He pointed out that at a recent academic conference at one of Turkey's most progressive universities in Istanbul, he witnessed audience members give a five-minute standing ovation to a Turkish speaker who "slammed America" in front of a panel of visiting U.S. officials.

CNN: Analysis: Does Obama diplomacy work?

Besides the young population, there is significant policy support for entrepreneurs, in the form of government grants which provide start-up capital to entrepreneurs, as well as sponsorship of events and partnership with universities for various programs, including start-up weekends and incubators which are emerging around Ankara and Istanbul.

FORBES: Turkey - An Emerging Entrepreneurship Ecosystem