History of Turkey in Timeline

Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a transcontinental country located mainly in West Asia, with a portion in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Aegean Sea, and shares land borders with several countries including Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Its population is over 85 million, predominantly ethnic Turks with a significant Kurdish 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: Based on the Swiss Civil Code of 1907

The Civil Code, adopted in 1926, was based on the Swiss Civil Code of 1907.

1911: Based on the Swiss Code of Obligations of 1911

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

1912: Ottoman territories lost in Europe

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

1913: Three Pashas take control of the Ottoman government

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

1913: Ottomans recover some territory in Europe

In 1913, 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 modern-day 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.

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 Turkish Architecture Division

Since 1918, Turkish architecture can be divided into three parts, starting with 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 declares itself legitimate

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

1920: Treaty of Sèvres terms

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

1920: Türkiye name usage in Treaty of Alexandropol

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

1921: Türkiye name usage in treaty with Afghanistan

In 1921, the expression Devlet-i Âliyye-i Türkiyye ("Sublime Turkish State") was used in the treaty signed with Afghanistan.

1921: Armenian, Greek, French, and British armies expelled

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

October 1922: Armistice of Mudanya signed

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: Sultanate Abolished

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: Republic Proclaimed

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

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. 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

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: Civil Code adopted

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

1927: Percentage of Non-Muslims

By 1927, the percentage of non-Muslims in Turkey had fallen to 2.5%.

1934: Women gain the right to vote

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

1934: Universal suffrage for both sexes

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

In 1938, İsmet İnönü became the country's second president following Atatürk's death.

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 entered World War II on the side of the Allies.

1950: Urbanization and Modernization

From 1950 to 1980, urbanization, modernization, and internationalization were prevalent in Turkish architecture.

1950: Turkey becomes a member of the Council of Europe

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

1950: Population Growth

In 1950, Turkey's population was 20.9 million. Between 1950 and 2020, the population more than quadrupled.

1952: Turkey joined NATO

Following threats from the Soviet Union, Turkey sought to ally with the United States and joined NATO in 1952.

1960: Military coup

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

1965: Last Census Including Ethnicity

The 1965 Turkish census was the last census 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

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

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1974: Military 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: Consumer Habits and International Trends

Since 1980, consumer habits and international trends, such as shopping malls and office towers, have defined Turkish architecture.

1982: Adoption of the current constitution

The current constitution was adopted in 1982.

1987: Turkey applied for full membership of the EEC

In 1987 Turkey applied for full membership of the EEC.

1991: Influx of Kurds 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 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.

1997: Military memorandum

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

1999: İzmit and Düzce earthquakes

After the 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 start

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

2000: Galatasaray Wins UEFA Cup and Super Cup

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

2000: Spending on R&D

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

2002: Civil Code number of changes

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

2002: FIFA World Cup

In 2002, the Turkey national football team won the bronze medal at the 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: FIFA Confederations Cup

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

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).

2005: Turkey started accession negotiations with the European Union

In 2005 Turkey started accession negotiations with the European Union.

2005: Criminal Code Replaced

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.

2006: KONDA Estimate on Non-Islamic Religions

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

2006: KONDA Estimate of Non-Religious Population

In 2006, KONDA estimated that 0.47% of the population had no religion.

2006: KONDA Ethnic Estimation

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

2006: KONDA Estimate 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.

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 in Literature

Orhan Pamuk won the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature.

2007: Poverty Rate

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

2007: Peak in Foreign Direct Investment

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

2008: UEFA Euro

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

2009: Sotheby's Turkish Art Sale

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

2010: Gaza Flotilla Raid

In 2010, diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel were damaged after the Gaza flotilla raid.

2011: Increase in Nonbelievers

According to KONDA, from 2011 to 2021 there was an increase in the share of adult citizens who identified as nonbelievers.

2011: Start of 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: Improvement in Education Access

From 2011 to 2021, there was a significant rise in the rates of upper secondary and tertiary education completion in Turkey, and quadrupling of pre-school institutions.

2013: Court Ruling on Assyrian Minority Rights

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 Final

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

2013: Gezi Park Protests

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

2013: Doubt of the independence and integrity of the Turkish judiciary

Particularly since 2013, the independence and integrity of the Turkish judiciary has increasingly been said to be in doubt by institutions, parliamentarians and journalists both within and outside of Turkey.

2013: Planning of City Hospitals

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

2014: Erdoğan wins presidential election

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

2015: EuroLeague Final

In the 2015–2016 season, Fenerbahçe reached the final of the EuroLeague.

2015: Bans on Pride Parades

Since 2015, parades at Taksim Square and İstiklal Avenue have been denied government permission, citing security concerns, but hundreds of people have defied the ban each year.

May 2016: Parliament Stripped Members of Immunity

On May 20, 2016, the Turkish parliament stripped almost a quarter of its members of immunity from prosecution, 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: Assistance to Peshmerga and Somali Forces

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

2016: Turkish shows aired in South and Central America

In 2016, Turkish television shows, after gaining popularity in the Middle East, began airing in over a dozen South and Central American countries, solidifying Turkey's position as the world's second-largest exporter of television series.

2016: Normalization of relations with Israel

In 2016, diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel, which had been damaged following the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid, were normalized.

2016: Survey on LGBT Rights

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

2016: EuroLeague Final

In the 2016–2017 season, Fenerbahçe reached the final of the EuroLeague.

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 in Turkey.

2017: EuroLeague Champions

In 2017, Fenerbahçe became the European champions in the EuroLeague.

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

2018: Health Survey on Ideal Number of Children

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

2018: Military Operation in Syria

In 2018, the Turkish military and Turkish-backed forces initiated an operation in Syria, aiming to remove the US-backed YPG from Afrin.

2018: Health Expenditure Share of GDP

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

2018: EuroLeague Final

In the 2017–2018 season, Fenerbahçe reached the final of the EuroLeague.

2019: Electricity Generation from Renewable Sources

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

2019: Decreased aversion to homosexual neighbors

In 2019, the proportion of people who would not want a homosexual neighbor decreased to 47%, down from 55% in 2018.

2019: Annual ridership of Istanbul Metro

Istanbul Metro is the largest subway network in Turkey with around 704 million annual ridership in 2019.

2019: National Technology Initiative

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

April 2020: Turkey Hosting 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, including other ethnic groups of Syria such as Syrian Kurds and Syrian Turkmens.

2020: Irreligious Identification Among Generation Z

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

2020: Population Growth

By 2020, Turkey's population had grown to 83.6 million since 1950.

2020: Increased support for LGBT rights

In 2020, a survey showed that 45% of respondents said that LGBT people should have equal rights, increased from 33% in 2016.

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: Increase in Nonbelievers

According to KONDA, in 2021 the share of adult citizens who identified as nonbelievers grew to 6%.

2021: Improvement in Education Access

From 2011 to 2021, there was a significant rise in the rates of upper secondary and tertiary education completion in Turkey, and quadrupling of pre-school institutions.

2021: At risk of poverty or social exclusion

In 2021, 34% of the population were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, using Eurostat definition.

2021: Survey on Non-Ethnic Turk or Non-Ethnic Kurd Identification

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

2021: Increase in Russian Migration

In 2021, Russian migration to Turkey increased, with a further surge in 2022.

2021: Ethnic Kurds Identification Survey

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

February 2022: Turkey's Military Strength in NATO

As of February 2022, Turkey has the second-largest military force in NATO, following the United States, with an estimated strength of 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, and the UN agreed.

2022: Euroleague Wins

Fenerbahçe had consecutive Euroleague wins in the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons.

2022: Ranking of International 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: Migration of Russian Citizens to Turkey

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

2022: Unemployment Rate

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 of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine had sought refuge in Turkey.

August 2023: Syrian Refugee Count

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 thousand 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: FIBA Europe SuperCup Women Win

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

2023: Gas production in Sakarya gas field

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

2023: National Poverty Rate

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

2023: Population Statistics

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

2023: Number of Foreign Citizens

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 the operation of democratic institutions in Turkey. Also as of 2023, Turkey had the highest number of European Court of Human Rights cases.

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 were in 2023.

2023: Spending on R&D

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

2024: Top Universities in Times Higher Education Ranking

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

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

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 trading with Israel.

2024: Global Innovation Index

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

2024: 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: Electron accelerator operational

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

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.

2024: EU accession talks are frozen

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

2025: Projected 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.