The Federal Empire of Turkey (also known as the Ottoman Empire) is a large Asian and European country. Its capital lies at Istanbul on the Bosporus Straits, and it covers most of the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, numerous Mediterranean islands, as well as most of Asia Minor and large parts of the Caucasus mountains and other Near Eastern territories. Its population as of 2009 is approximately 135 million and it is currently the fourth largest economy in the world. Turkey's government is a semi-constitutional monarchy - the current Sultan is Abdulmecid III, son of Osman V, who took the throne in 2002 following his father's death, but it is the Congress of Turkey which wields day-to-day administrative powers, headed by an elected Prime Minister and a Sultan-appointed Vizier. Turkey's primary r