Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey is a transcontinental country almost wholly located on the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia, with a smaller portion on the Balkan peninsula in Southeastern Europe. East Thrace, the part of Turkey in Europe, is separated from Anatolia by the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus and the Dardanelles (collectively called the Turkish Straits. Istanbul is the largest city in the country while Ankara is the capital. Approximately 70 to 80 percent of the country’s citizens identify as Turkish, while Kurds are the largest minority at anywhere from 15 to 20 percent of the population. Turkey’s economy and diplomatic initiatives led to its recognition as a regional power, while its location has given it geopolitical and strategic importance throughout history. Turkey is a secular, unitary, formerly parliamentary republic that adopted a presidential system with a referendum in 2017. The new system came into effect with the presidential election in 2018.