The mega-city of Istanbul is situated on the geographical interface between the Middle-East and Europe and is the most populous urban settlement in Europe, with its almost 16 million inhabitants. By the 2030s, it is expected that the population will exceed 20 million people.

Bursa is one of the oldest and most important historical cities in Turkey. The city is the fourth most populous city in Turkey, having about 1,150,000 inhabitants within the urban extent and 2,936,000 in the whole province. Over the past 35 years, the population in Bursa has rapidly increased due to strong internal migration driven by the region’s fast-evolving industrial development.

Ankara is the capital of Turkey and is Turkey’s political and administrative core. With a current population of 5.4 million, the capital has experienced rapid growth during recent decades.