History of Turkey
7500BC: The earliest known human inhabitants of Turkey are believed to belong to the Neolithic period and the remains of their settlements still exist in a place called Catal Hoyuk near the Turkish city of Konya. 2600-1900BC: By the time of the Bronze Age the first permanent settlements or cities of Turkey were already established by a people of indo-European origins and their own religion, today believed to be the Hittites.
1200-600BC: Hittite dominion was gradually replaced by smaller, more local power centers each governed by different people. This was the time when modern day Ankara and Izmir were established.
550-323BC: The Persians invaded and took control over most of what is now modern day Turkey under the leadership of King Cyrus until 2 centuries later Alexander the Great of Macedonia conquered Turkey together with a vast amount of land stretching all the way to India.
250BC: By this time Anatolia was ruled by several city states the most powerful of which was the kingdom of Pergamum.
129BC: The last king from the Pergamum dynasty died without an heir leaving the way open for the Romans to take control. Soon they assumed complete control and declared Turkey to be part of the official Roman province of Asia.
47AD: Christianity started to spread throughout Turkey through the teachings of St Paul who was able to take advantage of the modern road system built by the Romans in order to travel between cities and spread the word.
330AD: Under the leadership of Constantine the former Roman province of Asia was transformed into a new Rome and Constantinople was declared the new capital city of the Roman Empire.
527-565AD: Eastern Rome or Byzantium increased its power and territory under Justinian who was able to conquer Italy, North Africa and the Balkans. The great Church of St. Sofia was built.
1037-1109AD: The Byzantines are defeated by the Seljuks in battle of Manzikert, who took the Roman Emperor prisoner and assumed control of Turkey. The Seljuks developed their own style of architecture which can still be seen across Turkey today.
1288AD: the beginning of the Ottoman era takes place with the establishment of the capital in Bursa which is later moved to Adrianople in 1402.
1452AD: Mehmut the Conqueror captures Constantinople from the Byzantines thus consolidating Ottoman power over all of Turkey.
1520-1566AD: The Ottomans are at the height of their power under Suleiman the Magnificent who was able to expand the empire northwards up to the gates of Vienna.
1832: Ottoman power starts to wane as the Greeks rebel and declare independence. Over the next century many other Ottoman subjects break off from Ottoman rule.
1853-1856: Crimean war takes place against the Russians with the British and French supporting the Turkish army.
1876: The last of the great Ottoman rulers, Sultan Abdul Hamid II assumes control of the empire and institutes a new constitution which he does away with soon after in order to assume direct personal control.
1908: A group of disgruntled Turks who are in favour of western style reform and modernisation known as the Young Turks act to restore the constitution.
1909: Turkish Parliament deposes Sultan Abdul Hamid and places his brother Mehmet V in his place.
1920-1922: The Turkish war of independence. The Greeks who had reached almost as far as Ankara are pushed back by the Turks through fighting.
1923 - Assembly declares Turkey a republic and Kemal Ataturk becomes president.
1925 - Adoption of Gregorian calendar. Prohibition of the fez.
1928 - Turkey becomes secular: clause retaining Islam as state religion removed from constitution.
1930: Constantinople officially renamed Istanbul
1938 - President Ataturk dies, succeeded by Ismet Inonu.
1945 - Neutral for most of World War II, Turkey declares war on Germany and Japan, but does not take part in combat. Joins United Nations.
1950 - Republic's first open elections, won by opposition Democratic Party.
1952 - Turkey abandons Ataturk's neutralist policy and joins Nato.
1963 - Association agreement signed with European Economic Community (EEC).
1965 - Suleyman Demirel becomes prime minister - a position he is to hold seven times.
1974 - Turkish troops invade northern Cyprus.
1976 - Earthquake kills more than 5,000 people in western Van province.
1980 - Military coup follows political deadlock and civil unrest. Imposition of martial law.
1982 - New constitution creates seven-year presidency, and reduces parliament to single house.
1984 - Turkey recognises "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus."
1990 - Turkey allows US-led coalition against Iraq to launch air strikes from Turkish bases.
1993 - Tansu Ciller becomes Turkey's first woman prime minister, and Demirel elected president.
1996 - Centre-right coalition falls. Welfare Party leader Necmettin Erbakan heads first pro-Islamic government since 1923.
1999 - Devastating earthquake with epicenter at Izmit in Turkey's heavily populated northwest kills 17,000 people.
2000 - Ahmet Necdet Sezer takes over from Suleyman Demirel as president.
2001 January - Diplomatic row with France after French National Assembly recognizes the killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as genocide.
2002 January - Turkish men are no longer regarded in law as head of the family. The move gives women full legal equality with men, 66 years after women's rights were put on the statute books.
2002 August - Parliament approves reforms aimed at securing EU membership. Death sentence to be abolished except in times of war and bans on Kurdish education, broadcasting to be lifted.
2002 November - Islamist-based Justice and Development Party (AK) wins landslide election victory. Party promises to stick to secular principles of constitution. Deputy leader Abdullah Gul appointed premier.
2003 March - AK leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan wins seat in parliament. Within days Abdullah Gul resigns as prime minister and Erdogan takes over.
2003 June-July - Eyeing future EU membership, parliament passes laws easing restrictions on freedom of speech, Kurdish language rights, and on reducing political role of military.
2004 January - Turkey signs protocol banning death penalty in all circumstances, a move welcomed in EU circles.
2004 September - Parliament approves penal reforms introducing tougher measures to prevent torture and violence against women. Controversial proposal on criminalizing adultery dropped.
2004 December - EU leaders agree to open talks in 2005 on Turkey's EU accession. The decision, made at a summit in Brussels, follows a deal over an EU demand that Turkey recognise Cyprus as an EU member.
2005 October - EU membership negotiations officially launched after intense bargaining.
2007 May - Parliament brings forward national elections to 22 July to try end the standoff between secularists and Islamists over the choice of the next president.
2007 July - AK Party wins parliamentary elections.
330AD: Under the leadership of Constantine the former Roman province of Asia was transformed into a new Rome and Constantinople was declared the new capital city of the Roman Empire.
527-565AD: Eastern Rome or Byzantium increased its power and territory under Justinian who was able to conquer Italy, North Africa and the Balkans. The great Church of St. Sofia was built.
1037-1109AD: The Byzantines are defeated by the Seljuks in battle of Manzikert, who took the Roman Emperor prisoner and assumed control of Turkey. The Seljuks developed their own style of architecture which can still be seen across Turkey today.
1288AD: the beginning of the Ottoman era takes place with the establishment of the capital in Bursa which is later moved to Adrianople in 1402.
1452AD: Mehmut the Conqueror captures Constantinople from the Byzantines thus consolidating Ottoman power over all of Turkey.
1520-1566AD: The Ottomans are at the height of their power under Suleiman the Magnificent who was able to expand the empire northwards up to the gates of Vienna.
1832: Ottoman power starts to wane as the Greeks rebel and declare independence. Over the next century many other Ottoman subjects break off from Ottoman rule.
1853-1856: Crimean war takes place against the Russians with the British and French supporting the Turkish army.
1876: The last of the great Ottoman rulers, Sultan Abdul Hamid II assumes control of the empire and institutes a new constitution which he does away with soon after in order to assume direct personal control.
1908: A group of disgruntled Turks who are in favour of western style reform and modernisation known as the Young Turks act to restore the constitution.
1909: Turkish Parliament deposes Sultan Abdul Hamid and places his brother Mehmet V in his place.
1920-1922: The Turkish war of independence. The Greeks who had reached almost as far as Ankara are pushed back by the Turks through fighting.
1923 - Assembly declares Turkey a republic and Kemal Ataturk becomes president.
1925 - Adoption of Gregorian calendar. Prohibition of the fez.
1928 - Turkey becomes secular: clause retaining Islam as state religion removed from constitution.
1930: Constantinople officially renamed Istanbul
1938 - President Ataturk dies, succeeded by Ismet Inonu.
1945 - Neutral for most of World War II, Turkey declares war on Germany and Japan, but does not take part in combat. Joins United Nations.
1950 - Republic's first open elections, won by opposition Democratic Party.
1952 - Turkey abandons Ataturk's neutralist policy and joins Nato.
1963 - Association agreement signed with European Economic Community (EEC).
1965 - Suleyman Demirel becomes prime minister - a position he is to hold seven times.
1974 - Turkish troops invade northern Cyprus.
1976 - Earthquake kills more than 5,000 people in western Van province.
1980 - Military coup follows political deadlock and civil unrest. Imposition of martial law.
1982 - New constitution creates seven-year presidency, and reduces parliament to single house.
1984 - Turkey recognises "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus."
1990 - Turkey allows US-led coalition against Iraq to launch air strikes from Turkish bases.
1993 - Tansu Ciller becomes Turkey's first woman prime minister, and Demirel elected president.
1996 - Centre-right coalition falls. Welfare Party leader Necmettin Erbakan heads first pro-Islamic government since 1923.
1999 - Devastating earthquake with epicenter at Izmit in Turkey's heavily populated northwest kills 17,000 people.
2000 - Ahmet Necdet Sezer takes over from Suleyman Demirel as president.
2001 January - Diplomatic row with France after French National Assembly recognizes the killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as genocide.
2002 January - Turkish men are no longer regarded in law as head of the family. The move gives women full legal equality with men, 66 years after women's rights were put on the statute books.
2002 August - Parliament approves reforms aimed at securing EU membership. Death sentence to be abolished except in times of war and bans on Kurdish education, broadcasting to be lifted.
2002 November - Islamist-based Justice and Development Party (AK) wins landslide election victory. Party promises to stick to secular principles of constitution. Deputy leader Abdullah Gul appointed premier.
2003 March - AK leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan wins seat in parliament. Within days Abdullah Gul resigns as prime minister and Erdogan takes over.
2003 June-July - Eyeing future EU membership, parliament passes laws easing restrictions on freedom of speech, Kurdish language rights, and on reducing political role of military.
2004 January - Turkey signs protocol banning death penalty in all circumstances, a move welcomed in EU circles.
2004 September - Parliament approves penal reforms introducing tougher measures to prevent torture and violence against women. Controversial proposal on criminalizing adultery dropped.
2004 December - EU leaders agree to open talks in 2005 on Turkey's EU accession. The decision, made at a summit in Brussels, follows a deal over an EU demand that Turkey recognise Cyprus as an EU member.
2005 October - EU membership negotiations officially launched after intense bargaining.
2007 May - Parliament brings forward national elections to 22 July to try end the standoff between secularists and Islamists over the choice of the next president.
2007 July - AK Party wins parliamentary elections.
