History of Turkey in Timeline

Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a transcontinental country located mainly in West Asia (Anatolia) and partly in Southeast Europe (East Thrace). It is bordered by several countries and seas, including the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Aegean Sea. Its neighbors include Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Greece, and Bulgaria. The population is over 85 million, predominantly ethnic Turks, with Kurds as the largest minority. While officially secular, Turkey has a Muslim-majority population. Ankara is the capital, while Istanbul is the largest city and economic hub. Other major cities include İzmir, Bursa, and Antalya.

1907: Civil Code based on the Swiss Civil Code

With the founding of the Republic, Turkey adopted a civil law legal system, replacing Sharia-derived Ottoman law. The Civil Code, adopted in 1926, was based on the Swiss Civil Code of 1907.

1911: Civil Code based on the Swiss Code of Obligations

With the founding of the Republic, Turkey adopted a civil law legal system, replacing Sharia-derived Ottoman law. The Civil Code, adopted in 1926, was based on the Swiss Code of Obligations of 1911.

1912: First Balkan War

Ottoman territories in Europe (Rumelia) were lost in the First Balkan War (1912–1913).

1913: Second Balkan War and Coup d'état

In 1913, Ottomans managed to recover some territory in Europe, such as Edirne, in the Second Balkan War. Following the 1913 coup d'état, the Three Pashas took control of the Ottoman government.

1913: Three Pashas take control of the Ottoman government

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

1914: Percentage of non-Muslims in Turkey.

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 1915 Bridge

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

1918: Armistice of Mudros

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: Allies occupy 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 the First National Architectural Movement.

Since 1918, Turkish architecture can be divided into three parts, the first of which includes the First National Architectural Movement period.

1919: Allies occupy 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 in Ankara

On April 23, 1920, the Turkish Provisional Government in Ankara declared itself the legitimate government of the country.

1920: Treaty of Sèvres

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

1921: Treaty with Afghanistan

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

1921: Armed and diplomatic struggle by the Ankara Government

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

October 1922: Armistice of Mudanya

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

November 1922: Abolishment of the Sultanate

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

July 1923: Treaty of Lausanne

On July 24, 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: Proclamation of the Republic

On October 29, 1923, the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed, modeled on the reforms initiated by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

October 1923: Allied occupation of Turkey ends

On October 4, 1923, the Allied occupation of Turkey ended with the withdrawal of the last Allied troops from Istanbul. On October 29, 1923 the Turkish Republic was officially proclaimed in Ankara.

1923: Atatürk's reforms after the proclamation of the republic.

After the proclamation of the Turkish 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 by the Ankara Government.

1923: End of Turkish War of Independence

The Turkish War of Independence (1919–1923) ended.

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, adopted in 1926, was based on the Swiss Civil Code of 1907 and the Swiss Code of Obligations of 1911.

1927: Percentage of non-Muslims in Turkey.

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

1934: Women gain the right to vote

In 1934, women gained the right to vote nationally in Turkey.

1934: Universal suffrage applied throughout Turkey

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 becomes president

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

1939: Republic of Hatay joins Turkey

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

February 1945: Turkey enters World War II

On February 23, 1945, Turkey, which had remained neutral during almost all of World War II, entered the war on the side of the Allies.

1950: Turkey's population

Between 1950 and 2020, Turkey's population more than quadrupled from 20.9 million to 83.6 million.

1950: Urbanization, modernization, and internationalization period.

From 1950, the second part of Turkish architecture includes urbanization, modernization, and internationalization.

1950: Turkey joins the Council of Europe

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

1952: Turkey joins NATO

After fighting as part of the UN forces in the Korean War, Turkey joined NATO in 1952, becoming a bulwark against Soviet expansion into the Mediterranean.

1960: Military coup

A military coup occurred in Turkey in 1960, complicating the country's transition to a democratic multiparty system.

1965: Turkish census after which ethnicity statistics were not included.

After the 1965 Turkish census, ethnicity statistics were no longer included in census figures.

1971: Military memorandum

A military memorandum occurred in Turkey in 1971, complicating the country's transition to a democratic multiparty system.

1973: Yaşar Kemal's nomination for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

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

1974: Troop deployment in Northern Cyprus

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

1980: Military coup

A military coup occurred in Turkey in 1980, complicating the country's transition to a democratic multiparty system.

1980: Influence of consumer habits and international trends on architecture.

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

1982: Adoption of the current constitution

The current constitution of Turkey was adopted in 1982.

1987: Turkey applied for full membership of the EEC

Turkey applied for full membership of the EEC in 1987.

1991: Kurdish migration to Turkey during the Gulf War.

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

1993: Tansu Çiller becomes the first female prime minister

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

1995: Turkey joined the European Union Customs Union

Turkey joined the European Union Customs Union in 1995.

1997: Military memorandum

A military memorandum occurred in Turkey in 1997, complicating the country's transition to a democratic multiparty system.

1999: İzmit and Düzce earthquakes

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

2000: Anatolia's historical records start

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

2000: Galatasaray wins the 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 in the Civil Code

Although it underwent a number of changes in 2002, the Civil Code retains much of the basis of the original Code.

2002: Turkey national football team wins bronze medal at 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 inaugurated the annual Istanbul Pride, becoming the first Muslim-majority country to host a gay pride march.

2003: Establishment of the Universal Health Insurance system.

In 2003, the Ministry of Health in Turkey established a universal public healthcare system known as Universal Health Insurance (Genel Sağlık Sigortası).

2003: Turkey national football team wins bronze medal at FIFA Confederations Cup.

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

2005: Replacement of the Criminal Code

The Criminal Code, originally based on the Italian Criminal Code, was replaced in 2005 by a Code with principles similar to the German Penal Code and German law generally.

2005: Accession negotiations with the European Union

Turkey started accession negotiations with the European Union in 2005.

2006: KONDA's estimation of ethnic Turks in Turkey.

In 2006, KONDA estimated that 76% of Turkey's population was ethnic Turks, with 78% of adult citizens self-identifying as such.

2006: KONDA's estimation of non-Kurdish and non-Zaza ethnic minorities.

In 2006, KONDA estimated that non-Kurdish and non-Zaza ethnic minorities constituted 8.2% of the population, including Turkish citizens, people with other Turkic backgrounds, Arabs, and others.

2006: KONDA's estimate for Muslims in Turkey.

In 2006, KONDA's estimate for Muslims in Turkey was 99.4%. KONDA's estimate for Alevis was 5% in 2006.

2006: KONDA's estimate for people with non-Islam religions.

In 2006, KONDA's estimate was 0.18% for people with non-Islam religions in Turkey.

2006: Interethnic marriages between Turks and Kurds.

In 2006, it was estimated that 2.7 million ethnic Turks and Kurds were related through interethnic marriages.

2006: Orhan Pamuk wins the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Orhan Pamuk won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006.

2007: Poverty rate in Turkey

Between 2007 and 2021, the share of the population below the PPP-$6.85 per day international poverty threshold declined from 20% to 7.6% in Turkey.

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.

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

2009: Inaugural contemporary Turkish art sale by Sotheby's London.

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

2011: Share of adult citizens who identified as unbeliever increased.

According to KONDA, share of adult citizens who identified as unbeliever increased from 2% in 2011.

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: Improvements in education access.

From 2011, Turkey made significant improvements in education access, including increases in educational attainment for 25-34 year-olds.

2013: Court ruling on minority provisions of 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: EuroLeague Women basketball championship won by Galatasaray.

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

2013: Widespread protests erupt in Turkey

In 2013, widespread protests began in Turkey, initially triggered by a plan to demolish Gezi Park but soon escalating into general anti-government dissent.

2013: Planning of city hospitals.

Since 2013, the Turkish government planned to construct several hospital complexes, known as city hospitals.

2013: Independence of Turkish judiciary in doubt

Since 2013, the independence and integrity of the Turkish judiciary has increasingly been said to be in doubt by institutions, parliamentarians and journalists because of political interference.

2014: Erdoğan wins presidential election

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

2015: Fenerbahçe in the EuroLeague final.

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

2015: Government denies permission for parades

Since 2015, the Turkish government has denied permission for parades at Taksim Square and İstiklal Avenue, citing security concerns, leading to criticism despite hundreds defying the ban annually.

May 2016: Turkish parliament strips members of immunity

On May 20, 2016, the Turkish parliament revoked the immunity from prosecution of nearly a quarter of its members, including 101 deputies from the pro-Kurdish HDP and the main opposition CHP party.

July 2016: Coup attempt

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

2016: Turkey assisting Peshmerga forces

As of 2016, Turkey had been assisting Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq and the Somali Armed Forces with security and training.

2016: Fenerbahçe in the EuroLeague final.

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

2016: Turkish shows aired in South and Central American countries.

In 2016, Turkish television shows aired in more than a dozen South and Central American countries.

2016: Normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel

In 2016, diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel, which were damaged after the Gaza flotilla raid, were normalized.

2016: Survey on LGBT rights

In a survey conducted in 2016, 33% of respondents in Turkey expressed 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.

2016: Foreign students in Turkey.

Turkey became a hub for foreign students in recent years, with 795,962 foreign students in 2016.

2017: Government subsidized fossil fuels

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

2017: Fenerbahçe in the EuroLeague final and win.

Fenerbahçe reached the final of the EuroLeague in the 2016–2017 season and became the European champions in 2017.

2017: Referendum replaces parliamentary republic

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

2018: Survey on homosexual neighbors

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

2018: Fenerbahçe in the EuroLeague final.

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

2018: Total health expenditure as a share of GDP.

In 2018, Turkey's total expenditure on health as a share of GDP was the lowest among OECD countries at 6.3% of GDP.

2018: Turkish military operation in Syria

In 2018, the Turkish military and Turkish-backed forces commenced an operation in Syria with the aim of removing the US-backed YPG from Afrin.

2018: Ideal children number in Turkey

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

2019: Electricity production from renewable sources

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

2019: Survey on homosexual neighbors

In 2019, a survey showed that the proportion of people in Turkey who would not want a homosexual neighbor decreased to 47%.

2019: Istanbul Metro annual ridership

Istanbul Metro had around 704 million annual ridership in 2019.

April 2020: Turkey hosting the largest number of refugees.

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

November 2020: Number of Syrian refugees in Turkey.

In November 2020, there were 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, including Syrian Kurds and Syrian Turkmens.

2020: Percentage of Generation Z identifying as irreligious.

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

2020: Turkey's population

Between 1950 and 2020, Turkey's population more than quadrupled from 20.9 million to 83.6 million.

2020: Survey on LGBT rights

In 2020, a survey indicated that 45% of respondents in Turkey believed that LGBT people should have equal rights.

December 2021: 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 who identified as unbeliever increased.

According to KONDA, share of adult citizens who identified as unbeliever increased to 6% in 2021.

2021: Improvements in education access.

By 2021, Turkey had quadrupled the number of pre-school institutions, among other educational improvements.

2021: Increase in Russian migration to Turkey.

In 2021 there was an increase in Russian migration to Turkey.

2021: Survey results for ethnic Kurds in Turkey.

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

2021: Risk of poverty or social exclusion in Turkey

In 2021, 34% of the population in Turkey were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, using the Eurostat definition; also, 47% of the total disposable income was received by the top 20% of income earners, while the lowest 20% received only 6%.

2021: Survey results for non-ethnic Turk or non-ethnic Kurd.

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

2021: Applications for Türkiye Scholarships.

In 2021, Türkiye Scholarships, a government-funded program, received 165,000 applications from prospective students in 178 countries.

2021: Survey results for Alevi and Sunni identification.

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

2021: Research and development spending

Turkey's spending on research and development as a share of GDP rose to 1.40% in 2021.

February 2022: Turkey's military force size

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

May 2022: UN agrees to use Türkiye officially

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

2022: Fenerbahçe won consecutive Euroleague win.

Fenerbahçe won consecutive Euroleague win in the 2022–23 season.

2022: Turkey ranks fifth in international tourist arrivals

In 2022, Turkey ranked fifth in the world in the number of international tourist arrivals with 50.5 million foreign tourists.

2022: Turkey ranks second in the world for contractors

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 citizens migrating to Turkey.

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

2022: Unemployment rate in Turkey

Unemployment in Turkey was 10.4% in 2022.

May 2023: Ukrainian refugees seeking refuge 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: Estimated number of Syrian refugees in Turkey.

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

November 2023: Number of Syrians granted citizenship.

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

2023: Istanbul is the most visited city in the world

According to a Euromonitor International report, Istanbul was the most visited city in the world in 2023, with more than 20.2 million foreign visitors.

2023: Turkey's population

According to the Address-Based Population Recording System, Turkey's population was 85,372,377 in 2023, excluding Syrians under temporary protection; also, the population growth rate was 0.1% and the total fertility rate was 1.51 children per woman.

2023: Controlled-access and divided highways in Turkey

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

2023: Fenerbahçe wins the FIBA Europe SuperCup Women.

Fenerbahçe won the 2023 FIBA Europe SuperCup Women after two consecutive Euroleague wins in the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons.

2023: Gas production begins in Sakarya gas field

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

2023: Population below national poverty line

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

2023: Number of foreign citizens in Turkey.

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

2023: European Commission criticizes Turkey

In its 2023 report, the European Commission criticized the functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey, a criticism that was rejected by Turkey.

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. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is currently serving as the head of state and head of government. Özgür Özel is the Main Opposition Leader.

2024: Top universities according to 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 or convicted people 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: Turkey stops trading with Israel

In 2024, Turkey ceased all trade activities with Israel.

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: Agreement to link Iraqi port facilities to Turkey

In 2024, Turkey, Iraq, UAE, and Qatar signed an agreement to link Iraqi port facilities to Turkey via road and rail connections; also, as of 2024 there are 115 airports.

2024: EU accession talks frozen

Turkey's EU accession talks are frozen as of 2024.

2024: Launch of Türksat 6A

Turkey's first communication satellite manufactured domestically, Türksat 6A, will be launched in 2024; also, as part of a planned particle accelerator center, an electron accelerator called TARLA became operational in 2024.

2025: IMF estimates for Turkey's GDP per capita

According to IMF estimates, Turkey's GDP per capita by PPP is projected to be $42,451 in 2025, while its nominal GDP per capita is estimated at $16,709.