republic

Many of the grander ones were converted into mosques by the Ottomans and museums in the early years of the Turkish republic.

The 10-hour workday struggle became the defining labor cause of the early republic.

Earlier this month, the Revolutionary Guards -- the ideological arm of the Islamic republic's military -- confirmed they had seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf.

Rich in natural resources, Central Asia's five republics have courted interest from major powers including China, the European Union and the United States since becoming independent from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Coming from Chechnya, a conservative Muslim republic in Russia, she cut her hair short, stopped covering her head, shaved off part of her eyebrow and posted quirky selfies on Instagram.