History of Turkey in Timeline

Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a transcontinental country primarily in West Asia and partly in Southeast Europe. It's bordered by the Black Sea, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran to the east; Iraq, Syria, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south; and the Aegean Sea, Greece, and Bulgaria to the west. With a population exceeding 85 million, it's predominantly Turkish with a significant Kurdish minority. While secular, the majority of the population is Muslim. Ankara serves as the capital, while Istanbul is the largest city and economic hub. Other major cities include İzmir, Bursa, and Antalya.

1907: Basis for Civil Code

In 1907, The Swiss Civil Code was the basis for the Turkish Civil Code adopted in 1926.

1911: Basis for Civil Code

In 1911, The Swiss Code of Obligations was the basis for the Turkish Civil Code adopted in 1926.

1912: Ottoman Territories Lost in First Balkan War

In 1912, Ottoman territories in Europe (Rumelia) were lost in the First Balkan War.

1913: Three Pashas Take Control of Ottoman Government

Following the 1913 coup d'état, the Three Pashas took control of the Ottoman government.

1913: Ottomans Recover Territory in Second Balkan War

In 1913, the Ottomans managed to recover some territory in Europe, such as Edirne, in the Second Balkan War.

1914: Percentage of non-Muslims

In 1914, the percentage of non-Muslims in Turkey was 19.1%.

1914: Ottoman Empire enters World War I

In 1914, under the control of the Three Pashas, the Ottoman Empire entered World War I, during which the Ottoman government committed genocides against its Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian subjects.

1915: Çanakkale Bridge

The Çanakkale 1915 Bridge on the Dardanelles strait is the longest suspension bridge in the world.

1918: Armistice of Mudros Signed

Following the Armistice of Mudros in 1918, the victorious Allied Powers sought the partition of the Ottoman Empire through the 1920 Treaty of Sèvres.

1918: Occupation of Istanbul

In 1918, the occupation of Istanbul by the Allies in the aftermath of World War I initiated the Turkish National Movement.

1918: Start of Turkish Architecture division

Since 1918, Turkish architecture can be divided into three parts.

1919: Occupation of İzmir

In 1919, the occupation of İzmir by the Allies in the aftermath of World War I initiated the Turkish National Movement.

April 1920: Turkish Provisional Government Declares Itself Legitimate

On 23 April 1920, the Turkish Provisional Government in Ankara, declared itself the legitimate government of the country, and started to formalize the legal transition from the old Ottoman into the new Republican political system.

1920: Treaty of Sèvres

Following the Armistice of Mudros in 1918, the victorious Allied Powers sought the partition of the Ottoman Empire through the 1920 Treaty of Sèvres.

1920: Türkiye Enters International Documents

In 1920, with the Treaty of Alexandropol, the name Türkiye entered international documents for the first time.

1921: Expression Devlet-i Âliyye-i Türkiyye Used

In 1921, in the treaty signed with Afghanistan, the expression Devlet-i Âliyye-i Türkiyye ("Sublime Turkish State") was used, likened to the Ottoman Empire's name.

1921: Armed and diplomatic struggle

In 1921–1923, the Armenian, Greek, French, and British armies had been expelled.

October 1922: Armistice of Mudanya Signed

On 11 October 1922, the military advance and diplomatic success of the Ankara Government resulted in the signing of the Armistice of Mudanya.

November 1922: Sultanate Abolished

On 1 November 1922, the Turkish Parliament in Ankara formally abolished the Sultanate, thus ending 623 years of monarchical Ottoman rule.

July 1923: Treaty of Lausanne Signed

On 24 July 1923, the Treaty of Lausanne, which superseded the Treaty of Sèvres, led to the international recognition of the sovereignty of the new Turkish state as the successor state of the Ottoman Empire.

October 1923: Republic of Turkey Proclaimed

In October 1923, the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed, modelled on the reforms initiated by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the country's first president.

October 1923: Allied Occupation of Turkey Ends

On 4 October 1923, the Allied occupation of Turkey ended with the withdrawal of the last Allied troops from Istanbul. The Turkish Republic was officially proclaimed on 29 October 1923 in Ankara, the country's new capital.

1923: Proclamation of the republic

After the proclamation of the republic in 1923, Atatürk instituted reforms such as the language reform and alphabet reform.

1923: Armenian, Greek, French, and British armies expelled

In 1921–1923, the Armenian, Greek, French, and British armies had been expelled.

1923: Turkish War of Independence ends

In 1923, the Turkish War of Independence (1919–1923) was waged with the aim of revoking the terms of the Treaty of Sèvres (1920).

1925: Sheikh Said rebellion

In 1925, Atatürk's reforms caused discontent in some Kurdish and Zaza tribes leading to the Sheikh Said rebellion.

1926: Adoption of the Civil Code

In 1926, Turkey adopted a civil law legal system, replacing Sharia-derived Ottoman law. The Civil Code was based on the Swiss Civil Code.

1927: Percentage of non-Muslims

In 1927, the percentage of non-Muslims in Turkey fell to 2.5%.

1934: Women Gained The Right to Vote

In 1934, Women gained the right to vote nationally. With the Surname Law, the Turkish Parliament bestowed upon Kemal the honorific surname "Atatürk" (Father Turk).

1934: Universal suffrage for both sexes has been applied

Universal suffrage for both sexes has been applied throughout Turkey since 1934.

1937: Dersim rebellion

In 1937, Atatürk's reforms caused discontent in some Kurdish and Zaza tribes leading to the Dersim rebellion.

1938: İsmet İnönü became the country's second president

Following Atatürk's death in 1938, İsmet İnönü became the country's second president.

1939: Republic of Hatay joined Turkey

In 1939, the Republic of Hatay voted in favor of joining Turkey with a referendum.

February 1945: Turkey Enters World War II

On 23 February 1945, Turkey entered World War II on the side of the Allies.

1950: Second part of Turkish Architecture division

From 1950 to 1980, the second part of Turkish Architecture division includes urbanization, modernization, and internationalization.

1950: Turkey becomes a member of the Council of Europe

In 1950 Turkey became a member of the Council of Europe.

1950: Population Size

In 1950, Turkey's population was 20.9 million.

1952: Turkey joined NATO

In 1952, Turkey sought to ally with the United States and officially joined NATO.

1960: Military Coup

In 1960, a military coup complicated Turkey's transition to a democratic multiparty system.

1965: Last Turkish census including ethnicity statistics

The 1965 Turkish census was the last to include statistics on ethnicity.

1971: Military Memorandum

In 1971, a military memorandum complicated Turkey's transition to a democratic multiparty system.

1973: Turkey's first Nobel Prize in Literature nominee

Memed, My Hawk by Yaşar Kemal was Turkey's first Nobel Prize in Literature nominee in 1973.

Memed, My Hawk

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1974: Troop presence in Northern Cyprus

Since 1974, Turkey maintains a force of 36,000 troops in Northern Cyprus.

1980: Military Coup

In 1980, a military coup complicated Turkey's transition to a democratic multiparty system.

1980: Third part of Turkish Architecture division

Since 1980, the third part of Turkish Architecture division is defined by consumer habits and international trends, such as shopping malls and office towers.

1982: Current constitution adopted

In 1982, the current constitution was adopted in Turkey.

1987: Turkey applied for full membership of the EEC

In 1987, Turkey applied for full membership of the EEC.

1991: Gulf War Kurdish Migration

During the Gulf War in 1991, millions of Kurds fled to Turkey and Iranian Kurdish areas.

1993: Tansu Çiller became the first female prime minister of Turkey

In 1993, Tansu Çiller became the first female prime minister of Turkey.

1995: Turkey joined the European Union Customs Union

In 1995, Turkey joined the European Union Customs Union as part of its pursuit of economic growth.

1997: Military Memorandum

In 1997, a military memorandum complicated Turkey's transition to a democratic multiparty system.

1999: İzmit and Düzce earthquakes

After 1999 İzmit and 1999 Düzce earthquakes, North Anatolian Fault zone activity "is considered to be one of the most dangerous natural hazards in Turkey".

2000: Anatolia's historical records on clay tablets

Around 2000 BC Anatolia's historical records start with clay tablets that were found in modern-day Kültepe. These tablets belonged to an Assyrian trade colony.

2000: Galatasaray Wins UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup

In 2000, Galatasaray won the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

2000: Research and Development Spending

Turkey's spending on research and development as a share of GDP was 0.47% in 2000.

2002: Changes to Civil Code

In 2002, the Turkish Civil Code underwent a number of changes, but it retained much of the basis of the original code.

2002: Turkey national football team won the bronze medal at the 2002 FIFA World Cup

The Turkey national football team won the bronze medal at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

2003: Inauguration of Istanbul Pride

In 2003, Turkey became the first Muslim-majority country to hold a gay pride march with the inauguration of Istanbul Pride.

2003: Universal public healthcare system

Since 2003, the Ministry of Health has run a universal public healthcare system known as Universal Health Insurance (Genel Sağlık Sigortası).

2003: Turkey national football team won the bronze medal at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup

The Turkey national football team won the bronze medal at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup.

2005: Turkey started accession negotiations with the European Union

In 2005, Turkey started accession negotiations with the European Union.

2005: Replacement of Criminal Code

In 2005, Turkey's Criminal Code, originally based on the Italian Criminal Code, was replaced by a Code with principles similar to the German Penal Code and German law generally.

2006: KONDA estimate of non-Islamic religions

In 2006, KONDA estimated that 0.18% of the population adhered to non-Islamic religions.

2006: KONDA's estimation of ethnic Turks

In 2006, KONDA estimated that 76% of the country's citizens were ethnic Turks.

2006: KONDA estimate of non-Kurdish, non-Zaza ethnic minorities

In 2006, KONDA estimated that non-Kurdish and non-Zaza ethnic minorities constituted 8.2% of the population.

2006: KONDA's estimate for Muslims

In 2006, KONDA's estimate for Muslims in Turkey was 99.4%.

2006: Interethnic Marriages

In 2006, an estimated 2.7 million ethnic Turks and Kurds were related from interethnic marriages.

2006: Orhan Pamuk wins Nobel Prize

Orhan Pamuk won the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature.

2007: Poverty Threshold

Between 2007 and 2021, the share of population below the PPP-$6.85 per day international poverty threshold declined from 20%.

2007: Peak in Foreign Direct Investment

Foreign direct investment in Turkey peaked at $22.05 billion in 2007.

2008: Turkey national football team at UEFA Euro 2008

The Turkey national football team won the bronze medal at the UEFA Euro 2008.

2009: Sotheby's contemporary Turkish art sale

The inaugural contemporary Turkish art sale by Sotheby's London was in 2009.

2010: Gaza Flotilla Raid

In 2010, diplomatic relations with Israel were damaged after the Gaza flotilla raid.

2011: Share of adult citizens identified as nonbelievers

According to KONDA, in 2011, 2% of adult citizens identified as nonbelievers.

2011: Start of the Syrian Civil War

Before the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, the estimated number of Arabs in Turkey varied from 1 million to more than 2 million.

2011: Start of education access improvements

Beginning in 2011, Turkey began making improvements in education access.

2013: Assyrians and the Lausanne Treaty

In 2013, the Ankara 13th Circuit Administrative Court ruled that the minority provisions of the Lausanne Treaty should also apply to Assyrians in Turkey and the Syriac language.

2013: 2013–14 EuroLeague Women Final

In 2013, the final of the 2013–14 EuroLeague Women basketball championship was played between Turkish teams Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, with Galatasaray winning.

2013: Gezi Park Protests

In 2013, widespread protests erupted, sparked by a plan to demolish Gezi Park but soon growing into general anti-government dissent.

2013: Planned Construction of City Hospitals

Since 2013, the government planned several hospital complexes, known as city hospitals, to be constructed.

2013: Doubts on Turkish Judiciary Independence

Since 2013, the independence and integrity of the Turkish judiciary has been increasingly questioned due to political interference.

2014: Erdoğan Won Turkey's first direct presidential election

In 2014, prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won Turkey's first direct presidential election.

2015: Fenerbahçe reached the final of the EuroLeague

Fenerbahçe reached the final of the EuroLeague in the 2015–2016 season.

2015: Denial of Pride Parades

Since 2015, parades at Taksim Square and İstiklal Avenue have been denied government permission, citing security concerns.

May 2016: Stripping of Parliamentary Immunity

On May 20, 2016, the Turkish parliament stripped almost a quarter of its members of immunity from prosecution.

July 2016: Unsuccessful coup attempt in Turkey

On 15 July 2016, an unsuccessful coup attempt tried to oust the government in Turkey.

2016: Assistance to Peshmerga and Somali Armed Forces

As of 2016, Turkey has assisted Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq and the Somali Armed Forces with security and training.

2016: Fenerbahçe reached the final of the EuroLeague

Fenerbahçe reached the final of the EuroLeague in the 2016–2017 season.

2016: Turkish TV Dramas Expand to South and Central America

In 2016, Turkish television shows began airing in more than a dozen South and Central American countries, following their success in the Middle East. Turkey is now the world's second largest exporter of television series.

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2016: Normalization of relations with Israel

In 2016, diplomatic relations with Israel, which were damaged after the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid, were normalized.

2016: LGBT Rights Survey

In a survey conducted in 2016, 33% of respondents said that LGBT people should have equal rights.

2016: Presidential appointment of university rectors

Since 2016, the president of Turkey directly appoints all rectors of all state and private universities.

2017: Fossil Fuel Subsidies

As of 2017, while the government had invested in low carbon energy transition, fossil fuels were still subsidized.

2017: Fenerbahçe is the European champions in EuroLeague

Fenerbahçe became the European champions in the 2017–2018 EuroLeague season.

2017: Referendum replaced parliamentary republic

With a referendum in 2017, the parliamentary republic was replaced by an executive presidential system in Turkey.

2018: Homosexual Neighbor Survey

A survey in 2018 found that 55% of people would not want a homosexual neighbor.

2018: Health Survey

According to a 2018 health survey, the ideal number of children was 2.8 children per woman, rising to 3 per married woman.

2018: Health Expenditure as Share of GDP

Despite universal health care, in 2018 total expenditure on health as a share of GDP was the lowest among OECD countries at 6.3% of GDP.

2018: Fenerbahçe reached the final of the EuroLeague

Fenerbahçe reached the final of the EuroLeague in the 2017–2018 season.

2018: Operation in Syria

In 2018, the Turkish military and Turkish-backed forces began an operation in Syria aimed at ousting the US-backed YPG from Afrin.

2019: Homosexual Neighbor Survey

A survey in 2019 found that 47% of people would not want a homosexual neighbor.

2019: National Technology Initiative launched

In 2019, Turkey launched its National Technology Initiative to boost the output of high-value-added products.

2019: Electricity from Renewable Sources

In 2019, Turkey produced 43.8% of its electricity from renewable sources.

2019: Istanbul Metro Ridership

Istanbul Metro saw around 704 million annual ridership in 2019.

April 2020: Turkey Hosts Largest Number of Refugees

As of April 2020, Turkey hosted the largest number of refugees in the world.

November 2020: Syrian Refugees in Turkey

In November 2020, there were 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey.

2020: Irreligious Generation Z

A 2020 Gezici Araştırma poll found that 28.5% of the Generation Z identified as irreligious.

2020: Forests covered area

As of 2020, Turkey's forests covered 29% of Turkey's surface area.

2020: Population Size

By 2020, Turkey's population had more than quadrupled from 1950, reaching 83.6 million.

2020: LGBT Rights Survey

In a survey conducted in 2020, 45% of respondents said that LGBT people should have equal rights.

December 2021: President Erdoğan calls for expanded official usage of Türkiye

In December 2021, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for expanded official usage of Türkiye, saying that Türkiye "represents and expresses the culture, civilization, and values of the Turkish nation in the best way".

2021: Share of adult citizens identified as nonbelievers

According to KONDA, in 2021, 6% of adult citizens identified as nonbelievers.

2021: Poverty Threshold

Between 2007 and 2021, the share of population below the PPP-$6.85 per day international poverty threshold declined to 7.6%. In 2021, 34% of the population were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, using Eurostat definition.

2021: Continued progress in education access

By 2021, Turkey had made significant progress in increasing education access, including a significant rise in the rates of upper secondary and tertiary education completion, and quadrupling of pre-school institutions.

2021: Baseline year for measuring Russian migration increase.

Compared to 2021, Russian migration to Turkey increased by more than 218% in 2022.

2021: Survey of Ethnic Kurds

In 2021, 19% of adult citizens identified as ethnic Kurds in a survey.

2021: Religious Identity Survey

In 2021, a survey found that 4% of adult citizens identified as Alevi, while 88% identified as Sunni.

2021: Survey of non-Turk and non-Kurd ethnic identity

In 2021, a survey indicated that 4% of adult citizens identified as non-ethnic Turk or non-ethnic Kurd.

February 2022: Military Personnel Count

As of February 2022, Turkey has the second-largest military force in NATO, after the United States, with an estimated strength of 890,700 military personnel.

May 2022: UN agrees to use Türkiye officially in English

In May 2022, the Turkish government requested the United Nations and other international organizations to use Türkiye officially in English; the UN agreed.

2022: International Contractors Ranking

In 2022, Turkey ranked second in the world in terms of the number of international contractors in the top 250 list.

2022: Drop in Foreign Direct Investment

In 2022, foreign direct investment in Turkey dropped to $13.09 billion.

2022: Russian Migration to Turkey

In 2022, nearly 100,000 Russian citizens migrated to Turkey, marking an increase of more than 218% from 2021.

2022: Most visited national parks

In 2022, the most visited national parks in Turkey were Marmaris National Park and Beydağları Coastal National Park.

2022: Unemployment Rate

In 2022, the unemployment rate in Turkey was 10.4%.

2022: Fenerbahçe Wins Euroleague

In the 2022-23 season, Fenerbahçe won the Euroleague.

May 2023: Ukrainian Refugees in Turkey

As of May 2023, approximately 96,000 Ukrainian refugees from the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine had sought refuge in Turkey.

August 2023: Syrian Refugee Population

As of August 2023, the number of Syrian refugees in Turkey was estimated to be 3.3 million.

November 2023: Syrian Citizenships Granted

By November 2023, the Turkish government had granted citizenship to 238,000 Syrians.

2023: Kilometers of Controlled-Access and Divided Highways

As of 2023, Turkey has 3,726 kilometers of controlled-access highways and 29,373 kilometers of divided highways.

2023: Gas Production in Sakarya Gas Field

Gas production began in 2023 in the recently discovered Sakarya gas field, which will eventually supply about 30% of the natural gas needed domestically.

2023: National at-risk-of-poverty Rate

In 2023, 13.9% of the population was below the national at-risk-of-poverty rate.

2023: Fenerbahçe Wins 2023 FIBA Europe SuperCup Women

In 2023, Fenerbahçe won the 2023 FIBA Europe SuperCup Women.

2023: Population Statistics

In 2023, Turkey's population was 85,372,377, excluding Syrians under temporary protection, with a population growth rate of 0.1% and a total fertility rate of 1.51 children per woman.

2023: Foreign citizens in Turkey

In 2023, excluding Syrians under temporary protection, there were 1,570,543 foreign citizens in Turkey.

2023: European Commission Criticism

In its 2023 report, the European Commission criticized how democratic institutions in Turkey operate.

2023: Turkey–Syria earthquakes

The 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes were the deadliest in contemporary Turkish history.

2023: Last parliamentary and presidential elections

The last parliamentary and presidential elections in Turkey were in 2023.

2023: Research and Development Spending

Turkey's spending on research and development as a share of GDP rose to 1.40% in 2023.

2024: Times Higher Education ranking

According to the 2024 Times Higher Education ranking, the top universities in Turkey were Koç University, Middle East Technical University, Sabancı University, and Istanbul Technical University.

2024: Arrested people related to the 2016 coup attempt in jail

According to the Turkish government, there are 13,251 arrested or convicted people in jail as of 2024, related to the 2016 coup attempt.

2024: EU accession talks frozen

As of 2024, Turkey's EU accession talks are frozen.

2024: Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2024, Turkey ranked 37th in the world and 3rd among its upper-middle income group in the Global Innovation Index.

2024: International Tourist Arrivals Ranking

In 2024, Turkey ranked fourth in the world in the number of international tourist arrivals with 60.6 million foreign tourists.

2024: Turkey stopped trading with Israel

In 2024, Turkey stopped trading with Israel.

2024: First electron accelerator becomes operational

In 2024, Turkey's first domestically manufactured electron accelerator became operational.

2024: Agreement to Link Iraqi Port Facilities

In 2024, Turkey, Iraq, UAE, and Qatar signed an agreement to link Iraqi port facilities to Turkey via road and rail connections.

2025: IMF Estimates for GDP per capita

According to IMF estimates, Turkey's GDP per capita by PPP is expected to be $43,790 in 2025, while its nominal GDP per capita is estimated at $18,200.