The peoples of eastern Turkey were left without any central government after the previous ruling body dissolved. This extended period of non-government lead to the separation between regions and cities, based upon family and tribal affiliations. Even with the presence of AU peacekeepers, eastern Turkey had more or less dissolved into a set of squabbling city states, where family and tribal loyalties were of utmost importance, and there was no central government. This period of chaos also brought with it decay of the infrastructure and civil services, and vicious crime. After some time in this state, the various leaders of the city states realized that a new government needed to be created, in order to prevent what remained of the country from disintegrating completely. Using their influence as tribal leaders, they formed a federation between their cities and regions, and started ruling the new nation as a council.  Though there is some level of democracy in decision making, the people in general are not included in the democratic process at this time. The councilors maintain power through heritage and influence. From this initially primitive unified government, New Kharak has slowly developed a more and more modern government structure, just as the nation’s infrastructure and services have been slowly rebuilt with aid from the international community.

I. Basic Information

NEW KHARAK (NKH)

II. Vital Statistics

Sub-Region: East

 

Provinces (5):    Sivas, Samsun, Trabzon, Gaziantep, Van

 

Population: 21,818,000

 

Gross Domestic Product:  $192.2 bn

 

 

III. Government

Country Name

             Conventional Long Form:  The Confederacy of New Kharak

 

             Long Local Form: The Confederacy of New Kharak

 

             Local Short Form: New Kharak

 

Country Motto: Permissum nos subsisto iunctus

 

Government Type: Confederacy

 

Independence: December 5, 2005 from ungoverned territories

 

National Holiday: November 30 (The Day of Journey’s End – Traditional celebration reaching the end of each year’s “journey”.)

 

Legal System: Common Law

 

Suffrage: 18 years, Each family’s acknowledged head, usually a father or grandfather may vote

Method of Election/Term Length:  Each Speaker is voted for a term of 5 years by the members of the Kiith Council.

 

Date of Last Election/Results: December 25, 2005;

             Tobias Somtaaw 17 votes;

             Hasaan Soban 5 votes;

             Tariq S’Jet 3 votes

 

Date of Next Election: December 25, 2010

 

 

Major Political Parties: N/A

 

Political Pressure Groups:

             None

 

Legislature:

             The Kiith Council

             25 seats / life term

 

Last Election Date: N/A

 

Last Election Results:   N/A

 

Next Election Date: Each seat is separately elected when a councillor retires or dies.

VI. Judiciary Branch

Members of the Council of Integrity: Seven

 

Process through which Justices Come to Power: Elected by Kiith Council

V. Legislative Branch

VII. Foreign Policy

International Organization Participation:

             African Union

 

Territorial Disputes:  None

VIII. Economy

 New Kharak’s economy is a mix of primary and secondary industries. The nation has a high degree of poverty thanks to the anarchic period it emerged from, but due to the limited local government that emerged, the economic infrastructure in many cities was preserved. The government is working in tandem with private businesses to try and boost the level of employment opportunities available for people in the manufacturing industries. Unemployment sits at around 13%, while what’s left of the rural communities are involved almost exclusively in subsistence farming/fishing, or criminal activities, totalling some 18% of the working population. 20% currently work in organised agriculture and fishing, 14% work in other primary industries, such as mining. 24% work in secondary industries including the construction industry leaving the remaining 6% to work in civil and military services, including the emergency services and the army. A massive effort to shift people away from subsistence labour and unemployment is being made by the government, who are working closely with private industry. The goal is to create not only jobs, but sustainable industry without letting foreign owned corporations leech the profits out of the country. There are heavy tariffs and taxes placed upon the moving of assets out of the country to discourage foreign investors and companies from  leeching rather than reinvesting into the country and subsidies are offered to locally based companies.

 

On the whole, the economy is slowly rebuilding and gaining momentum, but it is still very much of a third world level.

GDP Growth Rate: 4.5%

 

GDP Per Sector:

             Agriculture: 20%

             Industry: 65%

             Services: 15%  

 

Unemployment Rate:

             Urban: 6%

             Rural: 19%

 

Percentage of Population Below the Poverty Line: 35%

             Urban: 9%

             Rural: 89%

 

Inflation: 4%

 

Electricity Production by Source:

             Fossil Fuels: 80%

             Hydro: 0%

             Nuclear: 20%
             Other: 0%

 

Nuclear Energy Capabilities: Limited Nuclear power facilities, using outdated Soviet-era technology.

 

Currency Name: New Kharak Pound

 

Current External Debt: N/A

 

Current Creditor States: N/A

 

Head of State: Speaker Tobias Somtaaw

 

Head of Government: Speaker Tobias Somtaaw

 

Cabinet:

 (N.B. the roles normally carried out by ministries are carried out by sub-councils in New Kharak, each headed by one of the Kiith Councillors.)

 

The Civil Affairs Council

The Agriculture Council

The Industry and Trade Council

The Military Council

The Foreign Affairs Council

The Media Council

The Finance and Revenue Council

The Treasury Council

The Cultural Affairs Council

IV. Executive Branch

The Honorable

Speaker Tobias Somtaaw

 

 

 

Annual Surplus (Exports)

Current National Demand (Imports)

IX. Infrastructure

Ports and Harbors (4): South Gaziantep, West Samsun, West Trabzon, East Trabzon

 

Airports with Paved Runways: 5

 

Major International Airports:

     Trabzon International Airport (TIA)

X. Social Indicators

Life Expectancy at Birth

             Male: 58

             Female: 61

 

Total Fertility Rate: 4.1

 

Nationality

             Noun: New Kharakian

             Adjective: New Kharakian

 

Ethnic Groups:

             Turkish 91%

             Arabic 4% 

             Serbian 2%

             Other 3%

 

Religions:

             Muslim 62%

             Traditional Beliefs 28% 

             Christian 2%

             Other 8%

Languages:

             English – official; Turkish 96%; Arabic 6%; Russian; 32%

 

Literacy (definition — age 15 and older can read and write):                     Total Population: 68%

             Male: 72%

             Female: 64%

 

HIV/AIDS

Adult Prevalence Rate: 3%

People Living with HIV/AIDS: 650,480

Deaths in the Past Year: 38,650

 

Major Infectious Diseases/Risk:  Cholera, minor risk; TB, moderate risk; Measles, moderate risk.                                                                                                                                                 

 

XI. Military

Military Branches: Army, Air force, Navy, Kiith Militia

 

Military Service:  Not compulsory, Minimum age for service is 18.

 

Manpower avail. for military service:

             5,430,780

 

Military Expenditures per Year: $2,500,000,000

 

Military Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 1.3%

 

Weapons of Mass Destruction:

             Nuclear: None

             Chemical: None

             Biological: None

XII. Transnational Disputes

Territorial Disputes: None

 

Non-Territorial Disputes: Ongoing dispute with Borisgrad regarding arms smuggling across shared border. Borisgrad officially denies the existence of these arms smugglers and refuses to work in conjunction with New Kharakian security forces to stop traffickers. New Kharak also believes the weapons are originating from abandoned factories within Borisgrad, but this is denied by Borisgrad officials. Tension is escalated by occasional attacks by Borisgradian border patrol on New Kharakian counter-smuggling operatives tracking smugglers along the border. To date some 7 New Kharakians are confirmed killed.

Updated:  March 24, 2006

Trabzon

Left: Historic Turkish Soldiers;  Right: New Kharak soldiers on exercises.

Gaziantep