Various historical factors played a significant part in defining Turkish identity. Its culture is a combination of Western and Eastern culture, with the desire to preserve traditional religious and historical values. The Ottoman Empire was once a state of federations, where people did not mix with each other. However, Balkanisation, among other factors, brought the Ottoman Empire to an end. The Republic adopted an approach of unification and forced various cultures within the borders of Turkey to merge under the name ‘Turkish’. Turkey borders Europe and Asia, with an eastern shore on the Mediterranean Sea. The country stands at a crossroads of cultures from Europe, North Africa, South and Central Asia.

The music of Turkey combines elements of Persian Classical, Arabic, Central Asian folk and ancient Greco-Roman, as well as modern American and European Pop music. Today’s Turkish music mixes Turkish Classical, which is similar to Greco-Roman music, and Turkish Folk, similar to Central Asian music. Turkish music made an impression on European Classical composers of the 18th Century, particularly with their brass and percussion instruments. Joseph Haydn’s Military Symphony, and some of his operas, included Turkish instruments. Ludwig Van Beethoven included Turkish instruments in his Symphony No. 9, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed Ronda alla turca (Turkish March), and  also employed Turkish themes in his operas.