Part A

The Republic of Turkey is a trans-continental state that includes East Thrace and Anatolia. Notably, the capital city is Ankara. It is bordered by eight nations namely Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Azerbaijani, Iran, Armenia, Iraq, and Syria. The current population is approximately 82.96 million with 49.1% male and 50.9% female. The annual population growth rate is 1.29%. Also, the surface area of turkey is 783, 562 square kilometers with an estimated population density of 104.5 persons per square kilometer. The most populated cities are Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir. The life expectancy has risen from 48.27 years in 1960 to around 73.94 years in 2011.

Regarding demographics, the population mainly comprises of Turkish people, representing 75% of the population. The Kurdish accounts for 18% while other ethnic groups consume 17% of the total population. The predominant languages are Kurdish and Turkish. The most popular religion is Islam, accounting for 99.8% of the population. As of 2018, the literacy rate of the citizens is relatively high (95.6%). The male literacy rate is at 98% while that of the female is 92%. Additionally, almost 70% of Turkey populace resides in urban areas with the urbanization of around 1.7% per year. It represents the number of people moving from rural to urban setup. The total fertility rate is approximately 2.13 children born per woman. The data relates to the steadily increasing population. The population is composed of 27% fairly young people between 0 to 14 years of age, and 67% between 15 to 64 years. Only 6% of the population is above 64 years. In 2018, the median age was at 30.9 years of age and 75 years of total life expectancy. My primary mentor in this assignment was a Turkish national called Burcu, born in Bursa. Also, the secondary mentor was Burc Ceylan, born in Ankara. Burcus’ experience in turkey gives vital insights into the state of the nations’ leadership. Her fears of repatriating back to Turkey after completion of her academics indicates a compromised and poorly led nation.

Part B

The country is facing political instabilities which threaten the living conditions of the residents. Burcu indicates that the political unrest made many people flee. The danger of worsening economy is contributing to the political instability that has paralyzed the Erdogan’s regime in the past years. The crisis is affecting the economic prosperity made by the government which in turn destroys the living conditions. The issues contributing to the subject include bribery, corruption, and tender-rigging among the members of the ruling party.

The Turkish leadership violates some fundamental human rights. For instance, citizens are denied freedom of expression. It depicts poor leadership. When a citizen accuses the government or a key political figure of corruption, he or she belongs to jail. Ideally, the subject violates the democracy that citizens in the modern world should enjoy. It is the citizens who elect the leaders to represent them and, therefore, should have the power to oversight the government and raise their concerns without fear of victimization.

Also, gender inequality is tainting the Turkish leadership. Burcu illustrates that male gender is valued as compared to female. The female persecution trickles down to the provision of education whereby the males are enrolled to undertake quality education while women pursue cheap professions. For instance, Burcu’s father is an engineer while the mother is a teacher. The paradigm violates the inclusivity and fairness in Turkish society. Moreover, the right to education of young females is under threat. Girls aged ten years are forced to quit school and get married. It contradicts their sovereign right to education.

In conclusion, the ongoings in Turkey depicts a state is yet to realize democracy and inclusivity. The regime has violated fundamental human rights and the rule of law including the right to education, freedom of expression, transparency, and good governance. Therefore, the nation needs to redefine the meaning of democracy.

References