Part of Turkey is in Europe
Turkey ( Türkiye Cumhuriyeti [ ˈtyɾcije d͡ʒumˈhuɾijeti ] ) , is a transcontinental country in Eurasia , mainly in Anatolia in Western Asia , with a smaller portion on the Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe . The Bosphorus , the Sea of Marmara , and the Dardanelles , which together form the Turkish Straits , divide Thrace and Anatolia ; they also separate Europe and Asia . It remained powerful and influential for two more centuries , until important setbacks in the 17th and 18th century forced it to cede strategic territories in Europe , signalling the loss of its former military strength and wealth .