Why Isn't Istanbul the Capital of Turkey?
Ankara became Turkey's capital in 1923, when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk founded the Republic of Turkey, choosing a smaller, more centrally located city in Anatolia over Istanbul, the former Ottoman imperial capital, which was seen as tied to the old empire and had been partly occupied by Allied forces after World War I.
A New Republic, A New Capital
After the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I, Allied powers occupied Istanbul starting in 1918. Atatürk led the Turkish nationalist movement from Ankara, a modest Anatolian city, during the Turkish War of Independence from 1919 to 1923. When the republic was declared in October 1923, Ankara was named the capital, both as a practical wartime headquarters turned permanent seat of government and as a symbolic break from the Ottoman sultanate based in Istanbul.
Why Not Just Keep Istanbul?
Istanbul's coastal position had left it strategically exposed and briefly occupied by foreign troops, while Ankara's central, inland location was easier to defend and administer. Moving the capital away from the old imperial court also reinforced the idea that the new republic was a genuinely fresh start, not a continuation of the Ottoman monarchy.
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Download on the App StoreIstanbul Is Still Turkey's Largest and Most Important City
Istanbul remains Turkey's economic, cultural, and population center, with more than 15 million residents compared to Ankara's roughly 5.7 million. It's also the only city in the world that spans two continents, with districts on both the European and Asian sides of the Bosphorus.
→Why Do Some Countries Have Two Capital Cities?Turkey Isn't the Only Country Whose Capital Isn't Its Biggest City
The United States (Washington, DC, versus New York), Australia (Canberra versus Sydney), and Brazil (Brasília versus São Paulo) are well-known examples of countries that deliberately chose or built a capital other than their largest city, often for political or geographic reasons rather than economic ones.
Was Istanbul ever the capital of Turkey?
Not of the Republic of Turkey. It was the capital of the Ottoman Empire, as Constantinople, for centuries before the republic moved its capital to Ankara in 1923.
Why did Atatürk choose Ankara as the capital?
Ankara was Atatürk's wartime headquarters during the Turkish War of Independence, and its central, defensible location plus its distance from the Ottoman imperial court in Istanbul made it a strong symbolic and practical choice for the new republic.
Is Istanbul bigger than Ankara?
Yes. Istanbul has more than 15 million residents, nearly three times Ankara's population, making it Turkey's largest city despite not being the capital.
What other countries have a capital that isn't their largest city?
The United States, Australia, and Brazil are well-known examples, each having chosen or built a capital city distinct from its largest metropolitan area.
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