Embassy of Turkey
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
The Embassy of Turkey was established on this site in 1999. Turkey's relations with the United States date back to 1831, when Turkey was still part of the Ottoman Empire. The U.S. severed relations during World War I and reestablished them in 1927. The United States and Turkey forged an alliance in the post-World War II era, with Turkey joining NATO in 1952. The two countries share common interests, which strengthen their alliance and partnerships, though their relations have been strained due to conflicts in the Middle East.
Images
Pictured is a map of Turkey and surrounding countries. The map shows several major Turkish cities, including Istanbul and Ankara, the capital of Turkey. As the map shows, Turkey is bordered by both Europe and Asia.
Pictured is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The tomb was built to honor Ataturk for his leadership of the country. The mausoleum was completed fifteen years after his death and reaches 56 feet high. There are four main parts to the tomb.
Built in 1999, the Embassy of Turkey's chancery incorporates traditional Turkish design elements in a contemporary structure. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
The Turkish flag's design is derived from the flag of the Ottoman Empire.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Situated between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, the land that is now Turkey was once occupied by the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. After declaring independence, the Republic of Turkey was established in 1923. Today, it is home to almost 80 million citizens, most of whom are ethnic Turks. The United States and Turkey have collaborated on several issues, including terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and international drug trafficking, among others. The embassy serves to preserve the relations and common values between the United States and Turkey. The two nations share many common values: such as democracy, human rights, diversity, and the separation of church and state.
Present-day Turkey was founded in 1923 with the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Mustafa Kemal, the national hero who helped defeat the Ottoman Empire, was late dubbed Ataturk, which means "Father of the Turks". Ataturk became the leader of the newly founded Turkish state. He led the country toward several reforms under a one-party system. However in 1950, a multi-party system emerged and the opposing party won the election. Fortunately, the transfer of power was peaceful.
Since the 1950 emergence of the multi-party system, political parties in Turkey have multiplied. Several coups have disturbed the peace and democratic system. These coups, occurring in 1960, 1971, and 1980, have destabilized the country and were militarily led. After each coup, the power of the government was returned to the civilians. In 1997, another military coup was attempted. It was coined a "post-modern coup" and wanted to overthrow the Islamic-oriented government. Another coup was attempted in July 2016. This attempted was led with support from a section of the Turkish Armed Forces.
The United States maintained their strongest relations with Turkey during World War II and the Cold War. Their relationship has been in decline since the Iraq War and Syrian Civil War, which have destabilized the region and led each country to forge conflicting alliances. However, Turkey has supported American efforts in the War on Terror and remains an important ally to the U.S. through NATO.
The Embassy of Turkey constructed its current chancery on 2525 Massachusetts Avenue in 1999. Previously, the embassy was located at the Edward Everett house on 23rd Street. Today, the Everett house is the Turkish Ambassador's residence.
Present-day Turkey was founded in 1923 with the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Mustafa Kemal, the national hero who helped defeat the Ottoman Empire, was late dubbed Ataturk, which means "Father of the Turks". Ataturk became the leader of the newly founded Turkish state. He led the country toward several reforms under a one-party system. However in 1950, a multi-party system emerged and the opposing party won the election. Fortunately, the transfer of power was peaceful.
Since the 1950 emergence of the multi-party system, political parties in Turkey have multiplied. Several coups have disturbed the peace and democratic system. These coups, occurring in 1960, 1971, and 1980, have destabilized the country and were militarily led. After each coup, the power of the government was returned to the civilians. In 1997, another military coup was attempted. It was coined a "post-modern coup" and wanted to overthrow the Islamic-oriented government. Another coup was attempted in July 2016. This attempted was led with support from a section of the Turkish Armed Forces.
The United States maintained their strongest relations with Turkey during World War II and the Cold War. Their relationship has been in decline since the Iraq War and Syrian Civil War, which have destabilized the region and led each country to forge conflicting alliances. However, Turkey has supported American efforts in the War on Terror and remains an important ally to the U.S. through NATO.
The Embassy of Turkey constructed its current chancery on 2525 Massachusetts Avenue in 1999. Previously, the embassy was located at the Edward Everett house on 23rd Street. Today, the Everett house is the Turkish Ambassador's residence.
Sources
The World Factbook: Turkey. The Central Intelligence Agency. January 12, 2017. Accessed May 01, 2017. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu.html.
Info Notes. The Turkish Embassy in Washington DC. January 13, 2016. Accessed May 01, 2017. http://vasington.be.mfa.gov.tr/ShowInfoNotes.aspx?ID=225654.
John, Rosemarie. Anıtkabir, The Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Travel and Beyond. December 27, 2012. Accessed May 01, 2017. http://www.travelandbeyond.org/2012/12/27/mausoleum-of-mustafa-kemal-ataturk/.
Marcus, Jonathan. "US-Turkey: The strained alliance." BBC. March 29, 2016. Accessed November 2017. http://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-35882201
Info Notes. The Turkish Embassy in Washington DC. January 13, 2016. Accessed May 01, 2017. http://vasington.be.mfa.gov.tr/ShowInfoNotes.aspx?ID=225654.
John, Rosemarie. Anıtkabir, The Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Travel and Beyond. December 27, 2012. Accessed May 01, 2017. http://www.travelandbeyond.org/2012/12/27/mausoleum-of-mustafa-kemal-ataturk/.
Marcus, Jonathan. "US-Turkey: The strained alliance." BBC. March 29, 2016. Accessed November 2017. http://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-35882201