Empire · since 1923 · Middle East & South Asia
Republic of Turkey
Also known as Turkey
The Republic of Turkey rose from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire after the First World War. When the Allies occupied Istanbul and planned to partition Anatolia, Mustafa Kemal led a nationalist war of independence from Ankara, defeating Greek, Armenian and French forces.
The Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 recognised Turkey's borders, followed by a vast population exchange with Greece, and the republic was proclaimed that October. Kemal, later named Atatürk, abolished the sultanate and caliphate, replaced Islamic law with European-style codes, adopted the Latin alphabet and gave women the vote. A one-party state until 1950, Turkey then became a multiparty democracy, interrupted by military coups in 1960, 1971 and 1980. It joined NATO in 1952 and became a regional power bridging Europe and the Middle East.
- Years
- since 1923
- Capital
- Ankara
- Greatest extent
- 1939, about 783,600 km²
- Region
- Middle East & South Asia
783,600 km²; after annexing Hatay from French-ruled Syria
Legacy
Atatürk's secular reforms reshaped Turkish society, and the tension between secular nationalism and religious politics still defines Turkish public life.
Rulers
- Mustafa Kemal Atatürk 1923–1938
Founder and first president
- İsmet İnönü 1938–1950
Kept Turkey out of the Second World War; allowed multiparty elections
- Adnan Menderes 1950–1960
First elected opposition prime minister; overthrown and executed after a coup
- Turgut Özal 1983–1993
Prime minister, then president; opened the economy
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan 2003–
Prime minister 2003–2014, then president
Realms on the map
- Republic of Turkey since 1924
Wars
- Korean War 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953