Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim’s government has won a vote of confidence in parliament as well as approval for his legislative program. Yildirim is a close ally of President Tayyip Erdogan and a co-founder of the ruling AK Party. He was declared prime minister after he was elected as the new leader of the AK Party at a party congress. Yildirim’s appointment marks another step in Erdogan’s plan to create a full presidential system in Turkey. Yildirim replaces Ahmet Davutoglu, who said he was stepping down after weeks of tension with Erdogan.

Did You Know?

• Straddling the continents of Europe and Asia, Turkey tries to be a bridge between West and East.
• The portion of Turkey’s land in Europe may be small (about 5 percent), but the country’s largest city, Istanbul, is there.
• With nearly 13 million people, Istanbul is the third most populous European urban area, after Moscow and Paris.
• There are some five million Turks working and living in EU countries—most in Germany. Most trade is with Europe, and many European vacationers come to Turkey for the climate, fine beaches, resorts, Roman ruins, and Crusader castles.

ECONOMY

Industry: Textiles, food processing, autos, mining, steel, petroleum
Agriculture: Tobacco, cotton, grain, olives; livestock
Exports: Apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment