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Turkey

Turkey, 1923 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed

The Republic was proclaimed on 29 October 1923, modelled on the reforms initiated by its founder and first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Following Ottoman defeat, the Turkish War of Independence resulted in the abolition of the sultanate and the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne. Turkey remained neutral during most of World War II, but was involved in the Korean War. Several military interventions interfered with the transition to a multi-party system.

Seat of power: Ankara

Rulers

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

President of Turkey, 1923–1938

He led sweeping reforms, turning Turkey into an industrialising nation. Ideologically a republican, secularist, and nationalist, his policies and socio-political theories became known as Kemalism.

Portrait of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file

İsmet İnönü

President of Turkey, 1938–1950

He served as the president of Turkey from 1938 to 1950 and as its prime minister three times. İnönü is acknowledged by many as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's right-hand man, with their friendship going back to the Caucasus campaign.

Portrait of İsmet İnönü: Unknown. Official photo of President., Public domain, file

Abdülhalik Renda

Head of state, 1938–1938

He was acting President of Turkey for one day after Atatürk's death in November 1938.

Celâl Bayar

President of Turkey, 1950–1960

He was the president of Turkey from 1950 to 1960. Earlier, Atatürk appointed him prime minister in 1937 to liberalize the economy.

Portrait of Celâl Bayar: Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi Arşivi (TBMM), Public domain, file

Cemal Gürsel

President of Turkey, 1960–1966

He was the president of Turkey from 1960 to 1966 after taking power in a coup d'état.

Portrait of Cemal Gürsel: THA, CC0, file

Cevdet Sunay

President of Turkey, 1966–1973

He was elected fifth president of the Turkish Republic by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on 28 March 1966. He maintained his office despite increasing terrorist activity, student riots, and threatened coups.

Portrait of Cevdet Sunay: F.N. Broers / Anefo, CC0, file

İbrahim Şevki Atasagun

President of Turkey, 1966–1966

In 1966, he served as acting president for 54 days when President Cemal Gürsel underwent medical treatments in the United States.

Fahri Korutürk

President of Turkey, 1973–1980

He was the president of Turkey from 1973 to 1980. Before his presidency, he served as the commander of the Turkish Naval Forces from 1957 to 1960.

Tekin Arıburun

President of Turkey, 1973–1973

He was the acting president of Turkey between 28 March 1973, and 6 April 1973, after Cevdet Sunay completed his seven-year term, until the election of Fahri Korutürk.

Kenan Evren

President of Turkey, 1980–1989

He served as the 7th president of Turkey from 1982 to 1989 and assumed the post by leading the 1980 military coup. On 18 June 2014, a Turkish court sentenced him to life imprisonment and demotion of his military rank for leading the military coup in 1980. This sentence was under appeal at the time of his death.

Portrait of Kenan Evren: Reagan Library, CC BY 3.0, file

Turgut Özal

President of Turkey, 1989–1993

He served as the president of Turkey from 1989 to 1993. He previously served as the prime minister of Turkey from 1983 to 1989 as the leader of the Motherland Party.

Portrait of Turgut Özal: European Communities / Christian Lambiotte, CC BY 4.0, file

Süleyman Demirel

President of Turkey, 1993–2000

He served as the president of Turkey from 1993 to 2000, after serving as prime minister seven times between 1965 and 1993. He became the first prime minister born in the Republic of Turkey.

Portrait of Süleyman Demirel: Unknown author, Public domain, file

Ahmet Necdet Sezer

President of Turkey, 2000–2007

The Grand National Assembly of Turkey elected Sezer as president in 2000 after Süleyman Demirel's seven-year term expired. Following the 2000 presidential election, he took an ardent secularist approach on issues such as the headscarf, holding the view that secularism in Turkey was under threat.

Portrait of Ahmet Necdet Sezer: MRE, CC BY 3.0 br, file

Abdullah Gül

President of Turkey, 2007–2014

He served as the president of Turkey from 2007 to 2014. He previously served for four months as Prime Minister from 2002 to 2003, and concurrently served as both Deputy Prime Minister and as Foreign Minister between 2003 and 2007.

Portrait of Abdullah Gül: Michał Koziczyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, file

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

President of Turkey, 2014 to today

He has been the president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as the 25th prime minister from 2003 to 2014 as part of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which he co-founded in 2001. He also served as mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998.

Portrait of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: Rory Arnold, CC BY 2.0, file

Culture

Picture

Anıtkabir, a complex in Ankara that contains the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, was completed in 1953.

Image: William Neuheisel from DC, US, CC BY 2.0, file

Sources

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.