But it's not like the Turkish people, or government, got to look at the 2017 world map and place a claim marker.

It's 100% luck.

If you think that it's "luck" that Turkey's location on the map is important in 2017, you should go back and look at the history of the region. Istanbul has been one of the major focal points of world history for literally 7000 years. Ottomans, Romans, Greeks, Persians, and even Celts (yes, those Celts) have ruled over or passed through the region. Hell, the place where "history" was invented is even in modern Turkey.

"Luck" has nothing to do with it.

Yes, but only in so much that it's luck that anything is next to anything. The Turks wanting to control the region was a natural decision at the time. The area was a major trade center due to the Hellespont and Anatolia became quite wealthy from trade between the Greeks and Persians. When Rome conquered the area, it was the richest spot in the empire.

wasn't luck hundreds of years ago. that said, the country as it is today isn't in a good position to take advantage of its position.