Turkey, country that occupies a unique geographic position, lying partly in Asia and partly in Europe. Throughout its history it has acted as both a barrier and a bridge between the two continents.

Turkey is situated at the crossroads of the Balkans, Caucasus, Middle East, and eastern Mediterranean. It is among the larger countries of the region in terms of territory and population, and its land area is greater than that of any European state. Nearly all of the country is in Asia, comprising the oblong peninsula of Asia Minor—also known as Anatolia (Anadolu)—and, in the east, part of a mountainous region sometimes known as the Armenian Highland. The remainder—Turkish Thrace (Trakya)—lies in the extreme southeastern part of Europe, a tiny remnant of an empire that once extended over much of the Balkans.

The country has a north-south extent that ranges from about 300 to 400 miles (480 to 640 km), and it stretches about 1,000 miles from west to east. Turkey is bounded on the north by the Black Sea, on the northeast by Georgia and Armenia, on the east by Azerbaijan and Iran, on the southeast by Iraq and Syria, on the southwest and west by the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea, and on the northwest by Greece and Bulgaria. The capital is Ankara, and its largest city and seaport is Istanbul.

Of a total boundary length of some 4,000 miles (6,440 km), about three-fourths is maritime, including coastlines along the Black Sea, the Aegean, and the Mediterranean, as well as the narrows that link the Black and Aegean seas. These narrows—which include the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles—are known collectively as the Turkish straits; Turkey’s control of the straits, the only outlet from the Black Sea, has been a major factor in its relations with other states. Most of the islands along the Aegean coast are Greek; only the islands of Gökçeada and Bozcaada remain in Turkish hands. The maritime boundary with Greece has been a source of dispute between the two countries on numerous occasions since World War II.

A long succession of political entities existed in Asia Minor over the centuries. Turkmen tribes invaded Anatolia in the 11th century CE, founding the Seljuq empire; during the 14th century the Ottoman Empire began a long expansion, reaching its peak during the 17th century. The modern Turkish republic, founded in 1923 after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, is a nationalist, secular, parliamentary democracy. After a period of one-party rule under its founder, Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk), and his successor, Turkish governments since the 1950s have been produced by multiparty elections based on universal adult suffrage.

The administrative district of Kartepe has been established in March 2008 by the law numbered 5747 with the first level municipalities of Köseköy, Uzunçiftilik, Uzuntarla, Eşme, Acısu, Maşukiye; Büyük Derbent, Arslanbey, Sarımeşe and the organization of the public institutions and enterprises has been completed in a short while.

The district of Kartepe remains between the Samanlı Mountains of Izmit and the heights of Kocaeli Plateau. The geographical area where the Kartepe district is stretched has been used as a very important passage located on the migratory roads between Asia and Europe, trade roads, the Silk Road, military and pilgrimage roads.

The district is geographically located at the Eastern section of the Kocaeli province between the district of İzmit and the lake of Sapanca. It is all the more attractive with its location as a congress and seminar center in the summer months as well as a place suitable for sports like golf, camping, horseback riding, cycling, water skiing. It is an important destination for those wanting to escape from the noise of the city in the winter months and for ski lovers. Opening the skiing season in December, Kartepe is the closest address to Istanbul with a distance of approximately one hour to Istanbul for those who have set their heart on skiing.

The administrative district of Kartepe, at a distance of 16 kilometers to Maşukiye, within the borders of Kocaeli is a natural trekking area and winter sports area of approximately 347 hectares (approximately 3.5 million square meters). In this natural wonder adorned with centuries-old trees, with the sound of water flowing in your ears you can discover waterfalls and rivers and find yourself hidden in the whiteness or lush green.

Summer camps are organized in the plateaus and natural environments at Samanli Mountain foothills by various associations and institutions led by scouts. Furthermore, 4 football fields located in the Green Park Kartepe Resort & SPA enable various sports clubs to store oxygen at Kartepe while preparing for their league matches.

The 17 kilometers long trip staring at Maşukiye by following the forest road shall take every guest to this dreamland. Signposts on the winding forest road reminding that a deer might at any moment spring up are signs of this dreamland. After travelling on the lighted wide motorway lined with barriers, the time comes to disappear in the magnificent beauty of the nature...

If you want to get lost in an endless whiteness and go above the clouds, to really live and experience a snow-white dream, come to Kartepe...

The district of Kartepe, as the winter resort attracting the highest number of visitors in the Marmara Region after Uludağ, in addition to winter tourism facilities, reminds you of heaven with the plateaus that surround it, the canyons and the healing water in Maşukiye. At the same time, there are picnic areas and trout restaurants around waterfalls formed by rivers flowing out from the forests of Maşukiye

The administrative district of Kartepe has been established in March 2008 by the law numbered 5747 with the first level municipalities of Köseköy, Uzunçiftilik, Uzuntarla, Eşme, Acısu, Maşukiye; Büyük Derbent, Arslanbey, Sarımeşe and the organization of the public institutions and enterprises has been completed in a short while.

The district of Kartepe remains between the Samanlı Mountains of Izmit and the heights of Kocaeli Plateau. The geographical area where the Kartepe district is stretched has been used as a very important passage located on the migratory roads between Asia and Europe, trade roads, the Silk Road, military and pilgrimage roads.

The district is geographically located at the Eastern section of the Kocaeli province between the district of İzmit and the lake of Sapanca. It is all the more attractive with its location as a congress and seminar center in the summer months as well as a place suitable for sports like golf, camping, horseback riding, cycling, water skiing. It is an important destination for those wanting to escape from the noise of the city in the winter months and for ski lovers. Opening the skiing season in December, Kartepe is the closest address to Istanbul with a distance of approximately one hour to Istanbul for those who have set their heart on skiing.

The administrative district of Kartepe, at a distance of 16 kilometers to Maşukiye, within the borders of Kocaeli is a natural trekking area and winter sports area of approximately 347 hectares (approximately 3.5 million square meters). In this natural wonder adorned with centuries-old trees, with the sound of water flowing in your ears you can discover waterfalls and rivers and find yourself hidden in the whiteness or lush green.

Summer camps are organized in the plateaus and natural environments at Samanli Mountain foothills by various associations and institutions led by scouts. Furthermore, 4 football fields located in the Green Park Kartepe