Turkey is located in both Western Asia and Southeastern Europe, with its capital city of Ankara. Turkish is the official language. Early childhood care in Turkey developed from home-centered practices in the 1800s to institutionally-based practices starting in the 1960s, and now focuses on family and society-centered, child-centered approaches that emphasize holistic development and active learning through high-quality education. Early childhood educators in Turkey are responsible for children's health, safety, developmentally appropriate practices, and responding to children's interests and needs.