In the then small city in the heart of Anatolia, a decision was made that changed the political map of Turkey. On October 13, 1923, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey designated Ankara as the capital of the state. Until then, the official political center had been Istanbul - the capital city inherited from the Ottoman Empire.
It is important to clarify that on this date, no physical relocation of all institutions from one city to another took place. The parliament adopted the political decision for Ankara to be the administrative center of Turkey. Only 16 days later, on October 29, the republic was proclaimed.
Ankara is now the center of the national movement
The choice did not come suddenly. Mustafa Kemal arrived in Ankara on 27 December 1919, and the city gradually became the headquarters of the struggle for independence. On 23 April 1920, the Grand National Assembly was opened there, which took over the leadership of the national movement.
The location of Ankara in the interior of Anatolia made it a more secure base for the new government than Istanbul, which after World War I was under the control of the Entente powers. Thus, even before the official decision, the city served as a de facto political center.
After the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne on 24 July 1923 and the withdrawal of the last foreign troops from Istanbul in October, the question of the future state center became particularly important. On October 9, Ismet Pasha and 14 other deputies submitted a proposal to declare Ankara the capital.
The decision was adopted by a large majority
The proposal was considered by the parliament on October 13, 1923. It was related to an amendment to the Basic Law, which stated:
„The administrative center of the Turkish state is the city of Ankara.“
The decision was adopted by a large majority. The chairman of the meeting, Ali Fuat Pasha, rejected the objections that the vote was unanimous and stated:
„Gentlemen, there are hands raised. I cannot say unanimously – I saw them, the decision was adopted by a large majority.“The quote was transmitted by the Turkish public television TRT, referring to parliamentary information.
According to the Anatolian Agency, Ankara at that time had between 20,000 and 25,000 inhabitants. Its new status accelerated the construction of state institutions, roads, public buildings and housing. The small Anatolian city quickly began to become the political, administrative and symbolic center of the republic.
On October 29, 1923, the Grand National Assembly proclaimed Turkey a republic and elected Mustafa Kemal as its first president. Ankara remains the capital, while Istanbul retains its role as the largest economic, cultural and historical city in the country.
Sources: trthaber.com, aa.com.tr, dosim.ktb.gov.tr