Turkey+History

History of Turkey ||= Geography ||= Culture ||= Economics ||= Politics ||= Class Activities ||= Resources || BC
 * = History

11 AD - 1800's 1900's
 * (4th Century BC) Alexander the Great gained control over Anatolia, present-day Turkey
 * (1250 BC) Trojan War - fought for control of the Straits of Dardanelles
 * (11-1300 AD) Oghuz Turk nomads migrated into Anatolia, formed numerous tribal communities
 * (1288 AD) Ottoman era began with the establishment of the capital of Bursa pagan
 * (1453) Mehmut the Conqueror captured the Byzantine capital Constantinople, renamed it Istanbul, made it the Ottoman capital
 * (1520-1566) Ottoman Empire achieves height of its authority under Suleyman the Magnificent, presided over an empire that included most of North Africa, most of Eastern Europe and all of the Middle East
 * (1681) Ottomans forced to cede control of Ukraine to Russia
 * (1832) Ottoman power started to wane as the Greeks rebelled, declared independence
 * (1853-1856) Crimean war against Russians, British and French supported the Turkish army
 * (1908) Group of disgruntled Turks, known as the "Young Turks", sought to restore the constitutional authority as a means to create a stronger state
 * (1909) Turkish parliament deposed Sultan Abdul Hamid, placed his brother Mehmet V in his place
 * (1914-1918) Ottomans side with Germany during World War I, and lose most of their territory
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1920-1922) Turkish war of independence; Turkey founded as a republic, Ankara named capital; military hero, Kemal Ataturk, president
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1925) Gregorian calendar adopted
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1928) Constitution revised, removed Islam as the state religion
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1938) Upon death of President Ataturk, Ismet Inonu became president
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1939-1945) Turkey remained officially neutral during World War II; Turkey declared war on Germany and Japan, did not take part in combat; Turkey joined United Nations
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1961) New constitution established two-chamber parliament
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1965) Suleyman Demirel became prime minister
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1974) Turkish troops invaded northern Cyprus
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1976) Earthquake kills more than 5,000 in Van
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1978) U.S. lifted trade embargo


 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1982) New constitution created seven-year presidency, reduced parliament to single house
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1983) Motherland Party won general election
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1984) Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus recognized by Turkey; Kurdistan Worker's Party launched violent separatist campaign for independent state in southeastern Turkey bordering on Iraq
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1987) Turkey applied for full EEC membership
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1990) Turkey allowed US-led coalition against Iraq to launch air strikes from Turkish bases
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1992) Kurdish safe havens in Iraq in anti-PKK operation were entered by 20,000 Turkish troop; Turkey joined Black Sea alliance
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1993) Tansu Ciller became first woman prime minister, Demirel elected president
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1995) Over 35,000 Turkish troops involved in major military offensive against Kurds in northern Iraq; Pro-Islamist Welfare Party won elections, but lacked support to form government; Anti-Islamist coalition formed by two major center-right parties; Turkey admitted to EU Customs Union
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1996) Welfare Party leader Necmettin Erbakan headed first pro-Islamic government
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1997) After campaign led by the military, coalition resigned, and was replaced by new coalition led by the center-right Motherland Party of Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1998) Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz resigned amid corruption allegations, replaced by Bulent Ecevit
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(1999) Earthquake at Izmit in northwest Turkey killed 17,000; Second quake in Izmit three months later killed hundreds more

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2000's
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2000) Ahmet Necdet Sezer became new president
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2001) Turkey found guilty by European Court of Human Rights of violating Greek Cypriots' rights during occupation of northern Cyprus; Pro-Islamic Virtue Party banned by Constitutional Court for anti-secular activities
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2002) Women given same legal equality as men; Turkish, Greek governments agreed to build gas pipeline with Turkey supplying gas to Greece
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2003) Turkish parliament fails approval legislation to allow US forces to launch an attack on Iraq from Turkish soil, allowed US use of Turkish airspace
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2004) Turkey banned death penalty
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2004) Turkey signed protocol recognizing existence of Cyprus government, cleared the way to begin accession talks for full EU membership
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2005) New lira currency introduced
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2005) EU membership negotiations officially launched
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2005) Multi-billon-dollar Blue Stream pipeline carrying Russian gas under the Black Sea to Turkey opened in the port of Samsun
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2006) Resorts and Istanbul targeted by bombers, Kurdistan Freedom Falcons claim responsibility
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2007) Prime Minister Erdogan pressured not to run in presidential elections due to Islamist background
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2007) AK Party's Abdullah Gul elected president
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2007) Parliament approved military operations to pursue Kurdish rebels in Iraq
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2007) In referendum, voters approved plan to elect future presidents by the people, not Parliament
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2007) Turkey launched air strikes on fighters from Kurdish PKK movement in Iraq
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2008) Protests held after Parliament approved constitutional amendment allowing women to wear Islamic headscarves to university
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2009) Legislation proposed AK party giving giving civilian courts the power to try military personnel for threatening national security or involvement in organized crime approved by President Abdullah Gul
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2009) At meeting in Switzerland, Turkey and Arminia governments agreed to normalize relations
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2010) Debates began in Parliament over proposed constitutional changes towards democracy
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2010) Relationship with Israel strained after nine Turkish activists killed in Israeli commando raid on aid flotilla attempting to reach Gaza
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2011) Thousands of refugees poured into Turkey due to unrest in Syria
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2011) President Gul appointed new leader
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2011) Earthquake in eastern Turkey killed 279, injured 1,300, destroyed 970 buildings
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2011) Turkey threatens to cut electricity supply to Syria
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2011) Turkish air strike kills 35 civilians near Iraq
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(2012) Prime Minister Erdogan said bill passed by French parliament on mass killing of Armenians under Ottoman Rule was "racist" and "murdered freedom of thought"

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Information directly from []