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Government Stats: compare key data on Iraq & Turkey

Definitions

  • Administrative divisions: This entry generally gives the numbers, designatory terms, and first-order administrative divisions as approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN). Changes that have been reported but not yet acted on by BGN are noted.
  • Capital city > Geographic coordinates: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
  • Capital city > Name: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
  • Constitution: The dates of adoption, revisions, and major amendments to a nation's constitution
  • Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Executive branch > Cabinet: Cabinet includes the official name for any body of high-ranking advisers roughly comparable to a U.S. Cabinet. Also notes the method for selection of members.
  • Executive branch > Chief of state: The name and title of any person or role roughly equivalent to a U.S. Chief of State. This means the titular leader of the country who represents the state at official and ceremonial functions but may not be involved with the day-to-day activities of the government
  • Executive branch > Head of government: Head of government includes the name and title of the top administrative leader who is designated to manage the day-to-day activities of the government. For example, in the UK, the monarch is the chief of state, and the prime minister is the head of government. In the US, the president is both the chief of state and the head of government.
  • Government type: A description of the basic form of government (e.g., republic, constitutional monarchy, federal republic, parliamentary democracy, military dictatorship).
  • Judicial branch: The name(s) of the highest court(s) and a brief description of the selection process for members.
  • Legal system: A brief description of the legal system's historical roots, role in government, and acceptance of International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction.
  • Legislative branch: This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.
  • Political parties and leaders: Significant political organizations and their leaders.
  • Political pressure groups and leaders: Organizations with leaders involved in politics, but not standing for legislative election.
  • Suffrage: The age at enfranchisement and whether the right to vote is universal or restricted
  • International organization participation: This entry lists in alphabetical order by abbreviation those international organizations in which the subject country is a member or participates in some other way.
  • Country name > Conventional long form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
  • Executive branch > Elections: Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election
  • Leaders > Prime minister: Government > Leaders > Prime minister
  • National symbol(s): A national symbol is a faunal, floral, or other abstract representation - or some distinctive object - that over time has come to be closely identified with a country or entity. Not all countries have national symbols; a few countries have more than one.
  • Flag description: A written flag description produced from actual flags or the best information available at the time the entry was written. The flags of independent states are used by their dependencies unless there is an officially recognized local flag. Some disputed and other areas do not have flags.
  • Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days: Time required to start a business (days). Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
  • Country name > Conventional short form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
  • Constitutional form: Constitutional form of government.
  • Transnational Issues > Disputes > International: This entry includes a wide variety of situations that range from traditional bilateral boundary disputes to unilateral claims of one sort or another. Information regarding disputes over international terrestrial and maritime boundaries has been reviewed by the US Department of State. References to other situations involving borders or frontiers may also be included, such as resource disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues; however, inclusion does not necessarily constitute official acceptance or recognition by the US Government.
  • National anthem: A generally patriotic musical composition - usually in the form of a song or hymn of praise - that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, or struggles of a nation or its people. National anthems can be officially recognized as a national song by a country's constitution or by an enacted law, or simply by tradition. Although most anthems contain lyrics, some do not.
  • Legislative branch > Elections: This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.
  • Legislative branch > Election results: This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.
  • Democracy and rights > Press freedom index: Compares countries by their degree of government censorship, according to the Press freedom index. This index, created by the non-governmental organization Reporters without borders (RWS), is ellaborated using data from an extensive annual survey sent to professional reporters throughout the world. The survey contains questions about the type and ownership of media present in the country, freedom of speech, violence exerted against reporters, election campaigns, access of political parties to the media, etc.
  • Parliament > Seats held by women > Percentage: Percentage of seats held by women in country's national parliament or legislative houses.
  • Independence: For most countries, this entry gives the date that sovereignty was achieved and from which nation, empire, or trusteeship. For the other countries, the date given may not represent "independence" in the strict sense, but rather some significant nationhood event such as the traditional founding date or the date of unification, federation, confederation, establishment, fundamental change in the form of government, or state succession. Dependent areas include the notation "none" followed by the nature of their dependency status. "
  • Executive branch > Election results: Election results includes the percent of vote for each candidate in the last election (if any)
  • Judicial branch > Subordinate courts: This entry is derived from Government > Judicial branch, which includes three subfields. The highest court(s) subfield includes the name(s) of a country's highest level court(s), the number and titles of the judges, and the types of cases heard by the court, which commonly are based on civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional law. A number of countries have separate constitutional courts. The judge selection and term of office subfield includes the organizations and associated officials responsible for nominating and appointing judges, and a brief description of the process. The selection process can be indicative of the independence of a country's court system from other branches of its government. Also included in this subfield are judges' tenures, which can range from a few years, to a specified retirement age, to lifelong appointments. The subordinate courts subfield lists the courts lower in the hierarchy of a country's court system. A few countries with federal-style governments, such as Brazil, Canada, and the US, in addition to their federal court, have separate state- or province-level court systems, though generally the two systems interact.
  • Basis of executive legitimacy: Basis of executive legitimacy.

    No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.

  • Country name > Local short form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
  • Democracy and rights > Freedom of the press: Compares countries by freedom of the press. The lower the score, the more free the press of that country is. The scores are taken from the Freedom of the Press Index, elaborated by Freedom House, self-defined as "an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom around the world". The data used in the index come from an annual survey of media independence in 197 countries and territories, assessing the degree of print, broadcast, and internet freedom in each of them.
  • Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament: Women in parliaments are the percentage of parliamentary seats in a single or lower chamber occupied by women.
  • Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number: Start-up procedures to register a business (number). Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production.
  • Democracy > Civil and political liberties: Civil and political liberties
    Units: Index Ranging from 7 (High Levels of Liberties) to 1 (Low
    Units: This is the average of two indicators - civil liberties and political liberties.
  • National holiday: The primary national day of celebration - often independence day.
  • Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons > IDPs per thousand people: This entry is derived from Government > Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons, which includes those persons residing in a country as refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs). Each country's refugee entry includes only countries of origin that are the source of refugee populations of 5,000 or more. The definition of a refugee according to a United Nations Convention is "a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution." The UN established the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1950 to handle refugee matters worldwide. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has a different operational definition for a Palestinian refugee: "a person whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict." However, UNHCR also assists some 400,000 Palestinian refugees not covered under the UNRWA definition. The term "internally displaced person" is not specifically covered in the UN Convention; it is used to describe people who have fled their homes for reasons similar to refugees, but who remain within their own national territory and are subject to the laws of that state.
    Additional details:
    • Algeria: undetermined (civil war during 1990s) (2012)
    • Bangladesh: undetermined (land conflicts, religious persecution) (2012)
    • Burma: more than 454,200 (government offensives against armed ethnic minority groups near its borders with China and Thailand) (2012)
    • Guatemala: undetermined (the UN does not estimate there are any IDPs, although some NGOs estimate over 200,000 IDPs as a result of over three decades of internal conflict that ended in 1996) (2007)
    • Guatemala: undetermined (more than three decades of internal conflict that ended in 1996 displaced mainly the indigenous Maya population and rural peasants; ongoing drug cartel and gang violence) (2011)
    • India: at least 600,000 (about half are Kashmiri Pandits from Jammu and Kashmir) (2007)
    • India: at least 540,000 (about 250,000 are Kashmiri Pandits from Jammu and Kashmir) (2012)
    • Kenya: at least 300,000 (2007-08 post-election ...
      Full definition. Figures expressed per thousand people for the same year.
  • Capital > Geographic coordinates: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
  • Time required to start a business > Days: Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
  • Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons > IDPs: This entry is derived from Government > Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons, which includes those persons residing in a country as refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs). Each country's refugee entry includes only countries of origin that are the source of refugee populations of 5,000 or more. The definition of a refugee according to a United Nations Convention is "a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution." The UN established the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1950 to handle refugee matters worldwide. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has a different operational definition for a Palestinian refugee: "a person whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict." However, UNHCR also assists some 400,000 Palestinian refugees not covered under the UNRWA definition. The term "internally displaced person" is not specifically covered in the UN Convention; it is used to describe people who have fled their homes for reasons similar to refugees, but who remain within their own national territory and are subject to the laws of that state.
    Additional details:
    • Algeria: undetermined (civil war during 1990s) (2012)
    • Bangladesh: undetermined (land conflicts, religious persecution) (2012)
    • Burma: more than 454,200 (government offensives against armed ethnic minority groups near its borders with China and Thailand) (2012)
    • Guatemala: undetermined (the UN does not estimate there are any IDPs, although some NGOs estimate over 200,000 IDPs as a result of over three decades of internal conflict that ended in 1996) (2007)
    • Guatemala: undetermined (more than three decades of internal conflict that ended in 1996 displaced mainly the indigenous Maya population and rural peasants; ongoing drug cartel and gang violence) (2011)
    • India: at least 600,000 (about half are Kashmiri Pandits from Jammu and Kashmir) (2007)
    • India: at least 540,000 (about 250,000 are Kashmiri Pandits from Jammu and Kashmir) (2012)
    • Kenya: at least 300,000 (2007-08 post-election ...
      Full definition
  • Leaders > President: Government > Leaders > President
  • Judicial branch > Judge selection and term of office: This entry is derived from Government > Judicial branch, which includes three subfields. The highest court(s) subfield includes the name(s) of a country's highest level court(s), the number and titles of the judges, and the types of cases heard by the court, which commonly are based on civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional law. A number of countries have separate constitutional courts. The judge selection and term of office subfield includes the organizations and associated officials responsible for nominating and appointing judges, and a brief description of the process. The selection process can be indicative of the independence of a country's court system from other branches of its government. Also included in this subfield are judges' tenures, which can range from a few years, to a specified retirement age, to lifelong appointments. The subordinate courts subfield lists the courts lower in the hierarchy of a country's court system. A few countries with federal-style governments, such as Brazil, Canada, and the US, in addition to their federal court, have separate state- or province-level court systems, though generally the two systems interact.
  • Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Status Index 2006: The Status Index’s overall result represents the mean value of the scores for the dimensions “Political Transformationâ€? and “Economic Transformationâ€?. The mean value was calculated using the exact, unrounded values for both these dimensions, which, in turn, were derived from the ratings for the five political criteria (based on 18 indicators) and the seven economic criteria (based on 14 indicators). The table shows rounded scores for political and economic transformation as well as for the Status Index’s overall result. In some cases, therefore, the overall result differs slightly from the mean value.
  • Red tape > Time required to register property > Days: Time required to register property (days). Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property.
  • Politics: Country politics.
  • International law organization participation: This entry includes information on a country's acceptance of jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and of the International Criminal Court (ICCt); 55 countries have accepted ICJ jurisdiction with reservations and 11 have accepted ICJ jurisdiction without reservations; 114 countries have accepted ICCt jurisdiction. Appendix B: International Organizations and Groups explains the differing mandates of the ICJ and ICCt.
  • Parliament > Seats held by men: Number of seats held by men in country's naitonal parliament or legislative houses.
  • Country name > Local long form: This entry is derived from Government > Country name, which includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note.
  • Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million: Start-up procedures to register a business (number). Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Parliament > Seats held by women: Number of seats held by women in country's parliament or legislative houses.
  • Leaders > President > Summary: Government > Leaders > President > Summary
  • Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Israel: Date on which Israel was officially recognized as a state. Note that some countries had a “de facto” recognition in place long before the legal recognition.
  • Democracy > Democratic institutions rating: Democratic institutions
    Units: Scale ranging from -10 (autocratic) to +10 (democratic)
  • UN membership date: Date of United Nations Membership
  • Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number: Procedures to build a warehouse (number). Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers.
  • Capital city: The location of the seat of government.
  • Capital > Name: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
  • Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days: Time required to get electricity (days). Time required to get electricity is the number of days to obtain a permanent electricity connection. The measure captures the median duration that the electricity utility and experts indicate is necessary in practice, rather than required by law, to complete a procedure.
  • Legislature (parliament) > People per member: Number of people each member of the legislature represents on average. The number of members of the legislature is the sum of the members of all chambers of parliament, if applicable.
  • Capital > Time difference: This entry is derived from Government > Capital, which gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
  • Leaders > Prime minister > Profile: Government > Leaders > Prime minister > Profile
  • Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days per million: Time required to get electricity (days). Time required to get electricity is the number of days to obtain a permanent electricity connection. The measure captures the median duration that the electricity utility and experts indicate is necessary in practice, rather than required by law, to complete a procedure. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Leaders > Head of state > Term limit for head of state: Head(s) of state.

    No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.

  • Legislature (parliament) > Lower house members: Members of the lower house of the legislature or of the only chamber in a unicameral system.
  • Foreign relations > Recognition of Israel notes: Notes and remarks about the date on which Israel was officially recognized as a state.
  • Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days: Time required to enforce a contract (days). Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment.
  • Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number: Procedures to register property (number). Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property.
  • Leaders > President > Profile: Government > Leaders > President > Profile
  • Role of head of state: Head of state.

    No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.

  • Start-up procedures to register a business > Number: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production.
  • Strength of legal rights index > 0=weak to 10=strong: Strength of legal rights index measures the degree to which collateral and bankruptcy laws protect the rights of borrowers and lenders and thus facilitate lending. The index ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating that these laws are better designed to expand access to credit."
  • Parliament > Seats held by women per million people: Number of seats held by women in country's parliament or legislative houses. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
  • Political parties and leaders > Note: This entry includes a listing of significant political organizations and their leaders.
  • Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days: Time required to build a warehouse (days). Time required to build a warehouse is the number of calendar days needed to complete the required procedures for building a warehouse. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
  • Leaders > Prime minister > Summary: Government > Leaders > Prime minister > Summary
  • Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million: Procedures to enforce a contract (number). Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days per million: Time required to start a business (days). Time required to start a business is the number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Red tape > Time required to register property > Days per million: Time required to register property (days). Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days per million: Time required to build a warehouse (days). Time required to build a warehouse is the number of calendar days needed to complete the required procedures for building a warehouse. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million: Procedures to build a warehouse (number). Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index>Political Transformation: Political Transformation The score for â€?Political Transformation“ is obtained by calculating the mean value of the ratings for the following criteria: · Stateness · Political Participation · Rule of Law · Stability of Democratic Institutions · Political and Social Integration
  • Foreign relations > Diplomatic representation in the US > Ambassador: Name of ambassador to the USA.
  • Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons > Stateless persons: This entry is derived from Government > Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons, which includes those persons residing in a country as refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs). Each country's refugee entry includes only countries of origin that are the source of refugee populations of 5,000 or more. The definition of a refugee according to a United Nations Convention is "a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution." The UN established the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1950 to handle refugee matters worldwide. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has a different operational definition for a Palestinian refugee: "a person whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict." However, UNHCR also assists some 400,000 Palestinian refugees not covered under the UNRWA definition. The term "internally displaced person" is not specifically covered in the UN Convention; it is used to describe people who have fled their homes for reasons similar to refugees, but who remain within their own national territory and are subject to the laws of that state.
  • Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons > Stateless persons per thousand people: This entry is derived from Government > Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons, which includes those persons residing in a country as refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs). Each country's refugee entry includes only countries of origin that are the source of refugee populations of 5,000 or more. The definition of a refugee according to a United Nations Convention is "a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution." The UN established the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1950 to handle refugee matters worldwide. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has a different operational definition for a Palestinian refugee: "a person whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict." However, UNHCR also assists some 400,000 Palestinian refugees not covered under the UNRWA definition. The term "internally displaced person" is not specifically covered in the UN Convention; it is used to describe people who have fled their homes for reasons similar to refugees, but who remain within their own national territory and are subject to the laws of that state. Figures expressed per thousand people for the same year.
  • Time required to build a warehouse > Days: Time required to build a warehouse is the number of calendar days needed to complete the required procedures for building a warehouse. If a procedure can be speeded up at additional cost, the fastest procedure, independent of cost, is chosen.
  • Trademarks > Nonresidents per 1000: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
  • Trademarks > Nonresidents > Per capita: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
  • Start-up procedures to register a business > Number > Per capita: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population.
  • Time required to enforce a contract > Days: Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment.
  • Procedures to register property > Number: Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property.
  • Procedures to build a warehouse > Number: Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers.
  • Key ministers > Defence: Minister of Defence, 2005
  • Secession attempts: Lists groups or areas that have mounted major unilateral secession attempts in selected nations since 1945.
  • Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for lower house members: Members of the lower (or sole) house.

    No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.

  • Foreign relations > Date of establishment of relations with China: The date on which each country established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.
  • Foreign relations > Date of recognition of State of Palestine: Date on which Palestine was officially recognized as a state.
  • Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number: Procedures to enforce a contract (number). Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer.
  • Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number per million: Procedures to register property (number). Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Trademarks > Residents: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment.
  • Procedures to register property > Number > Per capita: Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property. Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population.
  • Procedures to enforce a contract > Number > Per capita: Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer. Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population.
  • Red tape > Management time dealing with officials > % of management time: Management time dealing with officials (% of management time). Time dealing with officials is the percentage of management time in a given week spent on requirements imposed by government regulations (taxes, customs, labor regulations, licensing and registration).
  • Republic establishment date: The date on which each country (or its precursor) changed its form of government to a republic. In a republic, the power resides in the country’s people, the government and legislature is elected and the country is ruled according to its laws.
  • Key ministers > Agriculture: Minister of Agriculture, 2005
  • Key ministers > Education: Minister of Education, 2005
  • Key ministers > Interior: Minister of Interior, 2005
  • Key ministers > Transport: Minister of Transport, 2005
  • Key ministers > Justice: Minister of Justice, 2005
  • Parliament > Seats held by men per million people: Number of seats held by men in country's naitonal parliament or legislative houses. Figures expressed per million people for the same year.
  • Parliamentary republic adoption date: Date each country adopted the parliamentary republic form of government.
  • Democracy and rights > Next election: Next election.

    No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.

  • Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Key ministers > Finance: Minister of Finance, 2005
  • Capital city > Time difference: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
  • Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments > %: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%). Women in parliaments are the percentage of parliamentary seats in a single or lower chamber held by women.
  • Trademarks > Residents > Per capita: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
  • Time required to register property > Days: Time required to register property is the number of calendar days needed for businesses to secure rights to property.
  • Trademarks > Nonresidents: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment.
  • Procedures to register property > Number per million: Number of procedures to register property is the number of procedures required for a businesses to secure rights to property. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Procedures to enforce a contract > Number: Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer.
  • Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million: Number of procedures to enforce a contract are the number of independent actions, mandated by law or courts, that demand interaction between the parties of a contract or between them and the judge or court officer. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Democracy and rights > Last election: Last election.

    No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.

  • Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million: Start-up procedures are those required to start a business, including interactions to obtain necessary permits and licenses and to complete all inscriptions, verifications, and notifications to start operations. Data are for businesses with specific characteristics of ownership, size, and type of production. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Legislature (parliament) > Total members of parliament: Number of members of the legislature (sum of members of all chambers of parliament where applicable).
  • Foreign relations > Diplomatic relations with Palestine: Indicates whether or not each country has diplomatic relations with Palestine.
  • Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days per million: Time required to enforce a contract (days). Time required to enforce a contract is the number of calendar days from the filing of the lawsuit in court until the final determination and, in appropriate cases, payment. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Time to prepare and pay taxes > Hours: Time to prepare and pay taxes is the time, in hours per year, it takes to prepare, file, and pay (or withhold) three major types of taxes: the corporate income tax, the value added or sales tax, and labor taxes, including payroll taxes and social security contributions.
  • Procedures to build a warehouse > Number > Per capita: Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers. Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population.
  • Key ministers > Health: Minister of Health, 2005
  • Trademarks > Residents per million: Trademark applications filed are applications for registration of a trademark with a national or regional trademark office. Trademarks are distinctive signs that identify goods or services as those produced or provided by a specific person or enterprise. Trademarks protect owners of the mark by ensuring exclusive right to use it to identify goods or services or to authorize its use in return for payment. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million: Number of procedures to build a warehouse is the number of interactions of a company's employees or managers with external parties, including government agency staff, public inspectors, notaries, land registry and cadastre staff, and technical experts apart from architects and engineers. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
STAT Iraq Turkey HISTORY
Administrative divisions 18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah (Arabic); parezgakan, singular - parezga (Kurdish)) and 1 region*; Al Anbar; Al Basrah; Al Muthanna; Al Qadisiyah (Ad Diwaniyah); An Najaf; Arbil (Erbil) (Arabic), Hewler (Kurdish); As Sulaymaniyah (Arabic), Slemani (Kurdish); Babil; Baghdad; Dahuk (Arabic), Dihok (Kurdish); Dhi Qar; Diyala; Karbala'; Kirkuk; Kurdistan Regional Government*; Maysan; Ninawa; Salah ad Din; Wasit 81 provinces (iller, singular - ili); Adana, Adiyaman, Afyonkarahisar, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Duzce, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Igdir, Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir (Smyrna), Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon (Trebizond), Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak
Capital city > Geographic coordinates 33 39 56 N, 32 52 E
Capital city > Name Baghdad Ankara
Constitution several previous; latest adopted by referendum 15 October 2005 7 November 1982; amended several times
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address APO AE 09316 PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823
Executive branch > Cabinet The Council of Ministers consists of the prime minister and cabinet ministers the prime minister proposes; approved by an absolute majority vote by the Council of Representatives Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister
Executive branch > Chief of state President Jalal TALABANI (since 6 April 2005) President Abdullah GUL (since 28 August 2007)
Executive branch > Head of government Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI (since 20 May 2006) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (since 14 March 2003)
Government type parliamentary democracy republican parliamentary democracy
Judicial branch the Iraq Constitution calls for the federal judicial power to be comprised of the Higher Judicial Council, Federal Supreme Court, Federal Court of Cassation, Public Prosecution Department, Judiciary Oversight Commission and other federal courts that are regulated in accordance with the law Constitutional Court; High Court of Appeals (Yargitay); Council of State (Danistay); Court of Accounts (Sayistay); Military High Court of Appeals; Military High Administrative Court
Legal system mixed legal system of civil and Islamic law civil law system based on various European legal systems notably the Swiss civil code(ECHR), although Turkey claims limited derogations on the ratified European Convention on Human Rights
Legislative branch unicameral Council of Representatives (325 seats consisting of 317 members elected by an optional open-list, proportional representation system and 8 seats reserved for minorities; members serve four-year terms); note - Iraq's Constitution calls for the establishment of an upper house, the Federation Council unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi
Political parties and leaders Badr Organization [Hadi al-AMIRI]<br />Da'wa Party (Islamic) [Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI]<br />Da'wa Tanzim [Hashim al-MUSAWI branch]<br />Da-wa Tanzim [Abd al-Karim al-ANZI branch]<br />Fadilah Party [Hasan al-SHAMMARI and Ammar TUAMA]<br />Goran (Change) List (also known as the Movement for Change) [Nushirwan MUSTAFA]<br />Iraqi Covenant Gathering [Ahmad Abd al-Ghafur al-SAMARRAI]<br />Iraqi Constitutional Party [Jawad al-BULANI]<br />Iraqi Front for National Dialogue [Deputy Prime Minister Salih al-MUTLAQ]<br />Iraqi Islamic Party or IIP [Usama al-TIKRITI]<br />Iraqi Justice and Reform Movement [Shaykh Abdallah al-YAWR]<br />Iraqi National Accord or INA [Ayad ALLAWI]<br />Iraqi National Alliance [Ibrahim al-JAFARI]<br />Iraqi National Congress or INC [Ahmad CHALABI]<br />Iraqi National Movement (see Iraqi National Accord)<br />Iraqi Unity Alliance [Nauaf Saud ZAID]<br />Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq or ISCI [Ammar al-HAKIM]<br />Kurdistan Alliance<br />Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Kurdistan Regional Government President Masud BARZANI]<br />Kurdistan Islamic Group (also called Islamic Group of Kurdistan) [Ali BAPIR]<br />Kurdistan Islamic Union [ Mohammed FARAI]<br />Future National Gathering [Finance Minister Rafi al-ISSAWI]<br />National Iraqiyun Gathering [Usama al-NUJAYFI]<br />National Movement for Reform and Development [Jamal al-KARBULI]<br />National Reform Trend (part of the National Iraqi Alliance) [former Prime Minister Ibrahim al-JAFARI]<br />Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [President Jalal TALABANI]<br />Renewal List [Vice President Tariq al-HASHIMI]<br />Sadrist Trend [Muqtada al-SADR]<br />Sahawa al-Iraq [Ahmad al-RISHAWI]<br />State of Law Coalition [Nouri al-MALIKI]<br />Tawafuq Front (also known as the Iraqi Accord Front)<br /> Democratic Left Party or DSP [Masum TURKER]<br />Democratic Party or DP [Namik Kemal ZEYBEK]<br />Equality and Democracy Party or EDP [Ziva HALIS]<br />Felicity Party or SP [Mustafa KAMALAK] (sometimes translated as Contentment Party)<br />Freedom and Solidarity Party or ODP [Alper TAS]<br />Grand Unity Party or BBP [Yalcin TOPCU]<br />Justice and Development Party or AKP [Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN]<br />Nationalist Movement Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI]<br />Peace and Democracy Party or BDP [Selahattin DEMIRTAS]<br />Republican People's Party or CHP [Kemal KILICDAROGLU]<br />Turkey Party or TP [Abdullatif SENER]<br />
Political pressure groups and leaders Sunni militias<br />Shia militias, some associated with political parties Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey or TUSKON [Rizanur MERAL]<br />Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Lami OZGEN]<br />Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [Tayfun GORGUN]<br />Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or MUSIAD [Omer Cihad VARDAN]<br />Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Mahmut ARSLAN]<br />Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or TISK [Tugrul KUDATGOBILIK]<br />Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is [Mustafa KUMLU]<br />Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen or TESK [Bendevi PALANDOKEN]<br />Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or TUSIAD [Umit BOYNER]<br />Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat HISARCIKLIOGLU]
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
International organization participation ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CICA, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CERN (observer), CICA, D-8, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EU (candidate country), FAO, FATF, G-20, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Country name > Conventional long form Republic of Iraq Republic of Turkey
Executive branch > Elections president elected by Council of Representatives (parliament) to serve a four-year term (eligible for a second term); presidential election in parliament last held on 11 November 2010 (next to be held in 2014) president elected directly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president from among members of parliament
Leaders > Prime minister Nouri al-Maliki Recep Tayyip Erdogan
National symbol(s) golden eagle star and crescent
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning "God is great") in green Arabic script is centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white); the Council of Representatives approved this flag in 2008 as a compromise temporary replacement for the Ba'athist Saddam-era flag red with a vertical white crescent moon (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening; the flag colors and designs closely resemble those on the banner of the Ottoman Empire, which preceded modern-day Turkey; the crescent moon and star serve as insignia for the Turks, as well as being traditional symbols of Islam; according to legend, the flag represents the reflection of the moon and a star in a pool of blood of Turkish warriors
Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days 29
Ranked 50th. 5 times more than Turkey
6
Ranked 165th.

Country name > Conventional short form Iraq Turkey
Constitutional form Republic Republic
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International approximately two million Iraqis have fled the conflict in Iraq, with the majority taking refuge in Syria and Jordan, and lesser numbers to Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, and Turkey; Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf; Turkey has expressed concern over the autonomous status of Kurds in Iraq complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the Aegean Sea; status of north Cyprus question remains; Syria and Iraq protest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper Euphrates waters; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq; in 2009, Swiss mediators facilitated an accord reestablishing diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey, but neither side has ratified the agreement and the rapprochement effort has faltered; Turkish authorities have complained that blasting from quarries in Armenia might be damaging the medieval ruins of Ani, on the other side of the Arpacay valley;
National anthem <strong>name: </strong>"Mawtini" (My Homeland)<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Ibrahim TOUQAN/Mohammad FLAYFEL <strong>name: </strong>"Istiklal Marsi" (Independence March)<br /><strong>lyrics/music:</strong> Mehmet Akif ERSOY/Zeki UNGOR
FAX NA 90
Legislative branch > Elections last held on 7 March 2010 for an enlarged 325-seat parliament (next to be held in 2014) last held on 12 June 2011 (next to be held by June 2015)
Legislative branch > Election results Council of Representatives - percent of vote by coalition - Iraqi National Movement 25.9%, State of Law coalition 25.8%, Iraqi National Alliance 19.4%, Kurdistan Alliance 15.3%, Goran (Change) List 4.4%, Tawafuq Front 2.7%, Iraqi Unity Alliance 2.9%, Kurdistan Islamic Union 2.3%, Kurdistan Islamic Group 1.4%; seats by coalition - NA percent of vote by party - AKP 49.8%, CHP 25.9%, MHP 13%, independents 6.6%, other 4.7%; seats by party - AKP 326, CHP 135, MHP 53, independents 36
Democracy and rights > Press freedom index 44.67
Ranked 30th.
46.56
Ranked 1st. 4% more than Iraq
Parliament > Seats held by women > Percentage 25.23%
Ranked 47th. 78% more than Turkey
14.18%
Ranked 112th.

Independence 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) 29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
Executive branch > Election results President Jalal TALABANI reelected on 11 November 2010; Council of Representatives vote count on second ballot - 195 votes; Nuri al-MALIKI reelected prime minister on 28 August 2007 the National Assembly elected Abdullah GUL president on the third ballot; National Assembly vote - 339
Judicial branch > Subordinate courts Courts of Appeal (governorate level); courts of first instance; personal status, labor, criminal, juvenile, and religious courts Council of State (Danistay); Court of Accounts (Sayistay); Military High Court of Appeals; Military High Administrative Court
Basis of executive legitimacy Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence Ministry is subject to parliamentary confidence
Country name > Local short form Al Iraq/Eraq Turkiye
Democracy and rights > Freedom of the press 69
Ranked 40th. 25% more than Turkey
55
Ranked 78th.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament 25.5%
Ranked 30th. 6 times more than Turkey
4.4%
Ranked 157th.

Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy Al-Kindi Street, International Zone, Baghdad 110
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number 10
Ranked 30th. 67% more than Turkey
6
Ranked 120th.

Democracy > Civil and political liberties 0.0
Ranked 134th.
2.5
Ranked 92nd.
National holiday Republic Day, July 14 (1958); note - the Government of Iraq has yet to declare an official national holiday but still observes Republic Day Republic Day, 29 October
Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons > IDPs per thousand people 34.53
Ranked 4th. 2399555 times more than Turkey
1.44e-05
Ranked 45th.

Capital > Geographic coordinates 33 20 N, 44 24 E 39 56 N, 32 52 E
Time required to start a business > Days 77 days
Ranked 20th. 9 times more than Turkey
9 days
Ranked 159th.

Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons > IDPs 1.1 million
Ranked 2nd. 1100000 times more than Turkey
1
Ranked 46th.

Leaders > President Jalal Talabani Abdullah Gul
Democracy > Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment 0.825
Ranked 137th.
0.946
Ranked 109th. 15% more than Iraq

Judicial branch > Judge selection and term of office Federal Supreme Court and Court of Cassation judges appointed by the Higher Juridical Council, a 26-member independent committee of judicial officials; FSC members appointed for life ; Court of Cassation judges appointed for 1-year probationary period and upon satisfactory performance may be confirmed for permanent tenure until retirement at age 63 Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president from among candidates submitted by plenary assemblies of other courts, the Higher Education Council, senior government administrators, and lawyers; judges appointed for 12-year, non-renewable terms and with mandatory retirement at age 65; Supreme Court of Appeals judges appointed by the Supreme Council of Judges and Public Prosecutors; judge tenure NA
Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index > Status Index 2006 2.79
Ranked 113th.
6.92
Ranked 33th. 2 times more than Iraq
Red tape > Time required to register property > Days 51
Ranked 61st. 9 times more than Turkey
6
Ranked 171st.

Politics Iraq became a battleground for forces vying for power after the US-led invasion of 2003, and an uneasy Shia-led government took over when US forces left in 2011 Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Islamist AKP began his third term in 2011. He has dealt ruthlessly with alleged challenges from the powerful, secularist military. He also adopted a tough line when faced with anti-government protests in the summer of 2013
International law organization participation has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Parliament > Seats held by men 243
Ranked 38th.
472
Ranked 6th. 94% more than Iraq

Country name > Local long form Jumhuriyat al-Iraq/Komar-i Eraq Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
Red tape > Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million 0.307
Ranked 133th. 4 times more than Turkey
0.0811
Ranked 173th.

Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission Ambassador Luqman Abd al-Rahim FAYLI (since 31 May 2013) Ambassador Namik TAN (since 18 February 2010)
Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone 760 [90] (312) 455-5555
Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission Ambassador Robert Stephen BEECROFT (since 9 October 2012) Ambassador Francis J. RICCIARDONE, Jr. (since 1 January 2011)
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery None None
Parliament > Seats held by women 82
Ranked 24th. 5% more than Turkey
78
Ranked 26th.

Leaders > President > Summary President Talabani is a veteran of Kurdish and Iraqi national politics Abdullah Gul is seen as a moderate figure
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of Israel None
None
Democracy > Democratic institutions rating -9
Ranked 136th.
7
Ranked 59th.
UN membership date 21 Dec. 1945 24 Oct. 1945
Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number 10
Ranked 157th.
20
Ranked 31st. Twice as much as Iraq

Capital city Baghdad Ankara
Capital > Name Baghdad Ankara
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days 47
Ranked 158th.
70
Ranked 120th. 49% more than Iraq

Legislature (parliament) > People per member 113,578
Ranked 25th.
130,031
Ranked 19th. 14% more than Iraq
Capital > Time difference UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Leaders > Prime minister > Profile <p>Nouri al-Maliki, a former rebel who led the first full-time government after the toppling of Saddam Hussein, was picked for a second term as prime minister in November 2010. </p> <p>He was chosen by parliament under a power-sharing agreement after the inconclusive elections of March 2010. Mr al-Maliki&#039;s Shia-backed State of Law coalition came second in the poll, after the Sunni Al-Iraqiya alliance of former premier Iyad Allawi.</p> <p>The national unity government that was approved by parliament in December 2010 included all major factions. It has proved to be fragile and riven by tensions between the Shia, Sunni and Kurdish blocs.</p> <p>At the end of 2011, there were fears of renewed sectarian conflict as the government looked like it might collapse. An arrest warrant was issued for the Sunni deputy vice president, Tareq al-Hashimi, over alleged links to terrorism - accusations which he denied. </p> <p>Observers said it appeared that Mr al-Maliki was trying to consolidate his grip on power by pushing out top Sunni politicians.</p> <p>Born in 1950, Mr al-Maliki fled a death sentence for his political activism in 1980 and lived in exile in Syria and Iran, working for the opposition Shia Islamic Dawa Party. </p> <p>He returned to Iraq after the US-led invasion of 2003 and became a member of the de-Baathification commission that removed Saddam supporters from public office. </p> <p>He was relatively unknown internationally until he was nominated for the premiership in May 2006, after the Sunni Arab and Kurdish parties objected to the reappointment of prime minister Ibrahim Al-Ja&#039;fari. </p> <p>He struggled to control a fractious government forged of fragile alliances and his first two years in office were marked by rampant bloodshed. He emerged stronger after sending the army to fight Shia militia and presiding over a sharp fall in overall violence, but a resurgence of Sunni extremist attacks on Shias and Christians made 2013 the bloodiest year since 2007. </p> <p>Recep Tayyip Erdogan began a third term of office in June 2011, following a resounding general election win for his Islamist-leaning Justice and Development Party (AKP).</p> <p>The election gave the AKP its highest electoral score since coming to power in 2002, and put Mr Erdogan on course to become the most successful leader in Turkey&#039;s democratic history.</p> <p>His party nonetheless fell just short of the majority it was seeking to press ahead with a major constitutional overhaul without the support of other parties in parliament. Mr Erdogan in his victory speech promised to seek compromise with the opposition over the issue.</p> <p>Mr Erdogan has brought economic and political stability to Turkey and faced down the country&#039;s powerful military establishment, which previously had a history of overthrowing elected governments that it saw as challenging either the secular constitution or national security.</p> <p>Steady military pressure combined with negotiations also brought the Kurdish rebel PKK group to a truce that provided for a withdrawal of all PKK fighters to Iraq from May 2013.</p> <p>In September 2010, his government won resounding public approval for its plans to change the 30-year-old constitution. The amendments to the constitution were aimed at reducing still further the power of the military and meeting the requirements for EU membership.</p> <p>Opponents accuse the government of authoritarianism and point to growing intolerance towards critical journalists and media. The Journalists Union of Turkey says 94 were in jail for carrying out their professional duties - the highest number in the world. More than half are members of the Kurdish minority.</p> <p>The heavy sentences handed down to retired military officers found guilty of conspiring against the Islamist government have also led Mr Erdogan&#039;s critics to accuse him of trying to silence the secularist opposition. The prime minister denies that these cases are politically motivated. </p> <p>Mr Erdogan hinted in October 2012 that he might stand for the presidency in 2014, and is widely expected to made renewed efforts to boost the constitutional powers of the head of state ahead of the vote in order to turn Turkey into a presidential republic.</p> <p>Mr Erdogan first became prime minister several months after his party&#039;s landslide election victory in November 2002. He had been barred from standing in the poll because of a previous criminal conviction for reading an Islamist poem at a political rally. Changes to the constitution paved the way for him to run for parliament in 2003.</p> <p>He identified EU entry as a top priority and introduced reforms which paved the way for the opening of membership talks in October 2005. although these have run into the twin pillars of widespread European opposition and the eurozone crisis. </p> <p>Since then Mr Erdogan&#039;s foreign policy has concentrated as seeking a role as honest broker in the Middle East by building bridges to Iran and Arab states, while adopting a stridently hostile tone towards Turkey&#039;s longstanding ally Israel - albeit falling short of severing diplomatic relations. </p> <p>The popularity of his &quot;Turkish model&quot; among liberals and moderate Islamic groups in Arab countries has boosted Turkey&#039;s prestige, although this has yet to translate into tangible foreign-policy gains for the country.</p> <p>In the summer of 2013 Mr Erdogan began to look vulnerable for the first time as mass anti-government protests erupted in several cities, further inflamed by the violent police response.</p> <p>A further threat to Mr Erdogan&#039;s continued rule emerged in December 2013, when police launched an inquiry into alleged corruption among the prime minister&#039;s allies. Mr Erdogan denounced the probe as a &quot;dirty operation&quot; against his government.</p>
Red tape > Time required to get electricity > Days per million 1.44
Ranked 169th. 53% more than Turkey
0.946
Ranked 174th.

Leaders > Head of state > Term limit for head of state 4
Ranked 122nd.
5
Ranked 110th. 25% more than Iraq
Legislature (parliament) > Lower house members 275
Ranked 40th.
550
Ranked 12th. Twice as much as Iraq
Foreign relations > Recognition of Israel notes Does not accept Israeli passports. In September 2011, Turkey downgraded ties with Israel to second secretary level.
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days 520
Ranked 105th. 24% more than Turkey
420
Ranked 144th.

Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number 5
Ranked 107th.
6
Ranked 98th. 20% more than Iraq

Leaders > President > Profile <p>Jalal Talabani - a veteran leader of Iraq&#039;s minority Kurds - became Iraq&#039;s first elected president in more than 50 years in 2005. </p> <p>He was selected for a second term in 2006, and in November 2010 he was picked for another term by members of parliament under a power-sharing deal which followed months of negotiations after inconclusive parliamentary elections in March. </p> <p>His health went into sharp decline in the following two years, and he suffered a stroke in December 2012. He has been undergoing treatment in Germany since then, and is making progress.</p> <p>He became a key player in Iraqi national politics following the toppling of Saddam Hussein in the 2003 US-led invasion, with the Kurds forming a powerful voting bloc in the national parliament. </p> <p>Talabani, who is seen as being close to both the United States and Iran, won praise at the height of Iraq&#039;s sectarian war for building bridges between the country&#039;s divided factions. </p> <p>Born in 1933, Mr Talabani rose to a senior position in the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), but split from it in 1974 and helped to form the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan PUK the following year. The KDP and PUK have alternatively been bitter rivals and allies, currently administering the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan. </p> <p>Abdullah Gul was chosen as president by parliament in August 2007, after months of controversy over his nomination. He is Turkey&#039;s first head of state with a background in political Islam in a country with strong secularist principles.</p> <p>The months leading to his eventual election saw street demonstrations, an opposition boycott of parliament, early parliamentary elections and warnings from the army, which has ousted four governments since 1960.</p> <p>Turkish secularists, including army generals, opposed Mr Gul&#039;s nomination, fearing he would try to undermine Turkey&#039;s strict separation of state and religion. Secularists also did not want Turkey&#039;s First Lady to wear the Muslim headscarf.</p> <p>The army top brass and the main opposition Republican People&#039;s Party, stayed away from Mr Gul&#039;s swearing-in ceremony.</p> <p>Mr Gul started in politics in an Islamist party that was banned by the courts, but later renounced the idea that Islam should be a driving force in politics. In 2001, along with other moderate members of the Islamist movement, he founded the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and distanced himself from his past political leanings.</p> <p>The party won elections in 2002 and Mr Gul served as stand-in prime minister before stepping aside for Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Mr Gul served as foreign minister under Mr Erdogan and cultivated an image as a moderate politician, acting as an impassioned voice for reforms to promote Turkey&#039;s EU bid.</p> <p>The government holds most power but the president can veto laws, appoint officials, and name judges. Voters in a referendum in October 2007 backed plans to have future presidents elected by the people instead of by parliament.</p>
Role of head of state Ceremonial Ceremonial
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number 11
Ranked 46th. 38% more than Turkey
8
Ranked 120th.

Strength of legal rights index > 0=weak to 10=strong 3
Ranked 124th.
4
Ranked 116th. 33% more than Iraq

Parliament > Seats held by women per million people 2.57
Ranked 107th. 3 times more than Turkey
0.967
Ranked 152nd.

Foreign relations > Nepal > Date of Establishment October 30, 1968 November 15, 1962
Political parties and leaders > Note the Kurdistan Alliance, Iraqi National List, Tawafuq Coalition, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue, and Unified Iraqi Alliance were only electoral slates consisting of the representatives from the various Iraqi political parties the parties listed above are some of the more significant of the 49 parties that Turkey had on 1 December 2004
Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days 139
Ranked 103th.
164
Ranked 76th. 18% more than Iraq

Leaders > Prime minister > Summary Iraqi premier Nouri al-Maliki Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million 1.57
Ranked 137th. 3 times more than Turkey
0.487
Ranked 170th.

Red tape > Time required to start a business > Days per million 0.89
Ranked 123th. 11 times more than Turkey
0.0811
Ranked 183th.

Red tape > Time required to register property > Days per million 1.57
Ranked 128th. 19 times more than Turkey
0.0811
Ranked 179th.

Red tape > Time required to build a warehouse > Days per million 4.27
Ranked 151st. 73% more than Turkey
2.47
Ranked 162nd.

Red tape > Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million 0.307
Ranked 156th. 14% more than Turkey
0.27
Ranked 160th.

Democracy > Bertelsmann Transformation Index>Political Transformation 2.68
Ranked 112th.
7.05
Ranked 38th. 3 times more than Iraq
Foreign relations > Diplomatic representation in the US > Ambassador Faily, Lukman Lukman Faily Tan, Namık Namık Tan
Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons > Stateless persons 120,000
Ranked 6th. 154 times more than Turkey
780
Ranked 42nd.
Transnational Issues > Refugees and internally displaced persons > Stateless persons per thousand people 3.68
Ranked 8th. 349 times more than Turkey
0.0105
Ranked 52nd.
Time required to build a warehouse > Days 216 days
Ranked 61st.
232 days
Ranked 52nd. 7% more than Iraq

Trademarks > Nonresidents per 1000 0.0322
Ranked 46th. 1% more than Turkey
0.0319
Ranked 50th.

Trademarks > Nonresidents > Per capita 0.031 per 1,000 people
Ranked 45th. 3% more than Turkey
0.03 per 1,000 people
Ranked 52nd.

Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment January 5, 2005 August 26, 1992
National anthem > Name "Mawtini" (My Homeland) "Istiklal Marsi" (Independence March)
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number > Per capita 0.411 per 1 million people
Ranked 124th. 4 times more than Turkey
0.11 per 1 million people
Ranked 153th.

Time required to enforce a contract > Days 520 days
Ranked 72nd. 24% more than Turkey
420 days
Ranked 101st.

Procedures to register property > Number 5
Ranked 105th.
8
Ranked 43th. 60% more than Iraq

Procedures to build a warehouse > Number 14
Ranked 116th.
32
Ranked 4th. 2 times more than Iraq

Key ministers > Defence Saadoun al-Dulaimi Vecdi Gonul
Secession attempts Kurdistan Kurdistan
National anthem > Note adopted 2004; following the ousting of Saddam HUSSEIN, Iraq adopted "Mawtini," a popular folk song throughout the Arab world, which also serves as an unofficial anthem of the Palestinian people lyrics adopted 1921, music adopted 1932; the anthem's original music was adopted in 1924; a new composition was agreed upon in 1932
Legislature (parliament) > Term of office for lower house members 4
Ranked 113th. The same as Turkey
4
Ranked 171st.
Foreign relations > Date of establishment of relations with China August 25, 1958 August 4, 1971
Foreign relations > Date of recognition of State of Palestine 15 November 1988 15 November 1988
Red tape > Procedures to enforce a contract > Number 51
Ranked 4th. 42% more than Turkey
36
Ranked 125th.

Red tape > Procedures to register property > Number per million 0.153
Ranked 151st. 89% more than Turkey
0.0811
Ranked 169th.

Date of transition to republican system of government > Republic since October 8, 1920 July 23, 1920
Trademarks > Residents 474
Ranked 38th.
30,136
Ranked 10th. 64 times more than Iraq

Procedures to register property > Number > Per capita 0.187 per 1 million people
Ranked 129th. 70% more than Turkey
0.11 per 1 million people
Ranked 148th.

Procedures to enforce a contract > Number > Per capita 2.43 per 1 million people
Ranked 103th. 5 times more than Turkey
0.466 per 1 million people
Ranked 150th.

Red tape > Management time dealing with officials > % of management time 6.5%
Ranked 2nd.
27.1%
Ranked 1st. 4 times more than Iraq

Republic establishment date July 14, 1958 October 29, 1923
Key ministers > Agriculture Ali al-Bahadili Mehdi Eker
Key ministers > Education Abdel Falah Hassan Huseyin Celik
Key ministers > Interior Bayan Baqir Solagh Abdulkadir Aksu
Key ministers > Transport Salam al-Maliki Binali Yildirim
Key ministers > Justice Abdel Hussein Shandal Cemil Cicek
Parliament > Seats held by men per million people 7.63
Ranked 133th. 30% more than Turkey
5.85
Ranked 151st.

Parliamentary republic adoption date 2005 1923
Democracy and rights > Next election March 2014 June 2015
Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone [1] (202) 742-1600 [1] (202) 612-6700
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX [1] (202) 333-1129 [1] (202) 612-6744
Key ministers > Finance Ali Allawi Kemal Unakitan
Capital city > Time difference 3 UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments > % 25.2%
Ranked 53th. 75% more than Turkey
14.4%
Ranked 119th.

Trademarks > Residents > Per capita 0.028 per 1,000 people
Ranked 43th.
0.426 per 1,000 people
Ranked 28th. 15 times more than Iraq

Time required to register property > Days 8 days
Ranked 154th.
9 days
Ranked 152nd. 13% more than Iraq

Trademarks > Nonresidents 514
Ranked 42nd.
2,101
Ranked 21st. 4 times more than Iraq

Procedures to register property > Number per million 0.178
Ranked 131st. 53% more than Turkey
0.117
Ranked 146th.

Procedures to enforce a contract > Number 65
Ranked 4th. 91% more than Turkey
34
Ranked 83th.

Procedures to enforce a contract > Number per million 2.32
Ranked 106th. 5 times more than Turkey
0.495
Ranked 149th.

Democracy and rights > Last election March 2010 June 2011
Start-up procedures to register a business > Number per million 0.392
Ranked 124th. 3 times more than Turkey
0.117
Ranked 151st.

Legislature (parliament) > Total members of parliament 275
Ranked 43th.
550
Ranked 24th. Twice as much as Iraq
Foreign relations > Diplomatic relations with Palestine Yes Yes
Red tape > Time required to enforce a contract > Days per million 15.96
Ranked 153th. 3 times more than Turkey
5.68
Ranked 174th.

Time to prepare and pay taxes > Hours 312 hours
Ranked 57th. 23% more than Turkey
254 hours
Ranked 83th.

Procedures to build a warehouse > Number > Per capita 0.523 per 1 million people
Ranked 135th. 19% more than Turkey
0.439 per 1 million people
Ranked 139th.

Key ministers > Health Abdel Muttaleb Mohammed Ali Recep Akdag
Trademarks > Residents per million 29.73
Ranked 44th.
457.03
Ranked 25th. 15 times more than Iraq

Procedures to build a warehouse > Number per million 0.499
Ranked 135th. 7% more than Turkey
0.466
Ranked 137th.

SOURCES: CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011; CIA World Factbooks 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013; British Broadcasting Corporation 2014; World Bank, Doing Business project (http://www.doingbusiness.org/).; Wikipedia: List of countries by system of government (Alphabetical list of countries); All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008; Wikipedia: Censorship by country (Censorship by country) ("Press Freedom Index 2013" , Reporters Without Borders, 30 January 2013); United Nations Statistics Division; "2012 Freedom of the Press Data" , Freedom House, 1 May 2012; World Development Indicators database; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2000-2001, New York: Freedom House, 2001; CIA World Factbooks 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Source: Millennium Development Goals Database | United Nations Statistics Division; Bertelsmann Transformation Index online, 2006; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; World Bank, Doing Business project (http://www.doingbusiness.org/). Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; Wikipedia: International recognition of Israel (UN member states); Polity IV Project, University of Maryland, at Polity IV Project; United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook; Wikipedia: List of legislatures by number of members; Wikipedia: Term of office (Terms of office by country); United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Nepal; http://www.bertelsmann-transformation-index.de/fileadmin/pdf/BTI_2006_Ranking_GB.pdf; Wikipedia: List of ambassadors to the United States; World Development Indicators database. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Wikipedia: Foreign relations of Croatia; Economist Intelligence Unit; "State Practice And International Law In Relation to unilateral Secession" by James Crawford, Whewell Professor of International Law, University of Cambridge, 19 February 1997. Available online via the Department of Justice, Canada; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dates_of_establishment_of_diplomatic_relations_with_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China; Wikipedia: International recognition of the State of Palestine (Diplomatic recognition); Wikipedia: List of countries by date of transition to republican system of government; World Bank, Enterprise Surveys; Wikipedia: List of countries by date of transition to republican system of government (List); United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Various sources compiled into Wikipedia's Parliamentary republic; Wikipedia: List of next general elections (Africa); Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) (www.ipu.org); Wikipedia: International recognition of the State of Palestine (Diplomatic recognition) (Either with the Palestinian National Authority, the Palestine Liberation Organization, or the State of Palestine. The institution is specified where known.)

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