A large portion of Turkey is under the influence of the Mediterranean climate. Therefore, the summers are hot and dry while the winters are warm and rainy. In the Central Anatolian plateau, and especially in Eastern Anatolia, there are significant temperature changes between night and day, and between summer and winter. The eastern part of the Black Sea coast gets the greatest amount of rainfall.

The Central and East Anatolia plateaus are usually bare. Large areas of cottonwood trees are common by the rivers. The people who have inhabited these areas down the ages have destroyed the forests and the cruel effects of erosion are noticeable. However, there are thick forests containing various types of trees on top of the mountain that surround these plateaus. In the south vegetating is sparse and consists primarily of low bushes and grasses. Turkey is not considered to be rich in terms of underground waters and rivers because of its surface characteristics and none of its rivers are suitable for transportation.