especially in the US, know much about Turkiye. Some people even have incredibly wrong impressions about Turkiye. The biggest mistake belongs to us of course: Turkish people did not realize the importance of "global community" and the importance of introducing themselves to this global community until recent years. It is in this last decade that many people discovered the natural and historical wonders of Turkiye, as well as the friendliness and the hospitality of the Turkish people.
I also blame the last emperors of the Ottoman Empire as well, for the wrong impression that people have. Turkish people have a long and a glorious history of over thousands of years. Turks started migrating to Anatolia (Asia Minor) in 1071. With the well known Ottomon Empire that they established, they expanded to Central Europe, Northern Africa, and The Middle East. But gradually they lost control. The final emperors of the Ottoman Empire, did not realize the importance of growing industry, scientific education, human rights and democracy.
The struggling years of the Ottoman Empire finally came to an end after the WW1, when Turkish people found a new leader to themselves: Kemal Ataturk. Ataturk created a new nation from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire. He thought what democracy should meant to be to Turkish people; something they had known and lived with for hundreds of years, but unfortunately forgotten in the last 600 years of Ottoman Empire.
Living in harmony with people of different ethnic origin, religion, and language was not new to Turkish people. Early 1900s marked a new milestone in the Turkish history: The clash of the Ottoman Empire, following the WW1 made it clear to all those people living in the Anatolian peninsula that it was time to reunite under one roof. It was time for the people of Turkey, regardless of their ethnic origin, race, religion or language, to fight for the scientific, economic and social independenace and development of their new country: The Republic of Turkey.
Ever since the people in Turkey, regardless of their ethnic origin and religion, have known Turkiye their home. Anyone who feels himself/herself as a member of this big family, is now a citizen of the Turkish republic. That is why Turkey became the only country with a muslim majority in the world where many Jews, Armenians, Greeks, Kurds, Christians and Muslims live together in harmony, with exact same constitutional rights.
Of course the best way to learn more about these people is to visit them. You will amazed how warmly you will be welcomed. Do not miss it, if you ever have an oppurtunity to visit this country. What you are going to experience will be one of the most memorable times of your life.
You will find the most ancient historical, and the most breath-taking natural beauties in Turkiye. These are what I call the gifts of the mother nature and history to the people of Turkey. You will see two of the seven wonders of the world in Turkiye. You will see where Asia meets Europe in the magnificent city of Istanbul. You will visit the house of Jesus's mother, Mary. You will see where the Noah's Ark had landed (Mount Ararat). You will be able to swim in the most clear waters of the Mediteranian and the Aegean, where it is hundreds of feet deep, but yet the brand name of a battery at the bottom can be read. But most importantly, you will realize how friedly and hospitable people are in Turkiye.
Once again I would like to thank you for visiting this page. I sure will appreciate your comments. I also would be more than happy to answer any question(s) that you may have. Please do not hesitate to drop me a line. You will find a mailform at the bottom of this page that you can use to send me an e-mail.
ROBI POLIKAR CYBERDOMAIN ROOT PAGE 
