Sociable Earth Though historians disagree about exact reasons for the decline of the Ottoman Empire, what is agreed is that the World War I era marked the end of the Empire leaving behind ruins in different countries of the Middle East. Due to its defeat in WWI, the empire was under the occupation of France, Britain, Russia, and Greece. However, the Turks fought for independence, establishing the Republic of Turkey on July 24, 1923. It has a democratically elected regime, and Racep Tayyip Erdogan as the current president. Home to over 75 million citizens, the Republic of Turkey accommodates Middle Eastern and European elements with ease.
History
Historical evidence prove that the Turks have been around for over 4,000 years. Settled in Anatolia, the Turks established the Anatolian Seljuk State spanning some of modern day Turkey as well as Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The Mongolian invasion in 1243 scattered the Turks into numerous Turcoman principalities. The Ottoman Empire, also known as the Turkish Empire, rose from within one such principality in the 1300s. The fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the Ottoman empire resulted in many scholars fleeing to neighbouring European countries; consequently being one of the flames that started the European renaissance.