The Republic of Turkey is an independent country in the Middle East located in southwestern Asia Minor and southeastern Europe. It is surrounded by the Mediterranean, Aegean, and Black seas on all three sides.
About 99.8% of all Turks are Muslims; most of these are Sunni. The small non-Muslim population is comprised of Christian and Jews. Islam in Turkey dates back to the 8th century, when Turkic tribes fought alongside Arab Muslims against Chinese forces at the Battle of Talas in 751 A.D. Spurred by the influence of ruling dynasties, many people converted to Islam over the next few centuries.