Final answer:
Farming began in southeastern Turkey around 10,500 years before present, during the early Neolithic period, as part of the first evidence of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent.
Step-by-step explanation:
The archaeological record suggests that farming began in southeastern Turkey by approximately 10,500 years before present (yBP). This region, part of the Fertile Crescent, is associated with the earliest evidence of agriculture, with the domestication of wheat in what is today northern Iraq, southeastern Turkey, and western Iran. Notably, sites such as Göbekli Tepe, show evidence of agricultural activities predating its monumental structures, built around 11,600 years ago. It is within the timeline of this early Neolithic period that large and complex settlements like Çatalhöyük in southeastern Turkey, which was occupied between 7200 and 6000 BCE, began to flourish due to agricultural practices. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is d. 10,500 yBP.