History of the Republic of Turkey facts for kids
The Republic of Turkey was created after the Sultan Mehmed VI was removed from power by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1922. A new parliament, called the Republican Parliament, then officially created the Republic of Turkey in 1923. This new government marked the end of the Ottoman Empire, which had been greatly weakened after World War I.
Background
The Ottoman Empire, which included parts of modern-day Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria, was ruled by a single powerful leader (an absolute monarchy) since it started around 1299. Between 1839 and 1876, the Empire tried to make some changes during a time called the Tanzimat reforms.
Later, a group called the Young Ottomans worked with Sultan Abdülhamid II to create a constitutional monarchy in 1876. This meant the Sultan would share power with a parliament. However, this only lasted a short time. By 1878, Sultan Abdülhamid II stopped the constitution and parliament, bringing back absolute rule.
A few decades later, another reform group, the Young Turks, started a revolution against Sultan Abdülhamid II. They forced him to bring back constitutional rule in 1908. This led to the military becoming more involved in politics. In 1909, they removed the Sultan, and in 1913, they took control in a coup.
In 1914, the Ottoman Empire joined World War I with the Central Powers, like Germany. They lost the war. The Young Turk leaders left the country in 1918, leaving it in a difficult situation.
After the war, the Allied powers (like France and Britain) started to occupy parts of the Ottoman Empire. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and other army officers began a resistance movement. In 1919, after Greece occupied parts of Western Anatolia, Mustafa Kemal Pasha went to Samsun to start the Turkish War of Independence. This war was fought against the occupation and to protect Muslims in Anatolia. He and his fellow officers helped create the Republic of Turkey from what was left of the Ottoman Empire. Turkey was built on ideas from its history before the Ottomans and aimed to be a secular country, meaning it would separate government from religious influence.
One-party period (1923–1945)
Atatürk era (1923–1938)
Modern Turkey began on October 29, 1923, when the republic was founded. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk became its first president. The government was formed by Atatürk and his group from Ankara. A new constitution was approved in 1924.
For about 10 years, Turkey went through many changes to become a modern, Western-style country. These were called Atatürk's reforms. They included:
- Making all education the same.
- Ending old religious titles.
- Closing Islamic courts and replacing religious laws with new laws based on European systems.
- Giving women equal rights and allowing them to vote and be elected in 1934.
- Changing the Turkish language and replacing the old Ottoman alphabet with a new Turkish alphabet based on the Latin alphabet.
- Making a law about what people could wear (for example, outlawing the fez).
- Introducing family names.
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Key Changes During Atatürk's Time:
- 1 November 1922: The role of the Ottoman Sultan was ended.
- 29 October 1923: The Republic of Turkey was officially created.
- 3 March 1924: The role of the Caliphate, a religious leader, was ended.
- 25 November 1925: Laws about headwear and clothing were changed.
- 30 November 1925: Religious schools and groups were closed.
- 1 March 1926: A new criminal law was introduced.
- 4 October 1926: A new civil code (laws for everyday life) was introduced.
- 1 November 1928: The new Turkish alphabet was adopted.
- 21 June 1934: A law for family names was introduced.
- 26 November 1934: Old titles and nicknames were ended.
- 5 December 1934: Women gained full political rights, including voting.
- 14 October 1935: Masonic lodges were closed.
- 5 February 1937: The idea of secularism (separation of state and religion) was added to the constitution.
The first political party for women was started by Nezihe Muhiddin, but it was stopped because women were not yet allowed to be involved in politics. Later, there was an attempt to create a multi-party system with the Liberal Republican Party (Turkey), but it was also dissolved in 1930. Turkey joined the League of Nations in July 1932.
Infrastructure
In 1927, Atatürk focused on building roads. Before this, many roads were in bad condition. In 1935, a new government department was created to develop new roads after World War II.
Foreign policy
Turkey continued to balance its relationships with different countries, just like the Ottoman Empire did. This was to protect its own interests. The Soviet Union helped Mustafa Kemal Atatürk during the Turkish War of Independence. However, Turkey mostly kept to itself during the 1920s and 1930s. International agreements gave Turkey control over the important straits (narrow waterways) that connect the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
Post-Atatürk era (1938–1945)
After Atatürk died on November 10, 1938, İsmet İnönü became the new president. He was respected for his role in the Independence War. However, he lost some popularity due to internal political struggles and the difficulties caused by World War II, which led to a shortage of goods in the country.
During the late 1930s, Nazi Germany tried to spread anti-Soviet ideas in Turkey and put economic pressure on the country. Britain and France tried to make alliances with Turkey. Turkey remained neutral during World War II, fearing threats from both Germany and Russia. It sold chrome, an important material for war, to both sides. By 1944, it was clear Germany would lose, and Turkey stopped selling chrome to them.
Turkey's main goal was to stay neutral. Ambassadors from both the Axis powers and the Allies were in Ankara. İnönü signed a non-aggression treaty with Nazi Germany in June 1941, just before Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Some nationalist magazines in Turkey even called for war against the Soviet Union.
Turkey traded and bought weapons from both sides. The Allies tried to stop Germany from buying chrome. Prices in Turkey doubled due to high inflation.
By August 1944, Turkey ended its relations with the Axis powers. In February 1945, Turkey officially declared war on Germany and Japan. This was a symbolic step that allowed Turkey to join the future United Nations.
On October 24, 1945, Turkey signed the United Nations Charter and became one of the first 51 members.
Multi-party transition (1945)
In 1945, the first opposition party, the National Development Party (Turkey), was formed. In 1946, İnönü's government held multi-party elections. His party won, and he remained president until 1950. He is still seen as a very important figure in Turkey's history.
Multi-party period (1945–present)
Early period (1945–1987)
The multi-party system began in 1945. However, the first time a party other than İnönü's won was in May 1950, when the Democratic Party came to power.
The government of Adnan Menderes (1950-1960) was very popular at first. It eased some rules on Islam and the economy grew quickly. But in the late 1950s, the economy started to struggle, and the government limited free speech. There was high inflation and a lot of debt.
Military coups
On May 27, 1960, General Cemal Gürsel led a military takeover. President Celal Bayar and Prime Minister Menderes were removed from power, and Menderes was executed. The country returned to civilian rule in October 1961. After this coup, Turkey's political system became divided, with many unstable governments.
In 1971, the army issued a warning to the government, leading to another military intervention. This caused the government to fall, and temporary governments were set up.
After years of fighting between Greek and Turkish communities in Cyprus, and a coup in Cyprus in 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus on July 20, 1974. In 1983, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was established, which is only recognized by Turkey. There have been ongoing talks to try and solve the Cyprus dispute.
The political scene became very unstable, and the economy was poor. This led to increasing violence between different political groups in Turkey's cities during the late 1970s.
Another military takeover happened in 1980, led by General Kenan Evren. The military took control of all 67 provinces. Within two years, the military handed power back to civilian leaders, but they still kept a close eye on politics. The Motherland Party (Turkey) led by Turgut Özal then governed the country. Özal's policies helped the economy grow. Military rule gradually ended by late 1983.
Conflict with Kurdish groups (1984–present)
Since 1984, there has been a conflict between the Turkish government and various Kurdish groups, mainly the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). These groups have sought more rights or independence for Kurds, especially in the southeast of Turkey. The government created local militias to fight these groups. More than 50,000 people have died in this conflict.
The PKK announced a ceasefire between 1993 and 1998 and said they no longer wanted to separate from Turkey, but asked for peace talks and cultural rights. Turkey refused at that time. The leader of the PKK, Abdullah Öcalan, was captured in 1999 and brought to Turkey. In 2013, the Turkish government started talks with Öcalan, leading to a ceasefire. However, the conflict started again in July 2015 when the Turkish Air Force bombed PKK positions.
Political instability (1987–2002)
From July 1987 to November 2002, a state of emergency was in place in the southeast of Turkey. In the 1990s, political instability returned. The 1995 elections led to short-lived coalition governments.
In March 1995, there were incidents in Istanbul where people were killed and injured. These events started with an attack on coffee shops in a neighborhood. Police responded with gunfire during protests.
In 1997, the military sent a memorandum to Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, asking him to resign. They believed his government's religious policies were a danger to Turkey's secular nature. He resigned. This event was called a "postmodern coup." His party was later banned. A new government was formed, which worked on economic reforms, human rights laws, and bringing Turkey closer to the European Union.
AKP government (2002–present)
Economic problems led to new elections in 2002, which brought the conservative Justice and Development Party (Turkey) (AKP) to power. It was led by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the former mayor of Istanbul. The AKP's political changes helped start negotiations for Turkey to join the European Union. The AKP won the 2007 elections again. Abdullah Gül, an AKP member, was elected president.
The AKP is the only party in Turkish history to win three general elections in a row, each time with more votes. The AKP has brought stability and economic growth since 2002, which many people welcomed after the unstable 1990s. In 2011, Turkey's economy grew by 9%.
In 2008, people believed to be part of a secret group called Ergenekon were arrested. They were accused of terrorism and planning to overthrow the government. In 2010, more than 40 officers were arrested and charged with trying to overthrow the government in a plan called "Sledgehammer."
In 2013, protests started in Istanbul over the removal of Taksim Gezi Park. These protests spread to other cities like Izmir and Ankara. About 3.5 million people took part in nearly 5,000 demonstrations. Sadly, 22 people died, and more than 8,000 were injured.
In August 2014, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won Turkey's first direct presidential election.
In the November 2015 parliamentary elections, the AKP won back the majority of seats.
Since 2013, in the conflict between Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Turkish government, 304 civilians were killed by ISIL attacks in Turkey. The 2015 Ankara bombings, which killed 109 civilians, were the deadliest terror attack in modern Turkish history.
On July 15, 2016, some parts of the Turkish Military tried to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. They said they were doing this because of growing non-secularism and censorship. The government blamed a network led by a Muslim cleric named Fethullah Gülen. After the failed coup, many people, including military officers, police, judges, and civil servants, were removed from their jobs. There were also reports of torture during these purges.
In December 2016, a police officer shot and killed a Russian Ambassador inside an Art Gallery. The officer was then shot and killed by special police.
On April 16, 2017, a constitutional referendum was approved, though by a small margin. This change created a Presidential Republic, giving the president more power. Many observers and European countries saw this as a step backward for democracy.
On June 24, 2018, Recep Tayyip Erdogan won the presidential election again. His party, the AKP, and its ally, the MHP, won a majority in parliament. The opposition party, the CHP, believed the election was unfair.
In October 2018, a Saudi Arabian journalist and critic, Jamal Khashoggi, was murdered in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul.
Between October and November 2019, Turkey carried out a military operation in north-eastern Syria.
In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic reached Turkey. By December, the number of cases in Turkey passed 1 million.
In July 2022, the Turkish government asked the international community to use its Turkish name, Türkiye, to avoid confusion with the bird.
In May 2023, President Erdogan won re-election, and his AK Party and its allies kept their majority in parliament.
As of May 2023, about 96,000 Ukrainian refugees of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine have found safety in Turkey. In 2022, nearly 100,000 Russian citizens moved to Turkey, making them the largest group of foreigners moving there.
As of August 2023, the number of Syrian refugees in Turkey was estimated to be over 3.3 million people. This number had decreased since the beginning of the year.
In March 2024, the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) won a significant victory in local elections. They won mayoral races in Turkey’s five largest cities: Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, and Antalya.
See also
- History of Turkey
- Government of the Grand National Assembly (1920–1923)
