Early Neolithic settlements such as Catalhoyuk.
The history of modern Turkey begins with the foundation of the republic on [Oct. 29]?, 1923, from the Turkish remnants of the Ottoman Empire, with Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk) as its first president. The government was formed from the Ankara-based revolutionary group, led by Atatürk, which had defeated Greece in what is now western Turkey. The Treaty of Lausanne, signed on July 24, 1923, and negotiated by Ismet Pasha (Inönü) on behalf of the Ankara government, established most of the modern boundaries of the country.
On March 3, 1924, the National Assembly abolished the ministry of sacred law, all schools were placed under the ministry of education and a new constitution was approved on April 20, 1924. For the next 10 years, there was a steady process of secular westernization, guided by Mustafa Kemal. Some of the reforms:
After the foundation of the Liberal Republican Party by Fethi Okyar, the fanatically religious groups joined to well-intentioned liberals and consecutively widespread bloody disorders took place especially in the eastern territory. The liberal party was dissolved on November 17, 1930 and no further attempt for a multiparty democracy was made until 1945. Turkey was admitted to the League of Nations in July 1932.
Atatürk's successor after his death on November 10, 1938 was Ismet Inönü. When all its western neighbours were under Axis occupation during World War II, Turkey signed a peace treaty with Germany and officially remained neutral until near the end of war. In 1945 Turkey joined the UN, and in February 1945 it declared war on Germany and Japan. This was largely symbolic, as no Turkish troops engaged in battle. Turkey joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949.
By the influences of liberal intellectuals and religious fanatics the multiparty government returned by 1950 elections. However, the load of expensive imports, economical fluctuations, high inflation rates and consecutive social conflicts ended with army interventions on May 1960 and September 1980.
Turkey occupied the northern portion of Cyprus in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island; relations between the two countries remain strained. Periodic military offensives against Kurdish? terrorists have dislocated part of the population in southeast Turkey and have drawn international condemnation.
After 1983 elections, first The Motherland Party and then several coalitions remained in control of the government.
After the 1991 elections, a government was formed by the center-right True Path Party (DYP) and the center-right Motherland Party (ANAP). The Gulf War dominated the political life of the country for the next few years. Turkey cut off an important oil pipeline from Iraq at American request, sacrificing large rights fees. When the war ended, a large number of Kurdish people sought refuge from Iraqi government reprisal in Southeastern Turkey, boosting the numbers of the Marxist, secessionist [Kurdistan Workers Party]? (PKK). This radically increased the militarization of the conflict between the PKK and the Turkish army.
After the 1995 elections, a new goverment was formed by ANAP and DYP, which lasted until Tansu Ciller, the head of the DYP, resigned as Prime Minister in 1996. After this, she joined a goverment with the Welfare Party (RP), headed by Necmettin Erbakan. In 1998, the military sent a memorandum to Erbakan requesting that he resign, which he did. Shortly thereafter, the RP was banned and re-born under the name Virtue Party (FP). A new goverment was formed by ANAP, the Democratic Left Party (DSP) and the center-left Republican People's Party (CHP). Under this government, Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the PKK, was captured in Kenya. He was tried for treason and sentenced to death, but Turkey has since sent the case to the European Court of Human Rights.
Following the 1999 elections, a government was formed by the DSP, the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), and ANAP.
| Party | 1991 | 1995 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DSP | 11%/7 seats | 15%/76 seats | 22%/136 seats |
| MHP | 17%/62* seats | 8%/0 seats | 18%/129 seats |
| RP/FP** | 17%/62* seats | 21%/158 seats | 15%/111 seats |
| ANAP | 24%/115 seats | 20%/132 seats | 13%/86 seats |
| DYP | 27%/178 seats | 19%/135 seats | 12%/85 seats |
| CHP | 21%/88 seats | 11%/49 seats | 9%/0 seats |
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