History of Turkey in Timeline

Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a transcontinental country located mainly in West Asia and partly in Southeast Europe. It is bordered by several countries and seas. With a population exceeding 85 million, the majority are ethnic Turks, and Kurds form the largest minority. Although officially secular, Turkey has a Muslim-majority population. Ankara is the capital, while Istanbul is the largest city and economic hub. Other significant cities include İzmir, Bursa, and Antalya.

1914: Non-Muslim Percentage in Turkey in 1914

The percentage of non-Muslims in Turkey was 19.1% in 1914.

1915: Çanakkale 1915 Bridge

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

1918: Start of Turkish architecture divided into three parts Since 1918

Since 1918, Turkish architecture can be divided into three parts. From 1918 to 1950, the first one includes the First National Architectural Movement period, which transitioned into modernist architecture.

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

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

1927: Non-Muslim Percentage in Turkey in 1927

The percentage of non-Muslims in Turkey fell to 2.5% in 1927.

1950: Turkey's population size

Between 1950 and 2020, Turkey's population more than quadrupled.

1950: Urbanization, modernization, and internationalization from 1950

From 1950 to 1980, the second part includes urbanization, modernization, and internationalization. For residential housing, reinforced concrete, slab-block, medium-rise apartments became prevalent.

1965: Statistics on ethnicity not included in Turkish census after 1965

Reliable data on the ethnic mix of the population in Turkey is not available because census figures do not include statistics on ethnicity after the 1965 Turkish census.

1973: Nomination of Memed, My Hawk for Nobel Prize in Literature in 1973

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

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1974: Troop deployment to Northern Cyprus

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

1980: Consumer habits and international trends since 1980

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

1991: Influx of Kurds during the Gulf War in 1991

Millions of Kurds fled across the mountains to Turkey and the Kurdish areas of Iran during the Gulf War in 1991.

1999: İzmit and Düzce Earthquakes

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

2000: Galatasaray won the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 2000

Galatasaray won the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 2000.

2000: Spending on research and development

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

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: First Istanbul Pride

In 2003, Turkey inaugurated the annual Istanbul Pride, becoming the first Muslim-majority country to host a gay pride march.

2003: Universal public healthcare system in 2003

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

2003: Turkey national football team won the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup

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

2006: KONDA's estimate for Muslims in 2006

Based on a survey, KONDA's estimate for Muslims was 99.4% in 2006.

2006: Percentage of population with no religion in 2006

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

2006: KONDA's Estimation of Non-Kurdish Ethnic Minorities in 2006

In 2006, KONDA estimated that non-Kurdish and non-Zaza ethnic minorities constituted 8.2% of the population; these were people who gave general descriptions such as Turkish citizen, people with other Turkic backgrounds, Arabs, and others.

2006: KONDA's estimate of non-Islamic religions in 2006

In 2006, KONDA's estimate was that 0.18% of the population adhered to non-Islamic religions.

2006: KONDA's estimation of ethnic Turks in 2006

In 2006, KONDA's estimation was that 76% of the country's citizens were ethnic Turks, with 78% of adult citizens self-identifying their ethnic background as Turk.

2006: Interethnic marriages estimate in 2006

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

2006: Orhan Pamuk won the 2006 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%.

2007: Peak foreign direct investment

Foreign direct investment in Turkey reached its peak in 2007 at $22.05 billion.

2008: Turkey national football team won the UEFA Euro 2008

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

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

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

2011: Share of adult citizens identified as nonbelievers increased from 2011

According to KONDA, the share of adult citizens who identified as nonbelievers increased from 2% in 2011 to 6% in 2021.

2011: Start of Syrian Civil War in 2011

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: Education Access Improvements From 2011

From 2011 to 2021, improvements in education access include significant rise in the rates of upper secondary and tertiary education completion, and quadrupling of pre-school institutions.

2013: Court Ruling on Minority Provisions for Assyrians in 2013

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: Gezi Park Protests

In 2013, widespread protests began, initially sparked by plans to demolish Gezi Park but evolving into broader anti-government dissent.

2013: Galatasaray won the 2013-14 EuroLeague Women basketball championship

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

2013: Planning of city hospitals since 2013

The government planned several hospital complexes, known as city hospitals, to be constructed since 2013.

2015: Fenerbahçe reached the final of the EuroLeague in 2015-2016 season

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

2015: Bans on Pride Parades

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

May 2016: Parliament Strips Members of Immunity

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

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

After sweeping the Middle East's television market over the past decade, Turkish shows have aired in more than a dozen South and Central American countries in 2016.

2016: Assistance to Peshmerga and Somali Armed Forces

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

2016: Fenerbahçe reached the final of the EuroLeague in 2015-2016, 2016-2017 season

Fenerbahçe reached the final of the EuroLeague in the 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 seasons.

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: LGBT Rights Survey

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

2016: Presidential Appointment of University Rectors since 2016

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

2017: Subsidies on fossil fuels

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

2017: Fenerbahçe became the European champions in 2017

Fenerbahçe reached the final of the EuroLeague in three consecutive seasons and became the European champions in 2017.

2018: Acceptance of homosexual neighbors

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

2018: Health Expenditure Share of GDP in 2018

Despite the universal health care, total expenditure on health as a share of GDP in 2018 was the lowest among OECD countries at 6.3% of GDP, compared to the OECD average of 9.3%.

2018: Fenerbahçe reached the final of the EuroLeague in 2017-2018 season

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

2018: Military operation in Syria

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

2018: Ideal number of children

In a 2018 health survey, the ideal number of children was reported as 2.8 children per woman.

2019: National Technology Initiative

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

2019: Renewable electricity production

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

2019: Increased Acceptance of homosexual neighbors

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

2019: Istanbul Metro Annual Ridership

Istanbul Metro, the largest subway network in Turkey, had around 704 million annual ridership in 2019.

April 2020: Turkey hosting largest number of refugees in April 2020

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

November 2020: Syrian Refugees in Turkey in November 2020

In November 2020, there were 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey; these included other ethnic groups of Syria, such as Syrian Kurds and Syrian Turkmens.

2020: Percentage of irreligious Generation Z in 2020

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

2020: Turkey's population size

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

2020: Increase in support for LGBT rights

In 2020, a survey indicated that 45% of respondents believed that LGBT people should have equal rights, an increase from 33% in 2016.

2021: Share of adult citizens identified as nonbelievers increased to 6% in 2021

According to KONDA, the share of adult citizens who identified as nonbelievers increased from 2% in 2011 to 6% in 2021.

2021: Education Access Improvements To 2021

From 2011 to 2021, improvements in education access include significant rise in the rates of upper secondary and tertiary education completion, and quadrupling of pre-school institutions.

2021: Ethnic Kurd Identification in 2021

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

2021: Poverty and Social Exclusion Risk

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

2021: Identification as Alevi and Sunni in 2021

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

2021: Identification as Non-Ethnic Turk or Kurd in 2021

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

2021: Increase in Russian migration to Turkey in 2021

There was an increase of more than 218% in Russian citizens migrating to Turkey from 2021 to 2022.

February 2022: Turkey's Military Strength

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

2022: Euroleague wins in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.

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

2022: Ranking 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: Drop in foreign direct investment

In 2022, foreign direct investment in Turkey dropped to $13.09 billion, from its peak of $22.05 billion in 2007.

2022: Russian Citizens Migration to Turkey in 2022

In 2022, nearly 100,000 Russian citizens migrated to Turkey, becoming the first in the list of foreigners who moved to Turkey, meaning an increase of more than 218% from 2021.

2022: Unemployment rate

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

May 2023: Ukrainian Refugees in Turkey as of May 2023

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

August 2023: Number of Syrian Refugees in August 2023

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

November 2023: Syrian Citizenship Granted by November 2023

The government has granted citizenship to 238 thousand Syrians by November 2023.

2023: Highway kilometers

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

2023: Population

As of 2023, Turkey's population was 85,372,377, excluding Syrians under temporary protection. The population growth rate in 2023 was 0.1%, and the total fertility rate was 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 in 2023.

2023: Fenerbahçe won the 2023 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 in Sakarya Gas Field

Gas production began in 2023 in the recently discovered Sakarya gas field.

2023: National at-risk-of-poverty rate

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

2023: Share of GDP spent on Research and Development

In 2023, Turkey's spending on research and development as a share of GDP had risen to 1.40%.

2023: Criticism by European Commission

In its 2023 report, the European Commission criticized the functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey.

2023: Turkey-Syria Earthquakes

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

2024: Top Universities in 2024

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: Istanbul and Antalya in top visited cities

In 2024, Euromonitor International ranked Istanbul and Antalya among the top ten most visited cities in the world.

2024: Turkey stops trading with Israel

In 2024, Turkey ceased all trade 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: New technological achievements

In 2024, Turkey's first 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: GDP per capita projection

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