Why do eastern Turkey and the Anatolian interior have cold winters?

The winters in Turkey starts from mid-December and ends in mid-March. Different regions of Turkey experience different quality of winter. It can range from mild to snowy or from rainy to dry cold. Temperatures may vary from -13C to 24C depending upon the climate zone.

Explanation:

Temperatures of −30 °C to −40 °C (−22 °F to −40 °F) do occur in northeastern Anatolia, and snow may lie on the ground at least 120 days of the year and in the mountains almost the entire year. In central Anatolia the temperatures can drop below -20 °C ( -4 °F) with the mountains being even colder.